Actors, regardless of gender, reach a point where they start playing parents onscreen. Character actors know this more than traditional leading actors.
Unfortunately, there has been a stigma in Hollywood over female actors and their decision to play mothers. The worry is that they won't be seen as "sexy" or "desirable" once they have played a mother.
The concept is a bunch of bull[droppings] since a woman's "desirability" shouldn't decrease a drop just for playing a mother. Also, men don't have this stigma and they aren't usually as involved with the children onscreen.
Rachel McAdams (she's Canadian) is playing Barbara Simon, mother of Margaret, in Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Without knowing (or caring) about her age, she would seem old enough to play a woman who has a daughter about 11 or 12. Not a stretch. Hoping Hollywood still thinks of her and other female actors as viable in the roles she is used to playing.
Natalie Portman rolled the dice on this topic a few years back when she played the mother of Jacob Tremblay's character in Xavier Dolan film The Death and Life of John F. Donovan in 2018. Portman's strategy might have been to play a mom in a film that might not have all that much traction in the United States.
Portman did a really nice job in that film. The scene where she is chasing after him on the sidewalk was highly powerful. As far as most of Hollywood knows, Portman never played a mom in a film.
I thought the film was better than most people thought, though I can feel their complaints about the film.
English Canada argues that they don't have a star system, and we generally agree. Quebec has its own actors, most of whom don't peek out into the English side.
Macha Grenon leaps into my head because I seen her play mother roles in English (The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom) and French (Familia). Grenon also played a mother as the lead in Nouvelle adresse on Ici Radio-Canada Télé. English Canadians might know This Life, which is the English language adaptation on the CBC.
Perhaps Grenon is known for doing well playing mothers and has that look. Plenty of American female actors play mothers and are often typecast in those roles.
We've seen Grenon play non-mother roles in French (Days of Darkness | L'Âge des ténèbres from Denys Arcand) and in English (Barney's Version).
Molly Parker is seen saying goodbye to her daughter as she goes off to university in Essex County. That isn't quite the same as she does very little mothering in the 5-episode miniseries this spring on CBC. Her character provides some work as a aunt, which is like a mother but not a mother. Parker does a number of U.S. based projects but again, few in Hollywood will know Essex County even exists.
Parker played the mother of Kit (Dylan Authors) in Weirdos (2016) from Bruce McDonald. Then again, her character was not going to win Mother of the Year.
Tatiana Maslany won an American Emmy and 4 (out of 4) Canadian Screen Awards for her roles in Orphan Black for 5 seasons. Sarah Manning was a mom to her daughter Kira (Skyler Wexler). Kira was smart enough to know which one was her mother, despite the clones. Cosima Niehaus did interact with Kira more than the other clones; Rachel Duncan, not so much.
Then again, with Maslany also playing Alison Hendrix, Helena, and several clones, maybe the motherhood part got pushed to the side. Siobhan Sadler (Irish actor Maria Doyle Kennedy) was more of a mother to Kira than Sarah was, having served as the foster mother to Sarah and Felix (Jordan Gavaris).
The Canadian system offers a lot more flexibility for female actors. Grace Lynn Kung, who is the lead in Wong & Winchester on Citytv, also plays a mom on Sort Of. Amanda Brugel played 7ven's mother on Season 2 of Sort Of. They aren't being typecast in Canada.
The hope is that Hollywood overhauls its view on female actors, especially lead female actors, to realize that playing a variety of roles enhances a female actor instead of diminishing them for playing a "mother."
Rachel McAdams playing the mother in the movie adaptation of a Judy Blume novel should be the catalyst that changes the Hollywood mindset toward female actors. Even when they get to play grandmothers, female actors are still viable in my film world.
photo credits: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret; The Death and Life of John F. Donovan; The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom; Orphan Black
Getting Sarah Polley or Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers would be worth a podcast listen of the highest order. Having a podcast episode with these great Canadian filmmakers having an in-depth conversation without interference from a host is worth putting off other podcast episodes to the backburner.
The NOW magazine podcast dates back to last September before Women Talking broke out for Polley but after Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy came out for Tailfeathers.
As long as the conversation was, I could have listened for another hour. They have a healthy respect for each other's work and ask meaningful questions about the other's thought process to filmmaking.
The Maple Popcorn podcast has a Season 2 with 6 new episodes. Host Marriska Fernandes is back with more interviews with Canadian film and TV people.
