Tag Archives: Featured

Featured, Masterchef Canada

MasterChef Canada home cook struggles with sickness

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“Heads and Shoulders, Knees and Toes” was the theme of Sunday’s new episode, but it was April Lee’s tummy that became a part of the storyline. Not that her sickness—sweats and stomach issues—were a major tale; it was only during the Pressure Test that it was mentioned at all. Maybe the challenges are done on different days, but it was jarring nonetheless to have no discussion of her health until the latter half of the episode. And in the end it didn’t matter anyway, as the eclairs April Lee concocted during the Pressure Test were good enough to land her in the Top 7.

Not so for Mary and Jennifer, who were in the bottom. It was distressing to see Mary on the brink of elimination over the last few weeks. She’s a truly gifted home cook, and I think that knowledge is causing her to overthink challenges and aim higher than her competition. She shouldn’t be worrying about anyone else but herself … says the guy judging from the safety of his own couch.

Meanwhile, Jennifer’s culinary journey came to an end. After a weak, but inspired, performance preparing chicken feet off the top of the episode, her eclairs were overly small and lacking the taste Michael, Alvin and Claudio were hoping for.

I was really impressed with the plates the home cooks came up with during the team challenge. Despite the main ingredients being less than pretty to look at—grouper and pig heads, pig and chicken feet and frog legs—they put together beautiful plates worthy of pictures in a high-end cookbook. The Red Team of Shawn, Terry, Matthew and Veronica were steps ahead of Blue with regard to flavour and plating, but Veronica’s truly impressive and intricate Chinese soup dumplings with black vinegar caviar carried the win.

Next week, former astronaut Chris Hadfield appears for an out-of-this-world test.

MasterChef Canada airs Sundays at 7 p.m. ET/PT on CTV.

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Featured, Wynonna Earp

Writing an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer for the Toronto Screenwriting Conference

A full-day experience in a television writers room taught me one thing: there is no such thing as a bad idea. My fascination with what occurs behind closed doors on a TV series was realized when I was given the opportunity to attend the Writers Guild of Canada’s Writers Room Intensive for this year’s Toronto Screenwriting Conference.

In a sunbathed room on the seventh floor at Entertainment One’s Toronto office last Friday, I watched as Wynonna Earp showrunner and executive producer Emily Andras welcomed participants Laura Ashley Seaton, Tim Kilby, Priscilla M. White, Keri Ferencz, Matt Doyle and Blain Watters, who worked together—fuelled by coffee, water and food—to break a spec script of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Aiming to keep quiet during the entire session (I was there to observe, after all), I found it really hard not to chime in with my own ideas, especially when initial nervousness in the room was replaced by excitement and laughs. I’m not the biggest Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, but I quickly found myself caring whether or not the episode began with the fortysomething slayer burning cupcakes and taking out the trash. Would Buffy have a daughter, Andras asked? Yes, everyone agreed. Would her daughter, Alexa (a nod to Xander) be a slayer too? Would Alexa’s father be seen in the story? Every question was discussed and positives and negatives weighed, before moving on.

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After several hours of back and forth and notes on the white board, the teaser and Acts 1 and 2 had been written down. Then, suddenly, a storyline suggestion caused all of that work to be erased. They were starting over again. Like I said before, I quickly learned there are no bad ideas. I also realized that it’s important to have ideas and vocalize them. Your notion may not be used, but at the very least it will inspire discussion that leads to something. I’ve often asked writers who came up with an idea in the room and been told they can’t remember. I chalked the answer up to wanting to be humble, but they’re right. With so many thoughts being shared and scribbled on the board, there was no way to keep track of who had said what. Not that it matters; the goal of the room isn’t to spotlight one person and celebrate them, it’s to tell an engaging, interesting and entertaining story.

It’s something that, by the end of the session, I finally had a grasp on and an appreciation for. Want to find out how the Buffy spec script turned out? Register for the conference and attend the WGC Writing Room Intensive session on Saturday, April 30, at 11:15 a.m.

 

The Toronto Screenwriting Conference runs Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1 at the Metro Toronto Conference Centre. To register, find a schedule explore hotel and food options and more, visit the website.

