Tag Archives: Featured

Featured, Masterchef Canada

MasterChef Canada pump(kin)s up the competition

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After a week off because of the Juno Awards, MasterChef Canada was back with the Top 10 cooking on Sunday. Doctor Shawn clearly should cook outside of his comfort zone more often: despite no knowledge of baking or working with pumpkin, he wowed the judges and had the best Elimination Challenge plate of the night.

But the biggest shock wasn’t what Shawn was able to do, but what Michelle wasn’t. One of the strongest home cooks going into this season was eliminated after her pumpkin soup was deemed unsatisfactory by the judges. Her elimination led to plenty of tears by the remaining competitors and a little head-scratching on my part. Yes, I know every judgment is made solely on your latest dish, but Michelle has, overall, been pretty impressive. Alas, she’s gone and we’re left to wonder what could have been. Meanwhile, April Lee and Jennifer got a massive wake-up call and need to improve if they want to continue.

At the other end were Mary (pumpkin gnocchi), Shawn (pumpkin soup) and Terry (pumpkin risotto)—Jeremy and Matthew’s absence from Elimination Challenge judging meant they were safe—whose pumpkin plates won raves from the judges and landed them all captain status in next week’s team challenge. Shawn and Mary have been obviously strong out of the gate, but Terry is quickly closing in on them. He’s also got a great story; you can’t help but cheer for him to win.

And then there’s Veronica. She appeared to be the villain of the season early on—being a confident lawyer will do that—and she seemed cold and detached. Clearly she’s anything but; she and the likable Michelle are best friends and she spent a lot of time sharing personal stories regarding her father. She’s also one hell of a cook; her Japanese Matcha Roll Cake was outstanding and claimed her not only the Mystery Box challenge win but a spot in a Becel margarine ad. After Michelle was eliminated, Veronica pointed out that the other home cooks are merely competitors and she’ll take them down one by one. The remaining Top 8 better watch out.

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

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Featured

Comments and queries for the week of April 8

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Jennifer Valentyne exits Breakfast Television Toronto

Such a loss. So much energy and a truly good person. What is the matter with the people at Rogers? —Eleanor

You have made one big mistake. I for one will never again watch City TV. How do people like you sleep at night? —Bernadette

We can all say Jenn is better off, but I am pretty sure she doesn’t feel that way. The truth is that it’s a crappy situation all around. Same thing happened at CHCH and it sucks. I won’t say I am not going to watch BT anymore because there still are great people on, however it’s so annoying when these big corporate companies come in, take over and put people out of jobs. I personally wish you all the best Jenn, and look forward to hearing about your new adventures. Keep smiling even through the hard days. We love you, xoxo. —Andrea

A special call out to Jenn and Gord. Not sure most of you know, but both of them have been huge supporters of The Children’s Breakfast Club, an Ontario charity that supports less fortunate kids in Ontario. The club receives all of its support through private donations, no government ties. Both Jenn and Gord were huge club supporters and showed us for many years to garner support for Rick and the team! You could say it was part of their job, and they did a heck of job doing it! Best of luck Jenn, and luck will have little to do with your success in the future! —Bill

Perfect example of the decision makers not really having their finger on the pulse. I’m sure this decision was made in a corporate boardroom by a suit that has no idea of her viewer loyalty. Often it’s a money decision disguised as a direction change, but a smart decision would’ve been to work her into whatever new direction they were taking and valuing 23 years of solid viewer loyalty. Another station WILL scoop her up and take her 23 years of viewers’ loyalty as well! —EZ

Another nail in the coffin of watching BT. I was a loyal viewer for years, but with more commercials than news content, less host interaction, boring talk segments and now Jennifer leaving. I am watching CP24 each morning. I’ve had it with Rogers TV! —Rita

Well! No reason to watch BT in the morning before going to work anymore. Best part of my day was watching happy-go-lucky Jennifer.
Jenn, you can do better than BT! Take some time off and relax … you deserve it! —Rod

Will Bryan Baeumler ever come to any state in U.S.? Love his show and his work. None better! Thank you. —Barbara

The best way to keep track of Bryan Baeumler’s upcoming events and appearances is by heading to his official website.

 

Got a question or comment about Canadian TV? Email greg@tv-eh.com or head to Twitter @tv_eh.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Paranormal Survivor returns with new terrifying tales

When it comes to believing in ghosts and the supernatural, I lean towards the side of skeptic, though I’ve had experiences I can’t explain. Orbs captured in a photo floating between my stepsons, a general sense of unease during a week-long stay at a Pelee Island cottage. I love watching paranormal investigators obtain odd things with audio and video equipment as they dash around haunted locations. And while those blips and static-choked voices are certainly interesting, the stories told by those directly affected by the paranormal can be truly scary.

That’s certainly the case of Paranormal Survivor, returning for a second season Friday night on Travel + Escape. Broadcast during the channel’s free preview, Our House Media’s project sits down with the real people who have been at the wrong end of spooky experiences and re-enacts them for viewers.

