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Comments and queries for the week of Jan. 9

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Three TV shows and one story took hold of readers this week. There was lots of praise for Donald Sutherland’s Pirate’s Passage and The Book of Negroes but Lost Girl fans have started to lose faith in the final season. Meanwhile, readers weighed in on D.K. Latta’s piece for The Huffington Post. Check out the link to read one particularly insightful observation.

My wife and I just watched Pirate’s Passage. Wow, that really was very good, very top-class and well done. I’m 64, and I wish we’d had Canadian stories like this to read and on TV and as literature studies in school when I was growing up. Thanks to all for Pirate’s Passage! Please do lots more.–Steve and Tracy

I just finished watching Pirate’s Passage, and already I want more. This is a wonderfully produced project; I cannot recommend it enough to anyone wanting to enjoy a good old Canadian story.–Brandon

The Book of Negroes looks fantastic and I can’t recall such a great miniseries being made in Canada since Anne of Green Gables came out. Sure, there have been attempts, but for the most part there’s been political thrillers or issues-heavy miniseries that only appealed to niche viewers and failed ratings-wise. I am curious how The Book of Negroes will do in the ratings. There’s been plenty of promotion and the trailer is very enticing.–Alicia

The writers have not given the relationship between Lost Girl‘s Bo and Lauren much dignity. In the second show in which they were a true couple (Season 3), the writers had them flinging sarcasm at each other; not a good start for a relationship. When Bo went through the trial of the Dawning, when she emerged, there was no embrace or kiss with Lauren. Lauren was just standing there with all the others, there was no indication of them as a couple. Then shortly after that, the writers had Lauren ask Bo for a break in their relationship. She goes off to join Taft. In the 4th season, Lauren joins the Dark and foils the Morrigan, which to me indicates that Lauren wanted Bo all along, that she was trying to gain Bo’s favor by her actions against the Morrigan. And now in Season 5, they are “exes”? When did we get that discussion??–Sue

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

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Featured, Sunnyside

City celebrates the zany with wild, wacky Sunnyside

A man’s top hat gives him incredible luck. A coffee barista may be Satan himself. Babies duke it out in a mini-ring while adults bet on who will win. A house’s wall leaks blood. Townsfolk seek life advice from a disembodied voice echoing from a manhole. With all of those characters and story angles introduced in the show’s first few minutes, it’s hard to put a finger on just what Sunnyside is. So we asked star Pat Thornton.

“It’s like a sketch show that exists in a sitcom world,” he explains. “It’s all about the characters that live in the neighbourhood. Like The Simpsons, where you get to know everyone and you come back to see them. There’s no narrative that you have to follow. You just drop in and then move on.”

Created by Gary Pearson (This Hour Has 22 Minutes) and Dan Redican (The Kids in the Hall), Sunnyside boasts wild characters placed in even wilder situations. In Thursday’s debut episode, for instance, a young woman breaks off her relationship with a criminal who then goes on a shooting spree. The police arrive, and while in the midst of the firefight one female cop’s mom wanders over to chat. She’s hit by stray bullet, but keeps on talking to her daughter as if nothing has happened. In another, a husband tells his wife he’s taking their infant for a walk. Instead, he drops by a seedy warehouse to engage his daughter in Baby Fight Club. The scenes are so out of left field in their content that your first reaction is shock–how’d they come up with that??–before you break into laughter.

Sunnyside‘s cast is a who’s who from the Canadian comic and sketch world, including Thornton (Too Much Information and the Comedy Bar Comedy Podcast), Kathleen Phillips (Dan for Mayor), Alice Moran (Too Much Information), Kevin Vidal, Rob Norman (The Nut Job), and Patrice Goodman (Cracked), who assume the roles of such characters as Shaytan the devilish barista, Meth Kimmie, Handy Hank, hemp-wearing Ferg, Rookie Kerri the cop, and hot, hot yoga instructor Penny. Norm Macdonald checks in as The Hole, Sunnyside’s version of Google.

Turns out Pearson and Redican both had show pitches in to Rogers. Executives liked aspects of both projects and asked the pair to work together on what became Sunnyside.

