TV that curses, clashes and heals broken hearts

Enough of hibernation from bad weather, worse politics and other ailments. Here are five recommendations to get some go-time energy from new offerings on cable and streaming apps.

Widow’s Bay (Series premières Wednesday, April 29, on Apple TV)

Those who crave an offline getaway vacation might be attracted to the idea of this fictional island town off the coast of New England.

It has no Wi-Fi and only occasional cell service, so perfect, right?

Famed Canadian actor William Shatner recalls co-star hijinks in discussion with fans

CALGARY - William Shatner, quickly gliding over questions that speculated about the future of "Star Trek" and his famous role as its captain, reminisced with a ballroom of fans about stories ranging from sabotaging co-star Leonard Nimoy's bike to rubbing former football player Terry Bradshaw's head with fermented fish. 

Shatner is well-known for spending nearly three decades wearing a Starfleet uniform at the helm of the starship Enterprise as Captain James Kirk as part of his long career.

The 95-year-old wandered between stories about the mayhem on set, including on the 2016 reality television show "Better Late Than Never," which followed Shatner along with four other celebrities as they travelled to different countries.

He spoke at the BMO Centre during the Calgary Expo on Saturday afternoon, comfortably addressing hundreds from his seat atop the sprawling stage. Sometimes he received help from the audience in remembering some details, like the capital city of Sweden.

‘Heated Rivalry’ wins Peabody Award for presenting non-toxic side of masculinity

Canadian hockey romance "Heated Rivalry" has won a Peabody Award.

The American awards honour excellence in storytelling that reflects social issues.

Jurors say the show "inspired gay athletes to come out, boosted hockey sales and dispelled Hollywood’s limiting beliefs about the value of diverse stories."

The series, which was created by Jacob Tierney, debuted on Crave and HBO Max in November and quickly gained a fan base.

‘Sullivan’s Crossing’ creator talks about Scott Patterson’s exit, and future projects

Fans of "Sullivan's Crossing" may find the show's cozy small-town romance a form of comfort viewing, but recently, the scripted series had some drama spill over into real-world headlines.

Former "Gilmore Girls" star Scott Patterson has exited the show after three seasons, and it was announced his character, Sully, would not return this season. 

The actor said on Instagram "the creative differences were becoming untenable," causing a stir among fans wondering what happened. 

Warner Bros shareholders approve Paramount’s $81 billion takeover of the Hollywood giant

NEW YORK (AP) — An $81 billion Warner-Paramount mega merger has received shareholders’ stamp of approval, propelling a deal that could vastly reshape Hollywood and the wider media landscape closer to the finish line.

On Thursday, Warner Bros. Discovery said the overwhelming majority of its stakeholders voted in support of selling Paramount for $31 a share. Including debt, the deal is valued at nearly $111 billion based on Warner's current outstanding shares.

Paramount, which was bought by Skydance just last year, wants all of Warner. That means HBO Max, cult-favorite titles like “Harry Potter” and even CNN could soon find themselves under the same roof with CBS, “Top Gun” and the Paramount+ streaming service.

David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, said in a statement that stockholder approval marks “another key milestone toward completing this historic transaction.” Paramount added that it looks forward to closing in the coming months, and “realizing the creation of a next-generation media and entertainment company.”

An Instagram DM changed everything for Rachel Reid, Jacob Tierney and ‘Heated Rivalry’

NEW YORK (AP) — To the cheers and applause of thousands of BookCon attendees, “Heated Rivalry” author Rachel Reid and director-screenwriter Jacob Tierney walked on to the main event stage at New York's Jacob Javits Convention Center. The two Canadians have been international celebrities for just a few months, and still find themselves wondering if all the noise is for someone else.

“We don’t really get to experience this kind of energy and fandom in person very often,” Tierney told The Associated Press just after their joint appearance, a highlight of the weekend gathering of (mostly) young book fans. “It’s been a bit more of an amorphous online thing.”

Since the first episode of “Heated Rivalry” dropped last November, Tierney's adaptation of Reid's “Game Changer” series featuring star-crossed hockey greats Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov has become a phenomenon that boosted the sport's popularity, made Reid a leader of the thriving genre of sports romance fiction and made Olympic torchbearers out of lead actors Hudson Williams (Shane) and Connor Storrie (Ilya). Tierney expects to begin filming the second season this summer, based in part on the second of Reid's novels about Shane and Ilya, “The Long Game.” The author, meanwhile, is working on a third Shane and Ilya book, “Unrivaled.” Both are scheduled for 2027 releases.

“Heated Rivalry” fans know well the story of how the HBO Max show was born, and of Reid's jarring swing from despair to exhilaration. In August 2023, she learned that she had early onset Parkinson's disease. Days later, she received an Instagram message from a man she had never met, but would soon change her life in a very different way: Tierney.

