TV, eh? | What's up in Canadian television | Page 1611
TV,eh? What's up in Canadian television
Motive

Brendan Penny changes pace in Motive

From Mark Leiren-Young of the Vancouver Sun:

  • Lucky Penny strikes gold in Vancouver-made TV police drama
    Penny plays Detective Brian Lucas, a newbie on the homicide team who spent almost 10 years dealing with financial crimes. “He is eager, kind-hearted, very proficient and possesses many quirks.” says Penny. “He is a little odd, but he is quite good at his job.” The new role is a departure for Penny. “I normally play either deeply troubled people, or really, really nice people. This is my first time playing a detective, or anyone with authority, for that matter. It is also the first time I have had to remember technical dialogue on a regular basis, which can be challenging.” Read more.
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Uncategorized

Friday: Transporter

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Transporter: The Series, HBO Canada – “Give The Guy a Hand”
As he’s waiting for his package to be delivered in a Toronto parking lot, Frank finds himself faced with a series of strange coincidences. He understands he fell into a trap when the police throws him in jail, accusing him of a crime he didn’t commit. His imprisonment is supposed to allow to get a very protected package out of the prison walls: the hand of a mob boss who’s just been murdered.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

March to the Top features injured soldiers climbing Island Peak

March

From a media release:

INJURED CANADIAN SOLDIERS ATTEMPT TO MARCH TO THE TOP OF A HIMALAYAN PEAK, ON CBC-TV AND documentary channel

For 12 injured Canadian soldiers, their biggest challenge is yet to come. Commissioned by CBC and documentary channel, MARCH TO THE TOP is a captivating original documentary that follows these soldiers’ attempt to climb 20,305 feet to the top of Island Peak, a sister mountain to Mt. Everest in Nepal. This story is about life beyond the battlefield for these soldiers’ and navigates their own personal recovery both emotional and physical.  MARCH TO THE TOP follows the soldiers’ stories every step of the way as they train and climb to the summit of Island Peak. This visually stunning documentary is the product of a co-production between Muse Entertainment and documentary filmmaker, director and expedition leader Ben Webster of Canadian Adventure Productions Inc.              

The World Television Premiere of the feature length MARCH TO THE TOP airs on the documentary channel Sunday, Feb. 17 at 8 PM ET, with a one-hour version Monday Feb. 18 at 8 PM/8:30 NT on CBC-TV. MARCH TO THE TOP follows these soldiers’ fight to go beyond their own mental and physical barriers. Can they attain their goal of standing tall above their personal struggles on top of Island Peak? Or will they let the mountain win the battle? The epitome of perseverance and overcoming all obstacles, the expedition team are true Canadian heroes who have sacrificed for their country, with many of them awarded medals of bravery for their actions on the battlefield. As they summit the Nepali peak, they reminisce on their own personal stories and what the climb means for them and their fellow soldiers, some of whom lost their lives overseas.  

The MARCH TO THE TOP documentary was based on the TRUE PATRIOT LOVE EXPEDITION, created by the True Patriot Love Foundation (TPL), a national foundation that supports and honours members of the Canadian military and their families. For more information, visit www.truepatriotlove.com

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Dramas and Comedies

The Next Step premieres March 8 on Family Channel

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From a media release:

Family Channel takes a leap with all-new series The Next Step – Premieres Friday, March 8 at 7 p.m. ET/PT

Family Channel gets in to the groove next month with the highly anticipated, Canadian original series The Next Step. Premiering Friday, March 8 at 7 p.m. ET/PT, the serialized reality-style drama series follows an elite group of dancers striving to make it in the world of competitive dance. Immediately following the premiere episode viewers can catch The Next Step Aftershow featuring hosted plotline breakdowns, interviews with the cast and dancing tips.

For the dancers in A-Troupe, The Next Step Dance Studio is like a second home. The tightly knit group trains, rehearses and hangs out together nearly every day. When talented newcomer Michelle joins the studio, many of the dancers are thrilled – now, they have an even greater chance of winning at regionals. But some of the girls let jealousy cloud their judgment, putting their pride before the best interest of the team. With the regional championships fast approaching, the dancers need to set aside their differences, have some fun and learn to work together as a team if they want to qualify for the national title.

In the series premiere episode, “Get the Party Started,” dancers at The Next Step Dance Studio audition for a spot on the A-Troupe. New episodes of The Next Step will air regularly Fridays at 7 p.m. ET/PT. Fans looking for a preview of the show can check out The Next Step trailer on Family Channel’s YouTube page. Dancing turns to dialogue as the momentum continues on The Next Step Aftershow. Hosted by an energetic and entertaining young group, the series provides audiences with behind-the-scenes footage, insightful commentary on storylines and a chance to learn some of the cool moves seen on the show. Debuting Fridays, new episodes of The Next Step Aftershow will be available online at Family.ca/thenextstep, where fans can access interactive polls and unlock videos to find out more about the series.

