Tag Archives: Saving Hope

Murdoch Mysteries: Writer Noelle Girard discusses “Mary Wept”

Spoiler alert! Do not read this until you have watched the “Mary Wept” episode of Murdoch Mysteries.

Murdoch Mysteries fans can thank Noelle Girard for that super-creepy visual of the Virgin Mary weeping tears of blood in the beginning moments of “Mary Wept.” The new member of the Season 11 writing room not only pitched the bloody tears but also planting a body inside the statue. That part of the story didn’t stick but the instalment was memorable nonetheless thanks to a dead infant, George Crabtree’s return and the engagement of Constable Higgins to socialite Ruth Newsome.

We spoke to Noelle Girard about “Mary Wept” and how she came to be on Murdoch Mysteries.

Before we get into this week’s episode, let’s start at the beginning: how did you get into writing for TV in the first place?
Noelle Girard: I never studied screenwriting. I have a degree in art history from the University of Toronto. But even then, I knew that I wanted to be a writer. I was writing on my own and having various jobs. It was only when I started to write TV scripts, on my own, that it really felt right. And then I got an agent. Two years ago I was on Saving Hope and last year I was on Murdoch.

What were some of the scripts you wrote before you got a TV job?
I wrote a couple of original ones, all hour-long dramas. The one I think [showrunner] Pete [Mitchell] read was a pilot for a projected six-part murder mystery, so that was a good one for him to read. I also have written one about espionage in Antarctica.

How did Murdoch Mysteries come about?
I knew Mary Pedersen—we’ve been friends for a couple of years—but I think my agent just sent my work to Pete and we had an interview. I think he’s really good at making the writer’s room full of great people. We’re all friends and it’s a really fun atmosphere. He was so great letting me and Natalia come up with our own ideas and really run with our own scripts and guiding us very well.

What do you learn in a writer’s room peopled with folks like Peter and Paul Aitken?
Paul is great because he’s Mr. Murdoch. He’s been on the show since Day 1 and knows everything. Also, it’s such a skill to write a self-contained mystery. That was a very steep learning curve for me; just how to write a murder mystery where you don’t have a lot of dead ends, or cul-de-sacs as they call them, or false leads. You keep the mystery unfolding. That’s what I tried to do with my episode.

Has your art history degree come into play on Murdoch Mysteries?
[Laughs.] I love arcane, esoteric phenomenon. That’s why I came to the room and said, ‘What about a statue that cries blood? And there is a body inside!’ Pete and Paul both said, ‘I think we can do better than that.’ [Laughs.]

So that was your idea?
Yes, the initial kernel was my idea and then everyone else just ran with it and it became this big, complex mystery. It was really fun. I’ve been really lucky, first at Saving Hope and now on Murdoch, because both rooms have been so open and inclusive and with really smart people.

What type of writer are you? Are you able to write in a room full of people, do you prefer music playing when you write?
No, I don’t like music. I do have to go away sometimes because I do love a good chat and in the Murdoch room we can just chat the day away. [Laughs.] Sometimes I have to sequester myself. But I don’t like going away for a long time from the room because you still have to stay connected to the room. Things can always change. It was a lot of writing at night and bringing it in the next day.

Let’s get in your episode. Did you get a chance to meet the director, Megan Follows, and speak to her?
Yes, we had a script meeting before she started directing and we spent a couple of hours going through the scripts. She was amazing. I mean, she’s Megan Follows!

How did the idea for having a statue cry blood come about? Were you inspired by something in particular?
When we convened before Season 11 we all came to the room with ideas. One of the original pilots I had written was about nuns, so I guess that was still fresh in my mind. I pitched a church and a statue crying blood. I think Pete really likes ideas that give him a world and when I said that, he realized we hadn’t had an episode in awhile where we had Murdoch going to church. We all seized on these ideas of Murdoch’s faith coming up against science and how he would grapple with that.

Not only did you address William’s faith, but the faith of others.
Also, things come out during the writing and we decided to have some fun with Watts, who is kind of the philosopher of the bunch. It comes out that he’s quite interested in this phenomena.

Everyone was happy to see George back. It was fun to have him be a braggart, comparing everything to the way things were in Paris.
[Laughs.] That was mostly Pete. He was like, ‘Let’s have a little bit of fun with Crabtree being obnoxious.’

I was a little surprised that Higgins and Ruth really got engaged. I kept waiting for something to stop them … like Josephine being thrown out the window. How long has it been in the works that these two would be engaged?
Early on we were wondering about their relationship and where that would go. We thought it would be fun for one of our gang to either be engaged or be married. When I was pitching it, I said, ‘And he throws her from the bell tower!’ And somebody else said, ‘Where Higgins is proposing to Ruth!’ [Laughs.] That was a great collaborative moment where we all just died laughing.

