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Awards, Featured

Interview: Andrea Martin previews Sunday’s Canadian Screen Awards

By Chis Jancelewicz

It’s only fitting that one of the most hilarious women to ever grace the Canadian small screen is hosting the annual gala to honour Canadian film and television. SCTV alum Andrea Martin is taking the mic this year to helm the 3rd Annual Canadian Screen Awards on March 1, and promises to bring the funny.

TV, Eh? sat down to chat with the comedic star about hosting the gig (while simultaneously being nominated for her comedy Meet the Engels).

It’s cold out there. What are you going to do if the temperature is like this on March 1?
Andrea Martin: [Laughs.] I’m going to be inside! Or … where WILL the red carpet be? It might be outside. Oh, it is outside. They probably have heaters, though. This IS Canada.

Is there a lot to be proud of this year in terms of Canadian entertainment?
I think it’s so varied! Usually, there’s a lot of French-Canadian films and talent, this year I think there’s more English-speaking films. There’s a nice balance, and a lot of new, young talent.

Have you ever been a host and been nominated at the same time?
I’ve been a host many times, and I’ve been nominated many times. [Laughs.] I’m trying to think! Not in the States, I’ve just won a lot there: two Tonys, two Emmys, a People’s Choice Award … but I’ve never hosted the shows.

Can you reveal any details or surprises about the show to us?
One thing that’s going to be very exciting is they’re putting together packages for each film and TV show, just in case people haven’t seen the productions. The Canadian public hasn’t necessarily seen the stuff up for awards, so they might not tune in if they’re not interested. This way people can be informed.

Is there anything new this year?
It’s not new since the ceremony is already three years old, but I think combining movies and television into one is an exciting, jam-packed evening. It seems there are a lot of actors from the United States included this year, some nice crossover as well.

The Canadian Screen Awards gala airs Sunday, March 1, at 8 p.m. on CBC.

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Featured, Vikings

Review: Harbard enters land of the Vikings

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Kevin Durand was vague in his description of Harbard, one of the new characters featured in Season 3 of Vikings. And for good reason. Having someone who rivals The Seer in terms of mystery makes for a fun game for viewers. Is Harbard bad? Good? A walking Viking god? By the end of Thursday’s “The Wanderer,” viewers weren’t left with much information other than this seems to be the man Aslaug, Siggy and Helga have been dreaming about. Now he was in Kattegat—bleeding palm and all—and Helga was in awe.

Vikings has a ton of religious symbolism in it, and this episode was no exception, showing Torstein bathing in the river to wash away the infection in his arm and laying both arms out straight as if he was on a cross as Floki prepped to lop his arm off, the labourer placing the icon in the barn during Athelstan’s prayer and the stigmata on Athelstan’s hands. It is possible to watch Vikings as a surface-level program about Ragnar Lothbrok and his exploits, but there’s plenty of depth for those seeking it. The fact there is a clash of religions between what the Vikings follow and what the Christians do holds constant fascination for me as a viewer, especially when you realize both aren’t that different from one another.

One storyline I’m not too keen on is the budding romance between Lagertha and King Ecbert. I trust that show creator Michael Hirst knows exactly what he’s doing, but I cringed every time Ecbert made goo-goo eyes at the blonde shield maiden and part of me hoped she’d crush his head in with the butt of her sword. Alas, it appears for the time being the romance will continue. I’m also a little sad that Lagertha, for the moment anyway, has gone the route of farmer. I much prefer seeing her in battle than battling weeds, but I’m sure she’ll get back to that sooner or later.

Speaking of budding romance, I was—like Athelstan—a little taken aback by Lady Judith’s forwardness with the former priest. His face may have been in shadow, but I’m pretty sure Athelstan was blushing like crazy when Judith confessed she’d dreamed of making love to him. The poor dude is already conflicted with his belief system and now he’s on the verge of laying down with another man’s wife. Not good.

Notes and quotes

  • That scene where Ragnar and his men pulled up to shore with heads hanging from poles mounted on his boats? Truly scary.
  • Porunn has quickly become the most kick-ass shield maiden since Lagertha.
  • If Ecbert and Lagertha become a couple, what do we call them? Eckbertha? Lagbert?
  • “I’ve always hated this arm.” I have no idea how Torstein came to love one arm more than the other. And maybe I don’t want to know.

Vikings airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on History.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: Transforming Transgender an intimate look into the lives of transgendered people

“I just didn’t feel right in who I was. I always thought, ‘Am I in the right body?'” That’s how Olie, a young Quebec girl, felt while she was a boy. That stunning quote kicks off Transforming Transgender, airing Thursday as part of CBC’s Doc Zone, a program that informs and educates—as Geena  Rocero explains—the “T” in LGBT.

Executive producer Rachel Low and her team aren’t out to shock viewers with their documentary, but to spotlight, celebrate and produce some very interesting facts. History shows humankind likes to put everyone in one gender or another, when the reality is that isn’t true. Nature presents different variations of flora and fauna, including humans. As Rocero, founder of Gender Proud in New York City points out, gender has been blurred in Asian countries for centuries.

Transforming Transgender interviews a stunning array of transgendered individuals, from children like Olie and Wren to Dr. Carys Massarella (pictured above) and Stephanie Castle, who was born in 1925 and as a child dreamt he saw himself as a girl. Stephanie went into the navy and had a “normal” life with two marriages and kids. It was at the end of the second marriage Stephanie knew she couldn’t hide it anymore and had gender reassignment surgery at 66.

