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TV, eh? podcast episode 164 – “The Black Hole of Saturday Night”

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Anthony, Greg and Diane gather once again to talk about the Canadian TV news of the past two weeks:

Want to become a Patron of the Podcast? We’ve got a Patreon page where you can donate a small amount per podcast and get a sneak peek of each release starting with next week’s discussion with Anthony and Dennis Heaton. 

Listen or download below, or subscribe via iTunes or any other podcast catcher with the TV, eh? podcast feed.

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Sebastian Clovis tackles renovation nightmares

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Mike Holmes, Scott McGillivray and Brian Baeumler have become household names thanks to HGTV Canada. Those lads have spent several television seasons informing, educating and instructing homeowners on how to get the dream homes Canadians crave.

Now there’s a new player on the block in Sebastian Clovis.

“It would be a wonderful thing if I could step up to a level where they could put me up there to become the face of HGTV,” the host of Tackle My Reno says humbly.

For now, the former CFL player–he was a defensive back for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and 2006 Grey Cup-winning B.C. Lions–is just happy to return to his construction roots. Clovis swung his first hammer at the age of 15 when a contractor working on the family’s kitchen took on the young man as an apprentice. A football career sent renovations to the sidelines but now he’s back at it.

Debuting Tuesday night on HGTV, Si Entertainment’s Tackle My Reno isn’t your typical renovation series. Yes, Clovis drops by on an unsuspecting homeowner–in the first episode it’s Ben, who still hasn’t completed the family basement after 16 years of hacking away–and gently chastises them for their slipshod attempts at home building. But unlike, say Holmes on Homes or Disaster DIY, there isn’t a lot of time spent on the intricacies of grout or taping drywall. As Clovis tells it, Tackle My Reno is more focused on the entertainment than the nitty-gritty.

The result? A series that spotlights both the homeowners and host on a level not served in most home renovation programs. The strapping Clovis–muscles rippling under a tight tee–is shown equally comfortable threading beads into a necklace or helping sort through basement detritus as he does buttering the back of tile for a shower stall. You can’t fake the natural charm Clovis exudes while sharing a laugh with the folks he’s trying to help; the dude is a natural for the small screen despite having no aspirations for hosting a home reno show.

“It really came about by chance,” he says. “I had sent a video to my director friend where I said, ‘I bring energy to the work site like I’m still playing football, baby!’ It was a joke between friends, but he showed it to production and the next day they were at my renovation site with the cameras, doing a three-hour interview. Two days later I was at HGTV. Four days after that I was in somebody’s house with a TV camera behind me.”

Tackle My Reno airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV.

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Featured, Haven, Lost Girl, Murdoch Mysteries

Fan Expo Canada highlights Murdoch Mysteries and Showcase stars

FanExpoSpanning comics, sci-fi, horror, anime and gaming, Fan Expo Canada is the largest such event in Canada and the third largest in North America. Organizers expect more than 125,000 fans over the four-day event from August 28-31 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, and some of them will be there for Canadian TV stars.

Among the CanCon  is a spotlight on Degrassi (stretching the genre definition unless it’s taken a turn since I last watched), the upcoming Killjoys, plus Lost Girl, Bitten and Total Drama Island.

The Expo ends with The Two Captains — Patrick Stewart and William Shatner — fresh off the debut of HBO Canada’s William Shatner Presents: Chaos on the Bridge.

TV, eh?‘s own Greg David will be moderating two panels at Fan Expo Canada on Saturday, one for Murdoch Mysteries and one for stars of Showcase’s biggest shows including Lost Girl and Haven.

Meet the stars of this season’s Showcase television series

Greg will lead Anna Silk (Lost Girl), Lucas Bryant (Haven), Kyra Zagorsky (Helix) and Trenna Keating (Defiance) in a discussion of the sci-fi genre and its popularity.

Meet the cast of Murdoch Mysteries

Following the Showcase panel, Greg will host a panel and Q&A session with the cast of Murdoch Mysteries, which will include an exclusive preview of Season 8. Expected to attend are Hélène Joy (Dr. Julia Ogden), Jonny Harris (Constable George Crabtree), Georgina Reilly (Dr. Emily Grace), Arwen Humphreys (Margaret Brackenreid) and Lachlan Murdoch (Constable Henry Higgins). The new season premieres on CBC this fall.