Former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin joining NBC’s pregame show, AP sources say

Mike Tomlin is going from the glare of an NFL sideline to the glare of television lights.

The former Pittsburgh Steelers coach will join NBC's “Sunday Night Football” coverage as a pregame analyst, two people briefed on the move told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity because NBC has not announced the move. The Athletic was the first to report on Tomlin.

Tomlin stepped down in January after 19 seasons as Steelers coach and was the most sought after free agent by the networks. NBC had a studio opening as it is retooling its “Football Night in America” pregame show. Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy announced last month that he was told he would not be back after 17 years.

Zach Galifianakis brings humor to gardening in a Netflix series premiering on Earth Day

You might not realize it, but watching Zach Galifianakis poke around in the dirt like he’s just discovered it is exactly what you need right now.

In “This Is a Gardening Show,” a six-part series premiering April 22 on Netflix for Earth Day, the actor and comedian brings a kind of wide-eyed curiosity to gardening that feels at once sincere and ridiculous.

The episodes run an easily digestible 15 to 20 minutes each — just long enough to learn something new without feeling overwhelmed.

Learning from experts...

How ‘MILF Manor’ somehow led to CBC’s wholesome new rescue show ‘Must Love Dogs’

TORONTO - A wholesome dog rescue show isn’t the kind of project you'd expect to share DNA with one of reality TV’s most unhinged dating experiments.

And yet, that’s exactly where the story behind CBC's new docuseries “Must Love Dogs” begins, says one of the leads.

The show follows CFL running back Brady Oliveira and realtor Alex Blumberg — a Canadian power couple who moonlight as dog rescuers — as they race across Manitoba to save as many stray dogs as possible before winter comes.

But it has an unlikely origin story, as described by Oliveira: a chance encounter with some producers for “MILF Manor,” the TLC reality dating series based on an eyebrow-raising twist involving mothers and their sons.

Real-life partners Brady Oliveira, Alex Blumberg join forces to save dogs in new docuseries

Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back Brady Oliveira and realtor/rescue influencer Alex Blumberg may be the charismatic couple at the heart of Must Love Dogs, a new half-hour docuseries steaming on CBC Gem, but the stars of the show are the dogs they rescue.

Series that take us back to kinder, gentler TV

Since the debut of The Sopranos in 1999, the era of “peak television” is often associated with antiheroes, ethical ambiguity and the erosion of institutions.

Prestige dramas such as The Wire, Breaking Bad and Succession have charted moral collapse and corruption at the heart of modern life, while sprawling hits such as Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead trade in a worldview so relentlessly bleak it could have you reaching for a Xanax.

And let’s be honest, we love them for it.

But at a moment when reality often feels like it’s imitating prestige TV in all the worst ways, audiences may find themselves craving something different. Not necessarily lighter, but more humane.

From ‘SNL’ succession plan to Lorne Michaels’ quirky habits, here’s what to know about ‘Lorne’ doc

Lorne Michaels, the mastermind behind “Saturday Night Live," is pulling back the curtain and allowing Oscar-winning documentarian Morgan Neville into his inner circle.

The director says Michaels gave him unrestricted access to interview him and his closest friends, producers, writers and cast members.

In "Lorne," Michaels jokes about how he doesn’t even know himself, giving Neville quite the task of unravelling the inner thoughts of the "SNL" creator and executive producer.

New series offer comfort of escapist fare

A new lineup of recommended viewing leans heavily toward escapism. Except for the latest from Baby Reindeer creator and star Richard Gadd, from which some further escapism might be welcome. Onward!

‘Saturday Night Live’ moving to CTV/Crave in Canada after decades on Global

TORONTO - Live from CTV/Crave it's "Saturday Night Live."

The comedy-sketch show will be moving to Bell Media-owned properties this fall after a decades-long run on Global.

"SNL" will air in simulcast on CTV and NBC and stream live on Crave, with new episodes available next day on the streaming platform.

Crave also recently picked up the new British adaptation of the franchise called "Saturday Night Live UK."

Where ‘The Testaments’ stars hung out in Toronto: Le Swan, Trinity Bellwoods and Winners?

TORONTO -  

Stars of "The Testaments" took over Toronto last summer, watching the city's World Series-bound Blue Jays, becoming near-regulars at a French diner on Queen Street and meeting some knights in shining armour.

"We did a couple of Medieval Times days," said Chase Infiniti, who plays Agnes MacKenzie. 

The Chicago native called Toronto home for nearly six months while filming the new Disney Plus series that's based on Margaret Atwood's book, and she was joined by co-stars Ann Dowd and Lucy Halliday for bowling outings and "Superman" screenings.