Tag Archives: CBC

X Company’s Connor Price describes Harry’s dark journey

Harry James has been through a lot in Season 2 of X Company. He fell in love with a woman who revealed he and his team’s location to the Germans, putting them in mortal danger. Then the Germans attacked the camp they were using to train members of the Resistance while team leader Aurora was away on a train ride with Sabine. The result? A bitter, emotionally hardened young man who doesn’t trust Aurora and wants to slit the throats of all Nazis.

We spoke to Connor Price, the soft-voiced actor who has portrayed Harry so masterfully this season.

Before we get into this season in particular, can we go back? How did you end up playing Harry?
Connor Price: I remember getting an email from my Canadian agent for a new CBC series called Camp X. I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t know what Camp X was and did some research into it. I learned that it was spy training facility in Whitby, Ont., that was really close to me, growing up in Markham, Ont. I thought it was fake; this really cool spy story. To find out that it was real and that real people in history had trained there … Roald Dahl, directors of the CIA, Ian Fleming … there is so much history and it’s cool. From there I read the first script and was introduced to this amazing world that Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern had created. Of course, this was before the show’s name was changed to X Company.

You didn’t audition for any other roles, correct? It was always Harry?
Right. Harry appeared, right off the bat, very real to me. In the breakdown, Mark and Stephanie had described him, I think, as “a nerd or geek.” From their retelling, a lot of kids had come in to audition acting more like a geek, pushing up on their glasses. But what I got from him was a quiet intelligence. He wasn’t the typical geek or nerd. He was very smart, very mature, he knew what he wanted and how to get it, but in a very smart way. From their words, I brought in something they hadn’t seen yet and was refreshing. Luckily, I had the same idea they did when it came to how to play Harry.

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Let’s talk about Harry’s journey. In the first episode on Season 1, I viewed him as somewhat innocent. He has definitely hardened over the two seasons, thanks to being betrayed by Siobhan. He’s put up some pretty firm emotional walls. It’s been tough to watch as a viewer; what’s it been like to see this evolution through the scripts?
Seeing that transition and reading the scripts between Season 1 and 2 has been something … the arc the writers have created is something they’ve done so well. In between the first and second seasons, Mark and Stephanie told me there would be a huge change. Harry would reach a breaking point and be in fits of range and commit murder. I thought to myself, “How are they going to make that work?” Of course, within five episodes they’re able to plant those ideas. Even in Episode 1 with Siobhan, this nurse he had affection for, is ripped apart by a car in front of him … that was such a great way to set the tone for Harry. This person that was somewhat naive became hardened and disturbed and angry, but in a very chilling, calm way. To see him go from not wanting to blow up a bridge of Germans because they’re fathers, brothers and sons to now saying, “We’re going to slit every Nazi’s throat and watch them bleed,” that transition is so huge.

We forget how much these people are affected by the horrible things they see almost every day in war.
It’s something that I don’t have any experience in and I hope I never do. There is pressure as an actor to portray something that millions of young people experienced the things Harry did.

Seeing Harry going against Aurora’s orders and challenging her leadership has been tough to watch too.
Tension and a contrast of emotions is always important in developing character and developing story. There is no way to advance without a problem to solve. The big problem this year has been Aurora. He’s questioning leadership on all fronts, something he never would have done in Season 1.

X Company has a large ensemble cast, yet the writers have given an interesting storyline to everyone. That doesn’t always happen on a series with many cast members.
It is great and has become a lot more evident this season. In Season 1 the way the episodes were kind of set up so that every character had their own episode. This season, there are all these timelines existing all at once so every character has an opportunity in every episode to shine or develop or show something new.

What can you tell us about X Company‘s season finale?
It’s going to be the strongest test the five spies have ever had. There will have to be a conversation or an event within the next couple of episodes that causes them to band together or not. Will they or won’t they? You’ll have to wait to find out.

The first part of X Company‘s season finale airs Wednesday at 9 p.m. on CBC. The second part airs Wednesday, April 6, at 9 p.m. on CBC.

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Murdoch Mysteries’ Season 9 end and what’s to come in Season 10

Spoiler alert! Do not read on unless you’ve watched Monday’s season finale episode of Murdoch Mysteries, entitled “Cometh the Archer.”

OK, did anyone really believe Julia would die in Monday’s season-ender? Not a chance—especially because the show was renewed for Season 10—but that was one heck of a ride? Plenty of fans, myself included, wondered who from Murdoch’s past would return to cause troubles for the pair. Turns out it was Eva Pearce, the disturbed young woman with an obsession for our favourite TV detective who not only attempted to murder Julia but kidnapped Murdoch and plotted to have his child.

Cinematic in scope, and featuring Julia on horseback and firing an arrow (who knew she could do that?!), “Cometh the Archer” concluded a season chock-full of drama and heartbreak. We chatted with MM showrunner Peter Mitchell, who took us back over the past 18 episodes and gave us a peek into what’s coming in Season 10 straight from the writers’ room.

