Tag Archives: CBC

Heartland’s Michelle Morgan relishes Lou’s tough journey

Lou Fleming has been through a lot over the past two seasons of Heartland. While she stood next to her sister, Amy, as she married long-time love Ty, her own marriage was crumbling. Now it’s completely kaput. Lou and Peter are divorced, he’s got a new girlfriend and Lou is dipping her toe in the dating pool while juggling being a single mom to daughters Georgie and Katie.

It’s been a challenging, but fun, journey for Michelle Morgan. The Calgary born actress wasn’t keen on her character’s current experiences and had to be convinced it was the right way to go story-wise. We spoke to Morgan while she was in Toronto visiting family and out for an audition.

What was your reaction when Heather Conkie came to you and described what Lou’s storyline was going to be?
At first, I was pretty against it. I never would argue with Heather because she always has the best interest of the show in mind. But I was really hesitant and nervous and it took me a few conversations with Heather and the producers for me to get on board.

I also spoke to Gabe [Hogan] about it, and he was really excited. He said, ‘This is great, Heather is going to give us lots of fodder and some great scenes.’ I hadn’t really thought of it in that way, but it’s true. As an actor, this has been a really fun, challenging season for me. And, as an actor, you always want to be challenged. It’s been great, but I was very hesitant at first.

Once you go down that road with Lou and Peter, you can’t go back. We’re past the point of reconciliation…
Are we?

Really? Do you think everything could be turned around?
Absolutely. People get back together. They can be divorced and be apart for years and then get back together.

But you don’t see it turning around this season…
Absolutely not, no.

Did you do any kind of research into couples or families who have been through this? You can’t go into a storyline like this lightly.
I’ve been playing Lou for so long and I have such a strong relationship with all of the other actors that, rather than do any kind of research into divorce, I really just stayed in the moment. I prepared for the scenes emotionally and then just was in the moment, telling my daughter, Georgie, that Peter and I were separating. I just went with what I was feeling. There was enough there that I didn’t need to sit and talk with people who were divorced. I have had hard breakups, and I looked back on those breakups.


“When you’re watching television that really resonates with you or is a reflection of your life and who you are, it’s comforting.”


Heartland is a family show. You’re very much showing the reality of many who are watching every Sunday. You want to represent that truthfully and without sugarcoating it.
Exactly. You don’t want to sugarcoat it and you don’t want to portray it as the end of the world. That was one of the ways that I was convinced this was a good idea. One of our producers, Jordy Randall, comes from parents who are divorced and said, ‘This will be good for children that are watching it.’ I think when you’re watching television that really resonates with you or is a reflection of your life and who you are, it’s comforting.

What kinds of discussions have you had with Alisha over the course of this season?
Alisha is such a visceral, natural actor, we don’t really talk that much about the material. We just hang out. We’re buddies. We may run scenes and our trailers, but she is just so in the moment … I don’t even think she has to prepare that much.

She’s really, really grown as an actress on this show.
Oh my God, it’s incredible. She started when she was only 12, right? You look back on her appearance when she started on the show, she was a baby. I think you’re going to be seeing Alisha in huge, box-office projects soon.

What have the fans thought about this storyline?
There has been a lot of negative feedback. There have been some hardline Christians commenting that this is a negative portrayal of marriage and that they don’t want to watch the show anymore. That’s their opinion and that’s fair, but we’re not trying to show Candyland. We’re trying to show reality and the real world. Some people don’t like that, but it’s their prerogative.

Heartland

Where does Lou go from here? She has been dating, which has lead to some funny moments.
Oh, it’s been so fun. As an actor, once you get married on a show you kind of get locked in. The romantic part of it is pretty much over. It’s been fun, because I didn’t expect Lou to be dating again. As a woman with children and recently divorced, you’re approaching dating from a totally different place.

I’ve enjoyed the comic moments you’ve been able to play up.
It’s been great playing with Kevin McGarry, whose Mitch is becoming a bit of a love interest for Lou.

Do you think Lou needs a boyfriend?
Needs? I don’t think so. But after what she went though in Episode 10, when she met Peter’s girlfriend, I think she needs a confidence boost and to feel attractive again.

Heartland airs Sundays at 7 p.m. on CBC. New episodes return on Sunday, March 6.

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Murdoch Mysteries’ showrunner explains heartbreaking episode

**SPOILER ALERT: This story contains key plot points about Monday’s newest episode of Murdoch Mysteries, “Wild Child.”**

And just like that, William and Julia no longer have a child. Monday’s latest episode was a heartbreaker for fans who loved seeing the series’ lead characters as parents. By the conclusion of “Wild Child,” Freddie Pink had learned the Braxton’s weren’t Roland’s parents after all. Turns out his real father was Harold Connor, a carpenter. By episode’s end William and Julia had done the right—if painful—thing by presenting Harold with the son he never knew he had.

Fans who’d grown attached to the little sprite—me included—were quick to take to social media, asking why Roland was brought onto the show, only to be taken away weeks later.