It was pretty dark to have the infant’s skeleton buried in the garden.
Because I’m new to Murdoch, when we were working on the story I said a couple of times, ‘Can we do this?’ And everyone said, ‘Let’s go for it.’ It’s really a testament to Pete and how fresh he keeps it. He loves the show and wants to push the storylines while still keeping it in the Murdoch world. He always wants the best story.

Is there a particular character you like writing for?
I do love Brackenreid because my whole family is from Yorkshire, so I love sneaking in some Yorkshire sayings. And everything you give Siobhan Murphy, who plays Ruth, will knock it out of the park. I always love when Murdoch and Julia have a nice moment together, so I love writing those moments. I love seeing them having a giggle together or play around together.

Murdoch Mysteries airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on CBC.

Images courtesy of CBC.

 

 

 

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Dan Levy and Julia Chan bake up fun on CBC’s The Great Canadian Baking Show

Never underestimate the power of social media. That’s what Schitt’s Creek co-creator, executive producer, writer and star Daniel Levy learned when he tweeted his love for The Great British Bake Off and announced he’d be honoured to host a Canadian version of the culinary competition if that was ever in the cards.

“I had tweeted, quite naively, that if it ever came to Canada that I’ve love to throw my hat in the ring,” Levy says with a smile. “Almost immediately I started getting these responses, ‘It is for sure coming to Canada.’ ‘It’s happening.’ And then I inevitably got the call asking me if I would actually be interested. I said yes.”

Levy fulfils his dream on Wednesday when The Great Canadian Baking Show debuts at 8 p.m. on CBC. As if helming the homegrown version of your favourite program wasn’t enough, Levy does it with one of his best friends in Julia Chan; the former Saving Hope actress (who went by Julia Taylor Ross) joins him as narrator and co-host.

“We are great friends and were watching The Great British Bake Off together and Dan got involved,” Chan recalls. “Dan threw my hat in the ring, I got a call, went through the process and, apparently, we have good chemistry.”

“Watching this show and kind of colour commentating through the whole process, I was like, ‘I have a friend, she’s never hosted before but I think she would be a great, fresh voice for the show,'” Levy explains.

The Great Canadian Baking Show is fresh on a couple of levels. First, unlike other culinary competitions such as Top Chef Canada and MasterChef Canada, this is all about the baking. That, for watchers of those other shows, is often the hardest challenge put towards competitors thanks to the unforgiving science behind baking. You can fly by the seat of your pants when searing a steak. Not so when baking a multi-tiered cake. Second, The Great Canadian Baking Show is light-hearted and fun. If Wednesday’s debut is accurate, we’re in for one heck of an enjoyable ride. Levy and Chan are natural hosts, walking amongst the 10 home bakers, tasting here, asking questions there and genuinely having a good time.

Of course, the program isn’t all crumpets, tea and giggles. Each of the eight episodes contains three rounds—the Signature Bake, Technical Bake and Show Stopper—judged by baking legends Rochelle Adonis and Bruno Feldeisen. At the end of each episode, one home cook will be eliminated. This season’s 10 competitors represent a thick slice of Canada, from Regina CFO Vandana Jain to Victoria animator Jude Somers, from Toronto human rights lawyer Corey Shefman to Montreal graphic designer Sabrina Degni. All have a passion for baking and a flair for drama on a platter. Wednesday’s challenges force the 10 competitors to up the ante with regard to cakes and the results are stunning.

And while Levy is a longtime fan of The Great British Bake Off, he’s not so great in the kitchen, admitting to just one item in his culinary repertoire: frittata.

“I don’t have any culinary experience, but I do have a lot of opinions,” he says with a laugh. “That’s something that I can bring to this. I can’t bake a thing, but I can eat.”

The Great Canadian Baking Show airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on CBC.

Images courtesy of CBC.

 

 

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Comments and queries for the week of August 25

Loved [Saving Hope]. The ending was bittersweet and though it really stretched the tragedy, let face it, in real life there are few storybook endings. Very impressed with the entire cast, and Erica Durance’s work in the last episode showed a depth of emotion which was palpable. I found the shot of Charlie seeing her elderly hands as her kids were preparing for Alex’s passing, achingly painful. However, her meeting Charlie in the afterlife mirrors what I think we all hope for—we shed the years of age and earth bound sorrows to return to our best selves with those we love. The only thing that would have made it better was having not only Charlie but Alex’s mom, brother, Joel … her loved ones who arrived before she did, meeting her on the beach. —RR

Very disappointing to watch the last episode tonight. I cried not only for the way the show ended but I watched it on my wedding anniversary. I lost my husband almost four years ago and I also have a son and daughter. Hits so close to home. —Marsha

I truly loved this show and it breaks my heart that it’s over. Every single time there is a great show that becomes really popular it seems like someone or something has to either leave the show or the show is ended. I’m just going to stop watching TV altogether so I’m not disappointed all the time. —Melissa

