Everything about Featured, eh?

Featured, Murdoch Mysteries, Orphan Black, Remedy

Comments and queries for the week of May 29

Remedy showrunner urges support of Canadian TV

I am a native Californian, so though I cannot speak for all, most, or perhaps even many U.S. viewers, I can speak for my immediate circle of somewhat discerning friends … we LOVE Canadian programs!

That is, when we can find them, bleed them out of the otherwise amorphous glut of American shows, or game the web so that the Canadian shows are not blocked to us.

I have no idea who is the thinker behind the idea that U.S. audiences need to think that a show takes place south of the U.S./Canadian border in order to gain a viewership. What a show needs is to be worth a damn! BBC and other foreign programming does quite OK.

My first real hook, Flashpoint, eventually went open with its location, which anyone paying attention already knew long before, yet remains one of the best police procedurals ever shown on U.S. TV. Thanks to Flashpoint, I discovered the cast and began to backtrack their work as I am able, so now my default DVR programming includes anything with Enrico Colantoni, Hugh Dillon, etc. If more Canadian shows were allowed to come into the world of U.S. streaming or broadcast as Canadian shows they might actually do BETTER than they do when trapped as one option of many among what most of us have little time to wade through on the daily dose of mediocre regular U.S. fare. —Artemio

I don’t support any Canadian shows that cater to Americans. Why can’t we show the flag, or wear emblems that let other countries know it is Canadian? Orphan Black and Schitt’s Creek are a disgrace to this nation. We have awesome Canadian programming that is shown worldwide yet we don’t promote Canada, and I agree with the CRTC: If you cannot say it is Canadian, we will not fund it. Stop trying to impress America by being neutral in our shows. It is Canadian and be proud of it. Murdoch rules, and it is in 125 countries around the world, and only on rare and selected PBS stations in the U.S., who cares about them.? Why are we so afraid about what America thinks? —Jeanne

I thought that Season 2 of Remedy was much improved over the first season. I got invested in the characters, and liked them all. I was irritated by Griffin’s behaviour, but realised that it was realistic. I am really sorry that there won’t be a third season, I’m sure it would have been even better. —Lily

And the MasterChef Canada winner is…

My wife and I love the show. We live in the States, where we can’t get MasterChef Canada, so I stream it. David was a solid choice and my wife’s favourite from the get-go. We eagerly await Season 3 and will fill the time watching the inferior American version which just started. —Tom

True Love’s Kiss on Orphan Black

Oh yeah, this was the top episode of the season so far. Agree with you on finally liking Paul. I wish I could find the soundtrack for the last five minutes of the episode.  Also enjoyed the new side of Felix and surprisingly felt bad for Rachel. Towards the end I think Felix felt he went too far and backed off partially out of shame.

Never fully trusted Delphine and I’m glad I didn’t, missing Cosima is no excuse for using resources to stalk her. You creep on her Facebook if you want but that’s it! She’s really become the new Rachel: drinking while sadly looking at video of someone you love whose not in your life anymore.

Alison did talk briefly with Cosima about her health last week. Alison wouldn’t be useful in fighting the military she doesn’t have the skills our resources Dyad and Mrs. S do. She’s the most “boxed-in” narrative wise with a table family and two-not important kids. A housewife isn’t special to Dyad and her personal life makes her hard to disappear if Castor or anyone tried. But they cannot cut out the family angle as suburbia is Alison’s domain and at the core of her character. Next week looks to have a lot to do with the Hendrixes so we’ll see. —Dan

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

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Featured, Polls

Poll: Durham County is top Canadian TV series of all time

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In the end, it really wasn’t close. Durham County trumped SCTV to take the title of Top Canadian TV Series of All Time.

The Movie Network/Movie Central drama starring Hugh Dillon, Hélène Joy, Louis Ferreira, Laurence Leboeuf, Greyston Holt and Michelle Forbes captured 82 per cent of the vote in the Great Canadian TV Playoff final round to SCTV‘s 18 per cent.

The Great Canadian TV Playoff featured homegrown head-to-head matchups of television shows with eight from the 1970s, 80s, 90s and 2000s facing off against one another. The final four were SCTV (70s), Degrassi (80s), Due South (90s) and Durham County (2000s).

Durham County star Dillon has had quite the spring on TV, Eh? His former Flashpoint character, Ed Lane, was named Canada’s Favourite TV Cop earlier this month.

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Cracked, Featured, Rookie Blue

Review: Cracked actor makes an impact on Rookie Blue

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I miss Cracked. CBC’s dark drama starred David Sutcliffe as Aiden Black, a Toronto detective who teamed with psychiatrists to help folks with mental issues. Sutcliffe returned to primetime TV during Thursday’s new episode of Rookie Blue, where he made an immediate impact as a father with a pretty strict belief system.

