From Ken MacLeod of the Cape Breton Post:
If Canadian TV does one thing right, it’s sketch comedy
And while it’s fair to say that Canadian TV hasn’t exactly hit one out of the park in recent years, I think City television at least hit one off the wall for a standup double this year with “Sunnyside,” a half-hour sketch comedy show that finished a six-episode run this week. Continue reading.
From Tony Wong of The Toronto Star:
Vikings fans, start signing up now: shield maiden Lagertha wants to teach you how to release your inner warrior.
Canadian star Katheryn Winnick, who has a black belt in karate, told the Star she intends to start a school teaching classes in self-defence.
“Women should learn how to defend themselves in any situation. It’s something every woman should know,†said Winnick. “This is something where I really want to give back.†Continue reading.
From Alfonso Espina of the TV Addict:
Move Over Agent Carter: ORPHAN BLACK’s Evelyne Brochu Talks About Leading a Team of Spies on CBC’s X COMPANY
When I say “‘40s female secret agents in pop culture,†the first names that will likely come to your mind are Peggy Carter and Bridget von Hammersmark. But with CBC’s new World War II-set spy series, X COMPANY, the name Aurora Luft may become equally as synonymous in this league of characters inspired by the true stories of women who boldly defied traditional gender norms of their time. Continue reading.
From James Fallows of The Atlantic:
Lorne Michaels’s Other Show
I was on the road during the SNL 40th Anniversary celebration and will have to dig it up online some time. Meanwhile, here is the Lorne Michaels-backed show I wish had lasted for 40 years, or at least more years than it did: the Toronto-based Kids in the Hall. For these reasons. Continue reading.
X Company, CBC – Series premiere
X Company explores the origins of spycraft through the character-driven stories of five young recruits, plucked from their ordinary lives, trained in covert operations and sent beyond enemy lines to fight for the Allied cause. Evelyne Brochu, Jack Laskey, Warren Brown, Dustin Milligan, Connor Price, Hugh Dillon and Lara Jean Chorostecki. As a new team of Allied agents face a terrifying first mission, Camp X’s spymaster Duncan Sinclair must convince a fragile young man with a perfect memory to join the fight.
Saving Hope, CTV – “All the Pretty Horses”
A devastating accident requires the help of Hope Zion Hospital’s doctors at an offsite army base, and Dr. Charlie Harris (Michael Shanks) and Dr. Joel Goran (Daniel Gillies) flip a coin to decide who will take the call. When Joel wins the toss, he and Dr. Zach Miller (Ben Ayres) depart for a heartâ€pounding day as they attempt to save the life of a soldier in dire circumstances. Meanwhile, Charlie and Dr. Dawn Bell (Michelle Nolden) work to save a victim of hypothermia, and it’s do or die time for Hope Zion Hospital’s surgeons-in-training when Dr. Alex Reid (Erica Durance), Dr. Maggie Lin (Julia Taylor Ross), and Dr. Rian Larouche (Danso Gordon) finally face the future and their Surgical Boards. But for Alex, the biggest day in her career is also about to become the biggest day of her life.
Young Drunk Punk, City – “The Clash is Coming”
Ian (Tim Carlson) and Shinky (Atticus Mitchell) find out that The Clash is coming to Calgary and make it their mission in life to get tickets – no matter what they have to do. Meanwhile, Helen (Tracy Ryan) and Belinda (Allie Macdonald) find a clash of their own when constructive criticism becomes a destructive battle of wits.
