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.
When Calls the Heart

When Calls the Heart returns to Super Channel for season three Wednesday, April 13

From a media release:

Super Channel, is pleased to announce to the delight of Canadian “hearties” across the country, that the sweeping frontier drama, When Calls the Heart, will return for a third season on Wednesday, April 13 at 8 p.m. ET (SC2). Each episode will also be available on Super Channel On Demand the day following its initial broadcast.

The enchanting Hallmark Channel original series is a Canadian co-production filmed on location in British Columbia and based on the bestselling book series by acclaimed Canadian author Janette Oke.

Returning cast this season includes Lori Loughlin (Fuller House, 90210) as Abigail Stanton, Erin Krakow (Army Wives) as Elizabeth Thatcher, Daniel Lissing (Last Resort) as Jack Thornton, Jack Wagner (The Bold and the Beautiful) as Bill Avery and Kristina Wagner (General Hospital) as Nora, Jack’s estranged wife. Guest stars this season include Brooke Shields as Jack’s mother, Charlotte.

Season three brings new challenges and opportunities to the tight-knit residents of Hope Valley. In the season three premiere episode, “New Year’s Wish”, a fresh start for Jack and Elizabeth, a surprise guest for Abigail, an adventure for Rosemary (Pascale Hutton) and Lee (Kavan Smith), an unwanted visitor from Pastor Hogan’s (Mark Humphrey) past, and new beginnings for the town makes this the most unforgettable New Year’s celebration Hope Valley has ever seen.

When Calls the Heart is produced by Canadians Vicki Sotheran and Greg Malcolm, and executive produced by Brad Krevoy, Brian Bird, Michael Landon Jr., and Michael Shepard. Eric Jarboe and Neill Fearnley are co-executive producers.

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Uncategorized

Link: Why Canadian TV Producers Don’t Want To Make A Downton Abbey

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From James Bawden:

Why Canadian TV Producers Don’t Want To Make A Downton Abbey
“Why can’t Canadian TV make a Downton Abbey?” one guest asked me and everybody stopped eating to listen to my reply. I patiently explained that first of all Canadian TV simply hasn’t that kind of money these days to finance such an expensive undertaking.

How many TV adaptations of great Canadian novels have you seen on CBC or anywhere else ion the last few years?

“None!” shouted the hostess.

I rest my case. Continue reading. 

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Featured, Heartland

Lou’s love life brightens on Heartland

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Georgie’s right, once you open Pandora’s Box things will be changed forever. And, as the saying goes, it might seem like a small thing but it has far-reaching consequences.

In the case of Sunday’s new episode, “Pandora’s Box,” every small thing that happened on and off the ranch became bigger as the hour went on. And, I’m sure, will continue to loom larger as the season comes to a close. Lisa’s checkup turned into a medical scare that shadowed she and Jack until a follow-up phone call the next day relieved them both. But does Lisa’s pre-emptive plans to update her will hint at something sinister on the horizon?

Ty, who is seems has been gone from Heartland for weeks, was back and flip-flopping over whether to open the box his father had left for him. I knew he would eventually decide to take a peek inside and that cigar box held a flood of memories for Ty. His dad’s birth certificate confirming he lied about his age. A picture of Ty on the day he learned to ride a dirt bike. His mother’s engagement ring and a note explaining he’d scraped together enough money to buy it back after pawning it. Opening that plain paper wrapped parcel seemed small, but it held big significance for Ty: the man he’d painted as a criminal and scoundrel had tried to be a better person.

Georgie and Adam took a leap forward in their relationship. Yes, agreeing to “hang out” outside of studying appears to be minuscule, but it’ll change everything. Adam will be invited to those awkward family dinners that make me laugh out loud and Georgie will once again find herself under the gaze of Olivia, who I’m sure won’t be happy she lost Adam.

But perhaps the biggest box opened on Sunday was Lou, who took the plunge and made out with Mitch. The two have been bickering back and forth for weeks and I was silently thanking those guys for putting all of the dude ranch furniture on the roof because it forced Mitch and Lou to spend some time together. Once she realized he wasn’t a one-dimensional player, Lou dove in with both feet. After everything she’s been through, Lou deserves some happiness in the romance department. Of course, doing this opens up a can of worms. On the surface, how can they ever hope to keep their budding romance a secret from everyone? And in the larger scope, Lou’s decision affects Georgie and Katie, especially if she and Mitch get serious.

Speaking of serious, things get very serious next week when a suspicious-looking fire rages at the sanctuary, putting the animals and humans there in jeopardy.

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

Were you happy Lou and Mitch finally kissed? Think things will last between them? Comment below or on Twitter via @tv_eh.

