From John Doyle of The Globe and Mail:
Link: Whither Canadian culture: Where’s the quality?
What’s exceptionally frustrating, especially in the matter of television in Canadian culture, is the lack of emphasis on quality. Said it before and saying it again: We make an awful lot of TV in this country and we are, frankly, accepting of a great deal of mediocrity. Money is thrown at all manner of drivel. Continue reading.
From Melissa Hank of O.Canada:
Link: CBC’s Exhibitionists proves home is where the art is
Some art purists are quick to extol classic works like American Gothic. The CBC-TV series Exhibitionists, however, staunchly focuses on Canadian modern.
Now in its second season, the show spotlights homegrown artists who are redrawing the creative landscape. And with their emphasis on social media tools like Instagram and Twitter, this ain’t your grandma’s art show. Continue reading.Â
From a media release:
Entertainment One (eOne) and Piller Segan, alongside Canadian broadcast partner Corus, are pleased to announce that principal photography has begun on Season 2 of Global’s runaway success Private Eyes. Starring Jason Priestley (Beverly Hills 90210, Call Me Fitz) and Cindy Sampson (Rogue, Supernatural), the 18-episode order is shooting in and around Toronto and is set to premiere on Global in spring 2017. Priestley will also play double duty as both star of the series and director of the first episode.
As last summer’s #1 new series, the Canadian original detective drama follows the P.I. powerhouse duo, Matt Shade (Priestley) and Angie Everett (Sampson) as they lead Everett Investigations together and test each other both professionally and personally.
Season two picks up with Shade now Angie’s full partner in Everett Investigations, but are the two of them really ready for what that means? Team player Shade has grand plans to “grow the agency†– but lone wolf Angie’s used to things the way they are. Can these two ever reconcile their differences to succeed as a duo?
One thing’s clear: their contrasting skillsets yield results when it comes to solving cases. As their success grows, the cases that come their way get even bigger and more sophisticated, plunging them into the diverse worlds of auto racing, real estate, high fashion, and private school privilege. For all their bickering and disagreements, there’s no substitute for the adrenaline rush of taking down a bad guy or helping an innocent victim. And through it all, there’s the undeniable chemistry between the two – something they must acknowledge sooner or later.
Further complicating matters are Shade’s too-smart daughter Jules (Jordyn Negri, Grizzly Cup), his unpredictable ex-wife Becca (Nicole de Boer, Haven), and his quick-witted and sarcastic father Don (Barry Flatman, Hell on Wheels, Fargo). Other returning characters are the lovable Detective Mazhari (Ennis Esmer, Blindspot, Red Oaks, You Me Her) and the cool-as-ice Detective Nolan (Clé Bennett¸ Heroes Reborn, Sensitive Skin), Angie’s sometime boyfriend and foil to Shade. Joining the cast this season is Samantha Wan (Second Jen) as Zoe Chow, the quirky bookworm that Shade and Angie take on as an office manager to assist – and mediate – their epic disputes.
Private Eyes season two is executive produced by John Morayniss and Tecca Crosby for eOne, Shawn Piller and Lloyd Segan for Piller Segan, Jason Priestley, Alan McCullough, James Thorpe and Tassie Cameron. McCullough and Piller are also Showrunners for season two.
What would you do if given the opportunity to go back in time and save the lives of others? It’s a well-worn trope that’s been discussed in literature, film and television. And it’s covered in Monday’s new episode of Travelers too. That’s not unexpected. Sure, this team has missions to complete, but they’re not robots. These people have feelings, and in the case of one, they buckle under the guilt of not being able to prevent the deaths of others and tries to protect one. That, of course, puts their team in danger.
Here are some other non-spoilery plot point we can tell you about Episode 3, “Aleksander,” written by Tara Armstrong (Mary Kills People) and Mika Collins.
We can’t help but love David
He’s a bit of a greek and super-awkward around pretty girls, so we’re naturally cheering for David and Marcy to become a couple. That aside, scenes are fun as heck when he’s in them, alternately trying to get information from Marcy or recoiling at her nakedness.
Philip is feeling guilty
In all the excitement from last week’s first mission, I had totally forgotten about Steven, the drug addict who overdosed next to Philip in Episode 1. Future Philip has no clue how close he and his friend were, but Steven’s grieving mother certainly lets him know. If the travellers were hoping to interact with these present people and not be affected by them, they were sorely mistaken. For Philip this is doubly true: he inherited the need for heroin when his consciousness entered this body.
Grant shakes things up
Going tie-less to work? Choosing vegan for dinner? If Kat doesn’t suspect something weird is up with her husband then she’s just not that observant.
Is someone on to the travellers?
There is security footage of Marcy’s arrival and a character we’ve already met is linking it to someone he knows.
Jennifer Spence alert!
Although it hurt a bit to reminded of Continuum, we were thrilled to see Jennifer Spence in “Aleksander,” and involved in a pretty great storyline to boot.
Who is Aleksander?
Let’s just say he’s very important to one team member, but not for the reason you’d expect.
Travelers airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Showcase.
Images courtesy of Corus Entertainment.
From Heather M. of The Televixen:
Link: Lucas Bryant talks Shoot the Messenger
“So often, you get a tease in an episode that suggests something you’re about to explore in a subsequent episode. There’s a little more information that comes out, but it’s something that’s kind of left alone. I thought that was nicely ambiguous and adult.†Continue reading.
