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TV Media Weekly | October 14 - 20, 2017 By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: Is Horatio Sanz, the "SNL" alum and co-star of 2002 film "Boat Trip," the same bouncy, lawn-mowing guy in the Toujeo television ad? A: He's not, but the resem- blance is strong — they share the same stocky frame and dark, curly hair, and the same black beard that sort of fades its way up the face. But the guy in the Toujeo ad is much less famous, over here at least: He's Spanish actor Karlos Klaumannsmoller. It makes sense that the com- pany chose a European actor, since Toujeo is made by a Euro- pean company. And you'll note that he doesn't have any lines in the spot — all the talking is done in voice-over by another actor. That's so the global com- pany can reuse the footage in its various other markets. That's not to say Klaumanns- moller can't speak English. We know he can, thanks, oddly, to the fact that he's a struggling actor. Q: In which Marvel movie did Stan Lee make his first cameo? A: Aha! This question is a sur- prisingly controversial one, and the way your question is phrased adds a little extra. The internet (which loves a good list) is full of lists of Stan Lee's many cameos over the years — Lee is, of course, the cre- ator of many of Marvel Comics's best-loved characters. These list- makers are split between those who start with his appearance in 2000's "X-Men," and those who reach back quite a bit further, to the 1989 telefilm "The Trial of the Incredible Hulk." But regarding your exact ques- tion, it raises another one: Are telefilms technically "movies"? Some of the lists online only en- compass his big-screen roles — an understandable choice, since the theatrical Marvel produc- tions are quite a bit more lucra- tive than the TV ones. Indeed, comparing 1989's "The Trial of the Incredible Hulk" to 2000's "X-Men" gives a sense of the quality gap that generally exists between Marvel's contri- butions to the two media. From the '70s to the '90s, Marvel was pretty indiscriminate about who it licensed its characters to, lead- ing to a large number of rightly forgotten TV shows and telefilms. (Does anyone remember the Nick Fury telefilm starring David Has- selhoff from 1998?) Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town. Personal replies will not be provided. Hollywood Q&A By Andrew Warren TV Media B een watching the latest season of "MasterChef?" Don't worry — new epi- sodes of the Gordon Ram- say-headlined hit cooking show haven't snuck onto TV screens while you weren't looking, but its more northerly sibling might have creeped in under the radar. This past spring's season of "MasterChef Canada" premiered south of the Canada-U.S. border with back-to-back episodes last week and continues to air Tues- days on Cooking Channel. As with previous seasons of the Canadian version of the hit series, Cooking Channel is broadcasting the show a few months after it wrapped up in its home country, with a new episode airing Tuesday, Oct. 17. But what's different about the Canadian version of "Mas- terChef?" Well, not much — but also a lot. The basic trappings are all the same: A group of talented home cooks with dreams of ca- reers in the culinary world take part in a series of challenges un- der the watchful gaze of three knowledgeable judges — chefs Claudio Aprile, Michael Bonacini and Alvin Leung in this version. Week after week, the weakest performer is eliminated, until the sole remaining home cook wins the "MasterChef" title and a nice heap of cash. Like its American parent, "MasterChef Canada" has team, mystery box, elimina- tion and pressure test challenges, and the kitchen itself even has a very similar look and feel. The big difference, though, is in the tone. Ramsay has a notori- ously bad temper, and while he definitely tones it down for "MasterChef" — these are ama- teurs, after all, not trained chefs — the threat of one of his out- bursts always looms. True to ste- reotype, the Canadian judges are just so much nicer, with their crit- icisms always accompanied by advice. Of course, the show also has a healthy dose of Canadian cul- ture. In this week's episode, the season's first team challenge celebrates Canada's 150th birthday by challenging the home cooks to prepare a meal for 150 new Canadians who have just had their citizenship ceremony — what a way to say "welcome home!" And that's really "MasterChef Canada" in a nutshell: It's "Mas- terChef," but with some softer edges and a slightly different coat of paint. The fourth season of the northern hit airs Tuesdays on Cooking Channel. 'MasterChef Canada' gives a hit show distinct flair 10 | Cooking this week Sunspot 2 x 2" Vicker's Graphics 2 x 1.5" Tech Repairadise 2 x 1.5" Michael Bonacini, Alvin Leung and Claudio Aprile in "MasterChef Canada"

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