Tag Archives: Russell Peters

Russell Peters is the Indian Detective, The Indian Detective

After shooting in South Africa and India, CTV’s new dramedy The Indian Detective starring Russell Peters wraps production in Toronto

From a media release:

CTV along with producing partners Big Light Productions and Blue Ice Pictures announced today that production has wrapped on THE INDIAN DETECTIVE, following international production in Cape Town, South Africa and Mumbai, India earlier this year. The four-part, one-hour, comedic drama, starring international comedy sensation Russell Peters in his first scripted TV series, is set to premiere as part of CTV’s 2017/18 schedule.

THE INDIAN DETECTIVE follows Toronto cop Doug D’Mello (Peters) as he becomes embroiled in a murder case while visiting his father, Stanley (Anupam Kher), in Mumbai. The investigation leads Doug to uncover a dangerous conspiracy while dealing with his own ambivalence towards a country where despite his heritage, he is an outsider.

As THE INDIAN DETECTIVE, Peters is a charming, smart, ambitious Toronto cop of Indian heritage whose dreams of becoming a homicide detective are put on hold when he is unjustly suspended.

Additional cast members also confirmed today include Canadian icon William Shatner (STAR TREK), who wrapped filming in Cape Town earlier this year playing a billionaire property developer from Toronto who may have ties to the criminal underworld.

Additionally, award-winning actor and Bollywood veteran Anupam Kher (Silver Linings Playbook, Bend It Like Beckham) stars as Stanley D’Mello, Doug’s father, a retired airline pilot who moved back to India after the death of his wife. He’s a lovable rascal, trying to reconnect with his son in his golden years. Christina Cole (Casino Royale. SUITS) plays Constable Robyn Gerner, Doug’s tough, beautiful all-Canadian partner. Mishqah Parthiepal (Snake Park) stars as Priya Sehgal, an earnest and dedicated lawyer, born into an upper-middle class family in Mumbai; Priya has chosen to dedicate herself to serving the legal needs of the poor of the Annapuri Slum.

Equal doses comedy and high-stakes drama, THE INDIAN DETECTIVE is executive produced by Golden Globe®-winning and Emmy®-nominated Frank Spotnitz (THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE, THE X-FILES) of Big Light Productions and Lance Samuels and Daniel Iron (MADIBA, THE BOOK OF NEGROES) of Blue Ice Pictures.

THE INDIAN DETECTIVE is a co-production between Big Light Productions, Blue Ice Pictures, Wonder Films, and Bell Media. The series was created, executive produced, and written for Russell Peters by Spotnitz and Smita Bhide (HUNTED, TRANSPORTER: THE SERIES). The series is directed by BAFTA award-winner Sandy Johnson (BENIDORM, JONATHAN CREEK) and produced by Trevor Hopkins (FORTITUDE, CUFFS). It is executive produced by Blue Ice Pictures’ Daniel Iron and Lance Samuels (MADIBA, THE BOOK OF NEGROES), Wonder Films’ Mark Burton (Water, Tallulah), Russell Peters (HIP-HOP EVOLUTION), CPI Pictures’ Clayton Peters (Breakaway, RUSSELL PETERS VERSUS THE WORLD), and Paul Canterna. Co-executive producer is Sharon Remmer (THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE, MEDICI: MASTERS OF FLORENCE).

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Russell Peters is the Indian Detective

Link: Russell Peters was willing to wait for his own TV series

From Bill Brioux of the Canadian Press:

Link: Russell Peters was willing to wait for his own TV series
Russell Peters isn’t modest when it comes to how much he makes for a living.

When he was being honoured at the Banff World Media Festival last week, he was introduced by Elaine (Lainey) Lui, co-host of The Social, as the Canadian comedian who made $20 million last year. Continue reading.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: Alan Thicke’s Unusually Thicke renovates for Season 2

Listen, as long as you realize every scene in Season 2 of Unusually Thicke: Under Construction is a set-up, you’ll enjoy the heck out of it. Yes, Alan Thicke, wife Tanya and son Carter are back for another go-round—this time on HGTV because, well, they’re renovating their house—Unusually Thicke once again explores the exploits of the Kirkland Lake, Ont., native many know as Mike Seaver on Growing Pains.

