All posts by Greg David

Prior to becoming a television critic and owner of TV, Eh?, Greg David was a critic for TV Guide Canada, the country's most trusted source for TV news. He has interviewed television actors, actresses and behind-the-scenes folks from hundreds of television series from Canada, the U.S. and internationally. He is a podcaster, public speaker, weekly radio guest and educator, and past member of the Television Critics Association.
Featured, Heartland

Jealousy rears its head on Heartland

It’s not often that an episode of Heartland goes by without some closure. A problem or issue arises and by the end of the hour things are almost always settled and Sunday concludes with some great song as the credits roll.

Alas, though we got a fantastic closing tune by Reuben and the Dark called “Heart in Two,” there were strings left hanging. “The Green-Eyed Monster,” written by Bonnie Fairweather, was—as expected given the episode title—dealt with jealousy between horse and human and human and human.

For Amy, it meant realizing she’s spent so much time focusing on keeping busy while Ty has been away that Spartan went neglected. The result was an irritated horse that stumped Jack and Amy. It wasn’t until Amy began working with mounted archer Norah and her horse, Doc, that she understood: Doc was jealous of Norah’s infant son and Spartan was upset with Amy because she was neglecting him. Her solution was to take Spartan into the woods and work on liberty training; paired with “Heart in Two” it made for a stunning and emotional final scene as they reconnected.

Sadly for Georgie and Adam, there was no happiness for them. Adam, who has evolved from standoffish genius to an emotional boyfriend, assumed Georgie was seeing Clay and jealously spurned her. As much as I want to be angry at Adam for his actions, I totally get it. Being in a relationship at that age is an all-consuming thing and you want to be with them 24/7. But smothering the person you love isn’t the answer and these two are going to have to figure out the right mix or things will be over.

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Speaking of over, Mitch and Lou certainly seem to be. One of the frustrating things about some of the Heartland characters is their stubbornness and unwillingness to let the other person speak. That was certainly the case with Lou, who assumed Mitch’s coldness while fly fishing meant he doesn’t like her. Of course, that’s not the case—the dog tags mean Mitch was remembering fishing with a friend who’s no longer alive—but she wouldn’t let him explain and, honestly, he didn’t try hard enough.

The only person who had anything go right was Jack. After Lisa accidentally chucked his stew jar it was recovered. Well, at least there was that.

Heartland airs Sundays at 7 p.m. on CBC.

Images courtesy of CBC.

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Murdoch Mysteries

Link: 5×5 With The Hook: Bea Santos and Daniel Maslany

From You’ve Been Hooked:

Link: 5×5 With The Hook: Bea Santos
“I have a lot of respect for Louise’s career focus. I love how driven, and maybe a little bit pushy, she is. In terms of being passionate about what we do we are the same. It will also be revealed in later episodes that we have some surprising cultural similarities. Can’t really elaborate, you’ll just have to watch!” Continue reading.

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Link: 5×5 With the Hook: Daniel Maslany
“It was a very collaborative effort and evolution from start to finish. Simon’s writing of Watts was fantastic, and very rewarding to be able to bring to life. He created this character with many quirks and peculiar opinions but they all felt grounded in a believable and playable reality.” Continue reading. 

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Industry News

Link: New system for funding Canadian content would rely on tax credits

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From Kate Taylor of The Globe and Mail:

Link: New system for funding Canadian content would rely on tax credits
Canada desperately needs an update to its cultural policies but, like many Liberal initiatives, the review announced last spring by Minister of Canadian Heritage Mélanie Joly feels pretty mushy. To date, the consultations about nurturing Canadian-content creation seem mainly to have produced pieties about the digital age but few concrete suggestions. Continue reading. 

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Industry News

Corner Gas set to be dismantled today; self-directed walking tour of Dog River to launch summer 2017

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From a media release:

The iconic CORNER GAS set will be dismantled beginning at 9 am MT today, the producers of the series confirmed today. The announcement was made as producers and the Town of Rouleau finalize plans on a Dog River Walking Tour in Summer 2017. The producers also confirmed discussions continue with Saskatchewan’s Western Development Museum (WDM) about a possible donation of iconic pieces from the CORNER GAS set.

The Gas Station and The Ruby are the epicentre of the fictional town of Dog River featured in the wildly popular franchise that includes Corner Gas: The Movie and six seasons of the CTV televised series CORNER GAS. Located at the junction of Highway 39, Weckman Drive and 1st Avenue, approximately 65 km southwest of Regina, the set has become a popular tourist destination.

The set was built as temporary structures in the summer of 2003 to shoot 13 episodes of the TV series over the course of a summer. When the show became an overnight sensation, the set’s life was extended to accommodate six seasons and a movie. But time and the elements have taken their toll. Built on a bog, the structures have been sinking over the years and the foundation is beyond repair. The set is no longer safe for public use and will therefore be dismantled on November 4, when the lease on the property expires.

About the Dog River Walking Tour & Commemorative Sign in Rouleau:

Next summer, the producers, in association with the Town of Rouleau, have plans to erect a CORNER GAS commemorative sign and detailed map of the Dog River Walking Tour. Fans can visit Rouleau and take a one-hour self-guided tour, which includes: the original site of the gas station, downtown Dog River, Oscar & Emma’s house, grain elevator, water tower and CORNER GAS character cutouts for photo opportunities. Postcard-sized maps will be available at the town hall and for download at cornergas.com.

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Frontier

Links: Frontier

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From John Doyle of The Globe and Mail:

Link: Frontier is a lively, bloody yarn about Canada’s fur trade wars
Canadian history is about cutthroat business. And greed, murder, rage, revenge and pillage. Mind you, it’s mainly about getting on with the necessities of cutthroat business.

Frontier (Sunday, Discovery, 9 p.m.) is a new drama about Canada in the 18th century, before it was Canada and was merely a disputed place to pillage and ravage like the bountiful, wanton place it was. It’s a stunningly opulent, wildly entertaining romp, an action/adventure drama anchored in the savagery of the fur trade. Blink and you’ve missed some character being knifed, hung or beaten to death in the name of profit.

The Canadian Discovery Channel’s first scripted drama, made with Netflix, which will air it outside of Canada, is a rollicking good yarn, blessedly lacking in earnestness and devoted to fast-paced action. Continue reading.

From Fish Griwkowsky of the Edmonton Journal:

Edmonton-born actress brings edge to fur trade drama Frontier
“The great thing about her is that as much as she’s this badass using her hands and killing people, she’s also very much the reasoning within the Black Wolf Company, Jason Momoa’s gang. She’s kind of the heart of the group, and gets Jason Momoa’s character to really think about what he’s planning to do.” Continue reading. 

From Bill Brioux of The Canadian Press:

Former Game of Thrones star takes on Canadian fur trading drama Frontier
When Canadians think of the Hudson’s Bay Company, they think department store. They don’t think “Game of Thrones” with fur pelts. That may change after Sunday, when “Frontier” premieres on Discovery Canada. It’s also set to debut outside of Canada on Netflix. Continue reading.

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