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

Comments and queries for the week of August 28

Steven Sabados ends Steven and Chris

He will be truly missed. What a shame, with heartfelt condolences to Steven. —Janet

God Bless. You will be missed. —Rhonda

Going to miss Chris and his banter with Steven and others who happened to be in his sight. —Edith

What do you think of shomi?

Shomi’s main problem is that video streaming is bad on any device you use it on. Android buffers, web-based works a bit better and the set top interface is terrible, and many shows are SD only. Netflix and CraveTV have a better selection of shows too. —Luke

Got a question or comment about Canadian TV? greg@tv-eh.com or @tv_eh.

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Orphan Black

Link: ‘Orphan Black’s Tatiana Maslany On Female Empowerment In TV & Her Favorite Clones

From Anthony D’Alessandro of Deadline:

‘Orphan Black’s Tatiana Maslany On Female Empowerment In TV & Her Favorite Clones
“The thing about the characters in improv is that you can create hundreds of them, and then you have to remember those that came out of the previous scene. You call them back. There’s no props, no costumes, and on Orphan Black, improv serves me. Improv has given me strength. My favorite improvisers are courageous and those who say yes to things in a scene. The notion of saying yes helps me every day on set, especially when I have to switch characters half-way through the day or play characters off the top of my head.” Continue reading.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

W Network sets return dates for Property Brothers & Hockey Wives

From a media release:

This Fall, W Network continues to deliver a slate of fan-favourite original series including Property Brothers, the Love It or List It franchise and Hockey Wives, which has made W Network the top-rated specialty network for women in Canada. The schedule is packed with real estate focused series including new seasons of Property Brothers, new episodes of Love It or List It as well as the premieres of  the new W Network original series Real Houses Of… and Love It or List It U.K. In October, Hockey Wives returns with a brand new season featuring the WAGs of Canada’s national pastime, and Candace Cameron Bure (Full House) returns in the next instalment of the movies based on the books by Charlaine Harris (HBO’s True Blood), Real Murders: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery.

 

SEPTEMBER PREMIERES

Real Houses Of…. premieres Tuesday September at 8 and 10:30 p.m. ET/PT (New Series)

Real Houses Of… (15×30) invites viewers into some of the most incredible homes in North America. You won’t find “cookie cutter” here. These fabulous spaces are one-of-a-kind, custom-designed to fit the needs and lifestyles of their remarkable owners. From historic east coast manors to ultra-modern Pacific pads, these Real Houses push wow factor to the max. With luxurious bedrooms, resort-worthy pools, spectacular bathrooms, million-dollar views and kitchens hot enough to make a French chef swoon – this series is guaranteed to astonish and inspire. View a preview here.

Property Brothers Season 5 premieres Monday, September 14 at 9 p.m. ET/PT (New Season)

The brothers are back and this season marks the 100th episode of the hit series. Named People Magazine’s Annual Sexiest Man Alive List and HELLO! Canada’s 50 Most Beautiful List, the boys are return with all new homes and amazing transformations. Real estate agent Drew Scott and his twin brother, contractor Jonathan Scott return with brand-new episodes of the popular series Property Brothers (11×60) this fall. This real estate/home renovation series gets buyers into their dream homes without busting their budget. The series follows Drew and Jonathan as they help couples find, buy and transform extreme fixer-uppers into the ultimate dream home. Each week, with the help of CGI technology, the brothers show buyers the underlying potential in two rundown properties. Once the clients choose the property they like best, Drew begins negotiating the purchase price while Jonathan starts planning the transformation. The 100th episode will air Monday, November 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

OCTOBER PREMIERES

Love It or List It premieres Monday, October 5, at 10 p.m. ET/PT (New Episodes)

Hilary and David return in October with a new season of W Network’s hit real estate and renovation series Love It or List It (8×60). Featuring interior designer, Hilary Farr and real estate agent, David Visentin. Hilary attempts to win over the homeowners by renovating their current home, real estate agent David tries to find them the home of their dreams. Once all work has been complete and all potential homes have been viewed, couples must decide whether to love their homes or list them.

Love It or List It U.K premieres Tuesday, October 6 at 9 p.m. ET/PT (New Series)

Love It or List It U.K. takes the hit franchise across the pond (6×60). Designer Kirstie Allsopp and realtor Phil Spencer, U.K.’s top property duo help English homeowners divided over renovating or a fresh start somewhere new. Kirstie is heading up Team Love It and believes that with clever design and spending wisely, it’s possible to fall in love with your home all over again, while Phil is captaining Team List It and feels that dream homes are within reach.

