TV, eh? | What's up in Canadian television | Page 884
TV,eh? What's up in Canadian television
Orphan Black

Link: Orphan Black gears up for an explosive finale

From Hermione Wilson of the TV Junkies:

Orphan Black gears up for an explosive finale
Thursday’s penultimate episode of Orphan Black was…meh? Don’t get me wrong, Orphan Black’s “meh” is still really amazing. There was a lot I enjoyed about “The Mitigation of Competition,” but it felt like the calm before the storm, especially after the previous few episodes. I thought the takedown of Evie Cho was a little anticlimactic, and the fact that we didn’t see Felix and Sarah mend fences on screen seemed like a decision made because of limited time. Fortunately though, this was balanced out by the tension of keeping the two Bright Born escapees alive and running from Evie’s nefarious paramedic duo. Continue reading.

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Baroness von Sketch Show

Link: Can Baroness von Sketch Show bring CBC back to its comedy glory days?

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From Marsha Lederman of the Globe and Mail:

Can Baroness von Sketch Show bring CBC back to its comedy glory days?
A woman approaches an “admissions office” desk and begins speaking to the receptionist. “I cheated on my taxes, I slept with my sister’s boyfriend, I killed a dog …” The receptionist interrupts her. “This is university admissions.” “Oh, my gosh,” the woman responds, embarrassed. “I plagiarized my essay, I slept with my calculus professor, I defaulted on my student loans …” Continue reading.

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Featured

Comments and queries for the week of June 10

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From our mailbag this week:

Super Channel

Wondering if you have any idea how or why Super Channel lost rights to so many shows last month. Rizzoli and Isles, Major Crimes, Fortitude, the Code, etc are all missing from their website. People are pretty steamed, since they were the first-run Canadian home of Rizzoli and Major Crimes. Part 2 – any idea where the rights went? Not sure how long it has been this way, but the Super Channel development fund is not accepting submissions, either.

Super Channel’s parent company Allarco is now in bankruptcy protection so they’ve terminated some licensing contracts — their acquisitions and original programming are both at risk. I haven’t heard about other networks picking up the shows they’ve dropped yet. This is a guess but since Canadian networks just did their US shopping sprees for new US shows — Canadian upfronts were this past week — they may not be eager to pick up Super Channel’s leftovers in addition to their recent purchases. I wonder if a streaming service like Netflix, Crave or Shomi might be more likely to get them.

Nirvanna The Band The Show

Huh? No mention that this was a popular web series already?

Vice’s first scripted series, commissioned by Rogers, was announced as Nirvanna The Band The Show, launching this fall according to Now. Reading the media release offers no clue about its web series origins and it looks like the web version has been removed from official channels.

Now has more information on the source material versus TV version: “But even though much of the plot and dynamic remains from the original series, the trailer reveals that it’s wider in scope and has higher production value. Expect a trip to Sundance Film Festival and celebrity cameos from people like Kevin Smith and Strombo.”

Vikings

I wonder when Vikings returns. It’s now my second favourite show on tv behind Orphan Black.

The Corus media release says “Season four continues later this year on HISTORY with a gripping new season coming in 2017.” Past history (yes, I worked for that pun, sorry) suggests it could premiere around February 2017 since past seasons have aired on History in that month. But don’t place any bets based on that speculation.

Canada AM

After 40 years we get told the day before it’s very last show?

Yup. Last Thursday, CTV sent a release saying the following day would be the last Canada AM after 43 years on the air. Whether you believe it was time to rethink the network’s mornings or not, that’s a cold way to treat the audience. On Monday the replacement was announced as Your Morning with hosts Ben Mulroney and Anne-Marie Mediwake, to launch this summer … leading Globe and Mail columnist John Doyle to ponder another question: “How much Ben Mulroney can Canada take?”

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19-2, Featured

Photo gallery: 19-2 Season 3 premiere images revealed

We’re mere days away from the Season 3 return of 19-2 to Bravo (with Season 4 already ordered), and the Canadian specialty network has released a synopsis and images for the first episode:

In the season premiere episode “Burn Pile” (Monday, June 20 at 10 p.m. ET), the squad waits for findings from a task force into Sergeant Houle’s case. Nick and Ben find themselves at the centre of the fractured squad, the only partnership that has endured. On the job, the squad face a horrific accident that puts multiple lives in danger.

As previously announced, new characters this season include Juliette Gosselin as foster child Martine, who claims to have information on Kaz’s death; Krista Bridges as Inspector Elise Roberge, stationed at 19 to wrap up the investigation of Sergeant Houle; and Joe Pingue as Charlie Figo, an old-school mobster who goads Nick into uncharted territory.

Check out images from the instalment and the teaser trailer to get you set for June 20. Are you as pumped as we are? Let us know in the comments below and keep an eye out for our interviews with stars Maxim Roy and Alexandra Ordolis in the coming days.

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19-2 returns Monday, June 20, at 10 p.m. ET on Bravo.

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Bachelorette Canada

Jasmine Lorimer announced as Canada’s first Bachelorette 

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From a media release:

Kenora, Ontario-native Jasmine Lorimer is putting her heart on the line this fall on W Network’s The Bachelorette Canada. Lorimer, a hairstylist currently based out of Pemberton, British Columbia, will search for the man of her dreams when 20 eligible bachelors do whatever it takes to win her heart. By her side throughout the journey will be host Noah Cappe, who is best known for his roles on Food Network Canada’s Carnival Eats, The Great Canadian Cookbook and W Network’s top-rated series Good Witch. The smash-hit reality series premieres this fall on W Network.

A small-town girl at heart, 27 year-old Lorimer’s artistic nature and adventurous spirit drew her to the beauty industry and the West Coast. Her free spirited, down-to-earth approach to life, coupled with a warm and radiant disposition, make Jasmine the perfect choice for this romantic adventure of a lifetime. Refreshingly open, honest and not afraid to laugh at herself, Canadians nationwide will fall in love with Jasmine as she risks it all to find “the one.”

In the Canadian version of this widely successful reality series, Jasmine Lorimer is in search of her soul mate – and hopefully her groom-to-be. The male suitors compete for the Bachelorette’s affection on individual and group dates involving local and far-flung romantic encounters and adventures in exotic locations around the world. As Lorimer narrows the field and the number of men dwindles, romance and tensions rise. Ultimately, she will choose the one man with whom she wants to spend the rest of her life.

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