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, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: Alan Thicke’s Unusually Thicke renovates for Season 2

Listen, as long as you realize every scene in Season 2 of Unusually Thicke: Under Construction is a set-up, you’ll enjoy the heck out of it. Yes, Alan Thicke, wife Tanya and son Carter are back for another go-round—this time on HGTV because, well, they’re renovating their house—Unusually Thicke once again explores the exploits of the Kirkland Lake, Ont., native many know as Mike Seaver on Growing Pains.

Returning Thursday with two back-to-back episodes, Alan, Tanya, Carter and guest star Wayne Brady strap on tool belts, pick up hammers and start renovations on Thicke’s sprawling home. Oh, wait a minute, no they don’t. Instead, Episode 1 follows Alan and Carter as they trade $100 for Alan’s stolen cell phone and Wayne swings by to drop off a redneck golf tournament gift bag (containing press-on nails, double-A batteries and baby oil) to Tanya. Anyone expecting to see the key cast doing any kind of manual labour will be disappointed; they merely pick up the phone and order others to do the work.

And you know what? I’m fine with that because Alan, Tanya and Carter are a hoot going through their scripted everyday lives. How scripted? Well, what are the chances Alan’s cell phone is stolen and the Find My iPhone app used to locate it minutes after Alan tells Carter he is going to use that app to track his son while he’s away at college? And yet that’s exactly what happens, complete with a dimly-lit meet in a parking lot where the “thief”—whose face, unlike Cops, is shown the whole time—gets $100 from Alan for returning the phone. I’m using quotes around the word thief because no other criminal would stick around with camera crews milling around Alan’s car. Carter in particular puts in a strong performance in Thursday’s debut, rolling is eyes and delivering playfully snide remarks at his father’s expense.

As for home renovations in the return? Tanya orders crews to fix the cracks in the tennis court, replace the hot tub’s heater and empty out the septic tank. Mike Holmes this trio ain’t, but that’s OK because they’re fun to watch.

Unusually Thicke: Under Construction airs Thursdays at 10 and 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV.

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Canada's Smartest Person, Continuum, Dragons' Den, Featured, Heartland, Lost Girl, Murdoch Mysteries, Polls, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary, Rick Mercer Report, Saving Hope, Sunnyside, This Hour Has 22 Minutes

Poll: Which returning Canadian TV shows are you most excited about watching this fall?

34 Comments

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Evenings grow crisp, trees explode into vibrant colour and the new fall Canadian television season launches. We here at TV, Eh? are as excited as you, with all of our returning favourites hitting the small screen between now and the end of November.

So, to have a little fun—and celebrate the coming season—we’ve put together a poll where you pick the three returning Canadian-made shows you’re most looking forward to seeing this fall. Wondering exactly when those projects will be back? Check out our handy calendars and mark yours! The poll closes next week, so have fun!

Instructions: Click on the boxes next to your three choices and then register your votes by clicking the Vote box (on some browsers it’s greyed out) just to the right of Unusually Thicke.

Which three returning Canadian TV shows are you most excited about watching this fall?

  • Murdoch Mysteries (37%, 1,876 Votes)
  • Lost Girl (9%, 485 Votes)
  • Rick Mercer Report (9%, 449 Votes)
  • Heartland (6%, 318 Votes)
  • Canada's Worst Driver (4%, 218 Votes)
  • Property Brothers (4%, 198 Votes)
  • Saving Hope (4%, 196 Votes)
  • The Nature of Things (4%, 185 Votes)
  • 22 Minutes (3%, 169 Votes)
  • Love It or List It (3%, 157 Votes)
  • Dragons' Den (3%, 147 Votes)
  • Continuum (3%, 140 Votes)
  • The Fifth Estate (3%, 138 Votes)
  • House of Bryan (2%, 102 Votes)
  • Marketplace (2%, 100 Votes)
  • Highway Thru Hell (2%, 87 Votes)
  • Canada's Smartest Person (1%, 42 Votes)
  • Fugget About It (0%, 19 Votes)
  • Sunnyside (0%, 18 Votes)
  • Hockey Wives (0%, 15 Votes)
  • The Next Step (0%, 14 Votes)
  • Custom Built (0%, 14 Votes)
  • Fool's Gold (0%, 8 Votes)
  • Unusually Thicke (0%, 7 Votes)
  • Gaming Show (0%, 6 Votes)

Total Voters: 2,663

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Dark Matter, Featured, Killjoys

Space’s Killjoys and Dark Matter returning for Season 2

There will be more adventures in The Quad. Space announced Tuesday that Season 2 of Killjoys is a go, with production starting in Toronto this winter.

“We are proud that Killjoys has connected so well with viewers to become a ratings and critical success,” David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg, co-presidents of Temple Street Productions and executive producers said in a press release. “We are thrilled to partner with Space again for a second season and look forward to building on this unique world for our stellar cast to continue the captivating journey.”

