Sad news for fans of Gisèle Corinthios: the host of Gisèle’s Big Backyard is no longer with TVO. As reported back in April, the publicly funded provincial channel had cancelled production of program block, impacting six employees.
TVO confirmed on Friday that Corinthios was one of those impacted.
“TVO receives a fixed transfer from the province. Every year, our $40 million transfer gets relatively smaller as inflation allows it to buy less and less. With limited resources that effectively decline each year, TVO has to reduce costs regularly,” the channel said in a statement.
“With 14 years of production and 800 segments of Gisèle’s Big Backyard in our archive, the two-to-four year old pre-school audience will continue to enjoy GBB’s interstitial content for years to come. Since the pre-school audience turns over every two years, there is a large enough catalogue to maintain high quality service without producing new episodes. Older children require a more interactive experience to engage them, which is why TVO offers a live call-in experience with The Space weekday afternoons.”
The network is touting new original content, including mPower, a new math online in-class resource for kindergarten to Grade 6 and Climate Watch, a look at how climate change is becoming an increasing local issue.
Corinthios had been with TVO since 1998, when she became host of The Nook, which evolved into Gisèle’s Big Backyard.
There’s something fitting about a bus pulling away just as you run up to it, even on television. They seem to be trying to inject a bit of a strategic game in our Race, usually the Express Passes are given for winning a leg and the Fast Forward takes you out of the way—but you’ll probably get first that episode with the FF. In typical Canadian politeness two teams agree to work together … but in no real shock the team from Big Brother breaks the deal. Though when they aren’t yelling at each other they seem like a strong team.
Although with the other Pass having to be given away either in Episode 3 or 4, I don’t see how much strategy could really go into it. There are eight teams left, so it can’t cause too much of an upset. The Face Off twist from last year was kind of a bust too. In terms of being strategic better just leave that to the U-Turn boards.
Having been to Calgary last year, I was deeply amused how the twins kept searching around the wrong building, which you can see from the tower but it clearly wrong. Two rapeling Roadblocks in a row? Meh. I know they’re going for a positive edit, but damn if Lowell’s big grin going down the tower and fish puns with Julie wasn’t sweet as hell.
That Sim Detour must have been harder then it looked. It seemed just like a video game but three teams GTFO almost instantly.
Oh wow! An actual footrace between the last two teams! This is so tense and exciting … way to undercut the tension there. I know non-elimination legs are planned in advance but this seems a bit early. (And aren’t we short at least one team this year to begin with?) Going international next week Yay! —DanAmazing
I find there is a lack of age diversity this time. Not very many older couples, it’s all very pretty and attractive shiny people. —Kelly H.
Where will Major Crimes and Rizzoli & Isles land?
Now that Super Channel has lost the rights to Major Crimes and Rizzoli &Â Isles, is there any word on the new seasons being picked up by a Canadian broadcaster? I know the last season of Rizzoli, which aired on Super Channel, is about to air on Showcase.
Meantime, has a Canadian broadcaster picked Shooter, which begins in the U.S. soon? —Doug
No word yet on where Major Crimes and Rizzoli &Â Isles will air now that Super Channel has lost the rights, but Showcase is a natural and likely fit for both, especially since Rizzoli is airing in a second window on that station.
As Jayme notes below, Shooter will be broadcast on Bravo this fall.
Got a question or comment about Canadian TV? Email greg@tv-eh.com or via Twitter @tv_eh.
“More challenges, more questions to be answered, more characters. Some questions answered. Bigger, more action. Romance. Explosions!” That’s Hannah John-Kamen’s description of Season 2 of Killjoys. And if what happened in Episode 1 is any indication, she wasn’t kidding.
We’ve already gotten indications, through “Dutch and the Real Girl,” that Khylen’s actions are a reaction to a larger story, something John-Kamen outlined when we spoke last January from the set of the Space and Syfy drama.
We’re talking on the set of Season 2 while you’re in the midst of production. Do you feel like you’re hitting your stride at this point?
Hannah John-Kamen: To be honest, when we came back for Season 2 it felt like we’d never left. We really, really picked up where we left off. We were in our stride straight away.
The Old Town set this season is incredible. As an actor, it’s just another layer to help you get into this character, isn’t it?
One of the most exciting parts is when you see, in the script, that we’re going to be in a whole new world. And then to see the sets is so exciting.
Was it a bit of a learning curve for you, coming into a genre that is so beloved and has a built-in audience?
I remember when the only thing that was out while we were shooting Season 1 was a picture and a small synopsis of the show. But then we did the Fan Expo here in Canada and in the back of my mind I wondered if we were going to have any fans because there was so little information about the show. And then we went through the room and it was packed full of fans already. I remember the questions they asked the panel were so amazing and in sync and intellectual about the show. The questions about The Quad, about Leith, Westerley and the politics. It was nice to have a built-in audience, but it’s also nice to have a new audience. This show has action, drama, romance, comedy … everything that appeals to an audience.
Dutch had quite the journey last season. Khylen, the fight with D’Avin … she’s gone through a lot. Will Khylen be a big part of her storyline in Season 2?
Yes. It’s unfinished business. When we left Episode 10 in Season 1, there are so many more questions to be answered. It’s bigger than just Dutch and Khylen now. Now it’s expanding. The relationship with Khylen isn’t just about Dutch anymore, it’s everyone in The Quad now. It’s another journey.
