James Bawden

Check out the semi-brilliant article in this week's New York Magazine about the new incoming American TV season.
I've been viewing most of the new pilots and all I can say is there isn't much out there to excite any one.
But Josef Adalian's article "On The Eve Of A New Season, Network Execs Fear A Premiere Week Ratings Disaster" has set alarm bells ringing in the Manhattan sky scrapers.
Adalian forcibly argues that the safe, secure days of network fall launches are a thing of the past what with the advent of DVDs, cable hits and the Internet.
And I happen to think he's right.
Last season ratings were down by as much as one quarter at some of the old line networks. NBC's plunge was so precipitous there are doubts the peacock proud network can ever come back.
Already NBC's Million Second Quiz and the return of Fox's The X Factor have opened to disastrously low ratings.
Every season more viewers are figuring out they no longer have to stick with network schedules. They can program their own faves and watch when they feel like it.
And Adalian makes the point the overnight Nielsen ratings no longer can tell who is watching --it may take weeks for all the figures to be compiled.
When I started out as TV critic of The Spectator a mere 43 years ago it was all so simple. I worked in a 10-channel universe.
NBC would have a hit like Seinfeld and viewers stayed glued to NBC for the night even sticking with such dogs as Suddenly Susan.
Now viewers are all over the map and ditching mediocre series like crazy.
Canadian networks have wound up buying practically every American series for big bucks and ignoring their Canadian content responsibilities.
Unless they switch to more quality Canadian fare they could wind up as the TV season's biggest losers.
In the new TV world content will be king.
So let the 2013 TV season begin and be on the lookout for shows quickly crashing and burning.
It's going to be one mean, nasty shoot out I'm predicting with the very existence of some networks on the line.

A classy new Canadian reality TV series is all set to debut Thursday Sept. 19 at 9 p.m.
It's an extremely well made show following respected classic car collector Peter Klutt around as he hunts down and bring back to past glory some of the greatest automobiles in history.
So what channel would you expect to see Legendary Motorcar?
On OLN perhaps? Nope!
Well, what about Slice? No again!
Give up? It's on the formerly staid financial new channel BNN.
And do you know what? It really fits right in as BNN makes a seismic shift from foxating on stock markets to actually exploring how supremely businesses work.
In Klutt's case he has almost 30 years invested in a company that is respected and still growing.
"When you say classic cars that's a very wide band," Klutt tells me on the phone. "We try to appeal to people on a wide variety of cars. It can be a classic car one family has to have and that will be their only buy.
"And then there's the case of a buyer who has no limit and must have the 1955 Aston Martin profiled in our third episode and here we're talking over $3 million."
For some reason I got a preview copy of the Aston Martin episode which will be the third episode of the series.
First impressions? The series avoids the phony cliff hangers which infect the American competition.
And as far as facilities go Klutt's is far more impressive with a long history of accomplishment.
The episode revs up as Klutt lands in Oklahoma to chat up a wealthy collector who has a whole high rise filled with classic cars.
For some reason he may want o sell his 1956 Aston Martin which has only had two owners and seems in mint condition.
"It's the right time," says the enigmatic owner who acquired it in 1991. It's up to Klutt to fully win him over to the idea of selling it.
We then get a full history of the marvellous car including vintage photos and footage and a complete check over that indicates all parts are mechanically and aesthetically sequential. The original numbers match everywhere and outside of a few dents. the car is in mint shape.
Taking a drive is a real treat --for this armchair viewer.
I'm not going to mention the actual price--you have to watch the half hour to assess the astronomical amount demanded --and received.
But "the deal" is something else and must be negotiated after a grudge ping pong tournament. Guess who's the winner?
Other cars to be featured: a vintage Packard, a Ford Mustang Boss 302, a 1957 Mercedes Benz 300SL.
I know I'm already hooked and as far as I'm concerned Legendary Motorcar fits snugly into BNN's business oriented mandate.
LEGENDARY MOTORCAR PREMIERES THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 19 AT 9 P.M.
MY RATING: ***1/2

Mt taxi speeds through the busy streets of Scarborough as I'm trying to explain to the taxi driver why I'm going to a recently shuttered high school.
"It's for a new TV series shooting there," I explain.
No response.
"The title is The Next Step," I say and the car practically screeches to a halt.
"That's my grandson's favorite show," he hollers. "Say can you get me some autographs?"
I had the same reaction from a doctor friend who told me her preteen son was glued to the set watching this series.
"Now he wants to be a dancer," she screams. Obviously she was hoping for med school.
Once there I wander through the strangely empty corridors of Timothy Eaton Technical School, a massive complex that catered to kids who couldn't make it in regular schools.
"Where are they now?" I ask a lonely janitor.
"Shipped to composite high schools where they flunk out" is his terse reply.
The huge classrooms are all deserted --the catering school, the small engines complex. But as I wander deeper into this bunker I'm hearing singing and dancing.
And as I turn a corner I see a TV crew hurrying about shifting giant lights and an assistant director bawling "Quiet!"
I'm deep in the heart of The Next Step which last year was Canadian TV's most unexpected new hit.
It's not a major network show but instead runs on Family Channel.
And most kids in a Grade Six Class I was speaking to a few weeks ago seemed acutely aware of every plot development.
First though: these dancing teenagers are really teens and not the thirtysomethings who populate similar U.S. network efforts
Season One revved up on Family on March 2013.
"Suddenly everyone at my school wanted to say hi and talk about the show," laughs Victoria Baldesarra (she plays Michelle).
"It hadn't hit me until I walked down the school hall and every body nodded and smiled."
The second half of season one which will run 16 half hour episodes premieres Friday September 20 at 7 p.m. on Family.
In the mid-season finale Baldesarra replaced Alexandra Beaton (as Emily) as dance captain.
Yet here I was chatting up both of them and they smiled and giggled as each other spoke.
Beaton thinks she has the best role on the show --and she's right. She's stunning as the conniving, devious Emily but already such a good actress she can make us understand Emily's ups and downs.
"I don't consider her a nasty person. I'm trying to make viewers understand her. She's a controlling person because she feels insecure. And remember she has a lot of talent."
Unlike many of the other regulars Beaton considered herself more an actress than dancer. "I'd danced earlier but then I got Emily and I'm back dancing trying to get back on track."
The plot follows the regulars at the fictional Next Step Dance Studio --members of both the "A" troupe and "B" troupe.
After the first season was filmed Brennan Clost (Daniel) enrolled in prestigious Julliard School in New York city.
"My dad drove me down, it was a great first year. I feel I'm more challenged by this second year and I certainly am better in the acting."
Clost jokes that people from his old high school are now texting him all the time to get together. "But I remember who was friendly and who was not."
Isaak Lupien (Eldon) says he had struggles early on in his desire to be a dancer.
"Maybe I was a bit immature when I started out but I've really grown into it. I had a back injury early on and it was suggested I might take a lighter load in the dancing. But I danced through the pain because this is what I wanted to do."
Says Lamar Johnson (West) : "I thought I was moving into acting before this part came up. Now I'm back dancing and trying to keep up. My role might be described as comedy relief. It's what I'm good at."
"Now we're all better," says Trevor Tordjman (James). "We're more focused and more at ease with the acting. At least I am."
During luncheon break I watched the young cast whoop it up. They all ate huge portions because they're at it almost continually --besides strenuous dance routines there are rehearsals for the next routine.
I was also privileged to watch one of the new episodes containing surprising revelations about the romances between the dances. But I'm honor bound not to reveal plot points here.
Incredibly as it seems an entire episode is shot every 1 1/2 days. It's a one camera show and when I chatted up director Frank van Keeken he said working with an extremely young and inexperienced cast was "A real challenge. They don't need to be energized, they have all the energy in the world. "
Although each cast member plays a character with a different name van Keeken says "They are essentially playing themselves. It's not scripted, the interviews, we stick these into the stories. I try to make them feel at ease and I'll go multiple takes until we all are satisfied."
"Those interviews, it was difficult for me at the beginning," agrees Beaton. "I think I'm learning from it. And it really makes the show, helps the story."
Plot details hone in on the obsessions of teens: how are they interacting with peers, how competitive should they be, are they liked by others.
The themes seem to touch raw nerves with the young audience. All the dancers/actors say they've been overwhelmed by the fan reaction. The day I visited several youngsters had gotten on set and were awe struck at meeting their heroes.
BBC World Wide has picked the show up for syndication and an American sale seems imminent.
Executive producer David Fortier says The Next Step is in line with other series his company Temple Street Productions has made including Queer as Folk and Being Erica.
Already a hit with kids The Next Step is growing into a show for the whole family.

