Everything about Carter, eh?

Link: Carter star Jerry O’Connell enjoying his moment in the spotlight

From Melissa Hank of Postmedia:

Link: Carter star Jerry O’Connell enjoying his moment in the spotlight
“I read this comedy about a guy who’s a cheesy procedural actor, and he moves to this small town and tells the cops how a cheesy procedural actor would solve crimes. It really made me laugh. Also, I didn’t have to do any research because I knew exactly who the guy was.” Continue reading. 

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Preview: Carter kicks it up a notch in Season 2

If the first episode is any indication, Season 2 of Carter is going to be very, very good. The Canadian original, starring Jerry O’Connell as actor-turned-private investigator Harley Carter, roars back with a stellar premiere on Friday at 9 p.m. ET on CTV Drama Channel that showcases the comic talents of O’Connell and Kristian Bruun.

Created by Garry Campbell, Andy Berman takes over showrunning duties from Campbell. The result—at least from what I’ve seen in Friday’s debut, “Harley Wears a Wig”—is a show that has evolved in its second season. Episode 2, “Harley Loses a Finger,” follows at 10 p.m. ET.

Here’s the official synopsis for “Harley Wears a Wig,” written by Berman and directed by Peter Wellington:

Harley Carter’s first official case as a P.I. is a kidnapping with a surprising twist.

And here are a few tidbits and additional thoughts from me after watching a screener of the episode in advance.

Harley as a P.I. rocks
It would have been silly to try and make excuses for Harley to keep dropping into the Bishop Police Department as an actor applying his skills to solving cases. Growing the character allows the show to move forward and land great comic payoffs.

Harley + Dave = Laughs
Kristian Bruun’s Dave is Carter‘s secret weapon. When he, O’Connell and Sydney Poitier Heartsong are together on-screen, giggles are guaranteed.

Colin Mochrie guest stars
Speaking of laughs, Mochrie helps kick off Season 2 in style as Neil Jacott, a man who asks Harley to find his missing wife, played by Debra McGrath. Mochrie’s Neil is an odd duck, and Sam doesn’t take him seriously.

Lyriq Bent joins the cast
John Bourgeois is out and Lyriq Bent is in as Bishop’s new police chief. I’ve been a fan of Bent’s for years—most recently on Mary Kills People and Shoot the Messenger—and his straight man role as Joyce Boyle simply kills.

Carter says goodbye
A sweet storyline involving Dot (Brenda Kamino) and an episode closing credit allows the series to bid farewell to Koji and Denis Akiyama, who passed away last year.

Carter airs Fridays at 9 p.m. on CTV Drama Channel.

Images courtesy of Bell Media.

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CTV’s original hit series Carter returns October 25 on CTV Drama Channel

From a media release:

CTV’s original MADE® in Canada series CARTER returns for its second season on the newly rebranded CTV Drama Channel, full of comic twists and schemes with a two-episode premiere on Friday, Oct. 25 at 9 p.m. ET. In Season 2 of this unorthodox mystery crime drama, star Jerry O’Connell reprises his CSA-nominated role as Harley Carter, a former television detective who, having successfully charmed his way through solving real-life mystery cases, has returned to the scene of the crime as an official private detective this season.

Re-joining Carter on his new adventures are fan-favourite co-stars Kristian Bruun and Sydney Poitier Heartsong as Harley’s childhood friends Dave Leigh and police detective Sam Shaw. Together the trio taps into Harley’s years of playing a fictional detective to uncover a new crop of crimes and culprits in the lakeside town of Bishop, Ontario, further proving that truth can be stranger than fiction.

Joining CARTER this season is CSA-winning actor Lyriq Bent (THE AFFAIR) who stars as new police chief Joyce “Joy” Warwick Boyle, an NYPD transplant with a mysterious past and threat to Harley’s love life. In addition to Bent, CARTER boasts a fantastic lineup of multitalented acclaimed guest stars including David Arquette (Scream), Colin Mochrie (WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?), O’Connell’s MY SECRET IDENTITY co-star Derek Mcgrath (KIM’S CONVENIENCE),  and legendary THE KIDS IN THE HALL alumni Kevin McDonald and Dave Foley.

