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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: Highway Thru Hell returns bigger than ever

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Highway Thru Hell boasts big weather, big rigs, big egos and big crashes. And, for the first time ever, the series has gotten bigger too.

Season 7, returning Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Discovery, has grown in episode size; 17 instalments jam-packed with drama, thrills and heroism. Discovery’s highest-rated TV show—which has spawned its own successful spinoff, Heavy Rescue: 401—jumps into the latest season with a preview episode as several of the show’s cast sit down to reflect and look forward to the coming adventures. It’s something the Deadliest Catch folks have done in the past and it’s very effective. I like the natural interaction that comes from these sit-downs; there is no dramatic music playing and those chats aren’t edited for drama like a regular episode.

In particular, it’s great fun to have longtime competitors Jamie Davis and Al Quiring next to each other, poking fun and recalling some of the biggest wrecks and successes of their careers. Al warning of the dangers of the Spuzzum Creek bridge—showcased in Season 5—with its confines and height is a cool little nugget. These may be veterans of clearing up crashes but they have fears too. Also, we get some backstory into Al and Jamie’s relationship that I’ve never known before.

Jamie serves as a bit of a master of ceremonies, welcoming other Highway Thru Hell drivers, like Ken Duperon and Jason Davis, over to the spotlight to talk about white knuckle experiences of their own.

But Tuesday’s return isn’t all about waxing poetic on past jobs. Viewers get a peek at what’s to come, from a truck caught in a record-breaking mudslide, a loaded lumber rig in a precarious position and all manner of snapped cables, torn steel and tow trucks pulled into odd angles.

It’s going to be a heck of a ride.

Highway Thru Hell airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Discovery.

Images courtesy of Bell Media.

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Amazing Race Canada, Featured

Comments and queries for the week of August 31

The BEST episode [of The Amazing Race Canada] this season. So entertaining and funny. Fave parts: “make up” some time, “dead serious,” the moustaches, the intimidating big brown eyes, the boarder dog, the bad acting, the invisible slap chop, Phil’s many brotherly jabs towards his sister, and Taylor’s calm and positive demeanor while cheering on his sister in the first task. Sad to see any of the Top 5 teams eliminated. —Tunie

Best challenge was obviously the fun acting bit that we spent most of the episode on, but to see a true footrace and the strong team of Nancy and Melissa go was shocking. Battle of the Two Courtney’s was a good episode title. Road Block was OK, Detours seemed simple at least from what we saw. A strong ending for our second and last international Leg. Fredericton next week means all the provincial and territorial capitals have been featured at least once over the six years. Pretty foreshadowed that the boys would win this episode. Cute skateboarding dog. —DanAmazing

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

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Featured, Killjoys

Preview: Butt-kicking and black holes on Killjoys

I have to say, I’m sad that Shaun Benson’s assassin character didn’t make it past last week’s episode of Killjoys. Alas, in the Quad everyone’s life is on the line. As we all well know. And with just a few more weeks until the Season 4 finale, there is still a lot of questions left unanswered.

That brings us to Friday’s instalment, “O Mother, Where Art Thou?” Here’s what Space has released as an official synopsis:

Team Awesome Force find themselves separated again, but this time by their own design. Or at least by D’avin’s who, for various reasons didn’t leave a forwarding address. But this time it’s different – Johnny and Dutch decide not to go looking for him, but rather to follow a lead hidden in a memory Khlyen altered in Dutch’s mind, which leads them to an unexpected past — the origins of Maylene, the assassin.

And here is some more information about the episode—written by Andrew De Angelis and directed by Michael Marshall—after watching a screener.“Dickpunch!”
Have I mentioned how much I adore the language Killjoys gets away with? Johnny referring to D’avin’s “pants business” is laugh out loud funny. The writer’s room must be fun. I imagine it filled with laughter. And awesome snacks.

Flashback!
Surprising, and very, very cool. We get some key background into … well, you’ll see. It concerns some familiar faces and those who are more recent additions. Seriously, every time I think Killjoys can’t top itself it damn well does.

Pree!
Our favourite bar owner/warlord shines in every scene on Friday night, especially the first time we see him. Is it too late to request an online spinoff spotlighting he and Gared? And can Turin be a recurring character? Thanks.

Killjoys airs Fridays at 10 p.m ET on Space.

Images courtesy of Bell Media.

 

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Amazing Race Canada, Featured

Amazing Race Canada: Muertos and mercado in Mexico City

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I admit it. I had cheerleaders Mar and Leanne as one of the favourites to win this season of The Amazing Race Canada. But one tight-fitting helmet derailed the pair in PEI, setting up what should be very interesting remaining episodes of the Race.

Nancy and Mellisa, who went from worst to first last week (and suffered a few speed bumps along the way) departed for Mexico City in high spirits. But with a population of 21 million, it was going to be a daunting Leg. The first stop upon arriving? The Monumento a la Revolución and a very special clue. Every season of The Amazing Race Canada features messages from loved ones and it took place above Mexico City. There were tears, runny noses and promises to complete the Race. (Tola’s message to Kwame was very emotional, and we got his backstory.) Courtney and Taylor and Adam and Courtney arrived within minutes of each other and were directed to Frontón, Mexico, for their next clue. It was hilarious to see Courtney and Taylor ask to be driven there, only to have the driver point across the street.

