MVP (TV series)

Last updated
MVP
MVP (TV series).jpg
Cast of MVP
Genre Drama
Created byMary Young Leckie
Kent Staines
Directed by T. W. Peacocke
Michel Poulette
Chris Grismer
Stefan Scaini
Starring Lucas Bryant
Dillon Casey
Matthew Bennett
Peter Miller
Kristin Booth
Anastasia Phillips
Deborah Odell
Natalie Krill
Olivia Waldriff
Composer Gary Koftinoff
Country of originCanada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer Heather Haldane
ProducerMary Young Leckie
Cinematography Glenn Warner
Original release
Network CBC
ReleaseJanuary 11 (2008-01-11) –
March 11, 2008 (2008-03-11)

MVP: The Secret Lives of Hockey Wives (known as Trophy Wives in the United Kingdom) is a 2008 Canadian drama television series that debuted on January 11, 2008 on CBC Television. The series concerns the personal lives of professional hockey players and their wives or girlfriends. According to series co-creator Mary Young Leckie, the show is inspired by, although not a direct adaptation of, the British series Footballers' Wives . [1]

Contents

CBC cancelled the program on March 7, 2008, with poor ratings and high production costs cited as reasons. [2] American cable network Soapnet subsequently acquired the show and aired it on June 19, 2008, as did British channel Living TV which aired it on May 4, 2009.

Premise

The show centres on the lives and loves of the Canadian Mustangs, a fictional professional hockey team. The death of veteran captain Adam McBride brings many changes in store for the team and others connected: Gabe McCall, the coach's son, becomes the team captain; a naïve rookie sensation named Trevor Lemonde is controversially added to the team; and Evelyn, McBride's widow, must adjust to a new lifestyle in the wake of her husband's death.

Cast

Production

The Screen Door production [3] began filming in 2006 in the Toronto, London and Hamilton, Ontario areas. The show generated wide interest before its premiere, particularly from the National Hockey League itself as executives were concerned that the series' purportedly racy content would create a negative image for the league. [1] [4] [5] The budget for the first ten episodes was approximately $14 million. [6]

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"Game On" T. W. Peacocke Kent Staines & Sherry White January 11, 2008 (2008-01-11)
After the sudden death of the Mustangs' star centre, the team acquires the league's number one draft pick Trevor Lemonde.
2"Truth and Consequence"T. W. PeacockeKent Staines & Sherry WhiteJanuary 18, 2008 (2008-01-18)
Trevor becomes acquainted with Molly McBride; Damon's rape charge impacts Connie and Gabe's relationship.
3"Cover Your Man"T. W. PeacockeKent Staines & Sherry WhiteJanuary 25, 2008 (2008-01-25)
Tabbi comes into town and disrupts the relationship between Trevor and Molly.
4"Two for Interference"T. W. PeacockeKent Staines & Sherry WhiteFebruary 1, 2008 (2008-02-01)
Damon sets up a rookie initiation with his Mustang teammates for Trevor.
5"Double Over Time"T. W. PeacockeKent Staines & Sherry WhiteFebruary 5, 2008 (2008-02-05)
Trevor's life gets complicated when his agent hires stylists to give him a makeover and the scheming Molly strikes up a friendship with Trevor's girlfriend Tabbi.
6"Trades and Rumours"T. W. PeacockeKent Staines & Sherry WhiteFebruary 12, 2008 (2008-02-12)
Connie fears she may lose Gabe when a new coach is hired and rumours of a trade run rampant.
7"The Code"T. W. PeacockeTim KilbyFebruary 19, 2008 (2008-02-19)
With the team on the road, all hell breaks loose when Trevor goes wild with the puckbunnies. Molly turns 18 and finally discovers the secret of the key.
8"Reality Check"T. W. PeacockeSherry WhiteFebruary 26, 2008 (2008-02-26)
The Mustangs' world is turned upside down when Damon seriously injures another player on the ice. Meanwhile, Molly goes missing and everyone's a suspect, including her mother, the distraught Evelyn.
9"Sudden Death"Stefan ScainiTim KilbyMarch 4, 2008 (2008-03-04)
Just as they are preparing to play a game, the Mustangs find themselves held hostage by an enraged Donald.
10"Mad Scramble"T. W. PeacockeKent StainesMarch 11, 2008 (2008-03-11)
Desperate to find Molly as the police search goes nowhere, Evelyn turns to a psychic for help to find her missing daughter.

Release

United States

MVP premiered on June 19, 2008 on Soapnet. [7] In addition, it had a special promotional airing on June 20, 2008 on ABC after the Daytime Emmy Awards, where it was the lowest-rated Big Four network program of the week. [8] The promotional subtitle in the United States was changed to "He Shoots, She Scores".

United Kingdom

Digital broadcaster Living TV secured the rights to MVP in the UK, but only showed four episodes after airing the first episode on May 4, 2009. The series has been retitled Trophy Wives for the British market. After Living Loves rebranded to Sky Living Loves in January 2011, episodes were re-aired (including those not previously broadcast on Living TV) every Thursday and Saturday.

Critical reception

Writing for Variety, critic Brian Lowry said MVP "is a passable nighttime soap — using hockey (!) as a slick backdrop to its bed-hopping shenanigans. The first hour alone features every imaginable serial cliche, from a sudden death to the sex-tape-making stud and the spoiled rich girl who says, 'You work for me. Now take your pants off!'" [9] Chris Jancelewicz of AOL.com wrote, "It's the women of the show, though, that are the real MVPs", citing the performances of Booth and Odell. [6]

References

  1. 1 2 Goodman, Lee-Anne. "Sexy 'MVP' worries NHL". Jam! . Archived from the original on 9 January 2008. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
  2. ↑ "MVP picked up in U.S. after CBC put series on ice". The Globe and Mail. 2 April 2008. Archived from the original on 5 January 2026. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  3. ↑ "U.S. specialty channel buys hockey soap MVP". CBC News. 2 April 2008. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  4. ↑ Vlessing, Etan (7 December 2007). "CBC allows NHL access to hockey series' locker". The Hollywood Reporter . Associated Press. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  5. ↑ McDowell, Adam (21 November 2007). "CBC subverts seasons". National Post . Archived from the original on 17 October 2010. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  6. 1 2 Jancelewicz, Chris (8 January 2008). "Hot Enough to Melt the Ice: CBC's 'MVP'". AOL . Archived from the original on 13 January 2008. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  7. ↑ "MVP picked up in U.S. after CBC put series on ice". The Globe and Mail. 2 April 2008. Archived from the original on 5 January 2026. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  8. ↑ de Moraes, Lisa (25 June 2008). "Disney's 'Camp Rock': Lodged at the Summit". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  9. ↑ Lowry, Brian (18 June 2008). "MVP". Variety . Retrieved 5 January 2026.
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