Critics Vote: Top 10 Canadian Shows of 2015
In this time of Peak TV there are countless viewing options out there for television fans. With so many choices it’s harder than ever to prioritize what to watch, let alone narrow down the Top 10 Canadian Shows of 2015. But that’s exactly what we’ve tried to do here with the help of 15 television critics and writers from across Canada. We asked them to put together a list of their top 10 Canadian television shows from the past year. We gave 10 points for No. 1, 9 points for No. 2, 8 points for No. 3 and so on. The overall list was then determined by the cumulative point total for each show. Continue reading.
Women Behind Canadian TV: Sherry White
“I have mentored a fair number of younger women and I really believe in fresh, young voices. I know I’m not the only woman or writer that feels that way. One thing people can do is find somebody who is willing to mentor them, or work as an assistant because any kind of foot in the door is the best way to get in there. Many of our great, fantastic writers–Ley Lukins, Noelle Carbone, Katrina Saville–all began as assistants and worked their way up. I have worked with this woman Lisa Rose Snow who is my assistant, and she’s someone who would do everything from edit my scripts to run my errands, but I, over time, have really invested in her voice and she’s somebody I want to hire and want to work with. So taking those jobs that might not be an immediate start as a writer, I think still pay off if you can do a good job at them.” Continue reading.
Congratulations to Tatiana Maslany, who was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for her extensive work on Orphan Black.
“#CloneClub & #clonesbians, this bud’s for you. Thanks buddies :)” Maslany tweeted to her 207,000 followers minutes after the nominations were announced for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
Maslany plays Leda clones Sarah, Alison, Cosima, Helena, Rachel and Krystal on Space’s sci-fi series, which just wrapped up its third season. (One could argue Maslany should have a category all her own, but how would we choose a favourite clone!?!)Â She faces off against Taraji P. Henson (Empire), Claire Danes (Homeland), Robin Wright (House of Cards), Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder) and Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) in the category.
The Saskatchewan native was nominated for a Golden Globe for Orphan Black, and has won a Canadian Screen Award, two Critics’ Choice Awards and a Gemini Award for the roles.
Meanwhile, Degrassi garnered a nomination in the Outstanding Children’s Program category. The long-running drama, which is jumping from MTV Canada to Family Channel for 2016, is nominated alongside Alan Alda and The Actor Within You, Dog with a Blog, Girl Meets World and Nick News with Linda Ellerbee.
Calgary’s Semi Chellas was nominated for her fifth Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series on Mad Men and Edmonton’s Michael J. Fox received an Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for The Good Wife. Jeff and Mychael Danna are nominated for two awards for music for an episode of Tyrant and Jeremy Podeswa is up for a directing award for his work on Game of Thrones. Jonathan and Drew Scott received a nomination in Outstanding Structured Reality Program for Property Brothers.
“… the ring in his bedside table was apparently taken off his dead father, Emperor Ishida, after he was murdered by his son … a son identified as Four.â€
But recall in the pilot that Five said she remembered living in the palace “until they killed my father and came after me. I could have killed them but I didn’t. I carved out their eyes and left them for my stepmother to find, the bitch.†When Two asked her, “You carved out their eyes?†Five answered, “Well, in the dream it was me, but it wasn’t wasn’t really me, because it wasn’t my dream.†Now we know it was Four’s dream, and that it wasn’t a dream, but a memory.
So according to Five’s memory of the events, Four didn’t actually murder his father; it sounds like his stepmother had the father murdered and then pinned it on Four. —Kathode
Thanks for clearing that up; I had totally forgotten that hint from Episode 1.
I live in Pretoria, South Africa, and when ITV choice started we first saw Murdoch, but Season 8 has just ended, so we are are looking for Season 9. Hope George is cleared. Wouldn’t be the same without him, but I believe he leaves the series. —Margaret
I identify with Alison all the way. She’s the one with the most “normal†life of the clones, I know a few women in real life very similar to her. I gotta respect how she manages to hold her family together (rehab stint aside) despite all the craziness going on around here. And you have to respect her ambition to be School Trustee and Drug Queen at the same time.
Also chose Jon Montgomery. He anchors the show well and you can see enthusiasm for it each year. The U.S. one has ran for 26 seasons so you can understand why Phil seems tired but it still dampens things a bit. —Dan
Got a question or comment about Canadian TV? greg@tv-eh.com or via @tv_eh.
Sarah Manning and her sister clones have proved to us once again that they are a force to be reckoned with in the third season of Orphan Black. While the last two seasons gave us some unexpected plot twists and reveals, the third was just as riveting.
Here’s a closer look at some of the most outlandish, perplexing, and downright shocking moments of a season that veered off into some unexpected (yet delightfully entertaining) directions:
Sarah Attacks Ferdinand In the premiere episode, “The Weight of This Combination,†Sarah kicks us off with an attempt at murder. She poses as Rachel (who’s still recovering from being shot by Sarah with a pencil fired from a makeshift gun), to get to Ferdinand, a Top-Side employee looking to get rid of all the Leda clones. We almost see her succeed by strangling him with a belt until Delphine intervenes and tells her to stand down. Considering his conspiracy with Rachel, it goes without saying that we all wanted Sarah to fully carry out the murder.
Bedroom Dance Performance by Alison and Donnie Alison and Donnie Hendrix celebrate their new found wealth in one of the more irreverent but incredibly entertaining and lighthearted moments in the sixth episode “Certain Agony of the Battlefield.†We find the two busting out some hilariously bizarre moves in their undies as money flies everywhere not unlike a typical rap music video. Considering how serious things were getting with the unfolding new information about Project Castor, this scene cut the tension tremendously.
Mrs. S and Helena Fight… Then Make Up The seventh episode, “Community of Dreadful Fear and Hate,†finds Helena hungry for Siobhan’s (a.k.a. Mrs. S) blood after she found out about Mrs. S’ betrayal. But when she attempts to get a rise out of her, Mrs. S refuses to fight since Helena is pregnant. After a few thrown punches, the scene de-escalates with a tight embrace and Mrs. S’ acceptance of Helena into the family.
Felix Pretends to Be Straight In order for Rachel to decode Duncan’s book, Sarah must get her out of Dyad to somewhere far, far away. This requires the identity of another clone who is not self-aware: Krystal Goderitch. Sarah and Felix come up with a plan to steal her ID and passport with Felix pretending to be a straight man with an American accent getting a manicure. Their flirtation is more than awkward, knowing that Felix is actually gay. Either way, it makes for an amusing scene.
Helena Murders the Drug Dealers After failing to get the refund from the drug dealers in the second to last episode of the season, “Insolvent Phantom of Tomorrow,” Helena (in a not-so-convincing disguise as Alison) and Donnie are on their way out when Pouchy’s niece threatens Donnie and Alison’s kids—a big mistake. Moments later, there’s a high body count as the Portuguese drug dealers take the full brunt of Helena’s rage. It just goes to show that you don’t mess with a mother and her babies, even if they aren’t biologically hers.
The third season of Orphan Black presents several new dynamics to the series. The drama in this season is countered by some refreshing comedic moments, proving that there’s much more to this show than meets the eye. Check out what makes Orphan Black so amusing and groundbreaking by re-watching past seasons in Canada on CraveTV and CTV, where Season 3 will be rebroadcast starting on July 4 (and on Netflix, DirecTV and Comcast Xfinity in the U.S.). Although science, drama, and action are at the forefront, it’s the smaller details that many of us look forward to. It’s these very elements that add to the anticipation of what’s to come in season four next year.
