Friday, September 29, 2006

Canadian TV this weekend: Rent-A-Goalie

Finally for the week...

If you're in Canada, save some time to watch the premiere of Rent-A-Goalie. It airs on Showcase, Sunday Night at 9:30 p.m. ET and PT.

Last night I got to go to the launch party at a Toronto bar. They showed two episodes. This is the third time that I've seen the pilot and I was still laughing at it.

Rent-A-Goalie is a guy show. A real boy's show. It's a mix of the profane and profound. Yes, there are fart jokes and coarse stuff and a lot of swearing. But there are quiet moments in the performances. This is a show that knows to both go for the laughs, and for the heart.

So last night, Phil Esposito was there. Okay, I may not have been born in Canada. But...friggin Espo, guy?

No, of course I didn't talk to him. Phil Esposito, guy! Keee-riiist!

Sunday 9:30 p.m. It's really worth your time. Even if it's not your cup of tea, I guarantee you'll laugh at something in the show. The stories have heart, the acting is good, the pace is great: this is a very successfully executed show and it, and Showcase, deserves Canadians' support. It's not like having green beans or Brussels Sprouts -- it's about Hockey, which Canadians love. It's about life in Toronto's Little Italy, which is a great neighborhood with a decidedly different feel from Little Italy's in most of the U.S. cities I've visited. This is Showcase's best original series in years.

Have a good weekend.

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