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.

Link: X Company’s Amin Bhatia and Ari Posner

From Kevin Young of Socan Magazine:

Music Creators Amin Bhatia and Ari Posner
Although X Company is a period piece, the score is quite modern, and intentionally so, Posner says. “Right from the get-go, they said, ‘It’s set in World War Two, but it has to feel like now’ – in order to make younger viewers see themselves in the characters. There are times when the score needs to be a bit more traditional to put you in that era, and sometimes we erred on going a little too modern, but that’s really how it found its legs.” Continue reading.

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Proper Rights, Boxing Cats ink distribution deal

From a media release:

Proper Rights announced today that they have entered into an exclusive multi-title distribution agreement with Canadian production company Boxing Cats Productions, which will see Proper representing three of Boxing Cats latest series for presales and international distribution.

Boxing Cats Productions (Canada’s Greatest Know It All, Patent Bending, And Go!) is an award winning Toronto based Production Company formed in 2006 by veteran producer/director Brad Brough, who specializes in reality, formats, factual entertainment and specialist factual television – BCP creates original, ambitious and entertaining series for audiences worldwide.

The three series are currently in development with major North American broadcasters, and include a unique character-led paranormal series, an authentic new survival expedition series set in the Yukon, and a fixed rig series that goes behind the scenes inside some of the biggest businesses in the country.

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Comments and queries for the week of June 19

What Canadian TV shows should be saved by Netflix?

Slings & Arrows, Almost Heroes, Rent-a-Goalie, Men with Brooms, Wild Roses, MVP. —Roger

If we wish hard enough for Netflix to fund a Fargo/True Detective-style limited series I’m sure we could convince them to come north for a season. Now I just need to get some leverage over Netflix other than my $8.99/month.

If they kept it a soap I think it would work well, however I think something in a slightly more serious tone about a Canadian investment bank/hedge fund trying to navigate being a big deal on Bay Street yet barely a minnow in the larger world could be interesting. Plus there seems to be a greater overall awareness of the high finance world, ready-made villains (let us all boo a billionaire and the dude bro traders) and continue the Traders tradition of making ethically dubious choices for money. —Gardner

I would also include: This Is Wonderland, ReGenesis and Shattered. Great shows. —Nancy


Martin Sheen to star in new Anne of Green Gables TV-movie

Compare Gilbert’s first proposal to Anne to Laurie’s proposal to Jo in Little Women. The part where Anne says that they would fight? Not in the book; in Little Women. And there’s a scene where Gilbert catches Anne coming from the post office with a rejected manuscript, and teases her about it as a secret. That scene doesn’t exist in the book either (Anne freely discusses her story mainly with Diana, and tells Gilbert she will let him read it if it’s published), but there’s an almost identical one in the Little Women movie (at least the June Allyson version; not sure how it goes for Winona Ryder) and it’s the bicycle that seems to clinch the copying.

Kevin Sullivan’s shameless copying from Little Women aside, I also resented the way he magnified out of all proportion the idea that Anne was romantically jealous of Gilbert spending time with Josie Pye (to the point of having Gilbert present at the ridgepole incident), and the occasions where Gilbert deliberately humiliated Anne (refusing to acknowledge her at a dance).

Maybe it’s too much to hope that the new version will come closer to my vision of the book, but for now I can at least hope. —Xaipe

 

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

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Killjoys stars live the dream playing intergalactic bounty hunters

Luke Macfarlane and Aaron Ashmore are living the dream. The pair, along with Hannah John-Kamen, play a trio of bounty hunters in Space’s newest series Killjoys, zipping around a small star system grabbing those wanted by the law and claiming the monetary spoils. To star in a sci-fi series is cool enough, but one thing took it over the top: carrying intergalactic weaponry.

“At the beginning, the crew would take my gun after a take, but after awhile I was like, ‘No, this is my gun!’ It’s part of my tool kit as a Killjoy,” Ashmore says with a laugh.

Debuting Friday on Space, Killjoys is a rollicking thrill ride, full of fist fights, gun battles and an overall feeling of the not-so-serious. Dutch (John-Kamen) is a tough-as-nails Reclamation Agent—nicknamed Killjoy—with Johnny Jacobis (Ashmore) as her long-time partner. The first instalment, “Bangarang,” introduces a third member to the team: Johnny’s brother D’avin (Macfarlane), an expert at hand-to-hand combat thanks to time in the military. The trio uses Lucy (Tamsen McDonough) as their mode of transport, a space ship with its own voice and distinct personality. Created by Michelle Lovretta (Lost Girl), Killjoys looks and feels a little 1970s cheese, hearkening back to Star Wars in the fact some settings look dusty and dirty, and outfits look worn. There’s a nostalgia to Killjoys that longtime fans of the genre will recognize and embrace.