Killjoys images courtesy of Space
Dutch has got to be pretty pissed off at this point. It’s one thing for Khylen to come after her, but now he’s targeting D’Avin and Johnny.
But not everything is black and white, especially with Khylen. It could be being done for the greater good; there is a reason why he’s doing the things he’s doing.
It’s so much fun to hate him. Rob Stewart plays him so well.
He’s a lovable rogue! It’s fun to hate him, but at the same time there is such a love for Yala, the little girl that he saved, and we still don’t know why he saved her. He’s protecting Dutch, always has and always will.
I know that we will be visiting more of Dutch’s Yala phase. I’d love to explore the first time that Dutch and Johnny met, with her in a bloody wedding dress.
Did you have any questions for Michelle Lovretta between Season 1 and 2?
Michelle is so amazing and open to a knock on the door and talking about the arc and in general what’s going to happen. I don’t know details about each episode because those can always change.
Talk about Dutch’s wardrobe. Pretty kick-ass.
Are you kidding?! I love the wardrobe. It’s so gorgeous. The wardrobe is so important. The material, the leather, it’s harsh but sexy. And then, when I go undercover, the wardrobe is elegant but with the Dutch twist on it. Honestly, it really does make the character.
What’s your elevator pitch that summarizes Season 2?
More challenges, more questions to be answered, more characters. Some questions answered. Bigger, more action. Romance. Explosions!
Episode six of Working It Out Together teaches us about community coming together to raise and support its children.
Prior to colonization, the strength of the family was integral to the survival of the community. Dr. Carl Hele, Director of First Peoples Studies at Concordia University, describes the mechanism of the community. Traditionally, it was the family that was the primary unit of society and it was the entire community that acted to raise responsible, healthy, productive children; family and community were one. The family held the power in the community.
However, the ancient ways were nearly devastated by colonialism, residential schooling, and rapid social change. Diseases killed off the elders, robbing communities of their knowledge base, and dependence on the mother-father-child concept of the family unit meant that the extended familial bonds began to break. Later, when the Residential School System was implemented by the Canadian government, additional fractures occurred with the removal of the children. The loss of the children meant families lost their purpose for existence. Host Waneek Horn-Miller states, “I think that the fracturing of the family was a huge effort by the government, by the Indian Act, by everything. They have tried to fracture our identity, our family units, our sense of security, our sense of well being, of who we are.” She adds, “But it is an unwillingness to give up that is going make families and communities strong again.”
However, many of today’s Indigenous children are lacking family support. They are not being raised in their culture, but they are not being raised fully in western culture either. This means they do not know who they are or where they are; they are caught in between. Dr. Hele believes this is due to the lack of strong community based family. “It takes a community to raise a kid and it takes a community to heal itself. It is this idea that family is centre and culture and ceremony and language are centre that makes for a stronger community.”
This episode takes a closer look at Conrad Mianscum of Mistissini, Quebec, and his family’s tradition of snow mobile racing. Conrad’s grandfather, David Mianscum, had a successful racing career and in the traditional ways he passed his knowledge on to his grandson. Despite choosing a more modern career path, Conrad’s grandfather kept Conrad grounded in the ways traditional of their ancestors, and so his passing was a significant loss to Conrad. This loss left Conrad shattered, but despite this, his family and his community are supporting him as he grieves, giving Conrad the support he needs to carry on in his grandfather’s stead. Those supporting Conrad have acted to help fuel his warrior spirit and in so doing are igniting their own, to become a more cohesive community, healthier and better able to support their youth.
Nathaniel Bosum, a former snow mobile racer and now motivational speaker, shares his story of depression in the hopes that he can help support other youth who risk losing their way on their paths to success. He hopes his story motivates the youth and allow them to enjoy life.
This episode proved to be a very touching story of family. Admittedly, when I was watching, I found myself welling up with tears with each tribute Conrad paid to his grandfather. The love and respect he carries for him is quite evident, and clearly a driving force that continues in his life today.
Matty Matheson threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Toronto Blue Jays game this week and tossed what he described as a “high ball.” But the celebrity chef serves up a strike down the middle with his new Viceland show, Dead Set on Life.
“I was just back at the Robo Mart the other day and I told them, ‘Are you ready to get very busy?'” Matheson says over the phone. “I think people are going to travel and come in and order the chicken finger sub.” Full confession: we’re plotting  a visit to Fort Erie for exactly that. Dead Set on Life is the latest project Matheson stars in for Vice, following online hits Matty Matheson’s Hangover Cures, Matty’s How-To’s and Keep It Canada. A natural progression in his relationship with the network, Matheson is hoping to strike gold with a television series.
Those expecting him to sit down in a high-end restaurant, extolling the virtues of upper-crust dining are going to be disappointed, though unsurprised. Matheson is in his element talking honestly with folks about their lives and creating tasty, accessible stick-to-your-ribs meals. Aside from Fort Erie, Matheson travels to Ontario’s Norfolk County, Winnipeg and Nova Scotia. Episode 4 catches up with the chef on the Long Plain First Nation in Manitoba, where he not only noshes on elk and bison stew and participates in a pow-wow, but sheds light on the struggles fought by Native Canadians through honest, unflinching dialogue.
“Canada is a beautiful and kind place, but it’s not perfect,” he says. “There are no jobs in the east coast, or I’m on a reservation taking about residential schools. I’m not trying to show every social injustice. I’m a simple guy trying to have a good time, but if some bad shit comes up, I’m going to talk about it.”
Dead Set on Life airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Viceland.