We contacted Peter Mitchell, Murdoch Mysteries‘ showrunner, to explain the situation. Here’s his answer:

“Hard question to answer. I guess that it was just a chapter in the ongoing story of ‘William and Julia.’ There are many more chapters to play out and we don’t really know where it is going to end.

We thought it would be interesting to see another side of both Murdoch and Ogden, and giving them a child was a way to examine their paternal instincts and give us opportunity to play them as both husband and wife and mother and father. I think we were also aware that as this show is a procedural-based drama as opposed to a domestic drama and that the situation could not last. We wanted to keep the baby around long enough that the decision to return him to his father was of consequence (as well as allowing for some humour—William becomes a dad and immediately takes up golf). It was also important that this decision to give up the child was not thrust upon them. Instead, the appearance of the natural father was a result of one of our characters doing “the right thing.” In doing so the surrendering of Roland illuminated the strong character of both our leads.

Murdoch_Mysteries

Pragmatically, we wanted this to play out over part of the season as opposed to dropping a baby on them in the finale. Much like with their wedding, we didn’t want what, on the surface, is usually considered the “big event” of a TV season to be our “big event.” I think this forces us to work harder to come up with engaging stories. On a practical level, it leaves open the possibility that ANYTHING could happen in the last four episodes if THEY have already done that to US.

It is also true that one of the reasons for the success of Murdoch is that the engine under the surface of the engaging characters, amusing lines and nice hats always has to be driving forward. Murdoch is one of those shows that gives me little leeway in the editing room. The scenes feed into each other in a way a multi character ensemble drama doesn’t. The narrative drive can occasionally be interrupted by domestic moments but the show would not ‘click’ if we have too many of them. As Paul Aitken, one of our writers, constantly reminds all of us when we are coming up with stories, ‘where’s the mystery?’ is the one question we always have to address. In the Roland arc the mystery was there from the beginning—who is this kid? Many of the fans doubted the people who were purported to be his parents actually were and in the end, the mystery of where he came from was ultimately solved. For some, the result was heartbreaking. For others, Murdoch and Ogden once again demonstrated why they are heroes.

But the kid(s) who played Roland were cute as a button. And much like real life the biggest fight we had in the room was not how long to keep the kid around but what the heck we should name him.

Some are still divided on it….”

—Peter Mitchell

 

What do you think, Murdoch fans? Sound off below in the Comments section.

Murdoch Mysteries airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on CBC.

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The Nature of Things hunts for the elusive wolverine

Back in 2010, Andrew Manske saw something strange. The wildlife cinematographer was using motion capture equipment to photograph wolves, moose and other elusive animals in western Alberta. But what he took pictures of surprised and intrigued him: wolverines.

That discovery lead Manske on a five-year search to see a wolverine with his own eyes and study the beast, documented in Thursday’s episode of The Nature of Things, “Wolverine: Ghost of the Northern Forest.” I’ve always enjoyed The Nature of Things‘ focus on wildlife, and this is no exception. Manske’s dedication is filmed as he spends weeks hidden in a blind in winter, fingers crossed the nervous beasts will scamper in his direction. Countless bottles of urine later—he stayed put so as not to scare off the wolverines—Manske is rewarded by sighting a trio of the scavengers.

So little is known about wolverines that their population status is “unknown” in Alberta. That’s changing thanks to people like Dr. Mark Boyce and Matt Scrafford at the University of Alberta, who use live traps and GPS tagging to not only learn more about wolverine habits, but dispel some myths along the way. Far from being the loners long assumed, wolverines are a social lot. They’re also lithe and agile climbers; Manske’s stunning footage captures the shaggy animals moving gracefully in the snow, stopping to sniff the air or to rear up on hind legs to look around, their fur boasting subtle stripes and stubby tails.

Manske’s ultimate goal is to find a wolverine den and film a mother interacting with her kids. Stay tuned until the end of “Wolverine: Ghost of the Northern Forest” for that amazing scene.

The Nature of Things airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. on CBC.

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Link: Wolverine Documentary: A CBC-TV First

From Jim Bawden:

Wolverine Documentary: A CBC-TV First
I freely admit I knew next to nothing about wolverines.

And then I watched the preview tape of CBC-TV’s Nature Of Things documentary: Wolverine: Ghosts Of The Northern Forest. For the very first time anywhere wolverines are shown in their native habitat and these are not the quick, blurred  shots usually glimpsed in other documentaries. Continue reading. 

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Link: X Company writer on the struggles of seeing both sides of the war

From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:

X Company writer on the struggles of seeing both sides of the war
“We think the more you see the second half the more you sense the tumblers falling into place…even if you can’t see what they are. We like to zag instead of zig. There’s also a note of real tragedy looming, because we as the audience have a luxury of hindsight that they do not; they look on the upcoming Allied raid as the turning of the tide. We, of course, know it’s only 1942, and Dieppe was anything but. So you’re going to start to feel the mounting tension and dread and suspense from that.” Continue reading. 

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