Janet-Laine Green could write a book on the Canadian TV business. The winsome actress has worked steadily since the early eighties with guest turns on homegrown series like Night Heat, Ray Bradbury Theater, Seeing Things and, yes, Care Bears, in which she supplied the voice of Wish Bear.
Over the years, Green has also assumed recurring roles on such seminal Canadian series as The Beachcombers, Street Legal, Traders and This Is Wonderland.
On Vision TV's new original series She's the Mayor, which debuts March 4, Green is well-cast as Iris Peters, a former elementary-school principal turned mayor of the small town of Fairfax.
When not appearing on homegrown programs, Green is a solid proponent of watching Canadian TV shows, including these three current faves.
The Ron James Show Ron has got a wicked wit that just tickles me. He's very smart and open to going with the flow, which allows him to create comedy on the spot. The animated Lil Ronnie segments are very funny. He also seems willing to encompass the entire Canadian talent bank and I like that a lot.
Slings and Arrows I watched the first time it aired and I'm watching it again on DVD. The reason I'm rewatching it is because my son, Tyrone Savage, has just finished the Birmingham Conservatory Program at Stratford and is about to enter his first season on the Stratford [Shakespeare Festival]stage. The show is a brilliant backstage look at the struggle to create meaningful art. Sometimes it's so funny you have to hold your stomach, but there's also a real truth to it.
Being Erica This is an excellent show that challenges us intellectually. It's a very smart, funny but endearing premise and so well-made. I also enjoy watching Michael Riley, whom I've worked with in the past on This Is Wonderland. He's a dedicated and outstanding actor and his work on Erica is just beautiful to watch. He's extraordinary.