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Behind The Scenes: Mighty Cruise Ships

Mighty Cruise Ships on Discovery

Mighty Cruise Ships returns to the Discovery Channel tonight for its second season and I had a chance to chat with Executive Producer Karen McCairley. Find out more about the production process below and see which celebrity she wants to travel with in this special Q&A.

How does your show attract and engage with viewers (like myself) who have never been on a cruise?

Mighty Cruise Ships is the only show of its kind in the whole world. We take all the preconceived notions viewers like you may have about cruise ships and set the story straight!

It’s not all big buffets and cheesy lounge singers – we focus on what it takes for the hard working staff aboard each vessel to pull these trips off time and again. We pull back the curtain and focus on the big technology and navigational skill it takes to dock these ships in very interesting and oftentimes difficult ports. We spend time in the engine rooms, bridge, galleys and behind the scenes of the huge mainstage productions that happen aboard these ships.

Put it this way, even the people who work for the cruise lines are oftentimes blown away when they eventually see our shows.

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As Seen On TV: The Social

Hot On The Street - The Social Stage

I don’t need an excuse to apply for tickets for a live taping of The Social. Now that they’re in season two, I decided to go back. On my way to the taping, I stopped at Starbucks across the street from the studio. I was delighted to see Jess Allen in line. I spotted her immediately and she was very friendly.

Chloe Bent, The Social’s audience coordinator was as friendly as I remembered. She ensured that everyone was excited to join the live audience and encouraged us to cheer by telling us that the biggest fans would receive gift bags with makeup products. One fan was visiting from San Francisco, so she took home a special prize. According to Chloe, the easiest way to look good on TV is to simply nod and smile, without looking like a cheerleader.

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Parenthood Farewell

Parenthood Cast

The last episode of Parenthood airs in a few hours and I wish there was a way to postpone the series finale. It is one of my favourite shows and I’m sad that it’s ending.

As an only child, I enjoy watching shows with large families that don’t resemble my own family whatsoever. That’s why it was so appealing to watch Party of Five on Netflix during the summer.

The characters were always generous with each other and quick to rescue anyone in a crisis situation. Zeek and Camille raised their offspring to be kind and forgiving, which are key qualities. I liked when Zeek gave Drew the blue Pontiac, insisting that the grand gesture was meant to reward Drew for packing up the old Braverman home.

It has been a treat to watch the Bravermans grow up on Parenthood. They graduated, married and changed a lot over six years. From Haddie’s teary send-off to Cornell to Victor’s joyous adoption ceremony, viewers witnessed several big moments.

The show tackled many serious issues including special needs education and post-traumatic stress disorder. The plot has been a rollercoaster and that’s what kept it interesting. Parenthood’s scripts are unparalleled and I challenge the cast to find such good projects in the future.

Schitt’s Creek

Hot On The Street - Schitt's Creek - Dan Levy and Eugene Levy - IMG_8393

Dan Levy and Eugene Levy

I had the pleasure of attending the world premiere of CBC’s new series called Schitt’s Creek. Word on the street is that it’s a story about what would happen if the Kardashian family went broke; however, I think that description might be too generic. I think we’re at a point where referencing the Kardashians is almost a cliche.

The scripts for Schitt’s Creek have an uncanny resemblance to those of 2 Broke Girls, as they have a similar tone and sense of humour. Funny lines like “you have dandruff in your eyebrow,” demonstrate the cast and crew’s ability to create a show with excellent comedic timing.

When I heard the name of the show, I immediately thought about Dawson’s Creek. I’ve always been obsessed with that series. In addition to 2 Broke Girls, I also think it’s worth comparing Schitt’s Creek to Gilmore Girls, the beloved series that’s now available on Netflix. Gilmore Girls is my favourite series, so it sets a high standard for all future shows in my opinion.

Catherine O’Hara’s character Moira Rose embodies a few of the same traits as Emily Gilmore. Imagine how Emily would react if her husband’s insurance business went south out of the blue. Well, the difference is that Emily has way more class than Moira. Emily has better manners.

Compared to the parents, I prefered watching the younger characters in Schitt’s Creek, David and Alexis, played by Dan Levy and Annie Murphy respectively. No matter who you are or where you live, I know you’ll be able to draw parallels between them and people in your social network.

When my sister from another mister, the one and only Jessi Cruickshank, introduced the show at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, she proudly said, “Dan and I were rescued by MTV.” Thank goodness MTV selected the two to co-host The Hills After Show! How else would we know so much about Lauren Conrad’s clique?

As someone who misses the CBC show Being Erica, I’m glad that they’ve found a new way to develop content that will attract younger audiences. More importantly, let’s congratulate the team behind because Schitt’s Creek has already been renewed for a second season!

Sunday Night TV Highlights

Photo Source: Hollywood Life & E!

Photo Source: Hollywood Life & E!

Aside from the Oscars and Super Bowl, Sunday night doesn’t usually imply appointment viewing. Last night was an exception. I found myself flipping back and forth all night between the American Music Awards on CTV/ABC, Canada’s Smartest Person on CBC and Kourtney & Khloe Take the Hamptons on E! I’m one episode behind on The Good Wife, but I’ll fix that soon with Rogers on Demand.

Kourtney & Khloe Take the Hamptons

I wonder how many other dads leave hundreds of dollars worth of gifts for their kids and partners on their way to rehab. In the last episode, Scott went to rehab for five days, Kourtney’s therapist flew to New York for a surprise counselling session and Khloe celebrated her 30th birthday.

It looked like Khloe had a fun birthday bash and an even better surprise party, where French Montana gave her a Jeep. It’s a shame that Khloe’s anxiety about her age and relationship with Lamar interfered with her having a good time with friends.

Overall, it was a juicy drama-filled episode that was satisfying, yet somewhat difficult to watch given the sensitive subject matter about Scott’s behaviour and Kourtney’s health.

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