In the news: TV for week of May 7

From the Canadian Press, with episode descriptions of Degrassi and Durham County for Monday:

TV tips for the week of May 7
- “The first of a two-part conclusion of “Degrassi: The Next Generation” airs this evening. Alex encounters money woes and Emma learns that Sean’s plans for next year don’t include her. (CTV)”
- “Hugh Dillon, onetime frontman of Toronto punk band the Headstones, is great in “Durham County” as Mike Sweeney, a quietly tormented homicide detective who moves his family to the suburbs in search for a more peaceful life after the murder of his partner. No such luck. Sweeney is soon tracking down a serial killer in this compelling six-part crime drama. (The Movie Network/Movie Central)”

In the news: Rick Mercer profile

From the Georgia Straight:

Rick Mercer: minister of humour
“I get to cover what I love, which is Canadian politics. I get to travel the country, hang out with polar bears, or go to Nunavut, or do whatever I want. That offer obviously never came along from the States because that job’s only available here and I have it.”

Uncategorized

From John Doyle of the Globe and Mail – see second-last item:

Downward dog, upward profit
“This six-part Canadian crime drama, about an emotionally damaged homicide detective (Hugh Dillon) hunting a serial killer, and possibly a copycat killer, is as moody as all get-out. In style and tone, it is clearly influenced by such HBO dramas as Six Feet Under and The Sopranos. Perhaps too much so. Visually sumptuous and adult, it is decidedly grim and seethes with male rage. The opening episode is rich, compelling and deeply disquieting drama.”

Uncategorized

From Lee-Anne Goodman of the Canadian Press:

Rock star-turned-serious actor Hugh Dillon shines in gritty drama ‘Durham County’
“Durham County” is the brainchild of a group of women – producers Adrienne Mitchell and Janis Lundman, writer Laurie Finstad Knizhnik and director Holly Dale. Shot in a Montreal suburb, it’s a dark, taut thriller that wouldn’t look out of place on an American cable channel alongside shows like “Dexter” and “The Wire.” That’s something Dillon, a native of Kingston, Ont., now based in Los Angeles, is particularly proud of.”

From John Doyle of the Globe and Mail:

When Canadians watch TV, they want drama
“When most Canadians watch TV, drama is what they want to watch, and the majority of the most-watched programs in Canada each week are dramas. But we’re not making any.”

And a reaction from Denis McGrath of Dead Things on Sticks, with a list of Canadian dramas currently in development:

Canadians Want Drama
“So is the CRTC going to extract from CTV the first plank in a new drama committment? That’s what Doyle seems to be calling for. That would be great.”