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Bitten, Featured

Comments and queries for the week of April 22

Bitten says goodbye

Jeremy getting stabbed in the eye is not enough justice for Karen being murdered in cold blood by that SOB (literally). He should be given up to humans by the pack and pay for his crime (since they have now outed themselves). I did not like the ending. I mean, werewolves and humans living in harmony … puhleeeze. Unrealistic and contrived conclusion. Watch Wolfblood, which is essentially a CBBC series for juveniles but is more coherent. —Keith

All I have to say is I’m sad a great show like Bitten, their storylines and most of all the actors will not have a next season. —Lori

I wanted Nick with Paige, his ending upset me! —TanyaLeigh

Damn, that was a good finale. It makes me want to watch the series all over again. —Kimberly

I am very sad to see this series end. I do hope you can put out some new series to let us know what going on with the witches. —Lorie

 

Got a question of comment about Canadian TV? greg@tv-eh.com or via Twitter @tv_eh.

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Featured, Slasher

Slasher tackles sloth in Episode 4

Nope, I’m not referring to the slow-moving mammal but the sin of laziness. Friday’s newest instalment of Slasher, “As Water is Corrupted Unless it Moves,” picks up with another death, supposition of guilt and the show’s first time two characters sit down and discuss who the likeliest suspect for serial killer is.

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Spotlighting the ruggedly beautiful
Director Craig David Wallace may have been operating with a shoestring budget, but it doesn’t show. There are several establishing shots of the Parry Sound area celebrating the spectacle that is rural Ontario and overhead filming that is simply stunning. Brenda Merritt’s send-off is memorable too.

Red herrings aplenty
As with most murder mysteries, Slasher is beginning stack up a lot of false leads. Last week’s closing scene hinted that Trent—who enjoys making weird taxidermy creations out of the animals he hunts—may be The Executioner. Whether he is or not is established early on Friday night, and many minutes are also spent with Trent’s back story, his aunt, his former employment and ties to Heather Peterson.

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Dylan lies, again
Dylan is quickly becoming the type of guy I’d tell Sarah to run away from. After lying to Sarah last week about giving two weeks notice before he could quit the newspaper, he puts his career first once again by allowing himself to be tantalized by the bright lights of television thanks to broadcaster Lisa-Ann Follows (Rookie Blue‘s Enuka Okuma). Dylan goes behind Sarah’s back to do something that will help him professionally, but puts their relationship in jeopardy.

Slasher airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on Super Channel.

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Featured, Vikings

Vikings goes all-out in midseason finale

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“All of my life, and all of your lives have come to this point. There is nowhere else to be but here. Nowhere else to live or die but here. To be here now is the only thing that matters. So gather yourselves, gather all of your strength and all of your sweetness to an iron ball, for we will attack again and again until we reach, and overcome, their king, or die in the attempt. Blow the horns, beat the drums and attack, for there will be no turning back. Only victory, or death.” And with that rousing speech, Rollo—perhaps pulling inspiration from Coach Eric Taylor or at the very least his brother Ragnar—once again defends Paris from an attack by the vikings.

Here’s what to look forward to in Thursday’s midseason finale, “The Last Ship”:

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Brother vs. brother
After 10 episodes, Rollo and Ragnar finally come to blows, and advance towards each other in very different states of mind. Rollo, once the drunken laughingstock in seasons 1 and 2, is clearheaded, confident and thinking of the big picture while Ragnar is confused, shuddering from drug withdrawal and singleminded.

Death follows
Yidu, Erlendur and Queen Kwenthrith all met their untimely demise in the last couple of episodes; the bloodshed continues both during the battle scenes and in Paris, where Emperor Charles decides to do a little bit of culling of his own. Forget The Red Wedding, how about the Deadly Dinner?

A look forward
We’d love to tell you what happens during the siege on Paris, but we want you to experience it spoiler-free. What we can say is that what happens during it affects the rest of the episode and leads to a time jump. Viewers will catch up with the citizens of Kattegat years later, and what is important to them. It feels like the next chapter of the story will focus more on Bjorn, his brothers and their desires.

Vikings airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on History.

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