Season 2 features conversations with Shasha Nakhai (Scarborough), Martin Edralin and Priscilla Galvez (Islands); Allan Hawco; Michael Greyeyes; Karen Robinson; Hamza Haq; and Joshua Jackson.
You can find out details for Season 2 as well as Season 1 of Maple Popcorn.
The podcast is produced by The Brand is Female with Telefilm Canada.
NOW magazine has some cool Canadian film episodes dealing with TIFF films from last September. A good conversation with Black Ice director Hubert Davis, producer Vinay Virmani and hockey player Saroya Tinker on the relationship between hockey and Canadian identity.
The intriguing conversation with I Like Movies director Chandler Levack made me want to see this Canadian film a second time.
You can find out more about these and other podcast episodes.
We note that Canadian theatres aren't required to air Canadian films, unlike radio stations with Canadian music. This leads to a dominance of American films at Canadian theatres.
A key problem in Canada for any film is Cineplex's 75% market share in Canada. As bad as 75% sounds, figure that in smaller markets, that figure jumps to 90% or 100%.
I confess I didn't know how bad the situation was in Canada until I heard this podcast episode from Commons (via Canadaland) on the Canadian theatres monopoly.
CBC News also has coverage on the difficulties for independent cinema forced to wait longer than normal for films to come to those theatres.
Guests on the podcast episode include Barry Hertz (The Globe and Mail), Corinne Lea, Andy Willick, and Sonya William.
We would love to know of other podcasts dealing with Canadian film. If you know of a podcast on that topic, even if just for an episode, feel free to leave a comment. Thanks.
photo credits: NOW magazine; Maple Popcorn video credit: NOW magazine
When we think of departed sports franchises in Canada, most people might think about the Montréal Expos. Kathleen Jayme thinks about her Vancouver Grizzlies.
6 short seasons in Vancouver. The NBA opened its way to Canada in 1995 for Toronto and Vancouver. The Toronto Raptors had their struggles and stuck around. Why not the Vancouver Grizzlies? The Grizzlie Truth is out to find answers.
Basketball was invented by a Canadian (James Naismith). The Toronto Huskies hosted the first Basketball Association of America, frontrunner to the NBA, in 1946.
Jayme is a superfan and talks to other superfans of the Grizzlies. She talks about the popular support for basketball in her home country of Philippines and adapted that in her home in Vancouver.
Stu Jackson gets a lot of blame for why the Grizzlies stay was short. Steve Francis is another villain in his own way. Vancouver drafted Francis but he didn't want to come to Vancouver. The only negative he listed was taxes. The story was remnant of Eric Lindros with Quebec Nordiques, except the Nordiques got a lot more value for Lindros than the Grizzlies got from Houston for Francis.
Jayme got to talk to both of them in a rather surprising fashion. Did they answer every question every fan had? No. They answered quite a few questions.
She touches on the Canadian teams being placed in a huge disadvantage by the NBA. This was not done before or since to other expansion teams, only for the Canadian teams. The new teams were not allowed to make a pick in the top 5 in the regular 1995 NBA draft. The Raptors and Grizzlies were also not allowed to get the top pick for their first 3 seasons, even if they were to win the draft lottery. They were not allowed to use their full salary cap for 2 seasons.
The Raptors and Grizzlies suffered severely from these restrictions. Vince Carter (Raptors) might have been a key force for why the Raptors stayed.
The NBA had played in places such as Buffalo, Cincinnati, Baltimore, St. Louis, Kansas City, and twice in San Diego. Memphis wasn't necessarily a better destination for the Grizzlies as Oklahoma City wasn't for the Seattle SuperSonics. The NBA had the potential for great rivalries with Portland (Trail Blazers), Seattle, and Vancouver but sacrificed that for smaller cities in the U.S. south.
Unlike people ironically wearing Montréal Expos hats, the Grizzlies haven't been all that visible in the 20+ years since leaving Vancouver. Jayme takes a bold move and goes to Memphis to see if she can love these Grizzlies. Those fanbases that have lost a franchise wouldn't dream of going to the new place.
We won't give away what happened but this bold move might lose some of the people on her side throughout the documentary.