But beside the fisticuffs and phasers, Killjoys is also about family. Johnny and D’avin are estranged, and Friday’s early peek into Dutch’s backstory reveals a mysterious man whose influence reaches back to her childhood.

“As the season goes on, we learn more about Johnny and D’avin’s childhood,” Macfarlane hints. “We learn how you can address something in two totally different ways and as a result become very different people. These two brothers could not be more different even though they both grew up with the same crappy dad.” Questions about what family is and what it means to be in a family are addressed too.

“These characters are so out there in the world and what draws them together is that they don’t have anything else,” Ashmore says. “This world and this lifestyle that they are is incredibly unstable and they’re drawn together—and sometimes torn apart—by that.”

Killjoys_ep

Killjoys primer
Here’s a quick peek into the world viewers step into on Friday night.

Reclamation Agents: A.k.a. Killjoys, these folks a licensed by the Reclamation Apprehension Coalition (RAC) to pursue warrants throughout the galaxy.

Warrants: There are five levels—Reclamation (recovering lost of stolen goods), Transfer (someone is being transported somewhere and needs protection), Live (a warrant must be captured still breathing), Living or Dead (breathing isn’t necessary) and Death (assassinations).

The Quad: The four-worlds the Killjoys inhabit, made up by a planet called Qresh and its three moons.

Qresh: On the brink of destroying its ecosystem, politicians and companies looked to its moons to get rid of trash and mine more resources. Qresh is home to The Quad’s elite and most powerful.

Westerley: Dutch and Johnny have lived on Westerley for the last two years. The moon is owned by The Company.

Arkyn: No one goes to this mysterious world.

Leith: The farmers and blue collar folks live on Leith, a lush moon where prostitution, drug use are illegal and guns are frowned upon.

Killjoys airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on Space.

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Review: Traci takes top spot on Rookie Blue

I was out of town last week, so I was unable to review “Letting Go,” which gave fans a peek into Nick’s backstory. It was a pretty emotional ride, with Nick coming close to meting out the justice he’s waited so long for, an introduction to his older brother (Peter Stebbings in a beard!) and Dov and Marlo continuing the bombing investigation on their own.

This week saw closure in the case of the man stalking Traci. Or should I say “men” as the duo of Adrian Locke (J. Adam Brown) and Corey Sleeman (Will Bowes) were working in tandem to capture women and rape them. Eagle-eyed viewers will note Corey Sleeman is the guy who was pulled into the station and questioned by Swarek in Episode 1 and aimed the investigation away from himself.

“A Real Gentleman,” written by Karen Moore, may very well have been named that because Corey felt he hadn’t done anything wrong by nabbing ladies like Traci. After all, he wasn’t the one sexually assaulting them; that was Adrian and Corey was just watching and making sure his partner was being gentle. The whole storyline was pretty terrifying simply because the suspects were so blasé as they recounted what they’d done. Most TV shows go the route of a hardened, veteran criminal committing the crimes, but Thursday’s storyline proposed the quiet kid next door or the barista in the coffee shop could be stalking and plotting harm. It was a dark route to go, and kudos to Bowes and Enuka Okuma for saying the lines with the appropriate gravitas. Okuma’s Traci hasn’t had a heck of a lot to do this season, but she more than made up for it on Thursday. (And can we talk about the serious butt-kicking Traci delivered to Corey in that basement? Wow.)

Rookie Blue isn’t the first cop drama to throw a red herring into the mix but the latest was offering up gun smuggler Thom Kozik (Daniel Kash) as the possible reason Traci had gone missing just minutes before the raid. Kash plays bad guys to a tee and was in his element as the sleazy Kozik, hinting to Swarek and Steve that perhaps he was behind Traci’s disappearance. He wasn’t, of course, but I have to wonder if Kozik will be back in a future episode. Kash is a little too high profile an actor for a one-off and the case against him seemed to be far from closed.

Gail’s ongoing adoption storyline made a little step forward this week, as she and Dov were tasked with keeping Leo company while the force searched for his mom. There was a nice moment in the squad car where Gail and Leo bonded and he showed his trust in her by putting his head on her shoulder. Awwww.

Notes and quotes

  • The look Gail gave Dov when he suggested she might be iron deficient? Priceless.
  • Track grabbed a bike lock to defend herself from Corey, but I would have used the canoe paddle by the door.
  • Diaz needs to run away from Jamie as fast as he can. But is he in too far to escape her if he decides to break it off?

Rookie Blue airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on Global.

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