There were a couple of cast changes this season. The first was saying goodbye to Emily Grace and welcoming Rebecca James. How did the addition of Mouna Traoré change-up things for you and the members of the writers’ room?
Peter Mitchell: I think it was fun and we sort of eased her in a bit. We gave her increasingly more stuff to do. It’s interesting, because she really has to play against type, which is something that not many of our characters have to do. Mouna the person is a lot more outgoing and vivacious than Rebecca the character. It was tricky trying to find a balance. In the upcoming season she’ll become a more dynamic personality as her confidence increases.

OK, so you’re confirming that Mouna will be back for Season 10.
Yup.

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Let’s talk about the other big change, adding Roland to Julia and William’s lives. He made a big impression on the fans and you’ve already stated that this is a procedural drama and not a domestic drama. In the season finale, adoption was mentioned by William; does this mean Roland is gone for good or could he return? Or are we headed for adoption?
We could be headed neither way. [Laughs.] We’re talking about that right now. It was a moving thing and a charming thing to have this baby in their lives for a while, but we haven’t really focused on that part of Season 10 yet.

How many Season 10 episodes have you written so far?
We haven’t written any so far. We’re still kicking around ideas and stories for the first half of the season.

Let’s talk about Crabtree. He’s had some bad luck in love, but things were looking up last week when he made a connection with Nina Bloom, played by Erin Agostino. Any plans to give him a more permanent love match next year?
Nina is the kind of character we always want on the show because she’s very polarizing. Half the fans love her and half the fans hate her, which means we want her! [Laughs.] As Season 10 begins, he does have a permanent partner. Whether that lasts for the length of the season, we’ll find out.

OK, let’s talk about “Cometh the Archer,” written by yourself, Simon McNabb and Jordan Christianson. How early on in the planning of this episode did you have, “Julia gets shot” written on the wall?
I think we had “Julia rides a horse” and “Julia shoots a bow and arrow” before. That was Hélène’s simple list of demands, “Can I ride a horse this year and can I shoot a bow and arrow?” Let’s come up with a scenario for that. It probably at the two-thirds mark of the season that the idea came to be of how we were roughly going to end the season.

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I assumed, wrongly, that every season of Murdoch Mysteries is planned straight through with a beginning, middle and end, but that’s not the case.
I probably happens with some shows, but we have the liberty of not having to have everything approved up and down the line. They trust us. We never really consider how things will end until midway through the shooting. A season is three acts and we go into it with Act 1 and Act 2 planned and then, generally, things that happen in the first bit of the season helps inform us how we’re going to end it because things come up, you know?

Now, unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to Constable Worseley! What were the circumstances surrounding Sean Harraher’s departure?
Interesting story. It was Sean to who came me and said, “Hey, could I die this year?” I said, “Yeah, sure man.” I think it adds a nice bit in the finale, a nice little scary bit, but it wasn’t a question of having to go down and tell someone who’s been an extra on the show for seven years that he’s not coming back.

You’ve directed this episode. This isn’t the first time you’ve done that, but I did notice some interesting overhead shots you used. I’m thinking of when Julia was in surgery and when Brackenreid was questioning folks at the hotel. Why did you choose that style of filming?
I’m always trying to tell a story with the minimum amount of shots because our shooting schedule is so short. This felt like a more cinematic episode and you don’t really get the shock of Julia Ogden’s operation unless you’re right over top of it. There’s blood everywhere. A bunch of the back half of the episode was going to be Murdoch lying on his back and I was committed to that type of shooting so I just tried to integrate that into the overall episode so it didn’t turn into this weird perspective change. And my friend, Gary Harvey, does such a dynamic job of directing his episodes that he kicks my ass a little bit. [Laughs.] I was like, “OK Harvey, two can play at that game!” You have the horses and the wilderness and all that scope. We were blessed with weather in that we got a bit of snow and it had a bit of a McCabe & Mrs. Miller feel to it.

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A lot of fans were speculating as to who it would be from William’s past who’d return in the finale. How did you decide it would be Eva Pearce, played by Daiva Johnston?
I was really interested in the back half of the script when I was writing with the guys. It could really only be played by a female and the idea of giving a little bit of an edge with the sexual angle and that weird song she sings. We hinted at the Black Hand in the episode before but, ultimately, in terms of the love triangle of Eva mounting William and it causing Julia to wake up is a more interesting dynamic.

Where do we go from here? What can you tell me about some of the stories you’re breaking for Season 10?
I think there will be some unexpected returning characters to the show. We’re also looking at adding a couple of semi-recurring characters onto the show. We’re mining some historical figures that we want to bring in like we normally do. We’re seriously kicking around H.P. Lovecraft right now, just in time for Halloween! He’s a very interesting character who was about 15 years old at this time. I also think we’ll be dealing with the Toronto fire in some shape of form because this is the year. It’s also an Olympic year and I know somebody who is an archer and somebody who is a big soccer fan, both of which were events at the Olympics in St. Louis.

We also have to deal with some of the events from the final episode, some of them lighthearted—does Murdoch build the house this year?—and the exploration of Crabtree and his new girl and how can she possibly fit into this world? We’re also going to see Rebecca at medical school and how that works with her being a black woman there … we’ll see and learn a little bit more about her.

