From David Wiegand of the San Francisco Gate
Link: Pure too messy for its own good
“Pure†isn’t. In fact, the Canadian import premiering Friday, July 7, on Hulu is a watchable mess.
The series is about drugs, violence and Mennonites in Southern Ontario. Created by Michael Amo, “Pure†is about an upstanding citizen who gets tied up in the illegal drug trade and finds his moral compass set spinning by what happens to him. Continue reading.Â
From Amy Glynn of Paste:
Link: Hulu’s Cardinal Is a Watchable, but Not Unmissable, Whiteout Noir
Actually, Cardinal had me unconvinced at first, but I warmed up to it because of the delicate precision with which it anatomizes people uncovering one another’s hidden layers and buried secrets and old traumas. Continue reading.
From Rob Thomas of The Captial Times:
Link: Bingeworthy: Hulu’s ‘Cardinal’ finds murder and corruption in the Great White North
“Cardinal†is engrossing and deliberately paced, and as a native Canadian and now Wisconsinite, I’ve seldom seen the impenetrable white of a Canadian winter portrayed on screen as well as it is here. So, even though it’s the dog days of summer, wrap up in a blanket and get pulled into this chilling mystery series. Continue reading.
From Josh Sorokach of Decider:
Link: Embrace The Soothing Paint-By-Number Charms Of Crime Thriller ‘Cardinal’
Already renewed by CTV for two more seasons, the confident drama knows exactly what it is and plays to its strengths, which includes Campbell’s doleful portrayal of dogged detective John Cardinal.  Continue reading.
From David Wiegand of SF Gate:
Link: Multiple mysteries keep ‘Cardinal’ flying on Hulu
Screenwriter Aubrey Nealon is masterfully stingy with the script, carefully doling out information about Cardinal and other characters in very small but tantalizing doses.
The performances are quite good, although Campbell speaks all of his lines is a somewhat loud whisper. It feels at times like an affectation, but otherwise, he invests the right about of credible angst to make the character compelling. Continue reading.
From Nancy Tartaglione of Deadline:
Link: Hulu acquires CBC crime drama ‘Pure’
In their first SVOD deal, Cineflix Rights and Hulu have pacted on Cineflix Media’s new Canadian crime drama Pure. Under the agreement, the series will air exclusively on the streaming service in the U.S. The Michael Amo-created Pure launched at MIPTV earlier this month and recently premiered on the CBC, winning its timeslot and becoming the network’s top new drama. Continue reading.
From a media release:
Prairie Dog Film + Television announced today that CBC has acquired the broadcast rights to air seasons three, four, and five of the hit drama, Blackstone. CBC previously broadcast seasons one and two as part of the network’s 2015 National Aboriginal History Month programming. Broadcast and digital platform details for the remaining seasons will be announced at a later date.
Known for its “ripped from the headlines†approach to storytelling, the Blackstoneseries is a fictional yet authentic drama series that explores the raw and real dynamics of family, power and politics on a First Nation reserve. Told through the entertaining and all-too-real storyworld of Blackstone, the series delves into prevalent and present day issues affecting Aboriginal communities, including: the missing and murdered Aboriginal women epidemic in Canada, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, oil and gas exploration on reserves and the devastating effects of the residential schools. While the portrayal can be dark, Blackstone is both the story of a community plagued by corruption, violence and injustice, and the inspiring story of the undying hope and resilience of people fighting for a better life in the midst of adversity.
Blackstone’s award-winning, predominantly Aboriginal cast includes: Carmen Moore, Eric Schweig, Michelle Thrush, Nathaniel Arcand, Steven Cree Molison, Tantoo Cardinal, Andrea Menard, Glen Gould, Justin Rain, Cheri Maracle, Jessica Matten, Ray G. Thunderchild, and Georgina Lightning, with appearance by Jennifer Podemski, Garry Chalk, and John Cassini.
Blackstone is produced by Prairie Dog Film + Television, with Ron E. Scott as Showrunner & Director, Jesse Szymanski as Co-Executive Producer, and Damon Vignale as Writer/Producer. The series currently broadcasts in Canada on APTN, in the United States on Hulu and HuluPlus, in New Zealand on Maori Television, and in Australia on SBS/NITV.  Blackstone has been nominated for 86 awards, including its most recent nomination for Best Dramatic Series in the 2016 Canadian Screen Awards.