We had a feeling this news was coming. After all, how awkward would it be to have Killjoys and Dark Matter panels at Fan Expo if they had been cancelled?

Dark_matter

The news comes just over a week following Killjoys’ cliffhanger Season 1 finale, which left D’Avin (Luke Macfarlane) in the clutches of Khlyen (Rob Stewart) in Red 17 and Dutch (Hannah John-Kamen) and Johnny (Aaron Ashmore) vowing to find him. The trio, ensconced in their faithful ship Lucy (voiced by Tamsen McDonough), have been travelling around The Quad—a planet called Qresh and its three moons, Westerley, Arkyn and Leith—cracking skulls and collecting bounty.

Debuting in June, Killjoys snagged a season finale audience of over 560,000 viewers for Space and is the network’s most-watched original series of all time. Killjoys and fellow Friday night sci-fi series Dark Matter have made Space the No. 1 specialty network for Adults 25-54, Adults 18-49 and Adults 18-34.

Killjoys was created by Michelle Lovretta (Lost Girl) who serves as executive producer and showrunner; Season 1’s writer and consulting producer was Jeremy Boxen with writers Emily Andras, Adam Barken and Aaron Martin on board.

Created by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie, Dark Matter had a cliffhanger of its own, revealing Five (Jodelle Ferland) had wiped everyone’s memories and that Six (Roger Cross) had betrayed his team. Marc Bendavid, Melissa O’Neil, Anthony Lemke, Alex Mallari Jr. and Zoie Palmer made up the rest of Dark Matter‘s key cast.

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Continuum

Video: Continuum co-star Aleks Paunovic teases Season 4

From Global News Vancouver:

Season four of “Continuum” premieres on Friday and actor Aleks Paunovic plays one of the new characters. He discusses his role on the show, and gives us a preview of what’s to come this season.

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Featured

He Said/She Said: Top Moments for TV, Eh?

Join Greg and Diane every Monday as we debate what’s on our minds. This week, a look back at some Top Moments for TV, Eh?

She Said:

When Greg suggested we take a look back at this past year of TV, eh? 2.0 (it was one year ago this month that the site came back from the dead), I wasn’t sure what to say.  And then I remembered what an amazing year we’ve had.

Fresh blood
I can’t say enough about how grateful I am to Greg for suggesting we partner to bring the site back after I had retired it six months previously. I was burned out, wanted more of my life back, and felt the Canadian TV world was well served by TV Guide Canada among other publications and websites. And then, so much for that. When TV Guide Canada went under and Greg joined TV, eh?, I was able to take a step back and do more behind the scenes activity while popping up now and then to vent my Canadian spleen or analyse the shows I wanted to watch.

Beyond the cop show
A few years ago a running joke here was that Canada’s GDP relied on the export of cop shows. Even many of our non-cop shows used some sort of investigation as the story engine. This year we’ve had Strange Empire, Book of Negroes, the announcement of other shows with creative premises, and the average Canadian series is more likely to be science fiction or fantasy than a procedural. OK we also have our requisite cop shows and hospital dramas, but even our main networks are branching out.

Proof is in the pudding
And that pudding is our Indiegogo campaign to revive the site (to the tune of more than $20,000), and the auction of Canadian TV memorabilia and experiences (more than $8400), plus our dedicated readers, commenters, and engaged social media followers.  Canadians watch Canadian TV, they love Canadian TV, and they put their money toward Canadian TV. Dismissing an entire industry because 100% of the shows aren’t winners is the argument of an idiot.

He Said:

I admit this list may get a little schmaltzy—and less than a list of moments and more of just thoughts—but to heck with it.

Love for Canadian TV
I knew, when I was writing for TV Guide Canada, there was support out there for homegrown television, but it was tempered somewhat because of our need to cover U.S. shows as well. Now that I’m fully immersed in CanCon, I’m able to see first-hand the passion and love viewers—and those working in the industry—have for this product. From sold-out screenings of Heartland‘s wedding episode to packed theatres for Murdoch Mysteries and X Company Q&As, people are proud of these homegrown projects and aren’t afraid to show it.

Creativity Rules
I’m fiercely proud of the unique ideas that are being committed to the small screen in this country. Networks are taking gambles, and while they don’t always pay off—sorry, Strange Empire—I think there is more creativity being shown here than in that big country south of the border. Lost Girl, 19-2, Still Standing, Sunnyside and Young Drunk Punk are current examples of unique ideas getting on-air, with fall series like The Romeo Section, Letterkenny, What Would Sal Do?, Slasher and This Life representing the new guard.

Support for TV, Eh?
Diane laid the groundwork for the support of this site, and I’ve been lucky enough to witness it first-hand over the past year. It’s humbling to have showrunners, writers, crew and talent shake my hand and thank me for devoting my days to writing about and championing Canadian television, and it’s overwhelming to have fans support the industry and Kids Help Phone with our charity auction. So, thanks!

 

 

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