I’m constantly amazed by the people I work with. We’re sitting here with 12 or 13 fairly solid murder mysteries already that don’t feel like ones we’ve done before.

What did you think of Monday’s season finale? What do you want to see happen in Season 10? Comment below or via Twitter @tv_eh.

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Heartland celebrates Season 10 news with a surprise

Heartland fans have a lot to celebrate. Not only was their favourite TV show renewed for Season 10, but Ty and Amy’s lives are about to take a huge step forward.

Yes, on their first wedding anniversary, Amy announced to Ty that she’s pregnant. (Congratulations to showrunner Heather Conkie and her writing crew for having Cassandra’s pregnancy throw us off the trail.) I assumed Sunday’s season-ender “Resolutions” would deal largely with Lou and Peter’s decision to get back together or not. It did, but Amy and Ty still stole the show from them.

And let’s not forget about Adam and Georgie, who are officially an item. I guess saving each other’s lives—him last week in the sanctuary fire and she this week with the diabetes sugar shot—was enough for Adam to stand up to his father (played by Cracked‘s Dayo Ade) and demand the young couple be given a chance. Seeing them hold hands under the aurora borealis was very sweet.

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Meanwhile, Peter’s return to Heartland was bittersweet. Despite his teary confession, a promise and a kiss on the lips with Lou, he’s leaving empty-handed. And, after everything Lou has been through this season, it’s the right call. Yes, it would have been easy to have happy-endings all around relationship-wise by the end of the episode, but Conkie has too much respect for the storyline and I applaud her for that. There are plenty of divorced couples in the real world, and Peter and Lou are determined to be great parents to their daughters. That’s more important than keeping others happy. (I was sad to hear Tim and Casey are on a break, but maybe things will be better next season.)

What did you think of Heartland‘s season finale? Are you hoping Ty and Amy have a boy, or a girl? What else do you want to see happen in Season 10? Comment below or via @tv_eh on Twitter.

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Link: Eugene and Dan Levy’s family funnybone strikes a chord south of border

From Robert Lloyd of the LA Times:

Eugene and Dan Levy’s family funnybone strikes a chord south of border
Eugene Levy, of SCTV, American Pie and the films of Christopher Guest, was waiting at the old Culver Hotel in Culver City, Calif., for his son and collaborator, Dan, to arrive.

“It’s the fashionably late thing they (young people) really take to heart,” Levy said.

The Levys, 69 and 32 respectively, are the co-creators and co-stars of Schitt’s Creek, an exceedingly funny situation comedy of Canadian origin that plays in the United States on the Pop channel. Continue reading. 

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CBC greenlights drama The Council from René Balcer

From a media release:

CBC has greenlit THE COUNCIL (working title), a compelling international thriller woven around a remote Canadian Arctic town from Emmy® Award-winning showrunner and writer René Balcer (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) with Lark Productions and Keston International Productions. THE COUNCIL is set against the unfolding drama of our changing planet and draws inspiration from the true-to-life fight over the vast and valuable resources of the Arctic. The series traces the journey of two cops who uncover a small-town murder that is at the heart of a global conspiracy. Production kicks off this summer, shooting in Resolute, Iqaluit, London, Copenhagen and Manitoba. THE COUNCIL will debut with 10 episodes on CBC-TV in fall 2016.

THE COUNCIL begins on the edge of the Arctic frontier during the endless days of the polar summer when a young woman, a renowned environmentalist, is found ritualistically murdered near the Canadian hamlet of Resolute. An investigation is mounted by the local RCMP inspector Mickey Behrens, an outsider and new-comer to the north who is running from a derailed personal and professional life, and her partner, officer Jo Ullulaq. A soulful counterpoint to Mickey, Jo is torn between the duty to his job and loyalty to his Inuit culture. The pair quickly discovers that the mystery extends far beyond the borders of the town and to the backrooms of Canadian parliament in Ottawa, the dark corridors of U.S. intelligence in Washington, D.C., the halls of European parliament in Brussels, the airbases of world powers, and the migrant conflicts at the border of Norway and Russia. Yet it all traces back to the Arctic, as they gradually expose a complex international conspiracy to control the vast natural resources at the top of the world.

Balcer is a 20-year veteran of the Law & Order franchise, beginning as a writer and rising to executive producer and showrunner. In 2001, he left the series to create the show’s spinoff Law & Order: Criminal Intent, which he developed with creator Dick Wolf. He is also the creator of the international drama JO. Balcer has been awarded with an Emmy® Award, Peabody Award, a Writers Guild of America Award and four Edgar Awards for his television work.

THE COUNCIL will be produced by Lark Productions (Motive), with executive producers Louise Clark and Erin Haskett, in partnership with Keston International Productions’ executive producers Trevor Walton and Denis Coyne. The series is a Canada/UK Co-Production, with Nick O’Hagan’s London-based Giant Films Ltd. NBCUniversal International Distribution retains all distribution rights.

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