The documentary is a good catharsis for fans who have lost a franchise. Finding answers as to why a franchise disappears is often futile but there is meaning in the search. The NBA didn't have a strong commitment to succeeding in Canada and not a strong sense of where franchises can succeed. Vancouver is a very strong market to support a NBA team but if the league can't see going back to Seattle, there will never be another chance in Vancouver.
There is a generation that knows little to nothing about the Vancouver Grizzlies. If you are a fan of Vancouver, the NBA, or both, The Grizzlie Truth will be a good watching experience.
The film was screened in Toronto at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema in late 2022 with a brief Canadian theatrical run earlier this year. The Grizzlie Truth is available in Canada via Crave.
video credit: YouTube/Cargo Film & Releasing photo credit: The Grizzlie Truth
Gordon Lightfoot died earlier this week at the age of 84. An amazing Canadian singer-songwriter with a 5+ decade career. The Order of Canada. Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald might be your most favourite or least favourite Gordon Lightfoot song. Neither for me. Lightfoot had an amazing international career yet he kept Canada as his base. He also showed Canadian musicians that you could do both.
This won't be a typical obituary in the classic sense. Listen to the hits and pick out songs you may not have known, such as Cotton Jenny.or Canadian Railroad Trilogy.
Our tribute starts out with an offbeat look at Lightfoot as a prolific singer and songwriter. SCTV had this really funny skit where Lightfoot sings every song ever recorded. A very Canadian idea.
CBC Radio seemed like a good place to remember Gordon Lightfoot. The special Q episode devoted the entire show to the memory of Gordon Lightfoot, including an interview with Anne Murray. Murray McLauchlan and Tom Wilson were also guests on the program hosted by regular Q host Tom Power and Commotion's Elamin Abdelmahmoud.
Nicholas Jennings, who wrote Lightfoot the biography, was a guest on The Current with Matt Galloway.
He's been in my life as long as I can remember, first through his songs, then by writing about him through the decades. Proud to be his biographer. R.I.P. Gordon. Condolences to his wife Kim, his children, grandchildren, bandmates and friends. @lightfoot365#gordonlightfootpic.twitter.com/Xv2nOKUeCc
Peter Mansbridge on his podcast The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge will also look back at the life and career of Gordon Lightfoot. You can hear that on SXM Canada or wherever you get your podcasts.
I saw Gordon Lightfoot a few years back in person. I wish it was in Massey Hall in Toronto, where Lightfoot might have the record for playing the most dates of any artist there. The theatre was intimate. Lightfoot physically wasn't at his best but still put on a really good show.
I loved how much the fans knew the songs I did not know. You forget all the really great songs he had. Hits a plenty but simple songs I had never heard and still enjoyed. One of the radio guests pointed out there were lots of unreleased songs because he was so meticulous to make sure they were where Lightfoot wanted them to be.
"A must for huge Lightfoot fans and a nice primer if you only know the major hits."
If you think you know a lot about Gordon Lightfoot, you will still learn a lot about him from the 2019 documentary Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind. Saw the film at the 2019 Windsor International Film Festival. I know we say we learn a lot from documentaries. I had no idea and was blown away.
“I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Lightfoot as a child – he spent the afternoon in the Gatineau Hills with my family, and it is a memory I will always cherish." Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said this as part of his statement on the death of Gordon Lightfoot.
We tease about the prominent Canadians with the first name Gord or Gordon. We lost Gordon Pinsent earlier this year. We lost Gord Downie from The Tragically Hip in 2017. Gordie Howe passed away in 2016.
Ranger Gord (Peter Keleghan) was a part of The Red Green Show. Gord Miller is alive and a real person. There are 2 prominent Canadians named Gordon Sinclair.
Gordon Lightfoot might be the most significant of all the Gord and that is saying something in Canada.
The photo is of Gordon Lightfoot performing 100 Years Young, which was a CBC variety special celebrating Canada's centennial from 1967.
video credit: YouTube/westnyacktwins photo credit: Roy Martin/CBC Still Photo Collection; @petermansbridge Twitter capture: @nicojennings
I saw Continental, a Film Without Guns | Continental, un film sans fusil at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival. The film won Best Canadian First Feature Film at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival. I saw Tu dors Nicole | You're Sleeping Nicole (2014) from the same writer/director Stephane Lafleur.