Viewers can also pop, lock and hip-hop over to Family.ca to learn more about their favourite dancers and create fun dance mashups. Family OnDemand also offers new episodes of The Next Step as they become available weekly starting March 8. The Next Step stars Alexandra Beaton as Emily; Victoria Baldesarra as Michelle; Trevor Tordjman as James; Brittany Raymond as Riley; and Isaac Lupien as Eldon. Rounding out the troupe are Samantha Grecchi as Stephanie; Tamina Pollack-Paris as Tiffany; Jennifer Pappas as Chloe; Brennan Clost as Daniel; Lamar Johnson as West; Bree Wasylenko as Kate; Shamier Anderson as Chris and So You Think You Can Dance Canada season four winner Jordan Clark as Giselle.

Commissioned by Family Channel, The Next Step is produced by Temple Street Productions and is executive produced by Frank van Keeken (Wingin’ It, Kids in the Hall, Billable Hours), Ivan Schneeberg and David Fortier (Being Erica, Wingin’ It, Recipe to Riches). BBC Worldwide has acquired international distribution rights. The Next Step is also produced with financial assistance from The Shaw Rocket Fund.

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Orphan Black

Orphan Black premieres March 30 on Space

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OrphanBlack

From a media release:

When Did I Become Us? New SPACE Original Series ORPHAN BLACK Premieres Saturday, March 30 at 9 p.m. ET

  • The biological thriller premieres following the return of SPACE’s #1 series DOCTOR WHO at 8 p.m. ET
  • ORPHAN BLACK stars Tatiana Maslany (Picture Day), Jordan Gavaris (DEGRASSI), Dylan Bruce (NCIS), and Maria Doyle Kennedy (DOWNTON ABBEY)

What happens when one day you realize you’re not alone, and there are people out there who look just like you? SPACE announced today that its highly anticipated new Original Series ORPHAN BLACK will premiere Saturday, March 30 at 9 p.m. ET, following the return of SPACE’s #1 series, and fan favourite, DOCTOR WHO at 8 p.m. ET. Produced by Temple Street Productions for SPACE and BBC America, the gripping new 10 episode drama ORPHAN BLACK stars Tatiana Maslany (Cas & Dylan, Picture Day) in the lead role of Sarah, an outsider and orphan whose life changes dramatically after witnessing the suicide of a woman who looks just like her. Sarah assumes the dead woman’s identity, her boyfriend, and her bank account. But instead of solving all her problems, the street smart chameleon is thrust headlong into a kaleidoscopic mystery. Sarah makes the dizzying discovery that she and Beth, the dead woman, are clones…but are they the only ones? Sarah quickly finds herself caught in the middle of a deadly conspiracy, racing to find answers.

ORPHAN BLACK also stars Jordan Gavaris (DEGRASSI) as Felix, Sarah’s foster brother, a struggling artist worldly beyond his 23 years; Dylan Bruce (NCIS) as Paul, Beth’s complicated boyfriend, who Sarah falls into bed with against her better judgment; Gemini Award-winner Maria Doyle Kennedy (DOWNTON ABBEY) as Mrs. S, Sarah and Felix’s hard-nosed working class foster mother from across the pond; Kevin Blanchard (REPUBLIC OF DOYLE) as Art, a veteran detective who works alongside Beth; Michael Mando (THE KILLING) as Vic, Sarah’s sporadically violent ex and the father of her daughter, Kira; and Skyler Wexler (ALPHAS) as Kira, Sarah’s seven-year-old daughter.

Additional ORPHAN BLACK casting announced today includes Matt Frewer (50/50) as Dr. Aldous Leekie, an academic with an edge and philosopher of the human organism, and Evelyne Brochu (MIRADOR) as Delphine, a student working on her Masters in Molecular and Cellular Biology who becomes intertwined in the mystery.

Beginning life in an English orphanage, Sarah bounced between foster homes until she landed with Mrs. S, who adopted her and Felix, later uprooting them under somewhat suspicious circumstances to North America. Through it all, Sarah has steadfastly remained the English punk – a street-smart stray with a reckless streak and a loyal heart. She’s made bad choices in life, but has always done right by her daughter Kira, even if that meant the pain of separation. Now, all she wants is to reunite with Kira and turn over a new leaf, but her encounter with Beth changes everything, and Sarah finds herself fighting for her life.

ORPHAN BLACK is executive produced by Ivan Schneeberg and David Fortier (Being Erica), Graeme Manson (Cube, FLASHPOINT), and John Fawcett (SPARTACUS, THE SECRET CIRCLE). The series is co-created by Manson and Fawcett, with Manson also serving as writer and Fawcett as director. BBC Worldwide is distributing the series internationally.

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