Hockey Wives Season 2 premieres Wednesday, October 28 at 10 p.m. ET/PT (New Season)

Hockey Wives Season 2 will continue to have unmatched access to the off-the-ice lives of the women who are the captains of their families, careers and relationships. Following the success of the first season the series will continue to delivers a rare opportunity for fans to meet accomplished “captains” off the ice and explores the meaning of being married to the game. With an exclusive look into the high-stakes lives of WAGs (wives and girlfriends) of professional hockey players, the series reveals that it takes an incredible woman to manage fulfilling personal careers and stick handle life off of the ice with some of today’s top pro athletes.

Being married to the game comes with its fair share of perks, but make no mistake the hockey life isn’t for the faint of heart.  Balancing family, career and personal aspirations against a backdrop of the pressures of being traded, injury, career uncertainty, long periods of separation is a constant juggling act. And, if you happen to be in one of the country’s biggest hockey cities, it’s like living in a fishbowl.  Meet the off-ice Captains – sexy, savvy, jet-setting women, stick handling life through another grueling hockey season. From wives who are rookies, to those who are facing free agency or whose partners are Stanley Cup winning superstars, these women form a team of their own, supporting and encouraging one another through personal and professional highs and lows.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Scott McGillivray takes control of his Property

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Scott McGillivray has built an empire with a handful of shows surrounding home renovation and property investment. Now he’s adding another segment to his realm with his own production company, McGillivray Entertainment. The longtime host of Income Property figures this was the natural evolution of his brand. After increasing involvement in the HGTV hit—he’s been an executive producer for the last four seasons—McGillivray decided to start McGillivray Entertainment not only to manage new projects starring himself, but fostering new talent as well.

“You become this conduit,” he says from behind the wheel of his truck. “I’ve got this great group of talented individuals that I’ve been working with and there are a lot of possible opportunities. I’m always looking to fill that opportunity gap. When you have a brand, and a branding team and you have sponsors, it’s a lot easier to get a show. And when you have your own production company, it’s easier to spin that out to people as well.” McGillivray has already got two projects put to pilot by HGTV in the U.S. and a third project in development. And while that trio is still in the beginning stages, McGillivray Entertainment’s first series is already filming.

“It’s not the Kardashians.”

Moving the McGillivrays—set to air in 2016 on HGTV Canada—spotlights Scott, wife Sabrina and daughters Myah and Layla as they not only build a dream home for themselves but he constructs a home for a family in need. Cameras are currently rolling on Episode 2 of the 10-parter. Die-hard fans of McGillivray can get a regular dose of Sabrina and kids via his YouTube series Good to Grow, but a television show is a totally different beast. Just ask Bryan Baeumler’s wife, Sarah, who has acquired a fair number of detractors who don’t like the way she acts in the House of Bryan series.

Scott_McG

“Sabrina has been hands-off on the television thing since Day 1,” he says with a laugh. “We’ve been in our current house for eight years and have seen a lot of change during that time with having kids. I said, ‘We could make a show about this!’ and she said, ‘Please don’t.'” She relented, but McGillivray stresses Moving the McGillivrays will be authentic and show who his family really is (“It’s not the Kardashians,” he says.). McGillivray notes anything he posts showing his private life garners a lot of attention from fans, so the project is a logical move. And with the success of series like Income Property, All American Handyman, Canada’s Handyman Challenge and Holiday Battle on the Block, his popularity doesn’t show any signs of erosion.

Next up following Moving the McGillivrays is a full season of Income Property: On Vacation. Something he’s been wanting to feature in the mothership series for ages, On Vacation shows people who own getaways how to make a buck from them.

“I grew up with a cottage and you’re just a different person when you’re there,” he says. “Even if you’re working, it’s not the same as being in a basement in the city during a snowstorm.”

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Rookie Blue

Link: Lesbian TV writer Noelle Carbone on writing for gay cop Gail Peck on “Rookie Blue”

From Erin Faith Wilson of AfterEllen.com:

Lesbian TV writer Noelle Carbone on writing for gay cop Gail Peck on “Rookie Blue”
“Everybody watches TV, even people whose world views are narrower than mine. And if those people see a nice, relatively normal lesbian character or couple on TV and that character or couple are doing nice relatively normal things, they might find their walls coming down ever so slightly.” Continue reading.

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