THE NEXT STEP RETURN TO FAMILY FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 20 AT 7 P.M.
MY RATING: ***1/2.

Let's just say all the long stemmed anchors on Naked News are cheeky devils and be done with it.
In fact I was unaware that Naked News was still functioning.
Fourteen years ago it was a true novelty --a Toronto based news feed where all the female hosts wound up starkers.
I thought the show had atrophied years ago because these days nudity on TV is no longer a novelty.
Daytime soap stars have stripped and there are fleshy glimpses on many network evening dramas as well.
And my feeling Naked News had its day is well shared by the long time employees.
They've banded together to make a subversive reality series about their plight --it's an eight parter titled Naked News Uncovered which debuts Monday September 23 on Super Channel.
What has emerges is a surprisingly funny take on the perils of nude anchoring.
The denizens of this world including the producers, the crew and the adorable talents all act firmly tongue in cheek. Oops, maybe I shouldn't have said that.'
They work in standard offices that might otherwise pass for insurance brokers or accountancy firms.
They're not consciously trying to be funny but it's their dead seriousness as they pursue their craft that is frequently hilarious.
Heading the operation is the owner "Peter" who we never see on camera at least in the two preview segments I watched.
We only hear him on the office speaker bellowing such Goldwynisms as "This isn't going to be a cake walk in the park."
But the undoubted star is legendary chief anchor Victoria Sinclair who still doffs her atire with professional aplomb.
You'd think along with the requisite TV studio there'd be an exercise room.
Because one ounce of unwanted fat and the starring careers of these lovely ladies would be over.
I mean would you ever want to see Barbara Walters or Bill Reilly in the altogether. Ugh! Right!
As on employee blurts out:"We're like a family ...the family you don't want."
But why just nude news?
What about a cooking show? Or maybe the cooking oil might splatter?
Or a pets' show? Or would pet allergies cause the nude hosts to sneeze?
The first episode is all about cast and members trying to come up with some variants like a noon time effort to be called Naked Lunch.
One of the male employees says he really has becomes blind to all that nakedness. Yeah sure pal.
Another loves it when a co-host passes by his cubicle and flashes her boobies his way. He says it makes his day.
In fact the shenanigans here are practically of the PG variety.
Two of the anchors dwink a bit too much wine and then one of them can't say the word "eviscerate" on camera.
Heck, I can't say it right now and I'm stone sober.
Episode Two titled "Who Screwed Halloween" looks at an inappropriate outfit worn by one gal but as she says she gets made up before she knows what she's going to say that day.
Sinclair has said she went to U of T and was in marketing when her career changer happened. At 47 she's lovely and could have a TV career even if she kept her clothes on.
Anyhow Naked News Uncovered is welcome relief in a sea of badly made reality epics.
Right now I'm suffering from a bad head cold so I'd like to ask how the girls manage to stay free of drafts as they report on the serious events of our time.
NAKED NEWS UNCOVERED PREMIERES ON SUPER CHANNEL MONDAY SEPTEMBER 23 AT 11 P.M.
MY RATING: ***.

How can a show like the Emmy be so boring and patly predictable?
I haven't seen the ratings as yet but this snore fest meandered on for hour after hour of Dale Carnegie speeches and self promotion.
The tributes to the dead just didn't work.
Why salute Jonathan Winters, Jean Stapleton and Corey Monteith without showing any clips of their greatness?
And talk about TV icons --why the exclusion of Larry Hagman and Jack Klugman from tributes?
I couldn't understand why the 50th anniversary of the assassination of JFK was acknowledged at all.
Am I getting cranky or has Neil Patrick Harris emceed one two many awards shows?
The presenters were often paired in weird combinations which made no sense.
And most of the awards given out were patly predictable.
However Breaking Bad did win for best drama series --the first such award.
But I'm thinking it only reminded viewers that a new episode of BB was running directly against the Emmys. I wonder how many fans tuned out to catch it.
When I phoned one TV fan for her reaction she said she was busy watching a new episode of Foyle's War on PBS's Masterpiece Theater.
Even the audience seemed collectively bored with the whole thing.
But the biggest problem is an Emmy award means nothing.
I dare you to remember the top ten awards winners from last year.
Winning an Emmy never saved a show from rating extinction did it?
My solution: get a comedian up there as host. Will Ferrell brought out his kids and was hilarious.
Thank Harris for his past contributions and retire him immediately.
Now let's look at the biggest trends.
1. The Academy's love affair with Mad Men is over. Jeff Daniels beat Jon Hamm as best actor which was a big surprise.
2. The fact Boardwalk Empire's Bobby Cannavale whipped BB's Aaron Paul and Homeland's Mandy Patinkin for best supporting actor was also a surprise.
3. Netflix garnered its first Emmy for direction of a drama series: House Of Cards.
4. I thought no one could be watching but this bloated spectacle notiched its highest ratings since 2007.
And as they always say that's show biz.

