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Preview: Tara Spencer-Nairn guest-stars on Frankie Drake Mysteries

I love watching Tara Spencer-Nairn act. I first came across her work in a little show called Corner Gas. I think most know her from playing Officer Karen Pelly on Corner Gas in the live action TV show, movie and animated series, but she’s turned in some incredible dramatic roles. Two recent standouts for me was an episode of Saving Hope and a mini-arc on Killjoys. (And if you’re not already following her on Instagram, you really should.)

All this is my way of saying if she’s on-screen a series is better for it. So I was thrilled to see her name in the credits for Monday’s episode of Frankie Drake Mysteries. She portrays Ida Pike, a woman who asks Frankie and Trudy to find her missing husband.

Here’s what the CBC has revealed as the storyline for “Radio Daze,” written by Cal Coons and directed by Ruba Nadda.

Mary (Rebecca Liddiard) is acting in a radio drama, but when she realizes the play is a cover for a heist, she must find a way to warn Frankie (Lauren Lee Smith).

And I’ve got more details after watching the instalment in advance.

Mary Shaw, Morality Officer
I’d almost forgotten Mary had that title, but I was reminded during her stint on the radio, where she reminds listeners to, among other things, not venture into the woods alone. And certainly not without sensible footwear. There’s also a nod to Lillian Gish that had me scrambling to my Google machine to learn more about the actress, writer and director.

A salute to Orson Welles
The nod to Lillian Gish isn’t the only reference to real history in Coons’ script. The radio show has a distinct The War of the Worlds vibe about it that makes this storyline even more enjoyable.

More guests
Tara Spencer-Nairn isn’t the only familiar face in 1920s Toronto. Look for recent Wynonna Earp visitor Justin Kelly—who portrays broadcasting great Foster Hewitt—and Kevin Jubinville. Grace Lynn Kung and Romaine Waite check into their recurring roles as Wendy and Bill. Speaking of Bill, he’s started acting strangely and Trudy is worried he’s keeping secrets from her.

Frankie Drake Mysteries airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

Featured image courtesy of CBC.

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Featured, Frankie Drake Mysteries

Preview: Frankie Drake Mysteries hits the dance floor

Welcome, Frankie Drake Mysteries fans, to the latest Season 2 preview. Last week, Frankie ran afoul of an old foe and triumphed in the case of a counterfeit piece of art destined for the Royal Ontario Museum.

What shenanigans will she and the girls get into this week? Here’s what the fine folks at the CBC have revealed for “Last Dance.”

Trouble follows Frankie and the ladies of Drake Private Detectives on a night out at the Palais Royale when a contestant in a dance marathon is kidnapped. Suspicious, Frankie recruits Flo to investigate while she and Trudy look further into the case. The gals find the wealthy sponsor of the dance marathon, wearing the contestant’s jacket. Mary stays behind in case the kidnapper returns. 

And I’ve got the scoop on more entertaining tidbits after watching a screener of the episode.

The ladies are shaking it up
One of the many things I love about Frankie Drake Mysteries is the soundtrack. Each week we’re treated to fantastic sounds from the 1920s. This Monday the ladies take to the dance floor and get grooving. (For some insight into the filming of the opening scene read She Does the City’s story.)

Alan Davies stops in
The British actor, who has starred in such projects as Damned and Jonathan Creek, guests as the Palais Royale’s owner … and a major pain in Frankie’s behind. And Anthony Lemke returns as Det. Greyson.

Trudy and Tickles
Trudy reconnects with an old friend during the course of the investigation and gets a taste of jazz.

An inadvertent tie to Murdoch Mysteries
They’re on the same night of the week and on the same network. And, during Monday’s investigation, Frankie Drake Mysteries and Murdoch Mysteries feature the University of Toronto in their storylines. And, in the case of Frankie Drake, a very famous doctor factors into it.

Frankie Drake Mysteries airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

Images courtesy of CBC.

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Frankie Drake Mysteries

Link: Steve Byers talks Frankie Drake Mysteries, Shadowhunters and Goalie

From Heather M. of The Televixen:

Link: Steve Byers talks Frankie Drake Mysteries, Shadowhunters and Goalie
“Bingham is what Indiana Jones’s real story is kind of based on. He’s treasure hunter. When I actually read it, it wasn’t quite the way I had imagined it but it was still a lot of fun. The fact that I got to reunite with Lauren and Wendy was enough to sell me on it, too.” Continue reading.

