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TV

Book Review: Who Do You Love

Hot On The Street - Sarah Prince - Jennifer Weiner - New York - 2013

As a major Jennifer Weiner fan, I was delighted to get a sneak peek at her latest novel, Who Do You Love. The novel tells the story of Rachel and Andy, two Americans who meet in the ER and reunite again and again as they grow up and fall in love. Their bond is strong enough to let them survive a long distance relationship and they remain top-of-mind for each other as circumstances tear them apart. The characters are raw, realistic and believable.

The book starts off with a slow pace, but the plot thickens as soon as Rachel and Andy enter their teenage years. Weiner dedicates the beginning of the book to establishing Rachel and Andy’s immediate circle of family and friends, and then the book becomes more interesting as Rachel and Andy become independent, leaving their parents’ homes behind.

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Adrian Grenier Visits Toronto

Meet and greet alert! Entourage’s Adrian Grenier is coming to Toronto on Wednesday to meet fans at Hudson’s Bay (176 Yonge Street) across from the Toronto Eaton Centre. This is an exciting opportunity to meet the star and ask him about his career or personal life. There is a minimum purchase requirement for a photograph with him, but if you buy jeans and a t-shirt, then I’m sure you’ll be all set.

The event is only two days away so start shopping and thinking about what you’ll say to him!

 

Adrian Grenier Hudson's Bay

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!