Big collision of the new TV season was supposed to be the battle between CBS's NCIS, the top rated series and newcomer S.H.I.E.L.D.
In one corner there was the highly publicized new series featuring a plethora of super heroes.
And in the other there was steady NCIS which rarely gets even an Emmy nomination let alone a win.
And so what happened in the U.S. (Canadian ratings don't matter when it comes to cancellation or pick-up).
Well, the first night out NCIS took 19.5 million viewers against ABC's Marvel's Agents Of S.H/I.E.L.D which garnered 11.9 million viewers . NBC's The Voice got 14.1 million and Fox's Dads got 1.5 million.
So is this a victory of content or time slot?
Well, I could see it all happening. Because this ratings game has played out similarly in seasons past.
Let's go all the way back to 1985 when Steven Spielberg made a much ballyhooed entry into TV with the series Amazing Stories.
NBC figured it could pick off Angela Lansbury in CBS's top rated Murder, She Wrote.
In fact Lansbury was so scared she even flew to the TV critics convention in Phoenix to tub thump for her show.
She should have stayed home in L.A. because Murder, She Wrote was a perfect fit for Sunday nights at 8.
In this case the time slot was Angela's for as long as she wanted it.
Case number two involves the super silly but very sexy Charlie's Angels which debuted on ABC in September 1976.
Creator Aaron Spelling told me the time slot was his --Wednesdays at 10 because ABC provided not one but two Top ten hits as lead-ins: Bionic Woman at 8 and Baretta at 9.
CBS had four comedies starting at 8 including All In The Family at 9 but Blue Knight at 10 didn't fit in with CBS's more mature viewers.
And NBC had a quality western The Quest with Kurt Russell at 10 but nobody watched with weak lead ins.
Sometimes a turkey can become a hit because of the time.
Brooke Shields' series Suddenly Susan was never a good series.
But NBC positioned it Thursdays at 9:30 Behind red hot Seinfeld and it was a hit. When NBC tried to move it later on the lame comedy sank like a stone.
Here the time slot was all important.
Having a great show means nothing if the time is wrong.
One of my favorite ever legal dramas 1978's The Paper Chase debuted on CBS to rave reviews but it was up against both Happy Days and Laverne And Shirley.
Nobody watched it and it quickly expired.
But sometimes fate steps in.
I was in the office of Earl Hamner in August 1972 and he showed me a letter from the CBS president which simply stated "Make Us Proud".
Hamner's show, The Waltons, debuted opposite two big hits, ABC's The Mod Squad and NBC's Flip Wilson which was the number one show.
After the first season The Mod Squad was killed off and Flip Wilson only had one more season before being consigned to the rerun market.
The Waltons came along just as these two Top Ten hits were starting to show their ages.
So while I wish S.H.I.E.L.D. all the luck in the world my memo to ABC is to move it quickly.
Because NCIS looks to have several more seasons at the top before syndication.
ABC loses this one on the basis of both content and time slot.

Awhile back at a journalism class I was teaching a student asked me for a definition of "Counter Programming".
Well. the best example I can think of is the fine new documentary Living Dolls which premieres on Global Saturday October 5 at 9 p.m.
See, Saturday nights on Canadian TV is owned by CBC's NHL hockey.
And there are no American series for Global to buy and simulcast --U.S. networks have virtually given up on low rated Saturday nights.
Which means Global is showing Canadian documentaries.
Living Dolls really works on several levels.
On the surface filmmaker Maureen Judge has made a pleasant enough documentary about four obsessive doll collectors. Three of them are men. All four collectors are adults.
But Judge digs deeper than that and this hour turns introspective. The end results are often sad and deeply moving.
I'm not sure how she settled on her four subjects but I'm sure it must have taken some time to get the right four.
Then there's her camera technique --she gets the four to comfortably address the camera when talking about their private lives --obviously the questions Judge has thrown at them have been edited out. The revelations that flow forth are often startling admissions of loneliness and the compulsion to find companionship with their dolls.
On the surface all four seem "normal".
David is a pleasant enough man first glimpsed on the Pennsylvania turnpike. In his early sixties he is traveling with a gorgeous companion Bianca.
Everything about him seems quite unremarkable. He is soft spoken and Bianca never speaks --that's because she is a human sized doll. And, yes, they apparently have sexual relations of a sort.
David is dashing to the annual Doll Lovers convention to mingle with other doll collectors. His wife never appears on camera but David assures us she does not feel at all jealous of his real love.
Then there's Debbie who is a twentysomething British mom with two adorable children. Her husband seems nice too but laments Debbie's doll collecting compulsion which means she neglects him and their two young children. They live in semi-poverty because all their money seems to go into buying new frocks for the dolls.
Mike is a grown up still living with his parents --his partner has also moved in. Mike collects only Barbie dolls and has his own museum. Too busy with his collecting he can only afford the time for a part time job. He says he kept his doll collecting a secret as a boy for fear he would be outed as gay.
The most interesting is Mike who collects and refurbishes robotic dolls --complete with private parts. Disheveled and rambling Mike is summed by by a friend of over 40 years as both eccentric and possessing sparks of genius. But he lives in squalor surrounded by thousands of robot dolls he struggles to repair.
Judge has this ability to bond with her subjects, accepting them for what they are. Living Dolls is filled with revelatory moments and well worth taking an hour away from hockey to enjoy its quiet . reflective charm.
LIVING DOLLS PREMIERES ON GLOBAL SATURDAY OCTOBER 5 AT 8 P.M.
MY RATING: ***1/2.

So there I was at the CBC fall TV launch chatting up Yannick Bisson, the engaging star of the long running Inspector Murdoch Mysteries.
And I naturally asked him "Do you remember the first time I interviewed you? It was for the TV movie Hockey Night and you were all of 17."
"Actually I was closer to 15," Bisson cooly replied.
But unlike other teen stars I was profiling in 1984 he didn't let popularity bother him.
He stayed steady to his course of becoming a fine leading man and now three decades later he makes an ingratiating Victorian era detective.
The series which is shot mostly in Toronto and Hamilton revs up for a record seventh season Monday night at 8 on CBC-TV.
For its first five years Murdoch was a staple of Citytv but new management found it a bit too pricey and dropped out.
Perhaps it has always deserved to be on CBC --at any rate the Canadian Television Fund bent its rules forbidding financing after more than five seasons.
The season opener is exciting, one of the best ever installments titled Murdoch Ahoy and cast and crew got to sail on the historic SS Keewatin.
I'm not giving away too much plot by explaining there are two explosions an board the pleasure cruiser and the ship seems in danger of sinking.
And did I say this is a Victorian melodrama?Make that Edwardian.
The great old queen-empress expired on January 22 1901so this is the first Victorian Day without her -- so honored on her behalf to mark her birthday. Hence the holiday outing which turns deadly.
In fact Bisson is the second Murdoch --Peter Outerbridge played the detective in a series of TV movies shot in Winnipeg.
But when a series was ordered up by City in 2008 Outerbridge was otherwise occupied as the star of the futuristic series ReGenesis.
Bisson plays the character of William Murdoch completely differently--he's far more suave and diffident although still a Roman C
Among Canadian series Murdoch must be the most expensive to shoot --all the accoutrements of another age have to be used, The day I was on the set I spent some time with wardrobe who had to make many costumes from scratch. Everything else from 1900 typewriters to appropriate furnishings comes from antique dealers.
After CBC jumped in ratings have gone sky high and the network has ordered 18 episodes this season compared to last year's 13 making it more competitive with the U.S. opposition.
Some home grown networks have actually cancelled popular Canadian dramas for failing to land a lucrative sale to a U.S. network.
Murdoch is popular in many markets but has yet to be seen on a big U.S. network --it ran instead first on Netflix and then Ovation.
Murdoch Ahoy is well directed by Laurie Lynd and the special effects are handsomely mounted. And Bisson told me he'll once again direct another episode (titled Murdoch Of The Living Dead).
And if ratings continue to expands I'll even predict a season eight.
THE SEVENTH SEASON OF MURDOCH MYSTERIES PREMIERES ON CBC MONDAY SEPTEMBER 1 AT 8 P.M.
MY RATING: *** 1/2.

