From Marilyn Boone of CBC News:
Link: Frontier women: Badass, tough cookie, survivor
They’re women who play very different roles, from a prostitute to an Ojibwa warrior to an ambitious businesswoman, in the male-dominated and cutthroat world of 18th-century fur trading. Continue reading.
From Heather Mallick of the Toronto Star:
Link: Beaverton provides much-needed laughs
The Beaverton announces Canada’s latest Heritage Minute, a Kitchener food research scientist eating his lunch at work. He has chips. He has ketchup. “The Invention of the Ketchup Chip, a part of our heritage since 1974. Making Heritage Minutes about our mundane history, a part of our heritage since 1991.†And so on.
What I have been hungry for is news about Canada, drama about Canada and comedy about Canada. Canadian TV has not been obliging me until now, so thank you, Comedy Network. Continue reading.Â
From a media release:
With an all-access pass to one of the world’s most elite athletes, HBO Canada laces up for P.K. SUBBAN SKATE PAST THE NOISE: THE OFF-SEASON, premiering Friday, Nov. 18 at 10 p.m. ET. The new Original Documentary is a Bell Media co-commission between premium English-language Pay TV service, The Movie Network, and leading French-language networks RDS and Canal D.
With a running time of just under an hour, this up-close-and-personal documentary tells the story of one of hockey’s biggest personalities and features unparalleled access to his inner circle. As Subban faces a major turning point in his career, the electric defenseman bids adieu to Montréal. The film follows Subban during the 2016 off-season while the star is at home in Toronto, preparing for the next chapter of his life and career in Nashville.
P.K. SUBBAN SKATE PAST THE NOISE: THE OFF-SEASON explores what it means to be P.K. Subban as he prepares for the season to come. Shining a light on what it takes to be a top professional athlete, the documentary includes interviews with Subban, rap superstar Snoop Dogg, and former Canadian sprinter – and Subban’s speed and agility coach – Ben Johnson.
P.K. SUBBAN SKATE PAST THE NOISE: THE OFF-SEASON will also be seen in French on Nov. 16 on Canal D at 7:30 p.m. ET and RDS at 8:30 p.m. ET. A 30-minute special edition including 15 minutes of never-before-seen content will be available on Bell Fibe TV1 channel, beginning Nov. 17.
In association with Bell Media, P.K. SUBBAN SKATE PAST THE NOISE: THE OFF-SEASON is produced by Productions KOTV III Inc. P.K. Subban, Alain Chicoine, Louis-Philippe Drolet, and Louis Morissette are Executive Producers. Alexandra Toulch and Jack Hackel are Co-Directors.
I’ve been a fan of Mike Holmes since the first episode of Holmes on Homes aired way back in … well, it was a long time ago. Holmes Inspection, Holmes Makes It Right, I’ve seen them all at least once and often several times over. The guy has an infectious personality, unmatched knowledge of right and wrong when it comes to home building and an urge to educate and inspire others. Those traits have been carried down to his kids Amanda, Sherry and Mike Jr., who have all appeared on his series.
After renovating his father’s garage—documented for the network with a short-run series—Mike Sr. and Jr. return to HGTV Canada with Holmes + Holmes, where they turn the latter’s bachelor abode into a great place for he and his girlfriend, Lisa. Debuting Thursday at 10 p.m. ET/PT, Holmes + Holmes is as much a renovation program as it is a spotlight on the evolution of Mike Jr. as a person while in the shadow of his superstar father. Footage of Jr. back in 2004 shows a skinny teen who is more interested in playing video games than he is hefting a hammer, but he’s learned a lot in the 12 years since.
He’s learned so much so that he’s able to challenge his dad, and has the know-how to back it up, on certain things. With $50,000 devoted to the renovation, Jr. plans to spend $30,000 on rebuilding inside with the remainder spent on outside issues. But as folks who watch these programs can attest, budgets go out the window once work commences and awful secrets are revealed as walls come down. And while Jr. is thinking of a mere facelift for his place, Sr. is leaning towards a complete gutting and rebuild of the bungalow.
There is a marked change in the tone of many DIY and renovation programming from straight hands-on, nuts and bolts stuff to a lighter, character-driven model and Holmes + Holmes is certainly that. Both men have spent hundreds of hours working in TV and know their stuff when it comes to the mechanics of a job. What viewers want now is to see folks like the Holmes’ interact and show a more personal side. You certainly get that with this; much time is spent in Episode 1 as Jr. states he’s got the knowledge to complete the job on his own without help from dad, and there is plenty of good-natured ribbing between them and a barbecue challenge. And though she’s a rookie to the TV thing, Lisa has got it together, both serving as a grounding influence for Jr. and a set of fresh eyes taking in the Holmes’ renovation process for the first time.
It’s going to be a fun ride.
Holmes + Holmes airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada.
Image courtesy of Corus.
From Heather M. of The Televixen:
Link: Eugene Lipinski talks The Romeo Section + a preview of “Forced Entryâ€
“Al is an enigma. He’s a contradiction. He’s a [shit stirrer]. I don’t think he wants anything for himself. He wants to stir the pot and drag people into darkness. I’ve worked with Chris a long time [and he] worked my accident into the story. On my tired days, my gait is not perfect, so [the audience] can wonder, ‘what’s going on [with Al]?’†Continue reading.
