Coupland discusses McLuhan
EXTRAORDINARY CANADIANS
It’s a new episode of this docu-series, which gives a personal take on the lives of eminent Canadians from the perspective of prominent writers who have themselves shaped contemporary thinking. Friday’s instalment sees novelist and artist Douglas Coupland ruminate on communication theorist Marshall McLuhan. (CBC)
THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW
Follow the five remaining bakers as they attempt to recreate dishes fit for the Tudors. The signature dish challenge is a savoury stuffed pie; the technical challenge is an unusual Tudor biscuit that has the bakers tied up in knots; and the showstopper challenge is a marzipan spectacle. (PBS)
LAIR OF THE SAWFISH
A new special airs for this year’s Shark Week. Experts unravel the mystery behind one of the sea’s strangest creatures, the sawfish. They track its evolutionary links to sharks and rays, as well as its key role in the marine ecosystem, with the goal of bringing the sawfish back from the brink of extinction. (Discovery)
THE ZOO
The first season of this docu-series set at the Bronx Zoo continues with a fresh instalment: A Star Is Born. The birth of a little blue penguin causes a sensation; the veterinary team scrambles to figure out what is wrong with a snow leopard; and the exhibits team designs a home for the newly arrived blue iguana. (Animal Planet)
LIVE AT THE APOLLO
Taking to the Apollo stage in this fresh instalment is the famously quick-witted Dara O Briain, as he introduces two of comedy’s biggest stars — razor-sharp comic Zoe Lyons and the talented Paul Chowdhry. (BBC Canada)
SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS
The cartoon featuring everyone’s favourite quadrilateral friend airs a new Season 10 episode. The first part is titled The Getaway. When SpongeBob mistakes an escaped convict for his driving instructor, it’s the new teacher who learns a lesson. Then it’s Lost and Found, in which Mr. Krabs sends SpongeBob in search of a missing toy, and SpongeBob finds himself lost in the lost and found. (YTV)
DEAD SET ON LIFE
It’s back-to-back repeats of this travelling docu-series featuring chef Matty Matheson. In The Life of Matty, he jets to his hometown with his mentor, Rang Nguyen, to show how he became the chef he is today. Then, in City Matty, Country Matty, he visits Ontario Farms, Perth Pork and Y.U. Ranch and throws an epic barbecue in Stafford, Ont. (City)