So sad it;s over. Loved this show. —Sandy

I can’t believe this show is over. They need to keep it on. —Joanne


I think 19-2 is the finest Canadian drama ever produced. Period. Dan Petronijevic did a masterful job with an unsympathetic character—glad J.M. went out a hero, and his suffering ended. —Robert


The [Amazing Race Canada] two sign thing was a perfect trick! A task after both the Detour and Roadblock was a surprise and good Leg design. But you know it ran way later than production wanted. No self-driving this Leg. Little surprised nobody got the beer task. Kinda annoyed they made two of three international episodes non-elims but they foreshadowed it with the Mother Day’s thing. Though that means no more saves after this. Sympathy from another southpaw to Bert. Poor Korey, first his bladder then this uniform. —DanAmazing

 

Got a question or comment about Canadian TV? Email greg.david@tv-eh.com or via Twitter @tv_eh.

 

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Comments and queries for the week of August 18

Fans react to Saving Hope‘s series finale, Part 3

I hated the ending. I wanted to see the love they had for each other and, finally, have a long life together married. Instead, Charlie dies. I loved this show, please bring it back it was the best show on Tuesday nights to look forward to. All the good shows get taken off the air; not a good idea. Tuesday nights will never be the same. —Joann

This show had great potential but took some ridiculous/illogical (unrealistic) plot twists. The final episode—killing off Charlie—ruined the whole show and made everything that came before it hollow and a waste of time. This is not Shakespeare; movies/television of this type are escapism, and the last thing people want in a show like this is the permanent sense of disappointment associated with the show by ruining all the time and emotion invested in the previous episodes with a final, dreadful, tragic, unhappy ending, like in the show The Wonder Years. People deserve the happy ending in entertainment that they seldom get in life, and when they don’t get it, it is a betrayal. I did not see every episode and was fully prepared to buy the series on DVD. I won’t waste my time and money: if I want to experience the pain and disappointment every episode will be tainted with from now on by knowing the final outcome of the series, I can just experience it every day in real life. —R

Terrible ending. Why would anyone hope after that ending? Too many bad things happening to this couple and you end it by actually killing their lives together. Hope … I think not. Worst ending ever. Forget the reruns. —Gloria

Having to get up at 5 a.m. for work after watching Saving Hope til wee hours of the morning was tough but I couldn’t miss an episode. I was hoping that Charlie’s death was a dream and that he really didn’t die. I truly hope that the show’s creators come up with another show of this stellar quality. I am so sad that it had to end this way. Thanks to all for keeping us entertained. There is no other show out there that can touch it. —Kathleen

Great show … I will miss it. Very sad ending. Maybe it might come back with the child having the gift after the accident??? —Valerie

 

Got a question or comment about Canadian TV? Email greg.david@tv-eh.com or via Twitter @tv_eh.

 

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Comments and queries for the week of August 11

Saving Hope fans sound off on the series finale, Part 2

HATED the finale. This entire season was not right. But that finale was just such a letdown. There was no reason to go out like that. —Mike

Loved watching this show on ION here in Pennsylvania USA. Tears flowed last night at the finale; will miss my Tuesday nights watching it. Had the perfect ending though, I must say sad but then the happy moment at the end! —Tina

Why can’ t we have shows with happy endings? Enough sadness in the world. —Patty

I’m so sad I could cry. I loved this show, looked forward to it every week. I wish you would have figured out a way to keep this show going. :( —Lillian

I loved this show. I was so upset with the ending. I think it was good how they did get Charlie to help out with giving other people a second chance but still, I think Alex and Charlie should have had that second chance too. I cried so hard when they said he died. It was like a part of my family had died. I hope somewhere down the way they somehow bring it back. It was a great show with a great cast. Going to miss it greatly. —Debbie

I wasn’t surprised you decided to end the show as you did, but I would have been happier for Charlie and Alex to just ride off into the sunset. I thought that they had put the two characters through enough and that once they finally got married they and their love would have finally come full circle. Maybe have a remake and change the ending to Charlie not dying. Those of us who have experienced so much of it in their lifetime it really is hard. Thank you for the five years!!!! —Lori

I loved this show but I was very upset when I realize Charlie would not survive. I wanted that so badly. With all they went through I was so hoping they would get their happy ever after. —Evelyn

I didn’t think I’d like Saving Hope when it first came on. But I saw the first episode again after I saw the second episode and I’ve been hooked for all five seasons. It was good when they came on in back-to-back episodes. The ending was great. Great show. I hope all the actors come back on TV sometime in the future. —Walter

I will miss this show very much, but I am glad that Charlie and Alex finally got married and I pray we will see more of all these actors and actresses! Blessings and favour over your careers! —Colleen

I enjoyed the show and sad to see it end. It is fitting that Alex and Charlie would be together in the end. —Randall

 

Got a question or comment about Canadian TV? Email greg.david@tv-eh.com or via Twitter @tv_eh.

 

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