From John Doyle of the Globe and Mail:
Link: Unclaimed is a dramatic TV movie about the Pickton murders
There is probably a reason why a TV movie about the women in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside who were preyed upon by serial killer Robert Pickton airs at short notice on CBC on a Saturday night in July. The reasons are probably tangled and too complex to get into. Continue reading.
What Degrassi means to me? Um, I’m effin’ Snake. Duh.
Where to begin? Well I live in the States in a pretty normal middle-class Christian family, so when I started watching Degrassi at about 13 it was scandalous. Now I am 17 and have graduated from high school and junior college and I have come out mostly intact and I have to thank Degrassi for some portion of that.
Like I mentioned, I was raised in a religious family so some (more like most) of the topics that Degrassi was covering were things that I was running into from periods to as “Snake†put it, boners. I was dealing with growing up in a family who wasn’t as open in talking about all of the not-so-pretty sides of being a teenager. And not even just the not pretty but that stuff that you never want to admit to your parents that you are dealing with.
Now I can say I have never been pregnant or diagnosed with a mental illness, but I have survived the pressures of high school and am thankful it was just in time. Finding out that Degrassi would no longer be airing in the U.S. was a sad thought. It was a show that gave the honest truth and with that truth it gave an honest outcome. When Paige got raped and Jenna got pregnant there were long -erm repercussions that effected them for much longer than an episode or two, but it was something that their character had to deal with for the rest of their time in the show. Which was a factor that was true in real life and something that mainstream Hollywood has not been able to capture or has not been willing to. I am forever grateful to those who have participated in the prolonging of Degrassi for the teens of today and the future. It was a pleasure growing up with you. —Kaile
I live in the States as well and Degrassi was a great show! I’m from the years when Degreassi: The Next Generation was on (Emma, Manny, Paige, Marco, etc.) and to me that was the BEST seasons Degrassi has ever had! They really helped me learn and grow and gave me hope as I went through school, so thank you Degrassi and, honestly, I hope you’re still around on Netflix or picked back up on TV whenever I have kids old enough to watch! —Love
If Canada’s known for delicious poutine and realistic portrayals of teenage life, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Also, count me out of the modern dating game if dick pics are part of the process. —Shannon
Got a question or comment about Canadian TV? Email greg@tv-eh.com or via Twitter @tv_eh.
From a media release:
This summer Canadian home cooks have the chance to demonstrate their culinary chops during the MASTERCHEF CANADA Season 4 Open Casting Call Saturday, Aug. 6 in Toronto. Armed with their best dish, passionate Canadian home cooks have the opportunity to embark on a unique food journey by coming to the InterContinental Toronto Centre Hotel, and can also apply online at CTV.ca/MasterChefCanada before auditions close at 11:59 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 6.
Home cooks are encouraged to arrive at the MASTERCHEF CANADA Season 4 Open Casting Call for 7 a.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 6 at the InterContinental Toronto Centre Hotel (225 Front St. W), with one prepared dish. Applicants will be given three minutes to plate their dish before presenting it to professional tasters, and as there will not be any kitchen facilities or supplies available, all dishes will be tasted at room temperature. Applicants must also be able to carry everything they need into the audition room. Prospective competitors will be judged on how their dishes taste, as well as plating, creativity, skill, and food knowledge. Home cooks are encouraged to visit CTV.ca/MasterChefCanada, where they can complete the online application in advance of their audition, and also read the FAQs. All applicants must be amateurs, and cannot have worked professionally in a culinary environment as a cook, chef, or in food preparation.
From a media release:
CTV announced today that YOUR MORNING, its new national morning show, will premiere Monday, Aug. 22 on CTV and CTV News Channel. The announcement was made as the first team photo from the program was revealed, featuring Ben Mulroney and Anne-Marie Mediwake (Hosts), Melissa Grelo (Late Morning Anchor), Lindsey Deluce (News Anchor), and Kelsey McEwen (Weather Anchor).
The program is currently in pre-production at Bell Media’s Queen Street West campus in Toronto, from where it will broadcast each weekday from 6-9 a.m. on CTV (Ontario, Québec, and Eastern Canada) and nationally on CTV News Channel.
As announced last month, YOUR MORNING will deliver original perspectives and unique insights into the stories of the day, while showcasing lifestyle topics of interest to Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast. Additional details will be announced in the weeks to come.
Image courtesy of Bell Media.
From a media release:
Drawn from Stevie Cameron’s national bestseller, On The Farm, comes UNCLAIMED. The two-hour original movie is a fictional recreation of the events surrounding and leading up to the arrest of Robert ‘Willie’ Pickton, told from the perspective of the women of Vancouver’s notorious Downtown East Side.
The story follows Nikki Taylor (Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers), a quick-witted and spirited single mother who works the streets and becomes aware that an alarming number of sex workers in the area continue to go missing. Nikki alerts local police officer Sinead McLeod (Sara Canning), who begins working to raise flags with her superiors about the matter. While the two work to bring attention to the issue, they must fight against societal and systematic indifference which causes the case to be ignored.
McLeod quickly finds herself caught between the politics of her department and the desire to follow her instincts when the women continue rapidly to disappear. Following a public outcry, tensions increase and law enforcement finally makes its move and pairs McLeod with Sergeant Keeley (Patrick Gallagher), who is still haunted by an unsolved Jane Doe case. Fighting an uphill battle, Officers McLeod and Keeley find their strongest allies in Nikki and social worker Elaine (Sarah Strange), and together they begin their desperate hunt for a serial killer and to bring justice for the victims and their families.
ABOUT THE CAST & CHARACTERS
Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers as “Nikki Taylor,†Sara Canning as “Constable Sinead McLeod,†Patrick Gallagher as “Sergeant Jeff Keeley,†Sarah Strange as “Elaine Brooks,†Olivia Steele Falconer as “Tara Richards.â€
ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM
Rupert Harvey, Executive Producer; Rachel Talalay, Director; Dennis Foon, Writer