My excitement for seeing Viking was mostly because of Lafleur's previous films. The premise was that regular people were going on a space mission but not really. The 5 people selected fit the personalities of those actually on Mars. They don't physically look like the people in space, which is why Steven (Larissa Corriveau) is a woman and Liz (Denis Houle) is a man.
David (Steve Laplante) is John, as in John is the person he is emulating on Earth to help solve potential problems with the actual astronauts. David is a gym teacher looking for more significant purpose in his life. The others on his team are Janet (Fabiola N. Aladin) as the team leader and Gary (Hamza Haq). Gary relies more on English as opposed to French than his other teammates.
They are supposed to stay in character but David gets Steven to admit she's an event planner in the outside world.
They have their own team struggles as they exist to provide help to the other team. David gets a little too into his role and overthrows Janet as the leader.
The team plays these moments as deadpan so the audience has to laugh when the need arises. David's desire for 2 sugar cubes in his coffee while the team insists on one sugar cube may not seem funny but it works in the film.
Lafleur (co-written with Éric K. Boulianne) explores interpersonal relationships and the obsession over chemistry in personal relationships. The film does not break stride, much like the obsession over the project from John/David. An office drama where you live with your co-workers.
Gary is the go along/get along person you've seen on a team. He is happy to be on the side of whomever is in charge. This gets challenged a bit when Gary has to admit to John, who is into Steven, that he is into Steven.
I see quite a few Quebecois films and haven't run into a character that spoke French but struggled in moments. An intriguing small detail.
Laplante played a more gregarious character in Babysitter, meaning he starred in 2 of the 6 nominees for Best Motion Picture at the 2023 Canadian Screen Awards. Character actors don't always leap well into being the lead but Laplante knows exactly what to do and is very easy to root for, especially when he screws up.
Viking is a rather clever film with subtle humour. The story is fresh and highly relatable. The pacing is solid and you are captivated to find out how the film will end.
Viking received 13 Canadian Screen Awards nominations, including Best Motion Picture, Best Director, Best Lead Performance (Laplante), and Best Original Screenplay. Sara Mishara won a Canadian Screen Award for cinematography.
The film received Special Mention for Best Canadian Feature Film. behind To Kill a Tiger at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. Viking did make the TIFF Top 10 Canadian films of 2022.
Viking is available on Fandor in the United States.
video credit: YouTube/TIFF Trailers photo credit: Viking
The Alberta election has a very different dynamic than what we've seen in recent provincial elections in Canada. This is a 2-party race: United Conservative Party and New Democratic Party. The race is between 2 women to be premier, though not the first time Alberta has had 2 women running to be premier. The current premier has never been elected to be premier while the other woman was elected premier 4 years ago.
Danielle Smith, then in charge of the Wildrose Party, ran in the 2012 election against Alison Redford, who was then the unelected premier of Alberta and head of the Progressive Conservatives. Smith should have coasted to a win but that didn't happen.
Now Smith is the unelected incumbent against Rachel Notley, who was premier from 2015-2019, snapping the Progressive Conservatives streak.
Welcome to the real Battle of Alberta.
There are 87 seats in the Alberta legislative assembly. The United Conservative Party has 60 seats at the dissolution of the assembly, down from 63 seats in the 2019 election. The New Democratic Party have 23 seats, down from 24 in the 2019 election.
There is an Alberta Party, Wildrose Independence, and the Liberal Party. They may disrupt a close race in some ridings but are not likely to break through. The Liberals had 1 MLA in 2015 and 5 MLAs in 2012.
The NDP will do well in Edmonton. Many rural ridings will stay UCP despite the last 4 years. The parties will do a lot of campaigning for Calgary area ridings.
Edmonton didn't get provincial help for Rogers Place. Danielle Smith and the UCP made a tentative deal to help give provincial help to a Saddledome replacement in Calgary. The catch: the UCP has to be re-elected into power.
The NDP says the issue need study. The funding fell in great part due to increased costs in building the new arena and surrounding area.
The NDP only had 3 of 26 seats in Calgary going into the election. The party dominates (19 of 20) seats in Edmonton.
There are differing opinions about whether funding for a new Calgary arena will be crucial in the election or may not amount to much in the election.
Being right isn't as important isn't as significant as being popular enough to win Calgary ridings on May 29.
Quite frankly, there should be a mature approach for all levels to get a new arena and football stadium in Calgary. The 2026 Winter Olympics would have been a good push for both but voters (the ones that voted) crushed that dream.