“I know there’s a part of Toronto called Sunnyside, but this is a fictional neighbourhood,” Pearson says. “It’s kind of like Parkdale or Roncesvalles. It’s a neighbourhood in transition. There are rich people, yuppies and stuff, and some poor people, people of different sexual orientations and races and they’re all jammed together in this one place. We see their relationships and how they interact with each other, but at the same time there is magic in the neighbourhood and weird things happen.” (See: the bleeding wall.)

If ad time is any indication, City has high hopes for Sunnyside. The network has been splashing promos for the comedy series all over prime time, something Thornton isn’t used to, but welcomes.

“It was a huge vote of confidence,” he admits. “I like the angle that we take with this show. It’s just, ‘Let’s get weird.'”

Sunnyside is certainly that. And undeniably funny.

Sunnyside airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on City.

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Featured, Saving Hope

Review: Saving Hope divides the heart

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After that tense midseason finale, it certainly was a bit of a slower paced beginning that ultimately built up momentum during Wednesday’s two-hour premiere of Saving Hope. Minus the spreading news of Alex’s pregnancy and Molly’s drug overdose, the first hour was more of a primer for the emotional fallout of the battle for a heart transplant and the reaction to Alex getting knocked up. But more on that plot point later.

There was, however, an overabundance of terrible personalities plaguing the halls of Hope Zion during the first hour, “The Parent Trap.” First there was Tammy, the MMA fighter so aggressive and defensive it was nearly impossible for Charlie to do his job. Naturally, Charlie was able to thaw her frosty exterior (with a little help from his ghostly capabilities) to find out that Tammy’s medical problems were rooted to her secret lupus diagnosis. But despite my dislike of her character, I really appreciated that Tammy’s spirit wasn’t a huge part of the episode and it simply helped Charlie solve her medical mystery before bringing her back to the land of the living. The spirits are a huge part of Saving Hope but it’s nice when they aren’t constantly in Charlie’s way, as was the case for both “The Parent Trap” and the second hour’s episode, “Hearts of Glass.”

Also bringing down the good vibes of the hospital was Elliot Stout, a litigation-friendly Bay Street bulldog (so not in the Kyle Lowry way) who believed he was entitled to a donor heart over sweet foster mother, Leila, pulling an ethical and legal card the hospital couldn’t ignore to get it. No surprise why we never saw anyone visiting the guy during his lengthy stay. It was an especially brutal storyline since we’d already become well acquainted with Leila and her relationship with foster-daughter Giselle throughout the two episodes, so to see him steal Leila’s heart and watch the soon-to-be-mother die hours later was just terrible.

Taking the situation hardest of course was Dawn, who forged an interesting relationship with Giselle while the girl watched over her future mother. Dawn’s brash attitude sometimes doesn’t sit well with me, but seeing her offer the girl small comforts was a solid reflection of the good within her character I sometimes can’t see. And seeing Leila cross over to the other side when Dawn gave Giselle a hug of comfort was another touching moment for her character.

Then there was the return of Molly, Dana’s seriously troubled daughter (who reminds me way too much of Modern Family’s Sarah Hyland for some reason). Not only does Molly not know what the Find My Phone app is (perhaps she was thinking of Find My Friends, which is a little more upfront with its creepiness), she basically forced Alex into a weird position as the middleman in her fight with her mother. Luckily it worked out for the best to have Alex there, what with Dana’s inability to function as a doctor when Molly overdosed, and the mother-daughter pair were finally able to somewhat have an honest conversation about her dangerous habit.

Undoubtedly the biggest splash of the night was Alex’s casual admission to Dawn that she was indeed pregnant, something that made me do a double take to ensure I’d heard right. Of course with everything going on between Alex, Charlie and Joel (out on bail and still miraculously allowed to work at the hospital) the pregnancy wrench and who’s the daddy mystery just makes things 10 times more awkward between the three. But hey, Dana’s going to be a great godmother!

Although the two were at each other’s throats a bit about the paternity mystery, they were able to band together in order to work on a patient (played by Degrassi grad Adam Ruggiero). The two always have a remarkable capability to put their work before their intertwined personal lives, but until Alex gives the go-ahead for that paternity test, things are only going to get more tense between the three from here.

So who do you think is the real father? Place your bets with Zach now, or let us know in the comments.

