TV sci-fi to see you through the weekend
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Today's guest curator is TV host Ajay Fry. A generation of Canadians grew up watching him on YTV but know him best as a champion of all things sci-fi — from his long-running entertainment news show InnerSpace on Space Channel to the Orphan Black after-show After the Black for CTV and BBC America. His Canadian TV show selections for your quarantine viewing are fittingly far out.
Created by the awesome animation team over at Tinman Studios in Toronto, Super Science Friends answers the question, “What if a bunch of historic scientific figures had superpowers and travelled through time fighting Nazis?” The animation is outstanding, vibrant and hilarious, with elongated characters in creator Brett Jubinville’s unmistakable style. The humour is my favourite combination of slapstick, sardonic and smart. Look out for Fearless Fred Kennedy as the voice of Einstein and cameos from yours truly, and notable modern scientists, too.
Season 1 of Super Science Friends is available on YouTube.
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AsapSCIENCE began seven years ago when Canadians Gregory Brown and Mitchell Moffit started posting videos about all kinds of STEM subjects to their YouTube channel. Along with cute hand-drawn illustrations, their straightforward narrations and explanations do an excellent job parsing complicated scientific concepts in easy-to-follow videos that answer all kinds of questions. Recently, they’ve tackled the COVID-19 crisis, and their calm delivery makes learning about scary things a whole lot easier. They’ve also branched out into a podcast called Sidenote, which you can also find on YouTube or wherever fine podcasts are available.
You can watch AsapSCIENCE *on YouTube.*
When this Canadian science-fiction/thriller series about the ethics of cloning originally aired, I found myself hosting the official after-show (After The Black), which would come on after the broadcast here in Canada and on BBC America. It was my job to enthusiastically promote the show — and it was the easiest job I’ve ever had. Granted, it hasn’t been my job since the show ended its run in 2017, but my genuine love of Orphan Black has never died. It’s not just one of the best Canadian dramatic series of the past decade, but one of the best dramatic series of the past decade anywhere. Watch just a few episodes and you’ll understand why star Tatiana Maslany won an Emmy (and so many other awards) for her portrayal of multiple characters. By the time a gun goes off unexpectedly (yes, it’s so unexpected that you’ll never see it coming even after reading this) you’ll absolutely love this series, too. I promise.
All five seasons of Orphan Black are available on Crave.