The Canadian politics strategy in an election loss is to give consternation to whether the party leader should stay. The NDP in Alberta smartly went: "We have a great leader in Rachel Notley. We should hang on to her."
The circumstances were different. The union of the Progressive Conservatives and the Wildrose Party was a dominant force. No matter how well the NDP did in Alberta in 4 years, the momentum was to go back to where things were.
Jason Kenney spent taxpayer money on a propaganda machine. Kenney picked fights with doctors during a pandemic. Countless violations of pandemic protocols by the government. The steamrolling of the original UCP leadership race.
Smith running for UCP leadership on the Alberta Sovereignty Act, yet the teeth on that legislation aren't as sharp as feared.
"Let me begin by saying to every girl and every young woman watching tonight: I believe in you and never stop believing in yourself. I hope that we have shown you that in your life, anything is possible. Sometimes it can feel like you take two steps forward and then one step back. But may you never ever stop taking those steps forward." — Alberta Premier Rachel Notley in her concession speech on Tuesday.
2019 brought an end to the final of 5 then premiers in Canada for parts of 2013 and 2014. Canada currently has 2 female premiers, though neither of them elected: Smith and Heather Stefanson (Manitoba). That province is scheduled for an October 2023 election. After this Alberta election, one of the 2 female premiers will be elected.
The Alberta NDP has a plan to take pressure off overburdened family doctors and make sure Albertans can get the care they need.
Health care will be a significant issue. The Kenney Government seemed intent on running doctors out of Alberta during the height of the pandemic.
The curiosity in 2015 was whether the NDP could get voters on the fence to vote orange. The idea of that 8 years later seems less surprising.
As Edmonton radio anchor and reporter David Boles noted, Smith is Alberta's 8th premier since 2006. The only one to serve a full term was Rachel Notley.
The Edmonton Oilers, not the Calgary Flames, are the Alberta team in the chase for the Stanley Cup. Voters might want to get their votes in early in case an Oilers playoff game is scheduled for May 29.
We reserve the right to write more about this election between now and May 29, like we did for the Ontario election in 2022. That depends on what happens and our anxieties. Will be curious how this CBC News project turns out for Albertans.
Netflix gave its U.S. viewers a very pleasant surprise: Season 7 of Workin' Moms, the final season. No spoilers but "emotional final season" is not a surprise. There are 13 episodes in Season 7. Canadians can catch up on the show on CBC Gem.
For those not familiar with the show, the early episodes involved the friendship of several mothers in a mommy support group. The friendship between Kate (Catherine Reitman, creator and star) and Anne (Dani Kind) showcase one of the incredible relationships ever captured on Canadian television. The frustration of later seasons is watching that slip away in many ways.
The diversity of female characters has been a joy about the show. Frankie (Juno Rinaldi) was a valuable part of the show and her departure was more meaningful than anticipated.
Smaller roles get overlooked but those characters were crucial: Jenny Matthews (Jessalyn Wanlim), who showed so many sides of her; Valerie "Val" Szalinsky (Sarah McVie), who was like an utility player, adapting to the needs of the show; Rosie Phillips (Nikki Duval) scoring comic points as Catherine's secretary without being obvious; Alice Carlson (Sadie Munroe), the troubled and misunderstood daughter of Anne. Let there be a film in 5 years when Alice reaches 19.
Alicia Rutherford (Katherine Barrell), who deserved more on-screen time but Barrell was distracted by her work on Wynonna Earp. Sloane Mitchell (Enuka Okuma) who brought some less desirable tendencies, proving how complex women are.
The men deserve their nods as well: Lionel Carlson (Ryan Belleville) trying to make it all work yet running second fiddle to Anne; Nathan Foster (Philip Sternberg) a good guy but not a perfect guy; and Richard Greenwood (Peter Keleghan), who was a guiding force in helping Catherine figure out what she wanted to do professionally.
Michelle McLeod, who played Mejal in Women Talking, makes a brief appearance in Episode 2 in Season 7. McLeod was the lead in Don't Talk to Irene.
Citytv has very few original Canadian TV shows as compared to CTV and Global. So when Wong & Winchester debuted, I was curious about how this show would fare. You could easily make the joke that Citytv can only run Canadian TV shows with an ampersand in the title (Hudson & Rex).
