From Martin Knelman of the Toronto Star:
I, Pedophile dares to empathize
Matthew Campea knew it wouldn’t be easy to persuade viewers to welcome pedophiles into their living rooms. Yet I, Pedophile is so riveting and enlightening, you can’t stop watching it. It premieres Thursday at 9 p.m. on CBC’s doc series Firsthand.
Camp’s goal, bound to be controversial, was to bring empathy to troubled men who rarely get any. Continue reading.Â
From a media release:
Shaw Media has greenlit a second season of Slice™’s scintillating series First Dates, with production and casting underway now. The First Dates matchmakers have begun an extensive search for a diverse mix of singles looking to be paired up on a blind date in hopes of finding that special someone. Produced by Force Four Entertainment and Remedy Canada Productions, in association with Shaw Media, First Dates is a docuseries that sets single men and women up on a first date with cameras capturing all their real and romantic moments. The second season of First Dates will air on Slice in 2016 and the entire first season can be watched online at slice.ca along with exclusive digital extras.
First Dates is looking for Canadians of all genders, orientations, ages, backgrounds, and professions who are single and actively looking, or at least open to the prospect of finding someone special. The series will be filmed in Vancouver this Spring, and all Canadians are welcome to apply. The casting site also allows people to nominate friends or family for the show through the same online application process. Online applications for First Dates can be filled out by visiting slice.ca/casting-call. Applicants must be 19 years of age or older, available for filming in the Vancouver area, and must provide a headshot of themselves.
Hailed as “wonderful†and “utterly beguiling†by The Globe and Mail, First Dates gives viewers a gripping look at the hope, charm, attractions, awkwardness, heartaches, connections, and the stakes of a first date. Each episode showcases a restaurant of singles who have been hand matched for a blind date with someone they’ve never met. The restaurant is fitted with 35 fixed-rig cameras capturing every moment, from potential sparks to awkward small talk, flirtatious glances, and sometimes forced smiles. In Season 1, the First Dates restaurant hosted over 300 first dates, which led to 50 smooches and 100 second dates.
You know what you’re going to get when you tune in to Income Property. Not only will Scott McGillivray entertain as he renovates a couple’s home, but he educates folks on how to make the most money out of their investments. It’s a formula that’s worked for 10 seasons on HGTV and I’m frankly surprised it’s taken this long for a spinoff.
Debuting Wednesday with two back-to-back episodes, Income Property: On Vacation is exactly what it sounds like as McGillivray leaves the big city in his rear-view mirror to aid people in adding value to their vacation properties. In the first, McGillivray helps musician Justin Rutledge turn the lakeside shack on his in Prince Edward County land into a money-maker. It isn’t easy, but then anything McGillivray tackles rarely is. Wall-to-wall wood paneling, outdated appliances, a burgeoning mouse and raccoon population, black mould, expired avians and moisture throughout has Justin stressed, but the flop-haired contractor sees lots of potential.
After checking with local building codes, McGillivray—as he does with Income Property—presents Rutledge with two renovation options. I always get a kick out of McGillivray’s reactions to things as the demotion portion of the project gets underway and Wednesday’s debut of On Vacation is no exception. Let’s just say some questionable wiring leads to a funny scene in the old shower. Then, after days painting, rerouting plumbing, replacing rotting floors and intense renos, Rutledge’s new cabin is ready to hit the market, and bring in a tidy little profit for the singer-songwriter too.
Watching the team work to the proposed plan is fun and informative, but I constantly wonder why this series isn’t made up of hour-long episodes. Until that happens, I’ll have to be content with Income Property and this great spinoff, On Vacation.
Income Property: On Vacation airs Wednesdays at 10 and 10:30 p.m. ET on HGTV Canada.
From a media release:
Scott McGillivray is heading out of the city, but this is no vacation. He’s helping homeowners take the plunge and create a vacation home that they can bank on. Income Property: On Vacation is a spin-off of Contractor Scott McGillivray’s hit franchise Income Property, now with a deep dive into the rental market of vacation properties. Scott guides homeowners through the process of building a vacation suite and banking the rental cheques, all while taking advantage of what the sun, surf and sand has to offer.
Throughout the series, Scott shows homeowners how they can add value to their vacation properties, and turn their investment into profit. With thoughtful and well-executed renovations, vacation properties generate weekly profit throughout the seasons. Scott completes these dream vacation rentals as fast as possible while still finding time to enjoy a little fun for himself. So slap on some sunscreen, buckle up your snowboard, and let’s hit the profit trail. The new series Income Property: On Vacation premieres Wednesday, March 9 at 10 and 10:30pm ET/PT on HGTV Canada.
Synopses:
Episode 1, “Justinâ€
Airs March 9th at 10pm ET/PT
Award-winning musician, Justin Rutledge, used his life savings to buy his dream home by the lake. Justin has called in Scott for help as he needs to renovate and rent out his waterfront cabin to supplement his irregular income.
Episode 2, “Shannon & Noahâ€
Airs March 9th at 10:30pm ET/PT
Shannon and Noah bought a vacation property in the country to invest in their future. This couple needs Scott’s help to renovate and rent their multi-building vacation property to make a dent in their mortgage before enjoying it themselves.
In 2002, filmmaker Dylan Reibling’s friend, Michael De Bourcier, died under mysterious circumstances. Reibling has a copy of the death certificate from the province of Ontario and has been to his unmarked grave in Vaughan. Trouble is, De Bourcier wasn’t who he said he was, something Reibling uncovered over a decade ago and is the topic of this week’s Firsthand documentary.
“Looking for Mike,” airing Thursday at 9 p.m., begins at the beginning, with Reibling describing when and where he first met De Bourcier. They worked at a tech startup and bonded over their small-town upbringing. They had drinks, hung out and stayed in touch even after they’d been laid off. When De Bourcier asked Reibling to witness a new passport application so the former could jet to Berlin, the latter didn’t hesitate. De Bourcier never made the flight; instead he was discovered dead in his apartment.
The circumstances surrounding the death were strange and information found in his wallet were suspect. Shocked by what the authorities had uncovered, Reibling began his own investigation and discovered the man he thought was Michael De Bourcier wasn’t at all. “Looking for Mike” is engaging as heck. Reibling’s narration, coupled by barely-lit reconstructions and spare music score, is like a visual season of Serial, complete with play-by-play delivered by the filmmaker and highlighted by interviews with their old co-workers, private investigators and  police. And, like Serial, you can’t help but be sucked in. Why did De Bourcier create a persona and manufacture forged documents? Why did he lie about where he grew up, yet know intimate details about that area of the province?
Who was Michael De Bourcier? Tune in to “Looking for Mike” to discover what Reibling uncovered. You won’t be disappointed.
Firsthand airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on CBC.