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Featured, Frankie Drake Mysteries

Preview: Frankie Drake Mysteries returns with a change in tone in Season 2

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There are changes afoot in Season 2 of Frankie Drake Mysteries both behind and in front of the camera. As its production company, Shaftesbury, and CBC announced earlier this year, James Hurst took over showrunning duties from Cal Coons. Co-creator Michelle Ricci, meanwhile, has moved on pen Hallmark’s Hallie Dean Mystery movies starring Kellie Martin.

Fans will notice changes in front of the camera. As Hurst told me recently, a shift in tone has taken place for the series’ sophomore season. Serious themes will still be addressed, he says, but there will be less heavy storytelling.

Here’s what the CBC has released as an official synopsis for “The Old Switcheroo,” written by co-creator Carol Hay and directed by Ruba Nadda:

In the Season 2 premiere, Frankie (Lauren Lee Smith) learns that her mother Nora (Wendy Crewson) has joined the board of the Royal Ontario Museum, promising to bring an influx of treasures to the museum’s fledgling antiquities collection. Frankie and Trudy (Chantel Riley) investigate a break-in but find nothing’s been stolen. Meanwhile, Flo (Sharron Matthews) and Mary (Rebecca Liddiard) are embroiled in a mystery of their own after discovering a body in the morgue has been intentionally misidentified. 

And here are more observations from me after watching a screener.

Is Nora going legit?
After a lifetime on one side of the law, can Nora exist on the other? It would seem that’s her goal. Though, her promise to bring more treasures to the ROM had me wondering how she’d get them while staying above board. Speaking of the ROM, it’s a stunning backdrop in Monday’s return.

An X Company star drops by
Yes, I still miss Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern’s excellent Second World War drama terribly. The hurt was tempered a bit by getting to see Lara Jean Chorostecki back on my screen. She portrays Marian Hartley, a woman whose past is tied to Frankie’s. As with Murdoch Mysteries, Frankie Drake often drops historical references into its fictional tales. Tonight we hear about Howard Carter and Hiram Bingham III. Learn a little more about them here and here.

Flo and Mary take on their own case
These characters are great together. They’re both quirky and unintentionally funny, a winning combination in my book. Seeing Mary struggle to say a certain French dish and the pair teaming to identify the body in the morgue is a real treat. See if you agree.

An adversary for Frankie is unearthed
I’ve been waiting for someone to seriously challenge Frankie since Episode 1 of Season 1. It arrives Monday in the form of Dark Matter‘s Anthony Lemke. He plays Detective Greyson, a veteran cop who gets under everyone’s skin. Also? Slasher‘s Steve Byers drops in to play Hiram Bingham III.

Frankie Drake Mysteries airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

Images courtesy of CBC.

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Frankie Drake Mysteries

Links: Frankie Drake Mysteries, Season 2

From Sabrina Furminger of YVR Screen Scene:

Link: Lauren Lee Smith dishes on second season of ‘Frankie Drake Mysteries’
“Their relationship is volatile and they don’t see eye to eye, ever. He definitely creates a huge challenge and huge barriers for her in season two. She has to constantly figure out how to get around him and outsmart him.” Continue reading.

From Kelly Townsend of The TV Junkies:

Link: Frankie Drake Mysteries: Lauren Lee Smith on returning to the 1920s
“We had spent a good chunk of time getting over the exhaustion of filming a TV show, so we were all so ready and so excited to come back. We all kind of had an outline of what the season was going to look like and what at least the first few episodes looked like. We were all just super stoked to get back into it and get back into these characters.” Continue reading.

From She Does the City:

Link: CBC’s Frankie Drake Mysteries inspired by post-WWI book Toronto Girl Problems
It was during a research effort for Murdoch Mysteries that Carol Hay and Michelle Ricci came across a historical book entitled Toronto Girl Problems, which was published after World War I. Continue reading. 

From Debra Yeo of the Toronto Star:

Link: We said yes to a vintage dress for our Frankie Drake Mysteries debut
Back when I was a vintage clothing-loving teenager, coveting a bona fide flapper dress, there was one thing I didn’t figure on: old-fashioned fabrics aren’t so breathable.

In present-day Toronto, attired in a dream of a 1920s dress, I am mortified to realize as I resume my place for the umpteenth take of a dance scene in Frankie Drake Mysteries that the sweat smell I detect is coming from me. Continue reading.

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