Plastic Men shut out at Canadian Screen Awards

Tiny Plastic Men GigCity EdmontonTiny Plastic Men, Edmonton’s sole representative at the 2015 Canadian Screen Awards, went zero-for-three at Sunday night’s ceremony in Toronto – but it was an honour just to be nominated. Really, it was.

Mark Meer, who was up for Best Actor in a Continuing Leading Comic Role, was a good sport about the loss, Facebooking this message: “Thanks for all the well-wishes for the Canadian Screen Awards, folks. There’s an old saying … ‘If you’re going to lose, it might as well be to the brilliantly-talented Don McKellar …’” He adds that this is “an old R’lyehian Proverb,” and if you don’t know what that means, you haven’t been paying attention.

McKellar took the trophy for his work on HBO Canada’s Sensitive Skin – just one example of the stiff competition the Edmonton contingent faced at the annual awards ceremony that combines two previous awards, the Genies and the Geminis, into one event hosted by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. The top winner at this year’s awards was the Montreal based film Mommy – taking nine trophies.

Call Me Fitz, an offbeat comedy about a degenerate used car salesman, thwarted the Plastic Men’s two other chances: Winning Best Writing in a Comedy Program or Series and the coveted Best Comedy Program or Series.

Hosted by award-winning actress and comedian Andrea Martin, and broadcast on CBC-TV, the CSAs also celebrated international stars such as Julianne Moore (nominated for best actress in a leading role) and South Korea’s Yoon Da Kyung (also nominated in that category). There was also Canadian ex-pat Tim Beresford, an actor who does voice work for Grojband, which won for Best Animated Program or Series.

Tiny Plastic Men co-writer and co-star Chris Craddock was also magnanimous in defeat, tweeting from the event, “Just met @ThomasMulcair in a men’s room!” Keep your Tiny Plastic Men jokes to yourself. Season three of the comedy series is set to air on Monday, March 2 on Super Channel.