As far as Canadian series go Republic Of Doyle which starts its fifth season Wednesday night on CBC is positively ancient.
It's usually a cause for celebration when a home grown series gets to season two or three.
But this rollicking Newfoundland-based caper has kept growing in popularity by the season.
Star Allan Hawco is a sort of Newfie Orson Welles --he created the show, stars in it, picks the directors, is in on every facet of editing and for all I know makes the coffee and sandwiches.
And this time out he's armed with new credentials --the show has just been sold for syndication on U.S. TV.
I can remember the days when CBC was a true national network and agonized over making shows in every region of the country.
Remember the Montreal made Urban Angel starring Justin Louis?
Well, that was an attempt to have something in English from Montreal.
Also from Montreal there was a talk show with Alan Hamel. I remember being on the set the night Janet Leigh was the lovely co-host.
Newfoundland also contributed show after show which just did not make it.
Remember Hatching, Matching And Dispatching?
CBC tried several times to turn that sitcom into a winner but the ratings remained dismal.
And then along came Republic Of Doyle.
It wasn't an instant hit but the emphasis on true Newfie characters sort of grew on viewers and after just one season it merged as a bona fide hit.
When I talked to Hawco at the CBC fall launch he was most excited about the time change.
Last season ROD slugged it out in the trenches --Sunday nights in the roughest, toughest night of the week in terms of competition.
CBC's tag line was "Sundays Just Got More Exciting" but that wasn't the way Hawco saw it.
"CBC owes us one!" Hawco laughed and he was right. Ratings were not as high as expected but the series survived to fight again and it's back on Wednesday nights (at 9).
And it's also on in the fall because CBC upped the episode order to 16 new hours.
When I told Hawco season four's finale was one of the best ever I've seen in terms of cliffhangers he simply said "I think we did a lot."
Two big Canadian stars --Gordon Pinsent and Paul Gross--made time in their schedules to do it.
"Paul knew what it's like from Due South. Gordon has always been my biggest inspiration."
It was supposed to be a two part finale but CBC liked it so much the yarn ran as one big two-hour fstory and really worked.
Then there's the other business --some nit picking by critics who say the show is too centered in Newfoundland.
So to assuage those carping critics the first new show dramatically starts way south of the border and has more action and cartoon violence than I've ever seen on the show.
A new love intersst might well be emerging in a pert Latino. that's all the plot I'll give away.
Hawco gets a chance to segue into the location work back home and reintroduce characters we've grown found of at a leisurely pace.
They include father Malachy (Sean McGinley), step-ma Rose (Linda Boyd), niece Tinny (Marthe Bernard) and her dim-witted boyfriend Des (Mark O'Brien).
I'm told one guest star this season will be Shannon Tweed who also hails from "The Rock".
And I can hardly wait.
THE FIFTH SEASON OF REPUBLIC OF DOYLE PREMIERES ON CBC-TV ON WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 2 AT 9 P.M.
MY RATING: ***1/2.

"Yes, I'm glad to be back," laughs Chandra West who shines in the new Toronto made police series Played which debuts Thursday October 3 at 10 p.m on Bravo.
After all Toronto is the place where the talented West first decided to be an actress.
"I think I made my first appearance on My Secret Identity (1990)," she says on the phone. Her part was so tiny she was not billed.
And today? She's acquired so much acting smarts she headlines the cast of Played as detective sergeant Rebecca Ellis, a poised police veteran who has the experience and savvy to lead an undercover elite force within the Toronto police.
"Who wouldn't want a part like this," she says. "Challenging, demanding, I said yes immediately. Our show runner Greg Nelson created it and the executive producers Adrienne Mitchell and Janice Lundman were people I always wanted to work with."
West says her long stint back in Toronto and her husband's work in Chicago (he is executive producer Mark Tinker) meant "We were away from each other more than together this year. But that's the business."
In this engrossing saga the members of the Covert Investigations Unit rely on their police experience to ferret out wrongdoings.
In the pilot --"which was the second episode filmed" says West--the emphasis is not on procedural but character. These cops frequently go under cover to catch their prey.
In the first episode about nabbing a drug warlord Detective John Moreland (Vincent Walsh) poses as a wealthy stock broker who desperately needs a drug supply.
Moreland is fearless but apt to get into dangerous situations. "It's Rebecca's job to reign him in so he doesn't put the lives of other staffers at risk," West says.
"She's a very cool customer," West agrees. "But she's also fine tuned to the problems of all the staff she's responsible for."
Others in the unit include detective constable Maria Cortez (played by Lisa Marcos), detective constable Daniel Price (Dwain Murphy), officer Khali Bhatt (Agam Darshi), officer Jesse Calvert (Adam Butcher).
"We'll learn more about Rebecca's character as the series evolves," promises West. "Remember she must make the big decisions based on her experiences."
West says she left Toronto for L.A. "simply because the opportunities were better at that time."
Her film breakthrough happened in 2000 when she played Val Kilmer's wife in the feature The Salton Sea.
From 2003-04 she was Mark-Paul Gosselaar's wife in the hit series NYPD Blue and she shone as Tina Blake in the HBO series John From Cincinnati.
One of the biggest stars of Played is the city of Toronto in all its glory. Toronto is usually heavily disguised to make that all important sale to U.S. TV.
But in Played street cars whizz by and various Toronto downtown locations are out in force.
West says "We shoot two days in an Etobicoke studio where a fantastic set of our unit's location is located. But five days we're all over downtown Toronto. The look of this show is fantastic."
In Episode Two a luxury prostitution ring that preys on teenaged girls is located at a pricey eatery and hotel which are actual locations.
In those days when she was making home grown TV shows like Forever Knight there was a certain stigma to Canadian TV. But Played with its glistening photography and tight editing can compete with the best anywhere.
The hope is Played on Bravo like Orphan Black on Space can find an keep an appreciative audience and return for a second season.
PLAYED PREMIERES ON BRAVO THURSDAY OCTOBER 3 AT 10 P.M.
MY RATING: ***1/2.

How to review a series as long lasting as CBC-TV's Heartland?
The family friendly hour drama has been ambling along for seven seasons dishing out dollops of sentimentality and captivating impressionable young female hearts.
The new season premiere revs up Sunday October 6 at 7 p.m. on CBC.
Having what's called a ''tea cup drama'' has always been high on CBC's priorities.
Way, way back there was The Beachcomber which lasted for 17 seasons starring veteran Bruno Gerussi.
Later on came Road To Avonlea which served the same family friendly function.
Later still came Wind On My Back which didn't do quite as well in the ratings.
by contrast CTV's tea cup dramas haven't lasted as long: including The Campbells and Littlest Hobo.
The thing about Heartland is the producers know their audience and know their formula.
To an outsider the scenes are ever so long and dawdle.
But constant viewers relish this family and all the scrapes various members get into.
Add the soaring Albertan vistas and Heartland delivers consistently.
"We're growing old with our viewers" joked co-star Graham Wardle who is a fine actor gifted in the art of under playing a scene.
He co-stars with Amber Marshall and both told me at the CBC fall launch they're hoping for a few more seasons.
The seventh season opener has Marshall as Amy Fleming trying to work with a horse upset by being constantly mistreated by a Saudi prince eager to win an equestrian title.
The story line seems more than a little fantastic but should truly appeal to the show's young female base because the prince is rich and handsome.
I'm honor bound not to say what is happening to Jack who had a serious heart attack last season. That's so you'll have to watch the episode to find out.
The rest of the cast is as amiable as always and includes Chris Potter as Timothy Fleming --I've been covering him since his days on Material World (1990) and then on the outrageous Queer As Folk (2001).
Then there's Jessica Steen as Lisa Stillman --I first interviewed her for the wonderful CBC TV movie Small Gifts. (199)
But the scene stealer in Season Six was newcomer Alisha Newton well cast as the orphan Georgie. In the first new episode she must decide how to approach a school dance for fathers and daughters when she has no father and can't dance.
And if that doesn't tug at your heartstrings nothing will.
Adopted by Lou Fleming (Michelle Morgan) and husband Peter (Gabriel Hogan) she's a solid addition to the cast.
Making some cast changes every year to freshen up the show which is now deep in old age as Canadian series goes really works.
I'm hoping Heartland will be around for seasons to come.
THE SEVENTH SEASON OF HEARTLAND PREMIERES ON CBC-TV SUNDAY OCTOBER 6 AT 7 P.M.
MY RATING: ***.