Planning to go?

For more information and to buy tickets, see the Fan Expo Canada website.

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Featured, Lost Girl

Lost Girl to end after five seasons

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It’s the end of the road for the Bo and her friends. Lost Girl lead Anna Silk broke the news Monday that the upcoming fifth season of Showcase’s sexy fantasy series will be its last.

“After five incredible seasons, we have decided that it’s time for Bo’s journey to come to an epic conclusion,” Silk said during a YouTube message to the show’s fans on Monday morning. “And while endings are always sad, this one comes with a tremendous gift.” The actress detailed Season 5 will be a super-sized 16 episodes that will be broken up into two parts.

“The massive popularity of Lost Girl is a testament to the inventive and hard-working team at Prodigy Pictures, the magnetic and talented cast and the most devoted and passionate fan base in Canadian television,” Barbara Williams, senior vice-president, of content for Shaw Media, said in a press release. “We’re so proud that Showcase has been the home to this landmark series and we look forward to sharing these final 16 episodes with the show’s fans.”

The news comes following the announcement that Lost Girl showrunner Emily Andras  had departed the series at the end of last season; now it’s up to new boss Michael Grassi to sail the ship into the sunset.

“Being a part of the Lost Girl family has truly been a gift,” Silk stated in the video. “And you guys have been here since Day 1.”

Lost Girl debuted in 2010, and focused on a succubus named Bo (Silk). Silk’s co-stars include Kris Holden-Ried, Richard Howland, Zoie Palmer and Ksenia Solo, who captured a Gemini Award for her role as Bo’s buddy Kenzi, who was killed off at the end of Season 4.

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TVO’s Opie takes the fear out of kindergarten

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Kindergarten can be a scary place for children. For most, kindergarten is the first time that five-year-olds are away from their parents and home for an extended period of time. It can be an unfamiliar place filled with strangers and loud noises.

That’s where Opie comes in. Created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, Opie is the five-year-old puppet star of Hi Opie! a 39-episode series targeted at kids aged three to five that introduces them to the world of kindergarten and all that comes with it. Brightly-coloured and with a shock of yarn-like hair, Opie is a friendly fellow who interacts with young co-stars who immediately accept the puppet as a real character.

“It’s the power of a puppet who is designed in a particular way to get the attention of a child and make them feel comfortable,” says Pat Ellingson, creative Head of Children’s & Parents’ Media for TVO. “And a puppeteer [in Jordan Lockhart] who is able to make them take that leap of faith that this is a real character.”

Developed in partnership with TVO and produced by marblemedia in association with The Jim Henson Company, Hi Opie! aims to entertain as well as educate families as their little ones prepare for full-time kindergarten, something Ellingson explains was an important part of developing the series. Math, science, social skills, patience, teamwork and interaction with peers and teachers are all addressed in upcoming instalments. Ellingson says Hi Opie! has a three-pronged message aimed at children about to start full-day kindergarten, parents new to the environment and for children already in the program.

TVO is offering a sneak peek of Hi Opie! on Monday, Aug. 25, at 7 a.m. and noon ET, and Friday, Aug. 29, at 7 a.m. ET.

Meanwhile, Opie took some time out from his school preparations to answer a few questions from us:

Opie, are you excited to go into kindergarten, or are you a little nervous?
I’m really excited to start kindergarten! I can’t wait to meet new friends and play games. Doing crafts and playing with dinosaurs are my favourite.

If you are nervous, what are you nervous about?
I’m a little nervous … I’ve never been to school before and the school is really big!

What do you think your favourite part about going to school every day will be? Is it learning? Seeing your friends? Snack time?
I can’t wait to meet new friends.

What would you say to any kids that are nervous about going to kindergarten for the first time? What would you tell their parents?
I’m practicing how to introduce myself so when I meet new friends I’m going to say, ‘Hi, my name is Opie. What’s yours?’ I’ve also been practicing packing my backpack with my lunch, favourite toy and an extra change of clothes. I’m going to pack these on the first day.

Hi Opie! debuts on Monday, Sept. 1 and will air Monday to Friday at 10:30 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. ET on TVO, Monday to Friday at 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. CT on City Saskatchewan and Monday to Friday at 11:50 a.m. PT on Knowledge Network.

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