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Featured, Spun Out

Spun Out lands high card with Jennifer Tilly

It takes a lot to get Jennifer Tilly away from the poker table. A love for the game turned into a full-on obsession after meeting her boyfriend—professional poker player Phil Laak—and tournaments fill her calendar, leaving little time to act.

Unless an old friend like Dave Foley comes calling.

“I have a lot of things going on in my life and my agents asked about this, assuming I’d say no, and I went, ‘Dave Foley! I want to see him again!'” Tilly appears in Tuesday’s new episode of Spun Out—”The Secret of My Ex-Wife’s Success”—as Maggie Felgate, one of Dave Lyons’ exes. As Tilly tells it, Maggie and Dave are still carrying a bit of a torch for each other … until Maggie poaches one of Dave’s clients to start her own PR firm.

Tilly says the allure of reuniting with Foley and the chance to visit her sister, Meg, in Toronto were both big reasons for her to agree to the role, as well as the writing. At this point in her career, she reveals, a role has to be interesting, fun, creatively fulfilling or all three to grab her attention.

“If someone had told me back when I was obsessed with acting that I’d be obsessed with poker, I have thought they were crazy,” she says with a laugh. Tilly has made a career out of signing on to interesting projects, whether it be voice work on Family Guy and The Simpsons, crime thriller Bound, cop drama Hill Street Blues or playing the girlfriend to a murderous doll in Bride of Chucky. But the malevolent child’s toy is no match for the truly scary stuff Tilly sees in Hollywood.

“A lot of Hollywood people are trying to play younger and get all shot up with Botox and have this and that done,” she says with a twinge of sadness. “I don’t want to be one of those people with the huge Botox vein.”

“I was watching a movie recently and this woman looked like she hadn’t aged in 20 years. And she started to cry. I could tell she was crying because the tears were rolling down her face, but her hairline was just twitching a little bit. It was the most horrifying thing I ever saw.”

Spun Out airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CTV.

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Amazing Race Canada, Featured

Review: Face Offs and frigid temperatures on Amazing Race Canada

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“We can’t expect miracles.” Sabrina’s throwaway comment midway through Wednesday’s newest episode of The Amazing Race ended up being prophetic for she and Nic, Simi and Ope and Neil and Kristin, as the trio of teams were not only saved from elimination but from serious injury too.

Who knew one of the smallest parts of Canada, Les ÃŽles-De-La-Madeleine, Que., would be the most difficult and dangerous? All of the teams suffered from bone-chilling temperatures (I spotted snow on the ground, so yeah, it was cold) but it was Kristin who was affected the most; she was taken to the hospital suffering from leg cramps after spending what looked like hours buried in cold sand. The result? They had to pass on the Kayak Hockey Face Off challenge because Kristin’s legs wouldn’t allow her to compete, incurring a four-hour penalty.

Simi and Ope suffered the same issues with cold because of the Face Off test; they spent so much time unsuccessfully fending off attackers on the water they took the four-hour penalty as well, hoping other teams would meet the same fate.

I liked the Face Off. The prospect of pitting teams head-to-head is an interesting idea and puts a certain amount of intimacy into the Race, but I think using it during the same Leg as a Double U-Turn nullified its power. I’m hoping the next Face Off is done as a stand-alone extra challenge so it matters more.

As for the Double U-Turn, I understood Gino and Jesse’s plan to flush out the Express Pass by putting Sean and Brent’s picture up there. Props to the East Coast brothers for refusing to use it and gutting out both Detours; not only did they save the Pass but they proved themselves to be fierce competitors. But Sean and Brent U-Turning the already last-place Nic and Sabrina? While I get they were making sure they’d give themselves plenty of time to complete the Ride It challenge, U-Turning the down-on-their-luck couple seemed like kicking someone when they’re down, especially since they incurred a time penalty because it was too dark to ride the horses.

Here’s how the teams finished in Season 3’s first non-elimination Leg:

  1. Gino and Jesse
  2. Brian and Cynthia
  3. Nick and Matt
  4. Dujean and Leilani
  5. Brent and Sean
  6. Nic and Sabrina
  7. Neil and Kristin (time penalty)
  8. Simi and Ope (time penalty, non-elimination)

Notes and quotes

  • I’d love to know how the producers decide when teams will depart on a Leg of the Race. Why 1:30 a.m. for this Leg?
  • “Married, no kids … but I still like the boys.” Brian’s comment to Cynthia made me laugh out loud.
  • “Punch it, Chewie!” Brian is quickly becoming my go-to for favourite quotes.
  • Can we sign a petition to have Kayak Hockey added to the Summer Olympics?
  • “Come on, Gino, work those nipples.” I’m leaving that one alone.

