Author Andrew Pyper's mid-week playlist
FRIENDS is sharing recommendations for great Canadian content to lighten the load of our shared experience during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Sign up here to get them by email.
Today’s Guest Curator is Toronto author Andrew Pyper, whose many bestselling novels explore the dark side of human behaviour and history. Whether you call his work thriller, crime, horror, or simply page-turners, Pyper is Canada’s master of suspense. His 2013 book The Demonologist won the International Thriller Writers Award for Best Hardcover Novel, and 2008’s The Killing Circle was selected as a New York Times Best Crime Novel of the Year. The Residence, a ghost story based on true events set in the White House in the 1800s, is due September 2020. When asked for his Canadian viewing suggestions to enjoy in self-isolation, he picked an eerily relevant scary movie for the other horror fans, and a comedy TV series for everyone.
I came to this show late (as in two weeks ago late) and was astonished by how strongly it comes out of the gate. Ask any TV writer: pilots are hard. Comedy pilots are perhaps the hardest of all. But Schitt's Creek starts out with a clear voice, a sturdy premise that plays to the strengths of its leads, and a whack of laugh-out-loud moments. The hilarity calms a little as the show moves along season to season, but the performances and sweetness among the wider cast is richer and surprisingly involving. Given the polish of this series right off the bat it's odd that it only came to wide attention and loud praise near the end of its run, but no matter. We're all stuck in our Schitt's Creeks now, and as the characters themselves discover...home is where you make it. — Andrew Pyper
*Schitt's Creek is streaming on CBC Gem.
Branchez-vous à votre culture en vous abonnant aujourd'hui!
Isolation doesn't have to be isolating. Sign up and be part of the movement.
This 2008 horror film by Bruce McDonald is a super-contained "radio play" set in a small-town radio station during a zombie uprising. The script by Tony Burgess revels in the constraints of the production's small budget, and McDonald's direction is a slow-build to terror. Yes, the claustrophobia is rather on point for a society currently in self-isolation, but, then again, the best scary tales use whatever material is at hand. I was a big fan of the Burgess short stories that he compressed in the adaptation, and was cheering on the development of the film from afar. So when it was finally released my personal investment added to the sense of triumph. — Andrew Pyper
*Pontypool is streaming on CBC Gem.
If you enjoyed Andrew Pyper's recommendations, you may also like How to Buy a Baby. This show takes on the impossible task of injecting humour into the intimate and intimidating parental journey of trying to build a family. Creator and producer Wendy Litner is no stranger to the challenge; the show is inspired by her own experience with failed fertility treatments before successfully adopting two boys from foster care. As many parents would know, whichever way a child arrives in your life, the worries are the same: will I be a good enough parent? Are the corners of that coffee table too sharp? Should I do what that parent is doing with their children? The neurosis is daunting. But as I go through each episode, it’s hard not to laugh and also root for aspiring parents Jane (Meghan Heffern) and Charlie (Marc Bendavid) as they navigate the hurdles of having a baby. — Shazlin Rahman
How to Buy a Baby is streaming on CBC Gem. Note: Content may not be suitable for all ages. Viewer discretion is advised.