When people talk about the new TV season they usually refer to new American TV series.
Well, when TV began it was supposed to open a window to the world.
So how about sampling just one new Australian TV saga in the middle of all those U.S. imports?
I've just been watching and enjoying a preview DVD of the six parter from Down Under titled Cloudstreet. It's based on a popular Aussie novel from 1991 by Tim Winton.
The first part is on Super Channel Monday October 8 at 9 p.m.
Starring are two very diverse families, the Lambs and the PIckles.
They find themselves sharing an old dark house in Perth in 1943 and the saga unwinds at a pleasing leisurely pace until the finale set in 1963.
The story begins with brilliant visuals as the deeply devout Pickles family sing hymns down at the beach while the males of the family toss nets into the sea to catch fish.
One of the nets gets intertwined with one of the young sons --and young Fish Lamb (Hugo Johnstone-Burt) seems completely gone but his hysterical mother won't give up banging on his chest.
She does revive him seemingly from the dead but he is completely different --brain damaged for life.
And soon the Pickle parents (Geoff Morrell and Kerry Fox) determine to desert their farm ravaged by dust storms and head for Perth.
On the one side there's habitual gambler Sam Pickles (Stephen Curry) --he lost all the fingers on one hand as the result of a fishing accident and really detests all forms of work.
His deeply unhappy wife Dolly (Essie Davis) drinks far too much and takes young lovers on the side as consolation.
Indeed she hears about Sam's accident by the banging on her bedroom door of daughter Rose (Laura Robinson) who finds her mother with another man.
The acting is top notch but beware this one doesn't play at all like a Hollywood soap. The camera lingers over seemingly insignificant details as character portraits are built up and an atmosphere of Australia deep in the Great Depression is forged.
Winton wrote the screenplay with Ellen Fontana so while some scenes seem slow moving they are achingly real to the problems of these two very different families.
Costumes, period details, it's all like watching an Australian version of Masterpiece Theatre.
Cinematographer Mark Wareham and director Matthew Saville have fashioned a real winner which obviously won't be for everyon.
But for one it's a delicate and poignant window on this world.
CLOUDSTREET PREMIERES ON SUPER CHANNEL MONDAY OCTOBER 7 AT 9 P.M.
MY RATING: ***1/2.

"Admit it," challenges a friend.
"Would you be at all interested in the new TV series Crossing Lines if William Fichtner wasn't the star?"
"But he is," is my response. And as far as I'm concerned after watching the first two hours of this new European made thriller he's reason enough to keep watching.
The first year of Crossing Lines starring William Fichtner premieres on CBC-TV on Tuesday October 8 at 9 p.m.
When I reached the affable Cheektowaga native in Prague where he's busy filming the second season I reminded him I'd first interviewed him in Toronto at CTV's fall 2005 launch for a much heralded sci fi series (made by ABC) called Invasion.
Fichtner was nothing short of sensational as the curious and evil alien romancing and marrying Canadian co-star Kari Matchett in what I still consider one of the best TV pilots.
"The network kept asking 'When are the aliens coming?'," laughs Fichtner. And indeed after eight very spooky episodes the concept was watered down to yet another aliens in America tale.
With Crossing Lines Fichtner doesn't have to worry about network interference --this one is an all star European series with a gaggle of stars including a Canadian (Donald Sutherland), a French leading man (Marc Lavoine) plus imports from Italy (Gabriella Pession), Ireland (Richard Flood), Germany (Tom Wiaschiha) and France (Moon Dailly).
Together they have formed a crime fighting unit organized by the International Criminal Court tussling with bureaucrats in various jurisdictions.
We first glimpse Fichtner's character, the ruined and twitchy ex-New York cop Carl Hickman, picking up garbage in a run down Amsterdam circus,
Physically he is a ruin --one hand is completely worthless, pain from various beatings renders him hooked on morphine patches.
As one expects with Fichtner this character is compulsively watchable with his shambling gait, the hoarse, drugged voice, the look of complete ruin.
And yet the determined French leader of the unit Louis Daniel (Lavoine) needs this ex-NYPD cop badly because he remains a brilliant, intuitive detective.
Quickly recruited he is after a ruthless mass murderer who specializes in the torture and sadistic killings of vulnerable, young woman not just in one country but all over western Europe.
Look--this isn't another CSI episode --all neatly wrapped up in 42 minutes.
Crossing Lines is very European in never giving us what we want --a quick resolution.
Fichtner says "I fought at first not to do this because it would mean uprooting my family or even worse leaving them in America for months.
"But the creator Ed Bernero who is a former Chicago cop kept at me and I had to admit the character was completely captured --an American living in a different society. I mean this guy is so fractured, yet he still is among the best in his business."
Fichtner finally agreed and for Season Two which he's currently filming in Prague he brought his family over five weeks early so his son could start school on time.
When I told Fichtner it seemed to me that Lavoine had been expertly dubbed he chuckled. In such an acting smorgasbord it's essential North Americans unused to European actors understand one of the leads.
Fichtner says the same basic crew travels wherever the cast goes although there are tighter restrictions in France. "So far the second year we've filmed in Sofia. Now we're back in Prague."
Fichtner, 56, says he also gets to act with Donald Sutherland."Now that's something else. We talk a lot about the Montreal Expos although I insist on also talking about the Buffalo Sabres."
After Invasion ended Fichtner went right into another series and this time it was one of the most talked about of its time --Prison Break. Cast as the fugitive pursuer, the much misunderstood Alexander Mahone was right up Fichtner's alley of characters with many complex characteristics.
He's also made a habit of scene stealing in such films as Go (with Sarah Polley), Black Hawk Down,
Armageddon, Crash, Date Night and this season's The Lone Ranger.
And, yes, that was Fichtner without the aid of a stunt guy making a very dangerous jump from a moving train to a horse. "We wanted to do that without an edit so you'd know it is not faked."
"Yeah, I'm a character guy. I want to find that good journey. When there's the challenge I make a commitment. Which explains what I'm doing right now living in Prague."
CROSSING LINES PREMIERES ON CBC-TV TUESDAY OCTOBER 8 AT 9 P.M.
MY RATING: *** 1/2.