Notes:

  • I can’t believe how calm Charlie was reacting to the news of Alex’s pregnancy. His nice guy status is only reaffirmed through instances like this.
  • As Maggie mentioned, the thought of someone making hot dogs in a coffee pot is both disgusting and intriguing to me.
  • Grade Your M.D. made me chuckle only because of how often I’ve used Rate My Professor to look up my teachers. And yes, the hotness rating is a real thing.
  • Best line of the night goes to Charlie: “Joel?! Kills a guy and he’s still employee of the month.”

Saving Hope airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on CTV.

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Featured, Mohawk Girls

Review: Mohawk Girls Find their “Rez Balls”

Written by Carolyn Potts

In this, the jam-packed season finale of Mohawk Girls entitled “Rez Balls” — written, directed, and produced by Tracey Deer and co-produced by the essential Cynthia Knight — we open with the latest contestant on “Finding Bailey’s Prince”.

*Cue the game show announcer voice*: “Today’s contestant is Aaron (played by Matt Cassidy). Aaron owns a successful women’s fashion boutique in Montreal. He is a devout Jew and believes in repairing the world. He has also been seen to treat the homeless with respect and dignity.” Bailey (Jennifer Pudavick) decides this guy is definitely a contender.

Our theme tonight appears to centre on being brave enough (or perhaps reckless enough) to do what you most desire (i.e. grabbing life by the “rez” balls) rather than worrying about how society will react.

We start with Zoe’s (Brittany Leborgne) plight following her Bridesmaidzilla breakdown. Zoe is holed up in bed afraid to face the world. Caitlin (Heather White), Anna (Maika Harper), and Bailey attempt to provide moral support, key word being attempt.

Ultimately conversation comes back to team #Thana (“Be still my beating Heart” Thunder played Kyle Nobess). The girls are surprised to learn Anna has broken her “Three Month Rule”. The realization that Anna actually regrets her decision and is considering a sexual hiatus until it “feels right” laid the foundation for my favourite one liner from Caitlin: “You can’t feed the beast and then starve it!” Anna is still feeling the pressure to conform to the rules of “Being a Mohawk” and still fears word of her 48.2% blood quantum number will leak out to the community, thus ruining any progress she has made to fit in.

Caitlin stays with her bestie Zoe and talk turns to Caitlin’s relationship with Butterhead. Caitlin is fearing that their baby will grow up just as she did, not knowing the love of her father and constantly living with that heartache. Zoe delicately suggests an abortion will break the cycle, saying “that women lose babies all the time. No one needs to know how she lost her baby.” Interestingly, Caitlin’s initial fear is how the community would react to that decision rather than the actual loss of her baby.

In the meantime, Bailey agrees to dinner with her father (Glen Gould) and Auntie Velma (Ashley Michaels). They voice their concerns about Bailey dating non Mohawks. Bailey retaliates, shocking them with the news that she has dated a wide assortment of “non-Mohawk- non-white” men. This argument prompts her call to Aaron and a date ensues. All appears wonderful. Aaron seems like the perfect guy. Sparks fly and the chemistry works.

Unfortunately for Bailey, even though they had a lot of “fun”, it is ironically Aaron who turns the table on Bailey. He announces that he can never date anyone who is not Jewish. Following her disappointment, Bailey heads to the bar to lick her wounds, and indulges a bit too much. Her advances on Thunder are rebuffed, he firmly declares he is with Anna and in response Bailey lets slip that Anna does not meet the Kahnawa:ke’s 50% blood quantum. Tulip (Jayli Wolf) overhears this shocking news.

We return to Zoe, found drinking alone. She receives an online message from a potential Dom and she informs him of her need to be punished. This leads to a meeting with “Dom” (Kyle Switzer) wherein he supplies a list of activities for Zoe to categorize according to interest and curiosity (borrowing on a very popular “50 Shades” moment). She ultimately agrees to be Dom’s submissive partner. Her training begins at once with lessons on demonstrating her sexuality.

After a two episode hiatus, Meangirl Vicky (Rachelle White Wind) returns tonight with her posse, taunting Anna once again. This time however, Anna stands up against Vicky which seems to engender a modicum of affection (is it just me or did Vicky’s makeup make her look a bit softer tonight?) Here’s to hoping we find out why Vicky uses her meanness as a defense mechanism next season.