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Bachelorette Canada

Canada chooses first bachelor for W Network’s Bachelorette Canada

From a media release:

After a two-week campaign with fans voting across the country, today Corus Entertainment’s W Network reveals that Eddie, an Oilfield Logistics Coordinator of Saint John, New Brunswick has been chosen as Canada’s Crush for the first ever season of The Bachelorette Canada. Eddie and 19 other bachelors will vie for a rose in The Bachelorette Canada, premiering this fall on W Network.

Fighting for his chance at love, Eddie campaigned for Canada’s votes against bachelor hopefuls: Andrew, 29, General Contractor from Ottawa and Lachlan, 26, Physical Education Teacher from Exeter, Ontario.

All of his life, Eddie has worked hard and played harder. Starting out as a labourer in the lucrative (but highly competitive) oil patch, he divided his time between grueling stints on the rigs and serious party time on the ski slopes and beaches with his friends and family. Today, Eddie’s unwavering work ethic and positive attitude have paid off in a big way, landing him a spot at head office (where he is by far the youngest – and most handsome! – face around). But his ride to the top came at a price, leaving him little time to build lasting relationships and find true love.

In the Canadian version of this smash-hit reality series, Canada’s most eligible bachelorette is in search of the man of her dreams – and hopefully her groom-to-be. The Canadian Bachelorette will search for love as 20 men do whatever it takes to win her heart. The male suitors compete for the Bachelorette’s affection via individual and group dates involving local and far-flung romantic encounters and adventures in exotic locations around the world. As the Bachelorette narrows the field and the number of men dwindles, romance and tensions will rise. Ultimately, she will choose the one man with whom she wants to spend the rest of her life.

The Bachelorette Canada is produced by Good Human Productions Inc. From Good Human Productions, Claire Freeland serves as Executive Producer and Keely Booth is Showrunner. For Corus Entertainment, John MacDonald is the Executive Vice President of Television and Head of Women’s and Family Television and Maria Farano is Director of Original Programming for Women’s and Family Television. The series is based on the U.S. format created by Mike Fleiss and produced by Next Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television. Sales of the format are handled by Warner Bros. International Television Production.

 

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Featured, Masterchef Canada

MasterChef Canada’s first cut of the season

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With just three weeks of competition completed, we’re starting to see some trends from MasterChef Canada‘s latest group of home cooks. Sean can be counted on for enthusiastic yelling, timely quips and questionable wardrobe choices. Veronica supplies the cold confidence and seemingly unshakable opinion she’s the best. Matthew is creative and can somehow keep a hat precariously perched on his head while cooking. Dr. Shawn? Well, he might be Season 3’s winner.

The Montreal native set himself apart from the pack early on Sunday night during “At Home and Abroad” by winning the Mystery Box challenge. With key ingredients from all 13 provinces and territories at their disposal, Shawn decided to create a maple syrup cream tart. Shawn has never made a tart and never baked. Usually, admitting such a thing would has assured a quick exit from MasterChef, but Shawn wowed Michael, Alvin and Claudio with it, winning the test and saving himself from the Elimination Challenge. After choosing South American cuisine (Claudio’s background) as the theme of the week, Shawn also picked Terry and Vince to accompany him in the loft and be safe for the week. Shawn explained he chose them because they seemed like nice guys and hopes they’ll help him out in the future. Mary opined it’s because their friends.

Regardless of the reason, the Elimination Challenge proved to be devastating for three cooks. (Neither Mary nor April Lee were shown during judging, so I knew they were safe from elimination.) Jennifer, David and Veronica all felt the judges’ wrath, Jennifer for frittering away an hour of her time only to present churros, David for an un-Southern empanada and Veronica for bland stuffed tortillas. Jennifer was plagued by technical difficulties and David just plain admitted he had no clue what South American food looked or tasted like. Veronica, meanwhile, was confident her plate was a winner and seemed shocked things didn’t go her way. I’m sure Veronica is a nice person and all, but at this point in the competition I’d be happy if she went home. Her confidence comes off as arrogance and a lawyer background creates an unreadable poker face. As Chef Michael pointed out, she needs to cook from the heart to advance. Luckily for Veronica, she’ll get to do that for at least another week as New Brunswick carpenter David was instructed to pack up his tools and go home.

Next week, top home cooks Michelle and Matthew will be team captains as the squads prepare a barbecue meal for hungry firemen. From the looks of things, someone’s ribs gets burned. Who do you think has the best chance of winning? Comment below or via @tv_eh on Twitter.

MasterChef Canada airs Sundays at 7 p.m. ET on CTV.

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