Everything about Schitt’s Creek, eh?

Review: Schitt’s Creek – “Moira vs. Town Council”

My favourite part of the show was the scene near the end between David and Alexis where she’s telling him that she and Mutt have split up and it’s the first time she has ever felt anything, “I mean nothing – I’ve been to doctors about it.” The interaction was funny and touching. David’s facial expressions are priceless.

The part about David at his job selling off mannequins and using the corporate card fell flat for me. I can understand how someone like David would get confused (and excited) by the concept of a tax write-off. As a kid I thought the idea of Santa giving free stuff was an opportunity of a lifetime. And David is childlike, but the owner of the store let him take over and that seems out of character.

Moira stole the show for me again. Yes, she is over the top in her clothes and her affectations, but that is the character of Moira. I didn’t laugh as much as I would expect, but my appreciation for her acting skills and the writing are enough. The writing…the writers…are so clever.

Moira sets out to beautify the town but it’s not going to be her who does it, as she says to Johnny after he suggests she plant her own peonies, “These are dark times, John, but not that dark.” She takes on the town council and she wins, impressing council member, Ronnie (Karen Robinson) who tells her she’s a pain in the ass, but she gets things done. She does indeed.

There are some great scenes in this episode, and the humour is smart and witty. I just don’t know why I wasn’t laughing until my stomach hurt.

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Comments and queries for the week of February 5

CBC’s Hello Goodbye tells our stories via Canada’s busiest airport

Best show ever. Why not an hour long? I have travelled all my life and always got emotional when seeing other people saying hello and goodbye at airports. No dry eyes here! —Rick


Canadian TV series Hard Rock Medical to set up in North Bay

I’ve been dying of curiosity after what’s his name rode off on his (borrowed) motorcycle. North Bay, eh? My wife is from North Bay. Cool! —Steve

Great news! I was surprised to see it was renewed. I really like the show. —Alicia O


Review: Schitt’s Creek – How the mighty have fallen

I did feel a bit of that with the first two episodes, but I thought episode three was back to Season 1 standards. But even when I’m not laughing out loud I have an appreciation for the actors and the writers. They’re talented. —Kathleen

Oy. After the third episode, I’m still disappointed. I haven’t laughed once all season. I really wanted to find something to appreciate, but it just didn’t happen. And I loved Season 1. Something is just off this time. —Charis

 

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

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Review: Schitt’s Creek – “Bob’s Bagels”

The clever dialogue between characters continues in episode 5. And with each interaction we glimpse a bit more into who they are as characters. Maybe that’s the key to good writing – and good acting – to fully embrace the character. The writers and actors on this show have done just that.

We actually see a bit of emotional growth with Moira’s character. It’s short lived mind you, but it is there nonetheless.

Moira’s daughter Alexis is very sick. It’s just a cold, but to Moira it is one step from death and she has no plans to go near her daughter. And when husband Johnny takes his daughter some orange juice, Moira tells him not to touch her, as she closes and locks the motel door between their rooms.

Moira checks in on her before heading out to her choir practice telling Alexis that “mummy’s gotta fight for her solo.” But she doesn’t go to the choir rehearsal after all, instead she goes out looking for medicine for Alexis. It is highly uncharacteristic and surprises both of them. Moira admits to feeling something, and Alexis suggests “maternal instincts, maybe?” Moira shoots back, “No, that’s not it.”

Moira is later shown in bed beside Alexis telling her a bedtime story. It seems like another touching show of motherly love until Alexis falls asleep on her arm. Moira shakes the sick Alexis awake saying, “Alexis, you’re on my arm. Alexis, seriously, I can’t feel it.” So in character.

David meanwhile has an interview at an “upscale boutique” and needs Stevie to drive him. It turns out to be the Blouse Barn where he and the mayor shopped last week. Not great for David who had called the shop skanky to the owner’s face. The chemistry with Stevie continues, but sparks fly between him and the owner of the “boutique”. He gets the job in spite of himself. I’m looking forward to seeing how this story line develops.

Johnny continues working on his business plan and Bob sarcastically tells Roland that there is “lots of quiet planning going on…Johnny treats himself to a muffin or two, but I guess that’s part of the planning.” Johnny then explains how an idea is born.

He uses the muffin as an example, saying he likes the muffin, but would rather have a bagel. And since he hasn’t seen a bagel since he got to this town, he might think this town could use a bagel shop. Bob loves the idea and Bob’s Bagels is born. It takes the rest of the show for Johnny to convince Bob it was just an example of an idea and a bagel shop wasn’t viable. Bob is indignant when he says he’ll want to see a business plan next time.

There are real people who are a lot like Bob. Just like all of them, really. They’re caricatures and it’s funny.

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Review: Schitt’s Creek “Estate Sale” – How the mighty have fallen

The show continues to shine a spotlight on these shallow self-centred characters, so brilliantly portrayed by the uber-talented actors.

