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.
Awards, Industry News

Natasha Henstridge named Golden Maple Awards host

From a media release:

The Academy of Canadians in Sports & Entertainment – Los Angeles (ACISE-LA) announced today the master of ceremony, the award presenters and an additional Maple of Excellence honoree for the 2016 Golden Maple Awards.

The 2016 Golden Maple Awards will be held on July 1, 2016 in Los Angeles, on Canada’s Day.

Among Missy Peregrym and Nick Bateman, 2016 Golden Maple Awards honorees, is Pop President Brad Schwartz, who will receive the 2016 Maple of Excellence for Outstanding TV Executive. Pop is a cable television network seen in over 80 million homes and owned by CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF).

Mr. Schwartz led the high profile, award-winning rebrand of TV Guide Network to Pop, which debuted in January 2015. Under Mr. Schwartz’s leadership, Pop has launched critically acclaimed original programming, delivered nine quarters of year-over-year ratings growth, increased its distribution with launches on AT&T U-Verse and Cablevision, attracted over 125 new advertisers, and in 2015 delivered its best primetime in six years.

Throughout his career, Mr. Schwartz has rebranded and/or launched six cable networks and has served as a top executive for Fuse, CTV (Canada) and MTV. At Fuse, he led an award-winning (PROMAX/BDA Gold) rebrand campaign, delivered Fuse’s highest quarterly, weekly and daily ratings in the network’s history, as well as critically acclaimed programming including the Emmy Award nominated “Billy on The Street,” Image Award winning “The Hustle,” and GLAAD Winning “Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce.” Prior to Fuse, Schwartz served as General Manager of a suite of eight music and pop culture cable networks in Canada, including MTV Canada, MuchMusic, MTV2 and MuchMore, launching Gemini-winning “MTV Live,” North American-wide hit “The Hills Aftershow” and winning the PROMAX/BDA “Judges Choice” award for best-in-show marketing & creative. He merged MTV and MuchMusic into one business that reached more than 48% of all young Canadians every week, driving double digit increases in ratings and revenue, while leading MuchMusic to its highest rated year ever, which included the highest rated non-sports cable program on television “The MuchMusic Video Awards” and Peabody & Emmy-winning “Degrassi.”

From Toronto, Canada and a graduate of The University of Pennsylvania, Mr. Schwartz began his career working for Lorne Michaels at “Saturday Night Live.” He has been listed among Broadcasting and Cable’s Next Wave Of Leaders, The Hollywood Reporter’s Next Generation, CableFax’s Top 100 Power Players In Cable, and named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 leaders. He is a member of PROMAX/BDA’s Board of Directors.

The 2016 Golden Maple Awards will be hosted by Canadian actress Natasha Henstridge, known for her role in GHOSTS OF MARS, SPECIES, THE WHOLE NINE YARDS and ELI STONE, and starred more recently in Sony’s HOME INVASION.

Canadian talent Amanda Crew, Emily Hampshire, Meaghan Rath, Enuka Okuma and Keltie Knight will be awards presenters at the 2016 Golden Maple Awards on July 1, 2016.

Previously announced on May 16, 2016, the Golden Maple Award nominees are:

Best actress in a TV series broadcast in the U.S.:

  • Amanda Crew – Silicon Valley, HBO
  • Britne Oldford – Hunters, Syfy
  • Emily Hampshire – 12 Monkeys, Syfy
  • Emily Hampshire – Schitt’s Creek, PopTV
  • Erin Karpluk – The Riftworld Chronicles, Geek & Sundry
  • Laura Vandervoort – Bitten, Syfy
  • Lindy Booth – The Librarians, TNT
  • Natalie Brown – The Strain, FX

Best actor in a TV series broadcast in the U.S.:

  • Ben Hollingsworth – Code Black, CBS
  • Brandon Jay McLaren – Graceland, USA
  • Byron Mann – Hell On Wheels, AMC
  • Christopher Heyerdahl – Hell On Wheels, AMC
  • David Sutcliffe – Proof, TNT
  • Giacomo Gianniotti – Grey’s Anatomy, ABC
  • Jonathan Keltz – Reign, The CW
  • Ricky Mabe – Gigi Does It, IFC

Newcomer of the year in a TV series broadcast in the U.S.:

  • Amanda Crew – Silicon Valley, HBO
  • Ennis Esmer – Red Oaks, Amazon Studios
  • Christopher Heyerdahl – Hell on Wheels, AMC
  • Giacomo Gianniotti – Grey’s Anatomy, ABC
  • Gregory Smith – Rookie Blue, ABC
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Killjoys

