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.
Bachelorette Canada, Featured

Bachelorette Canada makes Muzique in Montreal

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Montreal is a city with European flair, an international vibe; a truly unique spot in this country. It was also the sight of the most dramatic episode of The Bachelorette Canada this season.

Was it wrong for Chris to mention Drew during his one-on-one time with Jasmine, calling the salesman out for his actions? Where Chris saw Drew’s actions as bullying, Drew claimed he was joking. But while there may be interpretation in the reading of Chris’ name on the one-on-one date card—that honour was actually for Mikhel—there was no mistaking Drew saying Chris wasn’t a man. But, what makes a man? Is a man someone who likes football, lives in Toronto and exudes cockiness? Is someone less of a man because he invents things and prefers philanthropy to philandering?

This season of The Bachelorette Canada has been an interesting one because it’s presented the wide chasm between who we are and expectations on who we’re perhaps supposed to be. It may be all in the editing—and goodness knows reality TV is created in the editing suite—but Drew is being presented as the biggest asshole I’ve seen in the Canadian franchise. If he is indeed like that in real life then I have no time for him at all. My high school’s halls were filled with jerks like him, backslapping dudes who are still reliving their Grade 12 gridiron successes while waiting for their work shift to be done. But if he’s not really like that … well, I feel badly for him because Drew’s been labelled. And as he’s been portrayed as acting so far this season, being labelled as something is tough to shake.

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Because of the he said/he said between Drew and Chris, Jasmine made the right call and chose not to award a rose at the end of the football group date. That left Drew seething and calling Drew a “bitch” (pretty hard not to take that the way it was intended) and Chris wondering if he made a big mistake.

Really, Chris and Drew’s actions took away from what was a pretty great episode of The Bachelorette Canada, with Mikhel and Jasmine making a real connection during a slow dance and hot tub time after spray painting a rose on a brick wall (and him getting a real one) to Benoit scoring his own rose for performing so admirably in the Cirque du Soleil trapeze.

Jasmine nixed the cocktail party, opting to head right into the rose ceremony. Jasmine did pause after handing out blossoms to Mike, Kevin W., Thomas and Kevin P. before she pulled Drew aside to discuss whether he was there for her or himself. He reappeared, clearly shaken, and Jasmine resumed her task, giving Chris and Drew the final two roses. Unfortunately, Kyle (and his bow tie), Andrew and David were shown the door.

Do you think Jasmine was right to keep Chris? Should she have sent Drew home? Should they both go home? Comment below or via Twitter @tv_eh.

The Bachelorette Canada airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on W Network.

Images courtesy of Corus.

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Featured, The Romeo Section

The Romeo Section ups the intrigue in Season 2

Full disclosure: I wasn’t a die-hard fan of The Romeo Section in Season 1. I am a fan of the show’s creator, Chris Haddock, and his other series, especially Da Vinci’s Inquest and Da Vinci’s City Hall. In both, rat-a-tat, conversational dialogue came as fast and furious as the dead bodies (the former) and political plotting (the latter). And then came the spy-themed The Romeo Section. It was slow and methodical, many scenes were filmed in low light and therefore difficult to see, and I had a hard time warming to the characters.

But as Season 2 approached—it returns Wednesday at 9 p.m. on CBC—I realized I was judging The Romeo Section against two series I loved. That wasn’t fair. As Haddock told press prior to the Season 1 debut, the world has changed (Inquest and City Hall went off the air in 2006) and Romeo Section was a reflection of that. It deserved another shot.

So, how do I feel about The Romeo Section now? I enjoyed parts of the season premiere and was a little annoyed by others.

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Brian Markinson as Norman

“The Official Narrative” begins with Wolfgang (Andrew Airlie) driving the dark (yup), rain-soaked streets to the Vancouver waterfront. We quickly learn Wolfgang, no longer handing assets, is still teaching at the university and is asked to not just look over notes suggesting the government plans to put all of Canada’s security forces under one umbrella but read up and report on something else: a quashed terrorist plot involving a backpack bomb. Of course, Wolfgang signs on—he needs the money and there wouldn’t be much of a show if he didn’t—and heads to a club where he meets with Norman (Brian Markinson) a blackballed former spy. I love Markinson’s work and was jazzed to read he’d be part of Season 2. Norman is the type of character you can’t help but cheer for, despite the fact he oozes sleaze. He’s the smarmy ying to Wolfgang’s uptight yang, and the pairing works as they recreate the events surrounding the planned bombing and perceived bungles in the investigation.

