Tag Archives: Featured

Featured, Orphan Black

Interview: Ari Millen juggles clones and werewolves

Kingston-born actor Ari Millen performed in high school plays and used to play with a school’s camera equipment to make “weird slasher movies” with his childhood friend, though he had his eye on the NHL. But when a separated shoulder interfered with his hockey plans, he joined an improv team and ended up solidly on the path to actor instead of goalie.

He had just finished filming the upcoming werewolf movie Hunter’s Moon when he spoke to Anthony Marco for the TV eh B Cs podcast about his career, including his training, theatre background, and his most famous role to date — as Mark in Orphan Black.

Fans got a shock at the end of season two when his character was revealed to be part of a set of male clones. “Me included,” Millen interjected.

“When I signed on I was told I was in the first six and then I’d have a glorious death,” he explained. “An Orphan Black death is an Orphan Black death – they are pretty great. I was really hoping Helena would take me out in some gruesome way.”

“I got the script for script and I read it and I thought, ‘I’m not dead.’ Then seven came, and eight came, and I’m not dead. Then I got a phone call.”

Creator Graeme Manson finally told him he was going to be the male clones. “I’d just thought my character Mark was going to survive the season and that was good enough for me.” Instead, he’s poised to perhaps be another Tatiana Maslany on the show – we’ll find out when season three airs.

Listen to the full interview here, including discussions about growing up in Kingston and transitioning to Toronto, learning by watching on set, and JUST wrapping the film Hunter’s Moon. Plus a little obligatory talk about growing up goalie and grasping for a lost Italian word… chinotto!

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Featured, Heartland

Review: Heartache on Heartland

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Raise your hand if you knew that kiss between Prince Ahmed and Amy was going to have an impact on her relationship with Ty? Yeah, I did too, but I have to admit I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly. That’s going to put a damper on the hero worship Georgie has got going for Amy right now.

Season 8 of Heartland–CBC’s Sunday night stalwart–opened magically with Amy resplendent in a tight-fitting dress and a sexy updo as she attended a goodbye party held by Ahmed for his European Equestrian squad. His gift of a sparky, diamond-encrusted necklace served as a precursor to the smooch that would have Georgie freaking by episode’s end.

Heartland has always been a show that’s flown under my radar, garnering the ratings to be renewed via loyal fans yet a program I’ve only seen in passing. I’m looking forward to watching on a weekly basis for TV, Eh? simply because it’s a change of pace front my usual series choices and boasts a stellar cast. At the top of the list is Amber Marshall; she and co-star Graham Wardle have literally grown up playing Amy and Ty, and by now they’ve embraced the characters they portray. Amy’s arrival back at Heartland after months away was met with a chest-crushing hug by Ty that quickly turned sour when they learned the land they’d planned to buy had been sold out from under them.

Compounding the stress of losing the land was Georgie being under Amy’s feet. She had taken on all of Amy’s chores while she was away and the ranch hummed along, leaving Amy to wonder exactly what her place was at Heartland. That, coupled with jet lag, Ty buying a new truck and the knowledge that Jack had secretly married Lisa (that sure got Lou hot under the collar) reduced Amy to tears of frustration. The one place she relied on to be a firm foundation in her life had been upended.

By the end of Heather Conkie’s script for “There and Back Again,” Ty and Amy had made up, but the kiss Georgie witnessed online is going to get back to Ty at some point. That, along with the fact Ahmed gave Amy that necklace, is going to test their strength as a couple and challenge their trust.

Other thoughts

  • Why was Jack so reluctant to tell the family that he and Lisa were married? Was he ashamed?
  • Does anyone else think it was kind of jerky for Tim to make that horse deal knowing it would screw up Ty and Caleb’s plans?

Heartland airs Sundays at 7 p.m. on CBC.

