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

History hunts for Frozen Gold in British Columbia

It has all the makings of a great drama. A prospector reports of finding a fortune in gold but dies before digging it all out, and anyone who has gone looking for the treasure since has gone missing. But this tale is true, and is the focus of History’s latest documentary.

Like The Curse of Oak Island does for the east coast of Canada, Curse of the Frozen Gold does for the west. Debuting Wednesday night, Curse of the Frozen Gold retraces the tale of Slumach, a Native Canadian man who, in 1891, was hanged in New Westminster, B.C, for murdering Louis Bee. A decade after his death, word began to circulate Slumach had discovered a mine of gold in the Pitt Lake area worth billions. The tale—spread word-of-mouth from prospectors, treasure hunters and others—has continued to today without losing steam. The story has fascinated Adam Palmer for years. The mountaineering veteran is a member of B.C.’s alpine search and rescue team, and along with fellow climber and friend Evan Howard, signed on to seek out Slumach’s riches.

“It’s not just the legend of gold, it’s a legend of paranormal activity,” Palmer says. “You’ve got the legend of the curse, UFOs, Sasquatch and prospectors who have gone missing and it’s all wrapped up into one legend. The fact that it’s a legend with historical significance and missing prospectors—like Volcanic Brown—is what keeps me motivated.” (Robert Allan Brown, a.k.a. Volcanic Brown, disappeared in 1930 without a trace while searching for Slumach’s mine.)

Fast-forward to last summer, and the duo had paired with four others for the eight-week expedition. Along for the ride as TV cameras captured it all were Palmer and Howard with Don Waite, who has devoted over 40 years to seeking the gold; Fred Braches, who has separated fact from fiction on his Slumach website; Daryl Friesen, a Slumach enthusiast; and Danny Gerak, a local who knows the area well.

Much of Wednesday’s first episode of six is spent introducing the players and their personalities. Everyone is pumped to be heading into the brush in search of riches, but it doesn’t take long for impatience, frustration and perceived backstabbing to derail the proceedings. Turns out that, unbeknownst to the other guys, Friesen staked a claim in the search area; if Slumach’s gold is there, he owns it.

“Everyone has their own theory of where this gold is and everyone is bringing their own maps and clues,” Palmer explains. “Everyone is a detective working on their own case. I was angry we were stuck in a canyon for two weeks looking for the gold when I thought we should be on a glacier taking advantage of the nice weather. I’m not looking to sit in a creek and pan for gold.”

Curse of the Frozen Gold airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on History.

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Auction, Continuum, Dark Matter, Featured, Killjoys, Lost Girl, Podcast

TV, eh? podcast episode 188 – The Bell Tolls for King

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This time around, the trio discussed the final week of bidding in the TV, eh? auction to benefit Kids Help Phone and the sudden departure of Phil King, Bell Media’s president of sports and entertainment programming.

Also on the docket: Killjoys‘ renewal chances, Lost Girl and Continuum available for streaming ahead of broadcast on Showcase and whether shomi is worth the money.

Want to contribute to the discussion? Post links and discussion topics on our Reddit page.

Listen or download below, or subscribe via iTunes or any other podcast catcher with the TV, eh? podcast feed.

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Continuum

Link: Continuum’s last hurrah

From Sabrina Furminger of Westender:

Continuum’s last hurrah
“We had a big plan that we knew we could do seven seasons in terms of story points, but at the end of the day, those plans are kind of like a road trip,” says Barry during a set visit in mid-May.

“So we were always prepared to do the short trip or the long trip, depending on what opportunities we were given. Regardless of how many seasons we got, the ending was always going to be the same.” Continue reading.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Slice sets debut date for First Dates

From a media release:

Slice™ dives into the dating game with the new Canadian series First Dates, premiering Tuesday, September 1 at 10pm ET/PT on Slice. Filmed on location in Vancouver, the endearing series captures all of the awesome and the awkward moments of first encounters as a restaurant filled with single people are paired up for real first dates. With the cameras catching everything from the heartache to the heartwarming, First Dates airs back-to-back new episodes Tuesdays at 10 pm and 10:30 pm ET/PT on Slice. 

First Dates brings viewers a compelling look at the attractions, the heartaches, the connections, and the stakes of a first date. Each episode showcases a restaurant of singles who have been paired up for a real first date with someone they’ve never met. The restaurant is fitted with more than 30 fixed-rig cameras capturing every moment, including awkward small talk, flirtatious glances, outrageous faux pas, and subtle, or sometimes forced, smiles. Each episode features three of the hand-matched couples as the cameras record their dates. At the end of the night, each single is interviewed solo, dishing on the best and worst moments of their date. The couples are then reunited side by side to reveal whether there will be a second date…or not.

For some daters there is an instant, and very apparent, attraction, but for others it’s clear that there will not be a happy ending. First Dates gives viewers a fly-on-the-wall look at the hope, charm, awkwardness, heartfelt humour and potential spark of a first date with smiles, tears and everything in between. Honest and observational at its core, each First Dates date is real-life playing out in front of the cameras.

Slice.ca boasts exclusive First Dates extras including a series of “Top 10 Dos and Don’ts for a First Date” and videos of beloved TV celebrities answering burning questions about love and dating. These fun First Datesvideos are available at slice.ca/first-dates/video.

Based on the hit format from Warner Bros. International Television Production, First Dates is a co-production between Force Four Entertainment and Remedy Canada Productions, in association with Shaw Media and Slice.

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Still Standing

CBC’s Still Standing renewed for Season 2

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From a media release:

CBC’s summer hit about small towns with a lot of heart, STILL STANDING, has been renewed for a second season, which will be broadcast in 2016. The unique series follows comedian Jonny Harris (Murdoch Mysteries) as he travels across the country to small towns on the ropes who are managing to keep laughing in the face of adversity. During his week-long stint, he immerses himself in the local culture and mines enough material to put on an original stand-up comedy routine for the residents.Visiting towns from coast to coast, Jonny uses his time to learn what makes each place special doing everything from being challenged to eat a 20 Ib. bag of apples in Berwick, NS, mounting a 10,000 Ib. Harley Davidson in Lytton, BC, befriending a yodelling cowboy in Manitou, MB and being a guest in an eight person town (six person in the winter) in Rowley, AB.

Production company Frantic Films is looking for suggestions of small towns to visit for Season Two. They are hoping to hear from small towns that boast a strong sense of community and a narrative of adapting in the face of adversity, after economic and industrial changes in their region. Interested viewers can nominate their town online at cbc.ca/stillstanding. This season, the series visited Bamfield, BC, Coleman, AB, Souris, PEI, Willow Bunch, SK, Berwick, NS, Oil Springs, ON, Lytton, BC, Manitou, MB, Wawa, ON, Teeswater, ON, Rowley, AB, Buxton, ON and Fogo Island, N.L.

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