In the premiere episode, “Harley Wears A Wig” (Friday Oct. 25 at 9 p.m. ET) Harley (O’Connell) takes on his first official case as a P.I. when Bishop local Neil Jacott (Colin Mochrie) asks him to help track down his missing wife – but things are not quite as they seem. Joyce Boyle (Bent) arrives in town and takes over as the new chief of police for Bishop P.D., inspiring Sam’s (Poitier Heartsong) interest and Harley’s suspicions. Also, Dot (Brenda Kamino) deals with her new normal after the passing of her husband Koji (Denis Akiyama).

Next at 10 p.m. ET, the episode entitled “Harley Loses a Finger” begins with a severed human thumb in a jar. When a group of British grifters come to Bishop, Harley(O’Connell) and the gang find themselves thrust into a Guy Ritchie-style caper and locked into a game of cat and mouse with a charming British conman (Julian Richings, DOOM PATROL).

In Canada, CARTER made Bravo (now CTV Drama Channel) the #1 entertainment specialty channel in its timeslot throughout its run. Outside of Canada, the series was commissioned by Sony Pictures Television (SPT) for AXN, where it will return for Season 2 in select markets across Europe and Latin America and will also return to WGN America in the U.S. The series is distributed by SPT worldwide, excluding Canada.

CARTER is produced by Amaze Film + Television and executive produced by the company’s founders Teza Lawrence and Michael Souther (CALL ME FITZ, Saint Ralph), producer Victoria Hirst (Away From Her), as well as series creator Garry Campbell, O’Connell, and Season 2 showrunner and EP Andy Berman (PSYCH).

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Production begins on Season 2 of Bravo original series Carter

From a media release:

Bravo announced today that production is underway for Season 2 of its lighthearted mystery-crime drama CARTER, starring Jerry O’Connell. Shot in North Bay, ON, the sophomore season is set to debut later this year, exclusively on Bravo. Season 1 of CARTER is currently streaming only on Crave.

The 10-episode, one-hour series also sees the return of co-stars  Sydney Poitier Heartsong (Homecoming) as Sam Shaw and Kristian Bruun (Orphan Black) as Dave Leigh, as well as Brenda Kamino (The Glass Castle) as Dot Yasuda.

Canadian and CSA-winning actor Lyriq Bent (THE AFFAIR) joins the cast in Season 2 as Joyce Warwick Boyle, the new Interim Police Chief at Bishop PD. Described as a man with both swagger and edge, Boyle quickly establishes himself as a stern law man impressed with Sam and her abilities, while being equally unimpressed with Harley and his antics. As his admiration for Sam turns romantic, Harley and Dave discover Boyle is hiding an alarming and mysterious past.

CARTER revolves around Harley Carter (O’Connell), the star of a hit detective series who decides to take a break from Hollywood. Upon returning to his northern hometown, Harley discovers that his years of playing a fictional detective come in handy when he finds himself immersed in real-life mysteries, including the unsolved disappearance of his mother which culminated in the Season 1 finale.

In Season 2, Harley plants deeper roots as a celebrity P.I., using disguises to go undercover and doubling-down on his fame in a world where life continues to imitate TV. As Harley dives deeper into solving mysteries, he discovers that the toughest cases to solve are personal ones, as he finds himself embroiled in a love triangle with his best friend, Sam Shaw (Poitier Heartsong), and her new boss.

Outside of Canada, the series was commissioned by Sony Pictures Television (SPT) for AXN, returning for Season 2 in Spain, Latin America, Brazil, Japan, Central Europe, and Russia.  CARTER will also return to WGN America in the U.S. The series is distributed by SPT worldwide, excluding Canada. CARTER is produced by Amaze Film + Television and executive produced by the company’s founders Teza Lawrence and Michael Souther (Call Me Fitz, Saint Ralph) as well as series creator Garry Campbell, O’Connell, and Season 2 showrunner and EP Andy Berman.

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