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.
Featured, Heartland

Heartland’s bear-y scary situation, Part 2

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When the “Previously on Heartland” intro rolled before last night’s episode, I was pretty sure that darned grizzly bear was going to show up and cause trouble. I was wrong, but Sunday’s instalment wasn’t without danger.

Seeing Ty tumble off the cliff was certainly dramatic, and he’s lucky he escaped with just a large bump on his head. (Kudos to the producers for making sure they covered the whole concussion thing rather than assuming he was all right.) The male bald eagle rescue itself may have gone without a hitch—I did wonder how he or Amy would get to the top of the tree if the situation called for it—but getting back to the truck didn’t. Note to self: always carry a bag of trail mix with you. Also? Make sure you have a horse like Bear along. The newest equine member of Heartland seems destined for a future on the Calgary Police Force, and that’s a pretty cool gig if you ask me. (Those hoping Amy and Ty will have a baby soon had to make do with the two cradling a male bald eagle rather than a sprite of their own.)

Aside from the drama out on the trail with Amy, Ty and the horses, “Over and Out”—written by Pamela Pinch—had some heart-stopping moments at the ranch and the Reserve. After bonding during their own near-death experience—telling Bob they trashed the ATV—Adam and Georgie seem headed for romance. After all, why else would they be texting after-hours? And how will Stephen react when he returns from the summer? The fact Adam hinted his mother is exerting pressure on him to succeed will likely cause he and Georgie to bond and, perhaps, share a first kiss before the fall leaves fly.

I always enjoy it when Lisa is kicking around the ranch—her feisty attitude leads to some great moments—so I was glad to have plenty of scenes with she and Jack, Katie and Lou. With Lou struggling to keep her packed calendar in order, Lisa stepped in to try and help and a defensive Lou got her back up. The thing with Heartland is, grudges never last long; by episode’s end the ladies were on the same page and Lou even got some alone time with her daughters.

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

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Blood and Water

Link: Cross-cultural concept lured Steph Song back to TV for Blood and Water

From Glen Schaefer of The Province:

Cross-cultural concept lured Steph Song back to TV for Blood and Water
For a while there, actor Steph Song had the market cornered for Vancouver-themed stories in film and TV.

After a five-year break to marry and have a baby, Song is back on the small screen for another of those stories, as a police detective investigating the death of a rich man’s wayward son in the cross-cultural eight-part mystery series Blood and Water.

“They lured me back with a great concept,” Song said of the show, whose Asian and white characters speak a mixture of English, Mandarin and Cantonese. Continue reading.

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Blood and Water

Link: Blood and Water a crime drama that reflects urban reality

From Tony Wong of the Toronto Star:

Blood and Water a crime drama that reflects urban reality
In OMNI’s original crime drama Blood and Water, Vancouver has never looked more exotic. At least from the lens of television.

The victim in the show is Asian. The lead detective in the show is Asian. Her boss is Asian. Virtually all the protagonists, apart from Toronto actor Peter Outerbridge, are Asian.

If you’ve lived in Vancouver, which has a substantial Chinese-Canadian presence, hearing Mandarin on the street isn’t unusual. And the hypothetical situation of seeing an Asian cop and an Asian police lieutenant isn’t far-fetched. Continue reading.

 

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Uncategorized

Link: Aboriginal Film Company Is Taking The Federal Government To Court Over Lost Tax Credits

From Emma Loop of Buzzfeed:

Aboriginal Film Company Is Taking The Federal Government To Court Over Lost Tax Credits
An Aboriginal film company is taking the federal government to court over a decision that cost the company nearly $200,000 in tax credits for a new late-night comedy show. The tax credits would have gone toward the cost of making the first season of Derek Miller’s Guilt Free Zone, which aired six episodes on APTN in 2014. Continue reading.

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Blood and Water

Link: Canadian cop show Blood and Water puts multiculturalism first

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From Kate Taylor of The Globe and Mail:

Canadian cop show Blood and Water puts multiculturalism first
Whatever critical or popular success Blood and Water eventually achieves, one of the things that makes it particularly refreshing is that it neither condescends nor panders to Chinese ethnic pride: This is not a show about cultural identity for the most part, nor does it insist that all Chinese people are sympathetic and colourful. By episode two, that wealthy family is looking just regularly snotty. They are characters in an international melodrama that should have emerged in Canada years ago. For multicultural television, it’s better late than never. Continue reading.

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