Returning Thursday with two back-to-back episodes, Alan, Tanya, Carter and guest star Wayne Brady strap on tool belts, pick up hammers and start renovations on Thicke’s sprawling home. Oh, wait a minute, no they don’t. Instead, Episode 1 follows Alan and Carter as they trade $100 for Alan’s stolen cell phone and Wayne swings by to drop off a redneck golf tournament gift bag (containing press-on nails, double-A batteries and baby oil) to Tanya. Anyone expecting to see the key cast doing any kind of manual labour will be disappointed; they merely pick up the phone and order others to do the work.

And you know what? I’m fine with that because Alan, Tanya and Carter are a hoot going through their scripted everyday lives. How scripted? Well, what are the chances Alan’s cell phone is stolen and the Find My iPhone app used to locate it minutes after Alan tells Carter he is going to use that app to track his son while he’s away at college? And yet that’s exactly what happens, complete with a dimly-lit meet in a parking lot where the “thief”—whose face, unlike Cops, is shown the whole time—gets $100 from Alan for returning the phone. I’m using quotes around the word thief because no other criminal would stick around with camera crews milling around Alan’s car. Carter in particular puts in a strong performance in Thursday’s debut, rolling is eyes and delivering playfully snide remarks at his father’s expense.

As for home renovations in the return? Tanya orders crews to fix the cracks in the tennis court, replace the hot tub’s heater and empty out the septic tank. Mike Holmes this trio ain’t, but that’s OK because they’re fun to watch.

Unusually Thicke: Under Construction airs Thursdays at 10 and 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV.

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Featured, Spun Out

Review: Russell Peters highlights Spun Out’s return

Better late than never. Five months after Spun Out was supposed to debut on CTV immediately following the Super Bowl, Dave Foley’s Canadian sitcom returned to the air. There’s been a lot written about the reason for the delay—co-star J.P. Manoux’s arrest—and the resulting burn-off of the sophomore sitcom over the summer months that was announced just two days ago.

Manoux grabbed a lot of headlines, but changes occurred on the show too. The first season was filmed in front of a live audience, but this second go-round jettisoned that. With a new way of filming and high-profile guest star Russell Peters dropping by, how did Episode 1 of Season 2 of Spun Out fare?

Written by Fraser Young and Nick Beaton and directed by Dave Foley, Peters brought great energy to “My Brother’s Speaker,” playing Ray, Nelson’s (Al Mukadam) DJ brother.

It didn’t take long to discern there was no love lost between Ray and Beckett (Paul Campbell) thanks to an arm bar and a chirp about living in your parents’ basement (“Remember your parents basement from this morning because you just left there because you still live there?”). But rather than fall back on an easy back-and-forth, episode long feud between Ray and Beckett, it was Nelson who ended up angry with Ray after he’d arranged for a DJ showcase and Ray didn’t bother to show up. The reason? Not because Ray was a jerk, but because he had a day job he was ashamed of.

Holly Deveaux—who I really enjoyed in Season 1—was given a lot more to do as Abby on Tuesday night, fully involved in a storyline where she and Stephanie (Rebecca Dalton) thought they were being hustled at poker by Bryce (Manoux) and Gordon (Darcy Michael). Stephanie was a portrayed as a vacuous blonde in Season 1 and it looks like the writers have backed off on that a bit, which is a welcome change. (Michael continues to be a bright spot too; his out-there comments as Gordon always make me laugh, though I wonder what skills he has to stay employed at DLPR.)

My biggest pet peeve about this new season of Spun Out is going to be the canned laugh track. Rather than just letting the jokes stand on their own merit, punchlines are juiced in post, something I hate because it assumes the audience doesn’t know when to laugh. Spun Out certainly isn’t the first show to do this, but I don’t think it’s needed.

What did you guys think? Comment below or via @tv_eh.

Spun Out airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CTV.

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