“Perfect Family” was in stark contrast to last week’s return, focusing more on circumstances outside the precinct rather than inside, though Dov and Marlo’s continuing investigation into the evidence room bombing uncovered a link between a missing munitions contractor and the force itself. Also, a tearful Andy confirmed to Swarek she’ll stick around to help raise his and Marlo’s baby, the spark between Juliet and Nick burned a little brighter and Dias is getting in deep with Jarvis.

But the bulk of “Perfect Family” was a character study and analysis of changing times and family values viewed as out of date. Written by Adriana Maggs, the script spotlit a missing 16-year-old girl named Hayley Hill (Orphan Black‘s Zoé De Grand’Maison). Bringing her family in for questioning revealed some interesting little tidbits about her father, Lloyd (Sutcliffe). The boss of the house, Lloyd was religious, believed in abstinence and wasn’t above doling out punishment with his belt or making Hayley sleep in the garage. None of what he was doing was against the law, but it was certainly disturbing.

I caught myself shaking my head at Lloyd’s backward thinking before I quickly realized there are people who think that way, and raise their children without cell phones, banning them from wearing revealing clothing and demanding respect from their elders. In Lloyd’s eyes, the world is going to hell and he was making sure his family wasn’t going along for the ride. Was what Lloyd was doing out of line? Not in his own eyes.

But by the end of the episode the blinders were off his wife’s eyes and she was ready to face him in court over his actions, which included making Hayley sleep in a freezer when she misbehaved. (I knew right away that son Jeremy would poison his sister’s pop; the way he looked at her when she drank it betrayed his actions.) Lloyd’s arrest after he beat the crap out of Connor, the boy trying to save Hayley from harm, closed the door on the case, but cemented in Swarek and Andy’s minds the type of parents they want to be—and not be—for the baby.

Notes and quotes

  • I love the jangly rock music that started the episode.
  • Travis Milne has a gift for physical comedy. That scene where he was checking Jarvis’ wife’s car had me snickering.
  • Andy wishing she was a fish so that she wouldn’t feel emotions was alternately heartbreaking and hilarious.
  • “People talk. Screw ’em.” Amen, Dov. Amen.
  • “I know how to Skype a Thai hooker if I’m so inclined.” —Dov
  • This is the second week in a row that Gail hasn’t had much to do. Fingers crossed that changes next week.

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

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Featured, Haven, Murdoch Mysteries

William Shatner lands Murdoch Mysteries role

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Clearly Peter Mitchell found the right man for the job. Back in March, Murdoch Mysteries‘ showrunner teased what was to come in Season 9 of the period piece Canadian drama, saying “I’m hoping—if we can find the right guy—Mark Twain will come to town.”

That person was found—and revealed by lead actor and producer Yannick Bisson on Tuesday afternoon—when Bisson tweeted out the following image:

Murdoch_1

Earlier in the day, Bisson posted an image of the day’s call sheet, revealing Shatner would be portraying the American author, best-known for penning The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

According to a press release sent out by Shaftesbury, the show’s production company, “when Twain stirs up controversy during a speaking engagement in 1903 Toronto, Detective Murdoch and his colleagues must protect the esteemed writer.” The storyline is featured in Episode 2, “Marked Twain.”

Murdoch Mysteries is the latest Canadian series to feature Shatner as a guest star; he completed filming four episodes of Showcase’s sci-fi series Haven last year.

Shaftesbury teases Season 9 with more info:

“From within the walls of a maximum-security prison to the outer atmosphere of the earth, Season 9 of MURDOCH MYSTERIES explores new worlds and mystifying cases. 1903 begins with Detective Murdoch (Yannick Bisson), Dr. Julia Ogden (Hélène Joy), Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig) and Dr. Emily Grace (Georgina Reilly) still reeling over the arrest of Constable George Crabtree (Jonny Harris). Then a shocking death brings great change to the world of Station No. 4. Through it all, Murdoch and team continue to solve the unsolvable, coming face to face with everything from an impossible bank robbery to a threat to destroy Canada, confronting each case with wit, wisdom and innovation.”

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Amazing Race Canada, Awards, Between, Bitten, Featured, Killjoys, Mohawk Girls, Podcast, Remedy

TV, eh? podcast episode 183 – Greg est perdu

Greg is on the injury list with a bad cold, so Anthony and Diane cover the Great Canadian TV Playoffs alone. It’s Durham County of the 2000s versus SCTV of the 1970s in the battle for the cup? Who will prevail, and will Anthony have anything to say about it first?

We also talk about cancellations (bye Remedy), renewals (hello again Bitten), returning shows (Amazing Race Canada), the deluge of award shows and other Canadian TV news.

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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