The documentary also presents some sobering stats: 97 per cent of transgendered people experience harassment on the job and 40 per cent will attempt suicide. Unemployment rates are high because of transphobia and depression is a common occurrence. And why not? As several interview subjects point out, they felt isolated from their family and friends because of who they felt they needed to act like versus who they really were.

Far from being a “woe is me” project, Transforming Transgender is also a celebration of becoming who one really is and being supported by those who love you. The most touching moments are those chats with parents who didn’t care whether their child was a boy or a girl, just that they were someone they loved.

“We have this little joke where we hear someone say, ‘Oh, we’re having a boy,'” Wren’s mom says with a laugh. “And I think, ‘Maybe. Maybe not.'”

Transforming Transgender airs as part of Doc Zone at 9 p.m. on CBC.

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Featured, X Company

Review: Emotional fireworks highlight X Company’s second week

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Last week’s first episode of X Company was exactly the edge-of-your-seat drama that fans of co-creators Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern are used to. The duo are able to mix action with engaging characters (and a mean music montage) into tension-filled moments that leave you wanting more.

So, did Wednesday’s second episode, “Trial by Fire,” keep up the pace of last week’s debut? Yes, but in a very different way. Whereas exploding bridges and gunfights were at the centre of the debut, Wednesday’s newest storylines focused more on emotional fireworks than physical (though literal fireworks were featured during Hitler’s birthday celebrations in German-occupied Chartres, France).

Alfred went on his first mission with team and everyone—including him—realized the huge gamble they made by adding him to the team. Sure, he was the man of the hour when it came to the team’s mission off the week—to gain access to codes that would help stop the German bombings of England—but when presented with the rigours of say, parachuting into France and facing a German officer face-to-face—he was woefully unprepared. His panic attack in front of the code officer was equal parts scary and frustrating because I just wanted Alfred to snap out of it and utter the German dialogue he’d been trained to say.

Luckily, Neil was there to save their butts, but it was a harrowing few moments before the officer was dispatched and the situation rigged to look like the man had gotten drunk and taken a fatal fall out of a window while watching the fireworks.

Tom, meanwhile, used his knowledge of propaganda and gift for words to not only avoid killing the French family that saw the team land in their field but to set the record straight on the Germans, who had convinced many of the French that they meant no one harm. Dustin Milligan—who is doing double duty on CBC on X Company and Schitt’s Creek—is pitch perfect as the charming ad man with expertise in the power of words.

“Trial by Fire” was another nail-biter of an episode and, with Alfred agreeing to more missions, is taking its first steps toward one heck of a Season 1 adventure.

Notes and quotes

  • Smart move by CBC to re-air the previous week’s instalment in the hour before a new episode. Not only does it give those who missed it the first time around a chance to tune in, but it really plays up the TV-movie feel the show boasts.
  • I’m hoping the producers continue to use the spinning globe segment to show the team going overseas. It was cool.
  • One little quibble: the team should have been wearing helmets during the parachute jump.
  • Having the piano keys and Aurora both emit the colour blue—the shade that reminds Alfred of home—was a nice touch.
  • Is Harry emerging as the Q of X Company? I sure hope so.

X Company airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

History’s Yukon Gold mines for riches in Season 3

There’s still gold up in thar hills, and Karl Knutson is determined to find it. Turns out that, long after the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896-1899, the precious metal continues to be dug out of the earth. That adventure has been the focus of several TV projects, including Yukon Gold, which returns for its third season tonight.

The program is History’s No. 1 docu-series, and it’s no wonder; to watch these guys and gals turn precious ounces into a cash windfall is pretty addictive stuff. Even more so for someone like Knutson, who was born into the life under his father, Marty, and strives to succeed on his own.

“The hunt for gold and being able to pull your paycheque out of the ground just does it for me,” the 28-year-old says. “It doesn’t do it for some people. I love the fact that there’s gold in the ground and we’re able to pull it out.” It’s not easy. Weather is always and issue that far north. Toss in mosquitoes and black flies, aging bulldozers, diggers and sluice plants and remote sites, and you’ve got a recipe for extreme discomfort and even danger.

And while large machinery has taken the place of old timers panning for gold in a creek bed, the process of staking a claim hasn’t changed that much from the days of the gold rush. Knutson explains anyone can go up and spend $10 to stake ground on a creek. You then have two weeks to record that property and must do a certain amount of work on the land during the year to keep it. During that time licences are filed for permission to use water to sluice the earth away from gold; Knutson says environmental concerns regarding the use of water has to be carefully mapped out and regulated so as to conserve it and the land.

Re-joining Knutson on the Yukon Gold cast are Ken Foye, Guillaume Brodeur and Cam Johnson; newbies Chris St. Jean and Nika Guilbault struggle to make a living while taking care of their baby daughter. And while Knutson appreciates the popularity of the show and the spotlight it aims on the area of Canada he loves, it’s still a bit weird to have cameras pointed his way while he tries to work.

“We love telling this story because not a lot of people get to go to the Klondike and see this, let alone live it. But at the same time, they’re slowing me down a bit,” Knutson says with a chuckle. “I only have a certain amount of time to do this and sometimes it gets stressful explaining every waking moment to them.”

Yukon Gold airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on History.

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