Meanwhile, Rufus (Juan Riedlinger) has become a player in the city’s heroin market, with the proceeds financing a movie. It doesn’t take long for Rufus to start making key connections in the industry, but it rings a little hollow for me. Rufus utters almost every tough-guy cliché one does when trying to gain trust with violent bad guys while throwing in new ones, joking he found a kilo of heroin under his Christmas tree and that Santa’s elves sit around for most of the year with nothing to do, so they’ve gotten into the heroin trade. OK, bud.

As for Lily (Leeah Wong), she’s a recruit for the Intelligence Service and is caught in a power struggle between Al (Eugene Lipinski) and another agent while keeping her double agent status intact.

Thanks to the back-and-forth between Norman and Wolfgang and their investigation, I’ll tune in to The Romeo Section next week, with fingers crossed the Rufus storyline sheds some frustrating details.

The Romeo Section airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

Images courtesy of CBC.

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Industry News

Link: CRTC Survey: Canadian TV showrunners & writers on new CanCon requirements

From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:

Link: CRTC Survey: Canadian TV showrunners & writers on new CanCon requirements
t’s been a little over a month since the CRTC (Canada Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) handed down a ruling they claim will give more “flexibility” to producers, but one that many creatives in the Canadian television industry are very upset about. Responsible for regulating and supervising broadcasting and telecommunications in Canada, the CRTC’s ruling in late August to reduce the number of points reserved for Canadians on productions has stirred up quite the controversy. It’s a move that many have interpreted as the CRTC saying Canadian TV needs international help to succeed. Continue reading.

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Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Gusto’s first original design series The Search for Canada’s Next Designers premieres Oct. 16

From a media release:

Grab your allen keys, Canada! Gusto debuts its first original design program with the premiere of THE SEARCH FOR CANADA’S NEXT DESIGNER. From Bell Media In-House Productions, the six-episode, 30-minute series airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET, beginning October 16 on Gusto.

Hosted by THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW’s design expert Tommy Smythe, the series sees six competitors vie for a coveted design contract with IKEA Canada as they face weekly challenges and eliminations. THE SEARCH FOR CANADA’S NEXT DESIGNER encores on CTV Two, Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET, beginning Oct. 20.

For a group of up-and-coming Canadian design experts, the opportunity of a lifetime is about to begin! THE SEARCH FOR CANADA’S NEXT DESIGNER pits six individuals against one another in a series of high-stakes décor challenges. The lucky grand prize winner nabs a coveted design contract with IKEA Canada and a dream trip to Sweden.

Each week, designers work with IKEA Canada products to showcase their innovative design skills. From DIY-themed challenges to dealing with dated décor on a budget, the challenges reference both IKEA’s current line of products as well as the brand’s history. With the threat of elimination hiding behind every challenge, it’s up to each designer to put their skills to the test and show what they’ve got. Also in the blueprints are game-changing twists and fast time turnarounds! There’s a lot at stake in this competition, and only one designer can come out on top.

In addition to Smythe, THE SEARCH FOR CANADA’S NEXT DESIGNER features IKEA Canada judge Alicia Caroll and a cast of top-tier guest judges, including celebrity chef Roger Mooking, THE SOCIAL co-host Lainey Lui, Canadian home renovation guru Sebastian Clovis, winner of THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW’s search for their next designer expert, Andrew Pike, and more.

The six competitors competing in THE SEARCH FOR CANADA’S NEXT DESIGNER are:

  • Christopher, Interior Designer
  • Joey, Owner of Joey Vogel Interior Design
  • Marcy, Entrepreneur and YouTube personality
  • Martha, Engineer and Lead Designer at Hedgeford & Berkley
  • Natalie, Owner of Nest Design Studios
  • Victoria, Television Art Director

In the premiere episode of THE SEARCH FOR CANADA’S NEXT DESIGNER (Sunday, October 16 at 9 p.m. ET on Gusto) the competition is on! Host Tommy Smythe dishes out the first-ever challenge for six up-and-coming design experts: a dining space transformation. Working with a limited budget and tight deadline, the designers soon find out that every little detail matters – and for one of them, the journey is about to come to an end. The episode features special guest judge, Roger Mooking.

THE SEARCH FOR CANADA’S NEXT DESIGNER is executive produced by Michelle Crespi. John Simpson is co-executive producer.

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