First impressions of the new TV season? It's predictable and ratings are flat.
But there are a few good new shows to catch including The Blacklist and S.H.I.E.L.D.
This was the TV season NBC was expected to crash and burn.
Instead the peacock proud network has strongly bounced back and actually looks likely to win the first two weeks of the new season.
On Mondays The Voice beats back competition and the new James Spader drama The Blacklist is holding its first week's audience.
But Thursdays remains a problem --despite the nice reviews for Michael J. Fox his ratings are a disappointment so far. But NBC has given him a full season pick up.
Moving last year's hit Revolution from Mondays to wednesdays resulted in a deep dip in ratings. Ironside is a badly made remake of the old Raymond Burr hit and I predict the axeman will cometh very quickly.
Over at CBS those aging procedurals are starting to buckle ever so slightly.
CBS only has nine new shows which is a bad move for a network that wants to remain number one.
However Robin Williams in The Crazy Ones really took off --it happens to be very funny if you can stand Williams.
That comedy about flatulence The Millers also did better than expected.
We Are Men bombed and should get axed shortly while Hostages is a huge disappointment--competition from NBC's Blacklist is killing it.
ABC had the highest rating for a new series with the much anticipated Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. but it also had the season's first cancellation with Lucky 7. And ratings for S.H.I.E.L.D. fell the second week out.
However, The Goldbergs did well among new series. Returning faves like Grey's Anatomy and Modern Family held up. Betrayal should be axed soon. Neighbors got moved to Fridays and ratings tanked.
Fox's new drama Sleepy Hollow has the makings of a hit and has gotten a season renewal.
The Simpsons got renewed for its 26th season. Dads seems terminal and Fox has to be worried about the continued ratings decline of those musical talent shows.
Stay tuned for ,ore reports.

I know it's fun sampling all the new American series before some get pink slipped.
But save just an hour for a real novelty: TV for the mind.
The new documentary is titled Deadly By Design and reveals that one of Canada's top exports is the often deadly drug called Ecstasy.
The hour is expertly directed (and written) by Jaime Escalion-Buraglia and produced by Linda Stregger.
Its calm, matter-of-fact approach got to me after awhile. Rather than sensationalize the subject it builds a case meticulously through interviews and on-site investigations.
I probably have heard of Ecstasy but aside from the name I was completely ignorant.
"So are 75 per cent of Canadians," explains Stregger. "But it is fast becoming a drug for teenagers because of its cheapness --one pill costs $5.
"It's synthetic --the chemical name is methylenedioxymethamphetamine --commonly called MDMA."
The film crew went underground to show how it is made. In one riveting scene they tag along with an RCMP ResponseTeam who burst into a normal looking suburban home only to discover a house filled with the chemicals which are "cooked" to produce the substance.
The saddest scenes are interviews with a pert, young user who recounts the harrowing saga of how her best friend Daniel overdosed on a bad supply and died. He'd only been on drugs a short time --his parents paid him $2,000 if he remained drug free until he hit age 16.
"Because she's a teen her mom was right there during the interview," Stegger says."Yes, her youth is shocking but that's the point, Ecstasy is so easy to get. She was using her allowance to get her pills."
And Stegger sadly says she is hearing the shy, vulnerable teen may have relapsed in recent months and needs more treatment.
But what makes Canada one of the world's leading producers of this drug?
The statistics say 75 per cent of Japan's Ecstasy gets produced here and 65 per cent of the stuff in Australia comes from our plants.
One of the biggest problems Stegger and crew faced was the necessity for anonymity. The most important person -- one of the "master chef" who cooks up the potions --is seen only in darkness --he says everyone else his own age who started with him in the production racket has died.
The cooking mechanism is dangerous and often produces deadly explosions. And there's the reaction of the Mob who will countenance nothing short of complete submission --after one botched batch he was beaten severely and his jaw broken as a warning.
To me the most terrifying moments come when we see how the residue gets tossed into rivers to pollute our drinking water. Homes have to be dug up because the water table has been severely compromised. The costs are huge and these clean ups go on for months.
Maybe Breaking Bad's end might have educated some viewers into the evils of Ecstasy.
The current crisis began in 2011 when 30 drug takers died in the ERs of western Canadian hospitals signaling that the drug was increasingly being tampered with --some pills even contained talcum powder as an additive.
It would have been easy to sensationalize this material. But the filmmakers step back and let the story unfold even as they are educating viewers. Yes, there are the requisite talking heads but their talk I found fascinating.
I'm more upset by that teen talking about how unfair it is now that her best friend has died --it's a terror ride so easy to get into and sometimes impossible to survive.
DEADLY BY DESIGN PREMIERES ON CBC-TV'S DOC ZONE THURSDAY OCTOBER 10 AT 9 P.M.
MY RATING: ****.

It's the new season and already I'm being inundated by angry TV viewers who want to know where the great new Canadian series might be.
Well, I've got one for you that is chock full of surprise and hope.
Titled Walk The Walk it's a six part documentary series that celebrates illustrious Canadians and gets them interacting with "ordinary" Canadians who have big dreams.
So kudos to Global for showing such a series even if the time slot is a bit off putting: Saturday nights at 10 beginning October 12.
The greatish Canadians profiled here are Nelly Furtado, Rush, Tom Cochrane, George Chuvalo, Kurt Browning and Sonia Rodriguez.
They share nothing in common talent wise but all are concerned citizens out to make society a better place to live.
There are two half hour profiles on each week.
First up there's Neil Peart, drummer with rush, who gets connected with Karl Sloman, drummer and music teacher who leads a band of disabled musicians called Train wreck.
I haven't previewed that one but the second profile I saw and can really recommend as Walk of Fame star Kurt Browning is asked to secvrety drop in on a Special Olympics skating club called Rising stars to offer encouragement and support.
We first visit with Browning at his kitchen table and the talk reaffirms what a basically nice guy he is despite all that fame.
He's off to a skating rink to accidentally on purpose drop in on the dedicated coach Nancy Eastman who has devoted her career to mentoring Special Olympics skaters including three Champions.
I'm honor bound not to give away more of the show but it contains heart warming moments including the profile of a young skater who won't let her epilepsy keep her down.
And there's also a special guest appearance from another Canadian skater and a proud Olympian. Guess who!
In the second week the first segment looks at Tom Cochrane who visits with Angus Ronalds who reated "Riley's Walk" to honor his seven-year old son who died of cancer.
I haven't seen it but I did catch a preview of the second part which pairs ballerina Sonia Rodriguez with occupational therapists (and sisters) Mallory and Jade Ryan who created a dance troupe for young girls with disabilities.
The camera first lingers over their coaching sessions and then there's a visit from Rodriguez during a master class.
Speaking on the phone Rodriguez (who happens to be married to Browning) said "It was something I just had to do. So very inspirational. But obviously the surprise was hard to make happen. Luckily it came on a night when I was not dancing."
"I tell you the reception...I felt overwhelmed. Rodriguez liked the emphasis on what the girls can do rather than talking about their obvious limitations.
"People who watch will be touched. I sat there and applauded everybody I was enjoying myself so much.
"Of course it was a different environment for me. But dancing should make everybody feel good. These girls gain confidence. And I could see it meant so much for parents.
"The kids? They have blossomed truly."
The third (and final week pairs George Chuvalo with boxing coaches Miranda Kamal and husband Ibrahim as they teach boxing to at-risk youths followed by Nello Furtado visiting budding poet Mustafa Ahmed.
Walk the walk delivers a wallop of emotions and should appeal to young audiences --better record this one in case the youngsters in your family drift off at such a late hour.
Sergio Gallinaro and Alex Kane produced and Maureen Riley directed for Toronto's Enter the Picture Productions.
WALK THE WALK PREMIERES ON GLOBAL TV SATURDAY OCTOBER 12 AT 10 P.M.
MY RATING: ***1/2.

