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Terminal City

2005

Seasons & Episodes

  • 1

EP1 Episode 1 Oct 17, 2005

"Post-Op!" is a hospital based, reality TV show that's dying a slow death. The host of the show just isn't TV, in fact, he's been deemed a loser by TV crew and the non-existent ratings. Meanwhile, in a posh suburb, Katie Sampson isn't picking up the phone. It's her GP calling with bad news: she has a lump in her breast and she's going to have to go for tests at the hospital. What are you going to do? The next day, Katie goes to the hospital with her daughter, Sarah. Once the biopsy is performed - lights! camera! action! - Katie walks right into the reality TV show, broadcasting live. Already in a dark mood, she lets fly a stream of wisecracks and jokes about life and death and breast cancer. She's absolutely riveting and her presence is not lost on the producers. Stay tuned.

EP2 Episode 2 Oct 24, 2005

Get Katie! Her one time appearance on the ailing "Post-Op!" electrifies its small audience. Dr. Hart is fired and the hunt is on to lure Katie back as the new host. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, seven year-old Eli disappears, sparking a frantic manhunt. He ends up at a Catholic funeral and decides to intercede on behalf of the dead. Later that night, Saul takes the kids out for the night and insists on playing old Charlton Heston films. Ari and Katie get dressed up and dance the night away in their living room.

EP3 Episode 3 Oct 31, 2005

Katie takes over the ailing "Post-Op!" and her first guest on the show is none other than her GP, bearing news about her cancer. But there's no stopping her now, she takes on her husband, revamps and renames her show - wait for it - "No Show" and casts an Ed McMahon sidekick with a fascination for antennas. Meanwhile, 16 year-old Nicky Sampson strikes out with his high school dream date, but ends up on the bus picking up a voluptuous Polish émigré, three times his age. And if that wasn't enough, Katie's drawn to an angelic boy sleeping on a gurney.

EP4 Episode 4 Nov 07, 2005

As Katie's show hits new heights, she finds she can't dodge the cancer bullet any longer: her new oncologist orders her to have a partial mastectomy. Not to be outdone by the tumor, Katie decides to have the operation broadcast live. TV never had it so good. Meanwhile, Jane Richards, the sexy producer of "No Show," gets a surprise visit from mother, which leads to a catastrophic showdown with her father and a Mozart concerto.

EP5 Episode 5 Nov 14, 2005

With all the hoopla surrounding Katie's operation, Sarah decides to blackmail her grade 12 English teacher into having sex. She lures him out and into a café. At 12 o'clock, the grand finale: a scalpel runs across Katie's breast, marking the beginning of her televised mastectomy. But just before she slips off into sleep, she sees the angelic boy watching her. Meanwhile, a riveted nation watches, but a worried husband can't. Ari counts the seconds alone in a waiting room. He doesn't wait long; he is soon joined by his own father, two sons and only daughter.

EP6 Episode 6 Nov 21, 2005

It's been a month since Katie's partial mastectomy and she's ready to return to the ring and claim her title as the nation's most popular host. In another ring and with rage rising, Saul decides to go after the world. He takes on Ari in a Chinese food restaurant for being a bad Jew. He then fantasizes he's at a rally with everyone cheering for him. He ends the episode by taking a bat to a young aboriginal man. The Sampsons are reeling.

EP7 Episode 7 Nov 28, 2005

Life thunders along for the Sampson family: Saul begins to atone for his violent past, Nicky's deep in his affair with the Polish émigré, Eli has become a dark prophet of life and death and his mother's chances of survival, while Sarah moves ever closer to realizing the Rapture of Literature and bedding her Lit 12 teacher. Ari holds everything together but cannot control what comes out of the woodwork: Ellie the barfly marches all the way across town with a 35 year-old secret. She's somebody's mother. And Katie? Having held death at bay, she has achieved what all talk show hosts crave: an Oprah-like aura with ratings to match.

EP8 Episode 8 Dec 05, 2005

Like planes hitting buildings and large waves crashing on distant shores, reversal is the key to life and drama. Katie's cancer comes back with a vengeance. Nicky is busted, but not busted up for his affair with Lenora Bukowski, the sexy Polish émigré. Sarah goes to the edge, but chooses not to seduce her Lit 12 teacher. Saul gives the kiss of life to the young man he put in a coma, while Ari holds on for dear life. Ellie begins to reveal a secret to Eli about the angelic boy. And "No Show" has its final show with Katie Sampson as host.

EP9 Episode 9 Dec 12, 2005

Ari's finest hour is now. He steps into the spotlight as Katie's husband, lover, friend, and father of her children. Katie's hospitalized amidst a media frenzy and in her darkest hour, she tells him that he has to go on. He needs to forget about her and find someone new. As Katie drifts in and out of consciousness, Ari fantasizes about his 23 year-old assistant in a strip bar, but it's Katie who finishes the dance.

EP10 Episode 10 Dec 19, 2005

What if the phone never rang that day? What if it was all a mistake? Who would you be? What would the last eight months have been like? Would you have laughed so much? Would your mother have come home? Would you know that the angelic boy was your brother? Or was this simply all a dream?
7.1| 0h30m| en
Synopsis

Terminal City was a Canadian mini-series about a woman diagnosed with breast cancer while running a failing reality tv show turning it into a hit as her life and body begin to change.

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Reviews

Linbeymusol Wonderful character development!
Cortechba Overrated
Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.
Sarita Rafferty There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.
CoachJim I just can't say enough about this brave and stimulating drama.There was appropriate humor and equally appropriate tragedy. Real life. Sometimes, inappropriate humor and tragedy, just like real life.You cared about every character, even though several may have been stereotyped to the extreme.Real people do get sick.The writing was crisp and eloquent.The acting and direction were equally impressive. There were long takes that had the flavor of theater.I applaud these top-notch dramas coming to the small screen.Sometimes the big screen is not a good venue for every story.I was sad to see it end, but one thing I've learned in my short visit to this planet, everything is temporary.I look forward to the DVD release to share with friends that don't see Sundance.
angelesa I missed Six Feet Under and this is the closest I can find that matches its wits, plots and characters.It is refreshing to see a family that has their problems and deal with it the way they do.Would love to see CHUM do more of these kinds of shows. No reason why Canadian filmmakers cannot be recognized for quality shows.What I find fascinating is its simplicity in filming. My favorite characters would be Saul, Nicky and Ari. I believe they are portrayed in a very realistic way. Cancer affects all of us and this show portrays a powerful way of dealing with the situation, including those affected.
da_flipboy I just got finished watching the first episode of this Canadian drama and so far, I like what I see. This episode took a little while for you to catch up to where the story was, but once there, it glides along nicely.The strongest aspect of this show seems that while it would be EASY to make a tragic cryfest over the topic of cancer, it's treated here with a smirk and a bit of wit (while sneaking in a jab at reality TV). Maria del Mar does a wonderful job in the lead as the cancer-sufferer with the strange charm and it works well. The rest of the cast is good and are believable in their roles. The writing is sharp and production value (...as this is a Canadian production, I braced myself...) is very good (thank god).I can't even imagine where this mini-series is going, but I highly suggest checking it out. Tentatively, 7.5 out of 10.