The Amazing Race Canada airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV.

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Featured, Spun Out

Interview: Spun Out’s Dave Foley angles for Orphan Black role

Orphan Black is a critical darling with die-hard fans who love every twist, turn and clone the writers throw onto the small screen. Why am I mentioning this in a story about Dave Foley and Season 2 of Spun Out? Because Foley is a major fan of OB … so much so he busted onto the set to meet its leading lady.

“I love Orphan Black. I think it’s fantastic,” Foley told TV, eh? during a set visit last year. “I’d love to be a guest star. I went over there and barged into their set to say hi to Tatiana Maslany. I hoped that if I stood around long enough that somebody would say, ‘Hey, you’d be pretty good. We already killed Frewer, we’ve got room for another old comedian.'”

The veteran member of The Kids in the Hall—who continue their reunion tour later this year—had plenty to say about the difficulties of making comedy for the small screen, upcoming guest star Jennifer Tilly (who’s been a friend of Foley’s since The Wrong Guy) and his love of Doctor Who.

How involved have you been in the writing on Spun Out in Season 2?
Dave Foley: I have been involved off and on as I’ve been needed as an extra hand. It’s part of what I’ve been doing for 30 years, so it’s a skill that I can bring to the show and help out whenever I can.

Jennifer Tilly is guest-starring in an episode as your ex-wife. What can you tell me about her character?
Jennifer plays an ex-wife that I’m still very fond of and she’s decided to start a rival PR company and I give her advice on how to do that. And she immediately turns around and poaches a huge client from DLPR. Dave has to go out and assert his dominance as a professional.

You’ve known Jennifer for a long time. You co-starred in The Wrong Guy in 1997.
It feels like only yesterday. I really like that movie and I was really proud of it. It was a lot of fun working with Jen on it and we’ve been friends ever since. People still come up to me and quote me lines from it. I know it was a bit of a cult movie with comedy writers in L.A. even before we made it because the script was travelling around town.

That was the first movie I ever saw Colm Feore in.
Really? His best work, really. He hadn’t done anything before and has gone back to doing nothing since then. [Laughs.]

Did you come to the table with any creative ideas for Season 2 of Spun Out?
No, God no. I let them do that. I don’t like to think too far ahead on character or anything like that. Give me some situations and some things to play with. Everyone on this show is so good, I don’t need to tell them anything. I’d rather sit back and listen.

Many people have said that making comedy is difficult. Where do you stand on that?
I don’t know if it’s more difficult. I think it’s just easier to see it when it’s bad. You really know when you’re watching bad comedy because you’re not laughing. When you’re watching bad drama, you can think ‘Maybe it’s my fault. Maybe I’m not getting it.’ You have to reflect on whether it was bad or not. In comedy, you know it in your gut as soon as you hear it.

Do you watch a lot of TV?
I watch a lot of hockey and a lot of science programming and science fiction.

What science fiction do you watch?
I love Orphan Black. I think it’s fantastic. I’d love to be a guest star. I went over there and barged into their set to say hi to Tatiana Maslany. I hoped that if I stood around long enough that somebody would say, ‘Hey, you’d be pretty good. We already killed Frewer, we’ve got room for another old comedian.’

I love Doctor Who, The Strain.

What do you think of Peter Capaldi as The Doctor?
I love him. For me, he’s a bit of a return to the older show … Tom Baker, Jon Pertwee … where it wasn’t being sexy and quirky. I love the sexy and quirky Doctors and thought they brought a youthful energy, but the Doctor is supposed to be anything, so it’s good to have a Doctor that’s a little bit older. Maybe the next Doctor will be one of colour or a woman. That’s the magic of the character.

Spun Out airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CTV.

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Amazing Race Canada, Featured

Review: Devil in the details on Amazing Race Canada

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Missed locations, wrong addresses, half-completed tasks and a missing passport were the norm during the messiest Leg of The Amazing Race Canada so far. Last week, I commented that this third trip around the world has featured some of the most difficult challenges I’ve seen in the franchise. But while the Leg in Halifax wasn’t particularly challenging, it derailed several teams.