When I telephoned the Toronto Star's news desk to report the passing of Jack Miller aged 85 there was an awkward silence.
"I don't think my generation would be interested," the temporary reporter said and then hung up.
But once upon a time Miller was the nation's most read and influential TV columnist.
He'd started at it in 1954 at The Hamilton Spectator and lasted 16 years on the beat --he was one of the first reporters to write exclusively about TV along with The Telegram's Ron Poulton and The Star's Gordon Sinclair.
I was a kid way back then but when I started reading papers I always gravitated to the entertainment sections.
Our family devoured all three Toronto dailies day and later I grew to appreciate the TV columns of Jon Ruddy and Bob Blackburn in The Tely, Roy Shields and Patrick Scott in The Star and Dennis Braithwaite in The Globe And Mail.
This was the Golden Age of TV criticism --these guys believed in the CRTC, they believed in the CBC, they wrote daily about the enfolding Canadian TV scene.
When The Star's Patrick Scott retired from the beat in 1971 he told management only Jack Miller at The Spec could replace him --Scott personally subscribed to the Hamilton paper just to read Mller.
"It was a big break for me," Miller once told me. "I was very scared at first because of the calibre of talent in that section.
"Then I realized I was probably the oldest guy in the room and I had the most experience."
Miller remembered early on Star management had him driven in the dark of night to an old warehouse in Scarborough.
"On the stage were all the members of the Star's board of directors. Chairman Beland Honderich had ordered this secrecy because he wanted to purchase Peterborough's Channel 12 and move it to Toronto.
"I patiently explained this was impossible. CHEX had gotten its license precisely to serve Peterborough. And there was a Channel 12 also in Rochester. Its signal would be compromised by moving CHEX into the Toronto area. It wasn't the answer the board expected. They never proceeded with the proposed sale."
As it turned out I replaced Miller at the Spec --I was 24 --he was 44-- and he did his best to bring me up to speed. He went everywhere with his wife Helen --they were known in the trade as "Meet The Millers" --a reference to a current show on Buffalo's WBEN-TV.
Somewhere I have a delightful photo of Helen swimming with Phyllis Diller in the swimming pool at Manulife Centre --the Millers lived there high up in some luxury.
Another memory is of a joint interview with Hugh O'Brien and the fact that even when I was asking Hugh a question he was looking at Helen's beautiful long legs.
During CRTC sessions I noticed the Commissioners would invite Jack back into their private room to explain some arcane regulation. I can still see Jack chatting away and commission member Northrop Frye taking notes.
Jack became so good at this the CRTC asked him to join but he refused saying journalism was always his first love,
In 1980 Jack asked to transfer to the science beat (I replaced him once more) where he shone with his ability to explain complex subjects in easy to read prose.
He retired in 1992 and looked after Helen as she battled cancer making sure he drove her back to their home in St. Catharines every night after treatment at Princess Margaret hospital.
Last time I talked to him was a few months ago and he was all excited about his latest phone gadget.
One thing's for sure --the art of TV criticism was much the poorer when he left the beat.

"Yes, I'm back again," giggles Dr. Jennifer Gardy on the line to promote the new TV special Myth Or Science: The Quest For Perfection.
It runs on CBC-TV's The Nature Of Things Thursday October 17 at 8 p.m.
Viewers are excused for wondering if the format seems more than a little familiar.
"We did one of these two seasons back," Gardy reports. "It got one of the highest ratings of the year on NOT and was especially popular with young viewers."
For whatever reason CBC took its time in ordering a sequel. But in this case the wait was worth it.
The second hour is even better made and so tightly edited you won't be able to turn away.
And it's such an attractive package CBC could have a popular spin off series if it wants.
I've caught Gardy on TV before --she sometimes guest hosts on Discovery's science shows. She's mighty attractive with a way of engaging audiences without talking down to them.
And in Myth Or Science she makes each experiment spring to life because she's game enough to get physically involved.
In one test she's put up against a slightly chubbier girl to test who is more physically fit. Gardy is leaner and more muscular and the endurance matches are fun to watch.
"In our society it's a case of thin is in. But that's a body ideal. We get to test the reality of being fit."
"The idea is to confront popular myths, test them and see if they are true or not. I was astonished several times and I'm in the myth busting business."
I'm honor bound not to reveal the ending but it was a huge surprise to me.
To film episodes Gardy travelled to various Canadian universities to interview medical scientists about their latest work. This melange of talking heads could have turned deadly dull except that Gardy talks their language and manages to get the academics at ease.
""I talked a lot to them before we filmed anything. I had to get them completely at ease and that sometimes took time. We wanted to capture their enthusiasm."
Gardy says the crew (Jeff Semple directed from a script by executive producer Dugald Maudsley for Infield Fly Productions) started with a long list of "20 to 30 myths and that got boiled down. But certainly there's enough material for a series. For example: are tanning beds addictive?"
But is it just me or does McMaster University get pride of place this time out --I'm speaking as an old Hamiltonian.
"Certainly there's a lot of great projects going on there right now," laughs Gardy. "Which is pretty impressive for a medium sized university."
One experiment looks at whether exercise can reverse the aging process, a relevant topic in a society where the number of people over 60 will triple by the year 2050.
And , yes, the study does start with sedentary mice before turning to people.
Says Gardy: "Everything here is grounded in good science--that's what makes the hour."
Gardy willingly volunteered for the experiment to show short, intense workouts are just as good as longer endurance trials. "I think this will make everybody rethink the physical fitness thing. As will the thesis that fit means thin.
"You see science is hard to film. I think we got it right here with the challenges I had to undertake."
I tell her surely the toughest moment must have come when she is ordered to chew a raw brussels sprout but she says "No, it was the indoor snowboarding --that really threw me."
I first spotted Grady as a co-host on the short lived CBC series Project X.
"We ran Thursdays at 7:30 and CBC cancelled when the network bought the rights to Wheel Of Fortune and Jeopardy."
Other myths confronted include the story that cooking foods destroys nutrients, that coffee is good for you and the segment I felt worked the best --that music can repair brain damage.
I chatted up Dr. Gardy on the phone the day before she left for a conference in Europe. Her day job finds her leading the Genome British Columbia research lab at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control in Vancouver.
"I spent a total of about 3 1/2 weeks on this one. In my job there's a lot of delegating if I have to be away for several days at a time. TV is something I like doing in sort bursts. For me it's all a balancing act. .
"I'm hoping there's more installments of Myth Or Science --I think the topics are there. I get to do a lot of heavy lifting, that's the challenge for me."
MYTH OR SCIENCE: THE QUEST FOR PERFECTION PREMIERES ON CBC-TV's THE NATURE OF THINGS THURSDAY OCTOBER 17 AT 8 P.M.
MY RATING: ***1/2.