“We’ve always be interested in the documentary with dramatization genre,” says OHM president Joe Houlihan. “You have people telling true stories that are dramatized. There is an audience that’s really interested in the paranormal, from true believers to skeptics. It’s a scenario where, if you find the right stories, the first-hand accounts are utterly compelling.” That’s certainly the case of the folks producers spoke to for Paranormal Survivor. In Friday’s return episode, hobby farm owner Al recounts how the feeling of dread he felt arriving home every night evolved into being bear-hugged by an unseen force; Karen of Fenelon Falls, Ont., describes a harrowing history of sexual abuse at the hands of an unseen assailant; and Kristen tearfully recalls her dead aunt chasing her.

Far from being salacious, Paranormal Survivor simply presents the victims’ stories, corroborated by the investigators who took on their cases and observed something strange going on. Everyone believes something happened to these people, but exactly what is up for discussion. Houlihan explains victims told their tales, writers put together the scripts and actors were cast to re-create those terrible moments; the result is truly chilling footage you should watch with the lights on.

Where does Houlihan fall on the spirit scale? He’s a skeptic too, though he admits to an encounter of his own.

“I lived in a 100-year-old house in the U.K. and I saw an apparition of an old lady,” he recalls with a laugh. “It wasn’t anything scary or threatening, but it was something where you say, ‘OK, that was weird.’ In my heart of hearts, I know what I saw.”

Paranormal Survivor airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on T+E. The network is currently in a free preview.

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Bitten, Featured

Bitten prepares for the end

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With the series finale scheduled for next Friday, April 15, Bitten‘s newest episode, “Shock the System” is definitely a shocker both literally and figuratively. Episodes of the Space original aren’t for the faint of heart normally, but this one, written by Will Zmak, is particularly brutal, boasting physical and mental stresses put on everyone.

Here’s what to expect on Friday night.

Jeremy and Roman face off
Captured by his henchmen, Jeremy and Roman finally go mano a mano, but in a very unexpected and calculated way. Zmak draws the conversation out between the two men—Roman verbally volleys, Jeremy deftly backhands and Roman delivers a forehand smash—until your fingernails are embedded in your palms. It’s then the men confront each other untethered and full of raw rage. It’s brutally beautiful scene showcasing Greg Bryk and Daniel Kash’s acting chops.

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Can Konstantin be trusted?
Sure, he promised to team with Jeremy and help take down Roman, but when push comes to shove, will Konstantin really dispatch his Pops and assume control of the Russian pack?

Alexei goes rogue
Shattered by Katia’s death and seeking revenge, Alexei vows to kill Roman. Will Sasha convince him doing so would be a costly mistake?

Elena as Alpha?
Fresh off Jeremy giving her Alpha status, Elena meets with Clay, Nick and the others to discuss their next move. Elena’s proposition will take the pack in a new, uncharted direction. Her speech to the ragtag bunch—accompanied by a string soundtrack—is touching and intense and almost dethrones Jeremy and Roman for scene of the night.

Elena vs. The Albino
The scariest villain to enter the world of Bitten, The Albino continues his bloody path of destruction, targeting Elena and Clay as his next victims. I’ve seen plenty of psychological movies and dramas in my lifetime, and The Albino’s actions in “Shock the System” are truly horrifying. You’ll be disgusted, terrified and super-stressed out.

Bitten airs Fridays at 10 p.m. ET on Space.

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Featured, Vikings

Vikings heads to new heights

Last week, I’d reflected on how we’d never seen Ragnar Lothbrok so soundly beaten. Aided by Rollo, Count Odo and his troops not only beat back the river attack but wiped out several viking boats and countless warriors. That marine battle sequence was one of the most impressive in Vikings so far. Until this week. Yes, Thursday’s new episode, “Portage,” is the most visually stunning so far … and intense too.

Here’s what to expect on Thursday night:

Ragnar and Floki’s bromance rekindles
It’s been no secret Floki was upset about being supplanted by Athelstan. So much so he killed the Christian. But after being strung up by Ragnar and suffering the death of his daughter and near-death of wife Helga, Floki is back in Ragnar’s good graces. And not a moment too soon: the duo come up with the most technologically impressive feat ever to plot against the French. Rollo’s warning to Emperor Charles that Ragnar will return is indeed prophetic.

Viking visions
Dreams are a huge part of Vikings‘ storytelling, and Torvi has a doozy involving Erlendur and Bjorn. So far everything The Seer has told our main characters has come true; does Torvi have that same gift, or was it all a (day)dream?

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Count Odo vs. Rollo
The past few weeks have been taken up by Roland and Therese plotting Odo’s demise. That all comes to a head during “Portage” and Rollo suddenly finds himself to be a very powerful man in the Emperor’s court.

King vs. Queen
Ecbert’s journey has been an interesting one this season. Whereas I miss the days when he and Ragnar hung out, got drunk and caroused, it’s been fun as heck watching him make chess moves not only around his kingdom but within his own palace. Now that Judith is more or less in his back pocket, Ecbert announces he is the king of Mercia and Wessex. That does not sit well with Kwenthrith, and we know what she gets like when she’s angry, don’t we?

Ragnar clears his head
Ragnar’s dependance on Yidu’s herbs has been sad to watch. They’ve dulled his senses and made him a weak warrior. That’s not the Ragnar I like, nor the one his people enjoy hanging around. The good news? He’s down to his last bit and will be able to work with a clear head against the French. The bad news? Yidu won’t make him any more.

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

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