Unfortunately for Hamilton and Michaelia, it also spelled the end of their Race. The pair played catch-up for the better part of their time in Nova Scotia after Hamilton left his passport on the plane, meaning they had to return to the airport to get it before they could check in with Jon Montgomery. Halifax Stanfield International is a 40-minute drive from the city, meaning they lost almost an hour and a half in trip time, allowing even the slowest team—Nic and Sabrina—ample time to reach the mat.

Oh, Nic and Sabrina. The married pair who are so strong with linguistics have faltered in other areas. Nic’s lack of observational skills took the duo off-course and to an empty marina when everyone else drove to Citadel Hill. His indecisive attitude at the Bubbles Detour—he doesn’t like to get his face wet—cost them valuable time at Dalhousie University before they swapped and delivered beer to three pubs for Suds. One of the strongest teams early on has been humbled by small things and they need to pick things up.

Meanwhile, Dujean and Leilani—a pair who have battled each other in the past—pulled it together and were the first to meet Jon at the Halifax Seaport Farmer’s Market. Sure, Leilani’s knowledge of Halifax (it’s her hometown) was integral to their success, but I also credit them for staying positive and, dare I say it?, having fun while they raced.

It’s a trait that Brent and Sean have embraced since Quebec City and as a result they’ve been in the middle of the pack and a joy to watch compete. That, and a kinship with Michaelia and Hamilton, scored them the oh-so-important Express Pass.

Here’s how the teams finished:

  1. Dujean and Leilani
  2. Brian and Cynthia
  3. Nick and Matt
  4. Brent and Sean
  5. Simi and Ope
  6. Neil and Kristin
  7. Gino and Jesse
  8. Nic and Sabrina
  9. Hamilton and Michaelia (eliminated)

Notes and quotes

  • I really appreciate Jon Montgomery telling us Buenos Aires makes some of the best barbecue he’s ever tasted. Yes, I’m being sarcastic.
  • Did the BMO lady at the airport talk the teams into getting bank accounts?

The Amazing Race Canada airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV.

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Featured, Spun Out

Interview: Spun Out’s Paul Campbell on Season 2 and beyond

Paul Campbell hates feeling like the lazy dude among his friends. That’s why the Vancouver native, while chatting about Season 2 of Spun Out last November, had several other projects on the go. (One of those projects, Beyond Repair, came to fruition.) At the time we spoke, Campbell was in the middle of shooting Spun Out and reflected on the changes behind the scenes at CTV’s original comedy, including dropping the live audience.

What was your initial reaction when you found out Season 2 would be shot without a live audience?
Paul Campbell: Initially, I was super bummed. I didn’t really know what it would mean for the show. The Friday night live shows were such a unique experience. The reason I thought we were doing multi-cam was to get to that live show. But a friend of mine [Cobie Smulders] was on How I Met Your Mother for years and that’s how they shot that. I did go and hang out on set and saw how they did it, so in the back of my mind I thought, ‘Well, other shows do this, so there must be a reason.’

To be honest, I prefer shooting without the audience. There is much more freedom in the sense that we have the opportunity to really hone each joke. With the audience, I always felt like we couldn’t explore the laughs because they’d already heard the joke a few times. Now we can do a sixth or seventh pass on them. In that sense, the exploration is a bigger part of it than it was.

Let’s talk about Beckett. There was an on-again, off-again with Stephanie. Does that evolve in Season 2?
Absolutely. The relationship has always been fairly one-sided and there was a conversation early in Season 1 where Beckett copped to having some kind of feeling for her, but she established that she didn’t do work relationships, so that was it. In the final episode of the season he almost acted on his feelings.

For Season 2 that flame hasn’t gone away and over the course of the season they’re both dating different people but Stephanie begins to realize she can’t ignore the feelings she has for him and that comes to a head. What’s so fun is that you have this incredibly loaded relationship that has so much subtext. And that’s fun for the audience.

What was it like working with Russell Peters, when he played Nelson’s brother?
He brought his Russell Peters swagger to the set. He knows his comedy very well and brought something very different to the DLPR world. It’s great to have people come on to the show that know comedy and can bring their own character or enhance the character that was written.

Have you got some projects on the go that you’ll be writing and producing?
I’ve got several projects on the go right now and I’m hoping to be pitching them in the next few weeks. Things that could be on the air in Canada or the U.S. The development process is such a long process that to start now for something four years down the road makes complete sense. I’m so inspired by the creative community in Toronto, and when you see your friends doing their own stuff it’s really inspiring. You feel like the slacker if you’re not doing that.

Spun Out airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CTV.

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