Meanwhile it appears Caitlin has made a decision regarding the future of her baby; she is waiting in the Dr’s office for an abortion. She is desperately trying to reach Zoe for moral support. The heartbreak is once again clearly evident, but Caitlin is desperate to ensure she is not party to perpetuating the cycle of emotional neglect that she herself is a victim of. Zoe of course cannot be reached as she is otherwise engaged in her lessons. Caitlin once again puts on a brave face and forges ahead.

This final episode “climaxes” with a drunken Bailey, tired of being the good Mohawk girl and throws caution to the wind. She gives in to newlywed Trumpet’s (Kevin Loring) advances and they hook up outside the bar. At the same time Anna’s worst fear is realized and she is publicly confronted by Tulip who proclaims to all who will listen that “Hat Girl Anna” does not meet the 50% limit. Anna finally stands up for herself and takes Tulip down in a bar fight.

And so we close this premiere season not knowing if Caitlin goes through with an abortion. We don’t know how Zoe will react to her lessons. We are left to wonder whether or not team #Thana will survive or if Anna’s heart will be broken by Thunder. Will Anna finally be accepted as a true Mohawk? Finally, what will word of Bailey’s hookup with Trumpet mean to her, and her relationships with family, friends, and within the community? We will have to wait until next season to find out.

What a fabulous run ladies (and gentlemen). This has been such a treat to see and learn more about Mohawk culture, but best of all to be entertained but such a uniquely Canadian show. Thanks to the brilliance of Ms. Deer and Ms. Knight, and the fabulous assortment of actors they managed to collect, viewers have been given a program that showcases a part of Canada so rarely seen in such a positive light, and that anyone, regardless of your Mohawk Blood Quantum Number, can identify with on some level. Cannot wait for next season!

Let me know what you think will happen in season two in the comments.

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Featured, Uncategorized

Canada Says Yes to the Dress

Turns out Canadian ladies love ruching, drop waists, sweetheart and bling on their wedding dresses too. So I learned watching (while checking the spelling of “ruching”) the first two episodes of Say Yes to the Dress Canada, debuting Wednesday on W Network.

And while I may have been surprised by the excitement, tears and drama generated during wedding dress fittings–complete with eye rolls and judgyness from the bride-to-be’s entourage–it wasn’t new to bridal stylist Joseph Spencer.

“The bride is the most important thing,” Spencer explains. “We listen to the bride and get her feeling. We know when she turns in the mirror what she’s feeling in the gown, even though her mother, sister, friend or brother isn’t interested in it or are negative. When a dress is right and they come out, it’s magical. They’re wearing the gown, the gown is not wearing them, they glow and the crying starts.”

Spencer, in the business for over 40 years, and Rachelle Pollari, co-owner of Amanda-Lina’s Sposa Boutique in Woodbridge, Ont., serve as the backbone of Say Yes to the Dress Canada, the series’ advisors and supporters through the girls’ journey to find the perfect frock for their wedding day. W Network’s iteration of the series doesn’t deviate from the U.S. franchise in its structure–future brides seek out the perfect dress and take a twirl in front of family and friends–but Pollari notes one big difference: money.

“There are a lot more girls who have a budget in mind rather than in the U.S.,” Pollari explains. “Price in the U.S. is almost no object. In the U.S. I’ve seen prices from $5,000 to $10,000 to $15,000. We carry that range, but we find the Canadian girl is more conservative and wants to have a dress that looks like $10,000 but cost $1,500.” That can be a challenge for Pollari and her staff, but they try their best to facilitate a bride’s requests, including combining two dresses into one.

“Show me a picture and I’ll make it!” she laughs. The ladies who travel from across the country in Season 1 include Canadian Olympic bobsledder Emily Baadsvik; Sharon, whose 88-year-old matron of honour and grandmother weigh in on her choices; two best friends who shop for dresses together; and a bride who has gone through 50 dresses prior to visiting the Pollari’s boutique.

Wednesday’s first two back-to-back episodes, “Men on Deck” and “Preconceived Notions,” are entertaining fare, the former featuring male friends and family members who weigh in on the brides’ choices while the latter boasts brides who entered the shop thinking they wanted one thing only to waver when it comes to the big decision. The gals all leave after saying “yes” to the dress, ensuring their wedding dreams will come true.

Say Yes to the Dress Canada airs Wednesdays at 10 and 10:30 p.m. ET on W Network.

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