Tag Archives: CTV

Amazing Race Canada, Featured

Review: The Amazing Race heats up in Chile

Having a specialized skill can really help during the marathon that is The Amazing Race Canada. That was certainly the case for Nic and Sabrina and Dujean and Leilani, who might have found themselves at the back of the pack if not for knowledge they brought into the Race.

Dujean and Leilani seemed destined for a total meltdown during the show’s second Leg in Santiago, Chile, when the exes resorted to screaming at each other while attempting to locate five specific outdoor paintings and take selfies in front of them. I admit I’d have lost my cool if someone kept yelling, “Come on, come on, come on,” at me like Dujean did, but deciding to just stop running in protest à la Leilani? Not cool. The pair were lucky the Motion part of Wednesday’s Detour involved dancing, something they both grew up doing. The result? A fifth place finish.

Nic and Sabrina’s prior skill set came into play as well. Their knowledge of language—something host Jon Montgomery told me about last week—came into play with everyone they met in Santiago, from cab drivers to the Emotion part of the Detour: reciting a poem by Gabriela Mistral. As Nic said in the cab on the way to the Pit Stop, they banged out that challenge in half an hour. The duo were also cagey during the art-inspired Detour: instead of running around the neighbourhood they used their cab. I wasn’t sure if that was allowed and half expected Montgomery to assess them a time penalty, but it was all good and they finished in fourth place.

The other high point of the second Leg was the revelation the Express Passes were coming into play. Hamilton and Michaelia were the first to complete the Road Block at the community centre and chased down the Express Passes at Patio Bellavista. The engaged couple quickly used their pass at the Motion Detour when Hamilton admitted the dance costumes were too skimpy for his transgender body. At first I was frustrated they’d used the Express Pass so quickly to advance to the Pit Stop at Cerro San Cristobal, but as Michaelia pointed out, other teams would play nice with them to score that second pass. And at least they used the pass, something other duos have failed to do and been eliminated.

Speaking of eliminated teams, Susan and Sharnjit fought to improve on their weak standing last week, but a bad cab driver and getting lost finding the artwork spelled doom … unless it was a non-elimination Leg.

Alas, it was not.

Here’s how the teams finished:

  1. Hamilton and Michaelia (used Express Pass)
  2. Brian and Cynthia
  3. Nick and Matt
  4. Nic and Sabrina
  5. Dujean and Leilani
  6. Neil and Kristin
  7. Dana and Amanda
  8. Brent and Sean
  9. Simi and Ope
  10. Gino and Jesse
  11. Susan and Sharnjit (eliminated)

Notes and quotes

  • Hey TARC producers, how do you decide what time teams will leave on the next leg?
  • “I already feel like I smell like B.O.” — quote of the night from Sean
  • I understand that sponsors need to be given props, but having someone say they’re paying for their flight with their “BMO Cash Back World Elite MasterCard” is still a little over the top.
  • I love it when the local taxi drivers get into the vibe of the Race and want to see their fares do well.

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

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Featured, Spun Out

Review: Russell Peters highlights Spun Out’s return

Better late than never. Five months after Spun Out was supposed to debut on CTV immediately following the Super Bowl, Dave Foley’s Canadian sitcom returned to the air. There’s been a lot written about the reason for the delay—co-star J.P. Manoux’s arrest—and the resulting burn-off of the sophomore sitcom over the summer months that was announced just two days ago.

Manoux grabbed a lot of headlines, but changes occurred on the show too. The first season was filmed in front of a live audience, but this second go-round jettisoned that. With a new way of filming and high-profile guest star Russell Peters dropping by, how did Episode 1 of Season 2 of Spun Out fare?

Written by Fraser Young and Nick Beaton and directed by Dave Foley, Peters brought great energy to “My Brother’s Speaker,” playing Ray, Nelson’s (Al Mukadam) DJ brother.

It didn’t take long to discern there was no love lost between Ray and Beckett (Paul Campbell) thanks to an arm bar and a chirp about living in your parents’ basement (“Remember your parents basement from this morning because you just left there because you still live there?”). But rather than fall back on an easy back-and-forth, episode long feud between Ray and Beckett, it was Nelson who ended up angry with Ray after he’d arranged for a DJ showcase and Ray didn’t bother to show up. The reason? Not because Ray was a jerk, but because he had a day job he was ashamed of.