Moira and Johnny are seen shopping at an estate sale. Moira mumbles that “shopping used to cheer me up.” And when Johnny finds a pair of cuff links, Moira despairs, “Oh John, they’re sterling silver. You’re better off stealing cutlery from the café.” She will never accept their new reality.

The town’s mayor, Roland Schitt (Chris Elliot shines as the sleazy redneck mayor) needs a woman’s fashion sense to help him buy a blouse for his wife, Jocelyn (Jennifer Robertson). He naturally thinks of David. Shopping in the local Blouse Barn (where durability is a given) is a foreign experience for David; shopping with someone like Roland is even more so. These two are worlds apart. But that’s what makes this scene work. There is some witty repartee between them.

Mutt buys Alexis a bicycle – it’s not exactly the mode of transportation she was hoping for. After walking the bike into town, she finally admits she can’t ride a bike and explains that growing up, David was such a drama queen when their parents tried to teach him, they threw out all the bikes.

Moira finally sees something she wants at the Estate Sale. A new mattress. Unfortunately Jocelyn saw it first and is determined to get it, which she does. But after “trying it out”, Roland and Jocelyn decide it’s not for them and sell it to Johnny. Moira says “and by trying it out you mean….(realizing he means sex)….oh John, that’s memory foam.” These two actors go way back and there is an undeniable chemistry between them that is a joy to watch.

The show ends with a wobbly David on a pink girl’s bicycle. Stevie snaps his picture.

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Hidden gems of the Canadian Screen Awards

The Canadian Screen Awards (aka CSAs aka Screenies aka#CdnScreen16 aka give the damn things an official nickname, would you?) were announced yesterday.

In one of the worst-designed websites you’ll find this side of GeoCities, the Academy helpfully tells us which awards we should care most about by selecting them for an easier to navigate “Selected Awards” television page. They think I’m more interested in Best Local News Anchor than any of the screenwriting awards? Don’t they know me at all?  After combing through a 55-page PDF of the complete television nominees I’ve found some gems and head-scratchers.

Favourite head-to-head match-up

Dan Levy versus dad Eugene Levy, both of Schitt’s Creek, as best actor in a comedy? Bring on the battle of the eyebrows. Eugene has the Canadian comedic royalty history but Dan’s portrayal of selfish, oblivious, vulnerable David won my heart and my funny bone. Both could be winners as producers, since Schitt’s Creek is up for best comedy, and Dan has one of two writing nominations for the series, which garnered a whopping 14 TV nominations (and one for digital).

Helen Shaver should direct everything

She has two of the five nominations for best direction in a drama, for two different series: Vikings and Orphan Black. Which also seem to me two of the most complicated series to direct, what with the multiple clones played by one person and the swashbuckling Vikings.

There’s a fine line

Still Standing, with comedian Jonny Harris touring the country doing standup and finding laughs and poignancy in small town Canada is most reminiscent of the Rick Mercer Report to me, yet they are in different categories: best factual program for Still Standing, best variety or sketch for Mercer. It both makes sense — Still Standing skews towards learning about the places he visits, Mercer skews more toward sketch, and yet illustrates the difficulty of categorization, especially for awards that have 55 PDF pages of categories to choose from.

I do not think that word means what you think it means

Bitten received two nominations, one for music and another for “best achievement in casting.” Yet none of the cast, including guest roles, was nominated. I wouldn’t take anything away from Bitten but one of the few nominations Schitt’s Creek did not get was casting, though nearly its entire cast was nominated.

Moment of panic

No This Life or Romeo Section? The Canadian Screen Award eligibility period for television is from September 1, 2014 to August 31, 2015, so they won’t be able to enter until next year.  That five month gap between the period’s end and the nomination announcement — which expands to seven months until the awards are handed out — primes the Screenies to regularly honour already cancelled shows long after they last aired.

Speaking of cancelled series …

Strange Empire‘s Aaron Poole is deservedly up for best dramatic actor, and Woody Jeffreys for supporting in the same series. Blackstone has one last shot as best drama, an award its been nominated for before but has never taken home.

That said … holy 19-2

The Bravo series will be hard to beat, with 12 nominations including best drama series. Orphan Black has 13 nods but best drama series isn’t one of them (two of them are best writing for a drama series, though).

Canadian rules

Best international drama was added to  the Gemini Awards — the TV awards that merged with the Genies to create the Canadian Screen Awards — in 2012.  The perception was that international coproductions such as The Tudors and The Borgias had an unfair advantage over purely homegrown productions and naming them best Canadian drama was an embarrassment. Lately it’s the international drama category itself that’s an embarrassment, with only Vikings and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell earning nominations this year. With two contenders, why bother? I’d put my money on 19-2 over those two any day. And yet, this category made the Academy’s “Selected Awards” cut.

Tune in March 13 on CBC to see Norm Macdonald preside over the televised portion of the ceremony.

 

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