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Canada's Smartest Person, Featured

Preview: Canada’s Smartest Person an addictive test of intelligence

Are you the type of person who is naturally successful at word puzzles? Do you wow your friends with your sports prowess? Think you’re just all-around more intelligent than everyone else in the room? Canada’s Smartest Person may very well be for you.

Debuting Sunday at 8 p.m., CBC’s rollicking game show goes beyond the standard I.Q. test–dismissed as too narrow to gauge real intelligence–to find the Canadian who is successful in a total of six categories. After an exhaustive cross-Canada search, 32 finalists compete in the categories of Math & Logic Intelligence, Visual & Spatial Intelligence, Body & Kinesthetic Intelligence, Linguistics Intelligence, and Musical Intelligence and Interpersonal Intelligence.

Sunday’s two-hour debut introduces viewers to the first four finalists–who by the time the episode ends is trimmed to one who moves on to the finals–and co-hosts Jessi Cruickshank and Jeff Douglas. Cruickshank, known for her personality co-hosting The Hills After Show on MTV Canada, is a natural to corral the show finalists. Her reactions to blunders and successes are classic, as are the numerous ways she contorts her body in a physical reaction to how well the finalists fare. Or don’t. As It Happens Happens co-host Jeff Douglas is the dude who explains the six ways of measuring intelligence and serves as the at-home viewers’ guide through app and online game play. Slow and steady, he’s the one with the task of explaining the results as they arrive in real-time from across the country.

But the real star of Canada’s Smartest Person is the online and smartphone app available for viewers to play along at home. With an easy-to-use interface and plenty of instruction by Douglas, viewers are encouraged to play along in games that are related to–but not always exactly like–the games the show’s finalists are playing. Enter a few extra bits of login information and at-home players can see how they rank against friends and family and other participants across the country. It’s adds a level of fun, addictive game play that honestly at times overshadows the television series.

Canada’s Smartest Person airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on CBC.

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Featured, Package Deal

Review: Package Deal’s sloppy seconds

“Sloppy Seconds” is the title of Package Deal‘s second episode, but it might as well refer to how the sitcom was treated last week. Airing U.S. shows in simulcast meant the Canadian original was bumped off City’s primetime lineup last Friday for Utopia, not the best of news for a sitcom that attracted under 100,000 viewers for its Season 2 return.

Friday’s script, written by Denise Moss, saw the gang keeping various secrets from each other. In the case of Kim, it meant trying to keep several from Danny. Sheldon staying at his little brother’s place while asbestos was removed from his apartment (asbestos he had put there himself, it should be noted) bothered Kim so much she left for her own place, Danny in tow. The revelation that she was an utter slob–clothes were strewn everywhere and takeout Chinese food was rotting on the coffee table–grossed out the finicky Danny. Tempering that turn-off was the titillating second secret: Kim used to sport a D-cup and had her breasts reduced. Kim’s trust in Danny was shattered when she left for work and Sheldon, Danny and Ryan started snooping and found a list of men Kim had slept with.

Danny, unable to control his jealous streak, just wasn’t able to keep the list to himself and the pair had a spat. I took sides with Kim on this one; that all was in the past and had no bearing on the couple now.

The B-story concerned an interesting little fling between Ryan and Nikki, and Ryan keeping the tryst from his brothers for, like, a minute. Ryan and Nikki, from sides of the track so far apart you’d need binoculars to see them, nonetheless were attracted by those differences and–with a muscular bully as the lightning rod–tumbled into the sack together. Jay Malone’s high-strung Ryan paired with Jill Morrison’s Nikki made for an entertaining handful of scenes and I’m hoping the duo keep this thing going. A natural plot evolution would see Nikki and Sheldon hook up, putting the brothers at odds over the flame-haired vixen.

Friday’s episode advanced the character of Kim–we learned about her past and were shown she had somewhere to sleep when she’s not at Danny’s–and I’m looking forward to more tidbits. I’m also hoping City is able to keep Package Deal on their schedule for viewers to find it.

Package Deal airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on City.

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