Holly Deveaux—who I really enjoyed in Season 1—was given a lot more to do as Abby on Tuesday night, fully involved in a storyline where she and Stephanie (Rebecca Dalton) thought they were being hustled at poker by Bryce (Manoux) and Gordon (Darcy Michael). Stephanie was a portrayed as a vacuous blonde in Season 1 and it looks like the writers have backed off on that a bit, which is a welcome change. (Michael continues to be a bright spot too; his out-there comments as Gordon always make me laugh, though I wonder what skills he has to stay employed at DLPR.)

My biggest pet peeve about this new season of Spun Out is going to be the canned laugh track. Rather than just letting the jokes stand on their own merit, punchlines are juiced in post, something I hate because it assumes the audience doesn’t know when to laugh. Spun Out certainly isn’t the first show to do this, but I don’t think it’s needed.

What did you guys think? Comment below or via @tv_eh.

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

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Amazing Race Canada, Featured

Amazing Race Canada’s Jon Montgomery teases Season 3

3 Comments

Twisted ankles, wrenched joints and mild concussions are always a threat during an intense leg of The Amazing Race Canada. But show host Jon Montgomery acquired one in the most unlikely of places: the editing suite.

The Olympic gold medal winner and now-veteran host of CTV’s summer competition series—returning tonight—recently got his right thumb sandwiched between the telescoping parts of an office chair while doing voice-over work on future episodes. The swollen digit didn’t dampen Montgomery’s enthusiasm for TAR Canada‘s journey across the nation and selected countries around the world; the return bursts out of the gate in Quebec City before the 12 teams jet to Toronto for falls and tomfoolery at TSN’s headquarters.

“Every time I’m in Quebec City, I grow a little bit more fond of it,” Montgomery says from Bell Media’s downtown Toronto headquarters. “My first experience there was as an amateur athlete and Quebecers embrace that. They celebrate their athletes like nobody’s business and celebrate being outside and being part of a community. This trip I learned that the oldest patent in Canada was awarded just down the street from the Chateau Frontenac for a washing and pulling machine.”

Those history lessons, especially regarding Canada, have been an integral part of The Amazing Race since Montgomery yelled “Go!” at contestants in Season 1. This season’s group of teams are once again racing for the chance to win a $1 million grand prize, and it doesn’t take long for several pairs to make an impact. Hamilton, Ont., brothers Gino and Jesse are charming, funny and focussed; Newfoundland cops Dana and Amanda hearken back to Olympic hockey players Natalie Spooner and Meaghan Mikkelson; pro wrestlers Nick and Matt have the bulk to own physical challenges; and Max and Alias are perhaps the best-looking of the bunch.

We got Montgomery to weigh in on four teams that look like early favourites:

Nic and Sabrina
“Real smart and real physical. He’s a former professional soccer player and they’re really both quite bright. They have language abilities on their side. They both speak French and English, Fringlish, Italian and Fritalain and other language combinations that help with linguistic challenges. A team to watch out for.”

Hamilton and Michaelia
“Hamilton’s sexuality is just a part of who he is as an individual and not what he is. I love those two. They are the youngest competitors on the show and are so cute. Their relationship is beautiful. I think they will resonate with Canadians on a few levels given what we learned from Caitlyn Jenner. It’s not that transgender is new, it’s just that the exposure in mass media is new.”

Nick and Matt
“I love those guys! Pro wrestlers and Nick is a Grade 6 teacher! If he was my Grade 6 teacher, just with the beard I’d be intimidated. It looks like he draws it on every morning. Those guys know how to challenge each other and push each other and get the most out of one another because they do it every day.”

Dana and Amanda
“They are physically strong and mentally strong. They come from a strong lineage of people who serve and protect the peace in Newfoundland. They are gamers. They are full-on. They push themselves to their physical limits.”