The premise of the show from creator Hollis Ludlow-Carroll is the mismatch of Marissa Wong (Grace Lynn Kung), an ex-cop turned private investigator, with her driver Sarah Winchester (Sofia Banzhaf), who helps solve the crimes.
There are only 6 episodes that aired this winter and your humble narrator watched one of them. The premise behind the series and the chemistry with the leads is surprisingly good. The writing isn't much better than what we get out of Hudson & Rex. Pretty Hard Cases is similar and better than Wong & Winchester right now.
Joe Cobden and Anthony Lemke are also in the cast. The focus is on the main female characters.
The writing is part of why those who criticise Canadian TV might not like shows such as Hudson & Rex and Wong & Winchester. Then again, Hudson & Rex did win the Audience Choice Award at the 2023 Canadian Screen Awards.
Grace Lynn Kung has been an asset in supporting roles: Mary Kills People, Sort Of, Frankie Drake Mysteries, Being Erica. Kung deserves a crack at being a lead. She also was in the role of Janet in the play Kim's Convenience. This show definitely deserves a Season 2 to see where the characters go.
The show also makes good use of Montréal. Good to see an English language Canadian TV show make good use of Montréal. Transplant is shot in Montréal but pretends to be in Toronto.
While Wong & Winchester is very light, we know is very good at producing dark television. Was very excited about the prospect of Essex County from Jeff Lemire's graphic novel Essex County Trilogy coming to a 5-part series on CBC. Strong cast, well-filmed, and a lot going on.
Lester (Finlay Wojtak-Hissong) is 11, loves to draw, gets picked on a lot, and just lost his mother to cancer. He lives with his closeted uncle Ken (Brian J. Smith) and wants to establish a relationship with his father Jimmy (Kevin Durand).
Jimmy's sister Anne (Molly Parker) just got her daughter off to university and is dealing with her estranged uncle Lou (Stephen McHattie), whose dementia is getting worse.
The supporting cast includes Tamara Podemski, Rossif Sutherland, and Daniel Maslany.
Saw the first episode of Essex County. Definitely up for more.
When we see lame British dramas filling holes on the CBC lineup, Essex County is more of what we need on Canada's public broadcaster. Molly Parker may not have been on CBC since Twitch City. Stephen McHattie is a legend. Good actors are drawn to good projects. Be proud Canadians of programs such as this one.
Three Pines on Amazon Prime Video is another good dark Canadian TV show. The 8-episode, 4-part mystery miniseries is based on the novel series by Louise Penny.
The series set in Three Pines, a quaint village in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, has the 4 mysteries and an ongoing storyline about the disappearance of a young Indigenous woman Blue Two-Rivers (Anna Lambe).
English actor Alfred Molina is the lead as Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. Plenty of Canadians on the callsheet, including Rossif Sutherland, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, and Sarah Booth on the investigation team. The cast also includes Tantoo Cardinal, Georgina Lightning, and Crystle Lightning.
Tailfeathers' character is an Indigenous person who doesn't know her roots. CC de Poitiers, the murder victim in the first mystery, lived in a large house she converted from a former residential school.
Unfortunately, the program only has the 8 episodes since Prime Video didn't renew the show for a second season.
We are big fans of the tv-eh.com site for information on Canadian television. Greg David wrote a cool piece on the must watch Canadian TV shows.
David mentions Wong & Winchester (Citytv) as well as CBC shows Run the Burbs and Plan B.
Sullivan's Crossing is a new series currently running this spring on CTV. Maggie Sullivan (Morgan Kohan) is a neurosurgeon from Boston who has to relocate and goes back home to Nova Scotia. American actors Chad Michael Murray and Scott Patterson are at the top of the callsheet.
Canadian actors further down the callsheet are Tom Jackson, Andrea Menard, Republic of Doyle alums Lynda Boyd and Allan Hawco, and Peter Outerbridge.
American viewers will get a chance to see the show this fall on the CW.
The Red Ketchup series is based off a graphic novel. Martin Villeneuve (Mars et Avril) is the series director so that is a good sign. The animated program is not on the air yet but will come to Télétoon la nuit (en Francaise) and in English on Adult Swim Canada.
David mentions a show named Casino but we can't track which show. Perhaps this is the show but we aren't sure. Je ne sais pas.
Love television but not always fond of the sequel. We voted Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays to the #7 slot in Canadian TV shows of the 2010s based on the 12 episodes from 2011.
Got a chance recently to watch the 6-episode follow-up Michael: Every Day from 2017.
Fans of the 2011 version will appreciate what went into the 2017 edition. We find out some odd things along the way that perhaps we didn't want to know. The 2017 version is a lot more sad and pathetic, especially on the therapist side.
If you haven't watched the show, please don't start with the 2017 version. Start with the 2011 version. Netflix in the United States has the 2011 version.
There is often the disclaimer that you shouldn't pay attention to TV because television is not realistic. I can tell you I found useful therapeutic information within the voice recordings that David makes in the 2011 version. The show is based from Matt Watts (Michael) therapy and anxiety experiences. Still consult a professional but you can get a good start from watching the show.
There is a Twitter feed @NBCTransplant but that hasn't been updated in awhile. Tweeting to @NBC or @Peacock might make you feel better about wondering where the hell Season 3 of Transplant is on the U.S. side. Season 3 aired this winter on CTV in Canada. Season 4 is on deck for next year for CTV.
Hamza Haq won Best Leading Performance in a Drama Series; Laurence Leboeuf was also nominated in this category in the 2023 Canadian Screen Awards. The show was nominated for Best Dramatic Series and the Audience Choice award.
We figure NBC has decided to run off episodes this summer. Will that be on NBC and Peacock? Just Peacock? The U.S. network handled Season 2 in a very poor fashion. The show is still good so the quality isn't the issue. NBC has a production element in Transplant so this isn't like when they didn't carry Season 2 of Nurses. Notice we didn't complain when NBC stopped after Season 1.
.@NBC@peacock. We've tried tweeting at @NBCTransplant to find out about Season 3. That isn't working well. @TransplantCTV has already aired in #Canada. Let's find out when one of your outlets will show Season 3 of this really great #cdntv show.
Son of a Critch has been renewed for Season 3 by CBC. Lionsgate Television made a deal for distribution outside Canada. So far, at least in the United States, Lionsgate is sitting on its hands. Figured that was a obvious deal to pitch but something is clogging the path for U.S. viewers who can't get CBC to watch the show.
Netflix had Republic of Doyle so that service isn't allergic to Newfoundland. This is why Canadian content needs a Britbox type service. I would gladly volunteer (for money) to run such a service.
Season finale of @shelved_tv tonight! We didn't expect an ACTUAL Toronto election to be happening when this aired, but here we are! A lot is gonna go down in 21 minutes...
I've heard quite a bit about Shelved, running on CTV. Maybe this sitcom can make a jump to Hulu or Netflix in the States.
Anthony Q. Farrell wrote for The Office, worked as an executive story editor for Little Mosque on the Prairie, wrote for The Thundermans on Nickleodeon, and co-created the CBC show Overlord and the Underwoods.
Having spent a few hours in Toronto libraries, a comedy about a library in Toronto sounds promising.
Shelved will show up on Crave on May 5. Canadians can catch up on CTV shows through its Web site.
Speaking of Crave, the extra Letterkenny episode May 2-4 hits Crave on May 19. The Hulu premiere should be around that time.
Xavier Dolan gets mentioned a lot in our film coverage but not usually on the television side. Dolan adapted and directed a 5-part series The Night Logan Woke Up. The Canal+ project is adapted from a 2019 stage production from French-Canadian playwright Michel Marc Bouchard. Most of the actors from the play are in the TV adaptation.
Dolan is in the cast. Anne Dorval, used in most of his films, is in the series as well as Julie Le Breton, Patrick Hivon, Magalie Lépine-Blondeau, and Éric Bruneau.
The story revolves around a family haunted by a dark secret decades after a traumatic event occurs in a small Quebec town.
The adaptation played at the Sundance Film Festival. No Canadian or American screening dates have been set.
Bill C-11 has reached royal assent and is now law. What does this mean for Canadian television? Damned if I know. The CRTC will go a long way toward determining this. Wish everyone involved much luck sorting this out.
The Hollywood film and TV writers may go out on strike this week. While a long strike may help get more Canadian television into U.S. homes, the most important consideration is getting economic justice for the writers.
photo credits: Netflix; Citytv; CTV video credit: Amazon Prime Video Twitter capture: @canadian_xing; @aqfarrell