In the Road Block, one team member was challenged to don the huge arm scoop of Jai Alai and land one serve. I’ve always wanted to play Jai Alai … not so much after seeing the struggle everyone went through. (I’m pretty sure Jon Montgomery missed his serve.) It only took Dylan a second set of attempts for him to land his serve correctly and the mentors were off in first place, followed by athletes Mel and Nancy. Martina, who is becoming a stronger competitor every week, beat out the Courtneys and she and Phil departed in third. Courtney and Adam completed the task next, leaving the RCMP officers behind. It was sad to see Courtney get down on herself after countless attempts, but she got it after switching to underhand.

The Leg’s Detour was a choice between Mercado (purchasing four ingredients from stalls in a 2,000 shop market and making pico de gallo) or Muertos (going to a park and painting a Day of the Dead mask on their partner’s face). Dylan and Kwame opted for face painting, as did Martina and Phil, Courtney and Adam and Courtney and Taylor. Mellisa and Nancy chose to go shopping and quickly regretted it. Dylan and Kwame did an amazing job on each other’s makeup and left the challenge first. Meanwhile, Mel and Nancy found an angel in Mary, who helped them shop and they were done in no time. Taylor and Courtney remained in last place.

Next up? Learning lines for a faux telenovela The House of Shame and Passion. Yikes. Kwame’s moustache was killer. The Racers embraced their inner scene-chewer as they took turns portraying over-the-top characters. Kwame and Dylan struggled, but gutted it out and departed with their heads held high. Phil’s performance was horrible but the director approved anyway. The pressure was on the remaining duos.

The Leg’s Pit Stop was located in Alameda Central and Kwame and Dylan arrived as the No. 1 team, scoring a trip to Sydney, Australia. Yes, the pair finally came out on top. Martina and Phil continued to impress, followed by Mel and Nancy. It came down to who could remember their lines … and Taylor and Courtney pulled it off, leapfrogging Courtney and Adam. But, as sometimes happens, flagging a taxi can be a challenge. That meant a stressful few moments for viewers leading into the last commercial break of the episode. Who would make it to the mat in time and who would be going home?

Safe: Courtney and Taylor, in a stunning reversal of fortune.

Safe: Courtney and Adam.

Eliminated by mere steps: Mel and Nancy.

Yes, this is a Race, but it was still touching to hear Adam say, “No!” and apologize to Mel and Nancy.

Next week teams fly to New Brunswick. Who do you think has the best chance of winning The Amazing Race Canada? Let me know in the comments below.

Here’s how the teams finished this Leg of the Race:

  1. Dylan and Kwame (trip for two to Sydney)
  2. Martina and Phil
  3. Courtney and Taylor
  4. Courtney and Adam
  5. Mel and Nancy (eliminated)

The Amazing Race Canada airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. MT on CTV.

Images courtesy of Bell Media.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

True crime in agriculture and farming is the focus of CBC’s excellent, unique Farm Crime

True crime is a hot genre right now thanks to podcasts like My Favorite Murder and Someone Knows Something and television series like Making a Murderer and The Detectives. But where those—and the genre on the whole—mostly deals with crimes against humans, Big Cedar Films’ Geoff Morrison takes the craze in a different direction.

Morrison, whose latest projects for CBC were Brand Canada and the excellent and creepy “The Missing Tourist,” returns to the network for the six-episode web series Farm Crime. Now available for streaming on the CBC site and app, Farm Crime investigates offences in the world of agriculture and farming. Morrison notes the infamous maple syrup heist of 2011—when 3,000 tons of the sticky stuff was stolen from a storage facility in Quebec—was the inspiration for Farm Crime. Each instalment is free-standing, so I checked out “George of Green Gables” first.

In it, co-producer and director Christina Carvalho tells the tale of PEI oysterman George Dowdle of Green Gables Oysters, who spends his waking hours tending to his oyster crop. Buoys mark each oyster farmers’ plot of water. But, unlike a piece of property being fenced in to stop thieves, there is nothing like that on the water. The result? As George says, an “arsehole” can abscond with tens of thousands of dollars in oysters in a short amount of time. But once such theft in 2016 was particularly tough on George; it occurred at the same time his wife battled brain tumours. Set against the rustic beauty of PEI, George’s story is heartbreaking and horrible as he and partner Andy Black retrace the poaching, capturing the culprit, and its aftermath.

Morrison and his team pack a lot into an episode, managing to not only outline the crime but explore the life of the victim or victims and the legal entities involved. That’s a tough job to do in an episode that clocks in at under 15 minutes, but he does it well.

Other Season 1 stories include pigeon and cattle theft, a black market butcher, a blueberry bandit (this one plays out like a good mystery) and disappearance of five million bees. All six episodes of Farm Crime are streaming on CBC’s website and the CBC App.

Image courtesy of Big Cedar Films.

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