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

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Featured, Saving Hope, Spun Out

CTV’s unwavering support for Saving Hope, Spun Out’s future still uncertain

2 Comments

CTV is happy with Saving Hope. So much so when executives from Bell Media jetted to Los Angeles to purchase American acquisitions, the one untouchable timeslot was Thursdays at 9 p.m.

“We wanted to plant a flag that on the biggest night of the week in the home run timeslot of that night, Saving Hope is not only our choice but is going to compete for the No. 1 spot every week,” says Mike Cosentino, senior vice-president of programming for CTV Networks and CraveTV. “We think this is a great opportunity for Saving Hope.” The broadcast veteran notes there a big stories headed viewers’ way in Season 4, which began production on 18 episodes in and around Toronto.

Appearing in recurring roles are Kim Shaw (The Good Wife) as Dr. Cassie Williams, a book smart intern learning how to practice medicine, not just read about it; and Max Bennett (Anna Karenina) as Dr. Patrick Curtis, a surgical fellow who has been filling in during Alex’s mat leave. Travis Milne (Rookie Blue) appears in a four-episode arc. Repeats of Hope will air Saturdays at 10 p.m. on CTV.

CTV and CTV Two’s 2015-16 broadcast schedules were announced Thursday morning in Toronto, with the Erica Durance/Michael Shanks drama, newsmagazine W5, culinary competition MasterChef Canada and crime drama Motive all being part of the mix. Those last two join CTV’s midseason schedule.

Saturdays on CTV Two, meanwhile, boast old instalments of The Listener, Flashpoint and Motive, a move Cosentino says offers new viewers a chance to catch up on the crime trio.

One series absent from either schedule was the second season of Dave Foley’s sitcom, Spun Out. Plans to launch the laffer this past March after a high-profile return following the Super Bowl was scuttled when co-star J.P. Manoux was charged with voyeurism following an incident in the Toronto condo he rented during filming. The series remains in programming purgatory until the case is sorted out.

“We said it then and we’re still in the same place,” Cosentino says. “We’re holding off on our decision until we can get more information. As to whether it will make air or not is to be continued at the moment.”

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Featured, Masterchef Canada

Review: And the MasterChef Canada winner is …

1 Comment

After weeks of competition, countless dishes, tough challenges and buckets of tears, MasterChef Canada crowned a Season 2 winner: concrete worker David Jorge edged out Line Pelletier to take the title, trophy and $100,000 grand prize.

“I am the best home cook in Canada and no one can take that away from me,” David said moments after he was named winner, sharing the good news (and more than a few tears) with his wife, mother and two sons. He plans to use his windfall to start his own restaurant.

Master_David

“I’m not going to give up because there is always another road to the finish line,” Line said after her close defeat. The finale was incredibly tight and I have to admit it did look like Line was going to snag the crown. Not only do cooking competitions tend to reward competitors who evolve week to week like she did, but her underdog story certainly made her one of the show’s sweethearts.

But nothing could stop David, whose culinary skills led him to numerous weekly wins and a spot at the top of the show almost every week.

In an interesting twist to what the pair did week to week, David opted for more rustic adaptations for his appetizer, main and dessert while Line went more high-class, proving she could compete with her counterpart. David’s early gaffe, leaving membrane on his sweetbreads, was erased by a stellar pork and seafood entree and layered lemon dessert. Line started off strong with a surf and turf app followed by an elk and potato main that landed a little left of the mark with judges Claudio Aprile, Alvin Leung and Michael Bonacini. I thought her dessert of a cheese plate was a little simplistic, though its multiple ingredients wowed the judging trio.

Unlike some cooking shows where one or more undeserving competitors squeak into the finale, I was pleased David and Line made it. Both definitely earned the right to be there and came off as giving, caring people who were respected by their fellow competitors.

Notes and quotes

  • Guys, is the making a heart with your fingers still a thing?
  • I really wish the editing for this episode had allowed us to see Line make those cool curled crackers for her appetizer.
  • When Claudio is freaking out over time, like he was with David during the dessert round, you know you’re in trouble.

What did you think of this season of MasterChef Canada? Comment below or on Twitter via @tv_eh.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail