3 seasons. 18 episodes. The tales of Sabi Mehboob and the people in their lives has come to a close, at least in this form. Sort Of taught us about love in many forms. An overall safe space for everyone involved from 7ven (Amanda Cordner) all the way down to the Kaneko-Bauer children: Violet (Kaya Kanashiro) and Henry (Aden Bedard).
The star was Bilal Baig as Sabi Mehboob; Baig and Fab Filippo were the show's creators. They gave us some amazing characters in a wonderful world that was Toronto. Definitely Toronto.
The father character had mostly an invisible presence on his wife Raffo (Ellora Patnaik) and Aqsa (Supinder Wraich). They broke away for themselves and saw Sabi in very different ways from the paternal presence. Aqsa and Sabi had a strong sibling relationship. The show allowed Aqsa to have her own feelings separate from Sabi, something lesser shows struggle to feature. Aqsa was comfortable in her body, a strong female character who isn't part of the primary cast.
Raffo showed a lot of growth over the course of the show, especially in understanding Sabi, supporting Aqsa, and learning about herself in widowhood.
Your humble narrator can't come up with a word to describe the relationship between Sabi and Bessy Kaneko (Grace Lynn Kung). The biking accident impacted her existence through a lot of the show. A mother and a wife, yet not wanting the constraints of those "titles." They had a love of some kind that was glorious and should serve as an example for future TV and film projects.
Paul Bauer (Gray Powell) — husband to Bessy and father to Violet and Henry — anytime you thought you had Paul figured out, you learned more was below the surface.
A show that allowed a quiet character such as Henry to exist without ridicule or overt concern.
Sort Of gave us wonderful characters that we will think about for a long time. A gracious thank you to Baig and Filippo for showing us love in 18 episodes.
Canadians have only been able to watch on CBC Gem. There hasn't been an airing on CBC. Sort Of debuted on January 18 on Max in the United States. We have empathy for the Americans who watch CBC through cable over a long wait for Season 3.
Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent finally comes to Citytv on Thursday (February 22) at 8 pm Eastern. How excited is Citytv about an actual Canadian show? Rogers, owner of Citytv, had Kyle Bukauskas interview Aden Young and Kathleen Munroe before the beginning of the 3rd period of the Toronto Maple Leafs game Saturday night.
The amusing part was that the interview ran on the CBC game while Citytv had the game from Montréal. Oh well: Citytv viewers are used to seeing CBC promos when the 2 networks carry the same Hockey Night in Canada game.
Your humble narrator figured Season 1 would have a take on the murders of Barry and Honey Sherman. However, showrunner Tassie Cameron (Pretty Hard Cases) said the episodes will have a mix of scenarios, so the obvious ones might have to wait for Season 2.
Unlike some of the Law & Order shows overseas, this show will feature original episodes drawn from Canadian stories.
Transplant has finished its 4-season run on CTV in Canada. The U.S. viewers watching NBC have finally seen the end of Season 3. Not the best season for the show, if we are being honest.
The core 4 of the series had a rocky time in Season 3. Dr. Bash Hamed (Hamza Haq) and Dr. Magalie "Mags" Leblanc (Laurence Leboeuf) finally got together romantically. The tension in the first 2 seasons was more fun than the actual relationship in Season 3. Mags also had physical struggles with her pacemaker and the life decisions she has to make.
Mags and Dr. June Curtis (Ayisha Issa) made odd roommates yet they fit together well. June's struggles with her stepsister added to a full plate of problems at work with surgery and professional relationships.
Dr. Theo Hunter (Jim Watson) had the worst of Season 3. Yes, he was emotionally recovering from the helicopter crash. Dr. Hunter grew a beard and had his life collapse. Your humble narrator kept saying to the screen that if he only shaved his beard, his life would get better. If Dr. Hunter is clean shaven in Season 4, his life will improve. Dr, Hunter's Season 3 beard woes did remind us of this classic Kids in the Hall sketch.
We were overjoyed to see one of our favourite Quebecois actors in Pascale Bussières, who played a doctor in the camp where Bash goes to help out near where he is from. We have seen a large number of films featuring Bussières, including August 32nd on Earth | Un 32 août sur terre (1998) from Denis Villeneuve and When Night is Falling (1995) from Patricia Rozema. Bussières appears mostly in Episodes 10-12 and briefly in the season finale.
To no one's surprise, NBC has not issued a start date for Season 4. There are only 10 episodes in Season 4.
Canadian film review: August 32nd on Earth
Canadian film review: When Night Is Falling
The CW putting Wild Cards and Family Law back-to-back on Wednesday nights is serving as a tourist campaign to come to Vancouver. Both series are shot there, filled with wonderful scenery in and around downtown Vancouver. The city is that beautiful even in the rain, which somehow never gets on the shows. I think Vancouver is that beautiful even in the rain.
Wild Cards is pretty good. 2 steps above The Spencer Sisters and still below Pretty Hard Cases. Chemistry is surprisingly good. Never hurts to have shots from the boat where Cole Ellis (Giacomo Gianniotti) lives. The recap scenes with Max Mitchell (Vanessa Morgan) and Cole's cat on the boat are often the highlight of the episode.
If there is a criticism, the supporting characters need to be more human. Chief Li (Terry Chen) tends to be stuck on the "play it by the book" note. Perhaps that will come out in time but better sooner than later.
Each show has 10 episodes in its current season. Though Global will air Season 3 at a later undetermined date, there will be a Season 4 of Family Law.
Peter Keleghan did an episode of Family Law in Season 3. For those used to Keleghan in comedic roles, he does a wonderful job in a dramatic role.
For those who don't know Vancouver, Stanley Park is at the bottom of the photo, looking southeast into the rest of the downtown area.
Speaking of the Vancouver metro area, Allegiance launched on CBC television on February 7. The police drama focuses on Sabrina Sohal (Supinder Wraich) as a rookie police officer in Surrey, British Columbia also dealing with the arrest of her father Ajeet for political corruption. Vince Brambilla (Enrico Colantoni) serves as Sabrina's supervising officer.
Canadian TV notebook: 2024 CW premiere dates
2024 CBC television winter preview
The CTV drama Sight Unseen will debut on the CW Wednesdays at 9 pm Eastern on April 3. This is also a CW co-production, along with Wild Cards.
CTV has been running Sight Unseen on Monday nights at 10 pm Eastern since January 22.
The CW tinkered slightly with the Thursday schedule, moving Son of a Critch up to 9 pm ET on Thursdays leading into Children Ruin Everything. The Connors reruns are still the lead-in to the Canadian comedies. SMH. Run the Burbs is on Hulu in the United States and CBC Gem in Canada.
By my count, the CW will run out of new Children Ruin Everything episodes in mid-March. Interesting, Canadian filmmaker Kelly Fyffe-Marshall directed a couple of Season 3 episodes: (7) Spontaneity and the season finale (10) Careers.
CanadianCrossing.com Canadian TV coverage
CanadianCrossing.com television coverage
Watched the pilot episode of One More Time, the new comedy on CBC this winter. Sometimes, Canadian comedy is a lot softer and this show definitely qualifies. Have to love the cast. Is is better than Strays? Both are softer comedies. I can imagine a Season 2 for One More Time, even if it isn't on the cutting edge.
Talk that American streaming service Tubi is bringing back Wynonna Earp as a 90-minute special. The core cast members Melanie Scrofano, Tim Rozon, Dom Provost-Chalkley, and Katherine Barrell are on board.
Speaking of Rozon, we got through Season 2 of Surrealestate on Syfy and CTV Sci-Fi Channel. Loved Season 1 but having Rozon's character lose his powers and Sarah Levy mostly gone for a few episodes didn't make for interesting TV. Rare to say a show should have stopped after a single season. Great characters stuck in less than honourable episodes.
photo credits: Sort Of; Rogers Sportsnet; Transplant; Family Law
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