Some of them are photographed wearing the very latest fashions.
Another casually plays the piano. Still another only eats gourmet dinners.
All are canines of the four legged category and in the merry new documentary For The Love Of Dogs we're asked to eavesdrop on their completely captivated owners.
One lady agrees she seems to be married to her dog. A childless couple lavish all their attention on their tiny dog
An archaeologist of some renown admits she even took her daschund on her digs --everything seemed OK until she started finding bones she had to hide from the dog.
One familyt's idea of a real treat is to cuddle up with their dog and watch a movie on TV.
We get to go to a bark mitzvah where guests dance all around and the center of attention gets to much on all sorts of meaty delicacies.
We peek in on "doga" classes where dogs and owners chill out in heavy mediation moments.
And what abut a different take on pyjama parties --here called, of course, paw-jama parties.
The new hour documentary could have energed as simply enjoyably silly.
But it has depth and resonance --it's basically a riff on the modern problem of lonliness.
Many of the owners only have their animal.
Pampered doggie Millie gets to dress up and go to parties where she recognizes other dogs. Yes, there is a dog named Elvis profiled here. What would "The King" think about that?
Sure, they go overboard but the dogs don't seem to care much of the time. They get pampered and petted and it's better than a cell at the local dog pound.
One couple's idea of heaven is to cuddle with their pooch and watch a movie on TV.
"She's our only child!" they admit.
It would be very easy to make fun of these people. Instead producer Dale Burshtein and director Sarah Goodman (for Omigod Productioons and Portfolio Entertainment) accept their subjects for what they are. They're not there to poke fun but to join in the celebrations.
And that's what makes For the Love Of Dog so fascinating. The dogs don't ask anything of their human "masters", they are completely of the moment. When one dog dies of lymphoma the female human survivor is distraught and begins studying up on reincarnation.
One dog, Princess, has five new outfits every day. The Queen never wears the same dress and neither does this Princess. I like the quote "Dogs are more human than humans are" because it sums up the group philosophy of the hour.
The holy muttrimony ceremony was mostly done with complete reverence.
And as one lady says her dog has "been the little fur baby I needed."
So for For The Love Of A Dog I dutifully dole out ***1/2 barks.
FOR THE LOVE OF DOG PREMIERES ON GLOBAL TV ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 19 AT 8 P.M.
MY RATING: ***1/2.

Canadian TV producers have definitely demonstrated that ice sells.
As in Ice Pilots NWT which returns for its fifth season of frigid fare Wednesday Octtober 23 at 10 p.m. on History.
Now don't you dare confuse this one with Ice Truckers or Highway To Hell, eh?
"I'm not going to comment on the competition," laughs Mikey McBryan, the loquacious son who has it all figured out why his series is such a hit.
"My dad and I are here in Toronto and for us that's an adventure. Just as for you in Toronto all that ice must be something new."
Mikey was relaxing in a board room at Shaw Media along with his father who doesn't talk as much but sports a gigantic presence: "Buffalo Joe" McBryan.
Says Mikey: "We are completely surprised to have hit 65 episodes this new season. And maybe 20 years from now we'll sit down and watch them all and remember."
Together the McBryans are front and center of every episode.
"But we tend to ignore the cameras and sometimes I don't even know when they're filming me," says "Buffalo Joe".
"We got used to all that very quickly," Mikey says. "So we're comfortable just being ourselves. What's hard for me are the interview segments where I'm plopped down and I have to look directly at the camera. Now that's difficult."
Mikey swears nothing is made up. "They just film and film and send all the material back to the editors marked 'Stuff Happens'".
I'm honor bound not to give away much new plot but in the first new episode a fierce storm threatens to ground the air carrier and then there are mechanical problems which seem very threatening.
"Something like that couldn't be planned," Mikey says. "We had all kinds of problems including human. You know how close we were to not flying --you've seen the first episode.
"The chief mechanic felt terrible about what happened.There was no faking his emotions."
"Buffalo Joe" says the airline gets as many as 100 British visitors a year.
"They come to see the planes. We fly DC-3s and these fans want to look at the serial numbers. They'll say 'that one flew in the Berlin airlift'. Or 'That one got refugees out of Hungary during the 1956 revolution.'"
In fact Buffalo Airlines is just about the only company left still flying DC-3s.
"One thing is the dependability. They were used by the U.S. air force and I bought up as many parts as I could when I knew the air force was easing them out. We became our own Walmart.
"But, sure, the time will come when we simply can't fly them. But for dependability in our conditions they still are number one. In 1978 there were still 115 registered. Now I figure we're the last batch flying. regularly.
"We're lost in time, we never moved on."
This year "Buffalo Joe" will go on a buying mission looking for modern planes. He'll also take his first ever helicopter lesson.
As far as the future of Buffalo Airways goes Joe says "We could have become a corporation. I'd be upped to chairman. It just wouldn't be fun anymore."
What keeps us watching are the very human elements -- the young pilot who brought his family to such an isolated place, the outbursts of "Buffalo Joe", the daunting problems eery time a plane creaks off.
"You people complain if you have to travel two blocks to get a Starbucks," jokes Mikey.
The series is a hit in the oddest places.
"They love it in Ireland because it's not American," Mikey explains. "Our hard core audience is in Alberta because every one has a cousin up here. Australians love it because they never get to experience such winters."
"Buffalo Joe" says he gets few fan letters these days. "It's all emails. Do I know a brother in Whitehorse? People searching for long lost relatives. And questions about the planes, a lot of those."
Says Joe : "We're the lifeline for a dozen tiny communities. I keep thinking of that every time we have to fly in -40 weather."
In Episode Two some NHL stars drop by for a hockey game --they were on strike when this was filmed. And Joe rides along in a CT-114 Tutor jet. He also glides along Great Slave Lake in a 1940s "snowplane" --a prototype of the snowmobile.
And , yes, you are correct --the fictional Arctic Air is loosely based on Ice Pilots (and also made by Omnifilm Entertainment).
A sixth season seems just as likely as the next winter's cold front.
SEASON FIVE OF ICE PILOTS NWT PREMIERS ON HISTORY ON WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 23 AT 10 P.M.
MY RATING: ***1/2.

New U.S. TV Season May Be Doomed

Legendary Motorcar Debuts On BNN

The Next Step Is Already A Hit

Naked Reality TV Is Here

How Do You Spell Emmys? B-o-r-i-n-g!

On TV Is It Content Or Time Slot?

Living Dolls Is A Gem

Yannick Bisson Back Again As Murdoch

Republic Of Doyle Back For Season Five

Chandra West Shines In CTV's Played

Heartland Still Has Its Heart

Cloudstreet: Something Different On TV

William Fichtner Scores Again In Crossing Lines

The New TV Season Lays An Egg

Deadly By Design On Doc Zone

Walk The Walk: Stories Of Hope

Now Let Us Praise Jack Miller

Myth Or Science: A CBC-TV Winner

When TV Goes To The Dogs

Ice Pilots NWT: True North TV, Eh?