Link: Killjoys’ Michelle Lovretta on new enemies and changing team dynamics in Season 2

From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:

Link: Killjoys’ Michelle Lovretta on new enemies and changing team dynamics in Season 2
“Well, there were a lot of bumps for the team last year as Dutch and D’av got to know one another, and as the estranged Jaqobis bros dealt with their shit. As a result of all that bridge-water, they’re not just a kickass team this year — they’re a true family. And when a family member is missing, you shake heaven and raze earth to find them and nothing else matters until you do. THAT’s the attitude where we pick up 201. That is their mission: find D’avin. Of course once they do, the real adventure begins…” Continue reading. 

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Between, Featured

Between stars dish on distrust in Season 2

Don’t expect Season 2 of Between to be full of sunshine and optimism. Pretty Lake is anything but, as winter is closing in, food is becoming scarce and folks on both sides of the fence have developed a pretty healthy distrust of one another.

It’s with that as the setting that City and Netflix’s dour, dystopian drama returns Thursday, with neither side any wiser about the disease killing anyone over the age of 21. And while townsfolk like Adam (Jesse Carere) and Wiley (Jennette McCurdy) want answers, the government is more than happy to let the town’s citizens die, sealing the disease off from the rest of the world. Episode 1, “Get Out of Town,” features two distinct groups doing just that—in very different ways—sending Between off in a tantalizing new direction.

We spoke to Carere and McCurdy during a press day in Toronto.

It was interesting, in Episode 1, how Adam and Wiley both had differing views on attempting to leave Pretty Lake and the situation in the farmhouse.
Jennette McCurdy: I think Wiley was just saying, ethically, ‘No, this isn’t right. We can’t just set up shop here and take advantage of the situation.’

There has been so much distrust on both sides in Between. The government isn’t be truthful with the people of Pretty Lake, or to everyone on the outside.
Jesse Carere: Yeah.

Episode 1 introduces viewers to a new character in Liam Cullen. What can you tell me about him? He claims to have a cure, but we’ve heard that before.
Jennette McCurdy: Liam comes at the end of the episode, and is played by Steven Grayhm—who we love and are great friends with—and he brings hope of a cure in a way that’s more stable and mature than we’ve seen before. And, I guess, it just seems more trustworthy, which makes some characters, Adam being one of them, doubt even more.

Jesse Carere: Like you said, people have talked about a cure before and it makes Adam even less trusting.

Of course, the instinct for everyone in Pretty Lake is to get out, but there are repercussions to that action. What can you say about Chuck’s decision regarding whether to escape from town or not?
Jesse Carere: I don’t want to get into exactly what happens, but there are repercussions.

Do things brighten up for these characters? It’s winter in Pretty Lake, food is running out … hope seems to be at its lowest. There isn’t a lot of smiling going on in Between. Do things brighten up by Episode 6?
Jesse Carere: I was going to say yes initially, but…

Jennette McCurdy: It’s pretty sombre. With messages like trust no one, every man for himself and finding your own solution, these themes don’t lend themselves to bright and sunny. Even some lines I have in the first scene are more lighthearted don’t come across that way because of the overall tone.

What can viewers expect from the Wiley-Adam relationship this season?
Jesse Carere: Tension. Miscommunication. Domestic discord.

Between airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on City.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Link: Newfoundland First World War doc is vital Canadian education

From John Doyle of The Globe and Mail:

Link: Newfoundland First World War doc is vital Canadian education
“It’s very easy to be patriotic when you can afford it.”

How true that is. It’s spoken by a historian in the remarkable and must-see Newfoundland at Armageddon (Thursday, CBC, 8 p.m.). It’s a two-hour documentary made to mark the 100th anniversary of a First World War battle. In that July 1 battle at Beaumont-Hamel, about 800 soldiers of the Newfoundland Regiment were sent into action and most were immediately killed by German machine-gun fire. It was a massacre. Continue reading.

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Featured, Podcast

TV, eh? podcast episode 207 – A Supple Entry

With Diane away this week, Greg and Anthony win the Beverage Update and then talk about a jam-packed upcoming week of Canadian television returns, followed by a shakeup at Global News that left The Morning Show without co-host Liza Fromer and the cancellation of investigative series 16 x 9. We finish off by discussing production on Season 6 of Mr. D rolling in Halifax and Strombo being ousted from Hockey Night in Canada.

Listen or download below, or subscribe via iTunes or any other podcast catcher with the TV, eh? podcast feed.

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