Q with Tom Power

Oscar-nominated actor Elizabeth McGovern (Downton Abbey, Ragtime) is perhaps best known for her role as Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham on the acclaimed TV series “Downton Abbey.” Now, Elizabeth is in Canada with a new theatre production she wrote and stars in, “Ava: The Secret Conversations,” which sheds light on the life of Hollywood legend Ava Gardner. Elizabeth sits down with Tom Power to tell us the similarities between her life and Ava’s, how celebrity culture has changed (and not changed), and what it was like finally saying goodbye to “Downton Abbey” after 15 years.

This is the second half of “Q Live in St. John’s” (search for Part One if you missed the first half), which took place at the historic St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre earlier this month. This part features an incredible stand-up performance by comedian Trent McClellan, a conversation with award-winning drag queens Tara Nova and Gravy, and a hilarious chat with comedian Mark Critch.

A few years ago, Robert Plant thought he was done making records. But the former lead singer of Led Zeppelin discovered he still had at least one more left in him. His new album, “Saving Grace,” is named after the band he’s been performing with for the last six years. It’s a collection of 10 musical interpretations and covers of songs by a variety of artists. Robert joins Tom Power to talk about finding new inspiration in old music, why he's not precious about the past — including his time in Led Zeppelin — and this great quote he has about Bob Dylan: “Dylan didn’t tap me on the shoulder, he hit me between the eyes.”

After a period of personal growth, loss and change, Canadian singer-songwriter Julianna Riolino is bringing some hard-won confidence to her sophomore album. It’s called “Echo in the Dust” and it’s out now. Julianna sat down with Tom Power to talk about the record and to set up a song titled “Be Good To Your Mother.”

For three decades, crime writer and forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs has been writing novels that bring the science behind solving crimes to the fore. She’s the bestselling author of the Temperance Brennan series, which are the inspiration for the TV show “Bones.” Now, Kathy is about to release the 24th novel in the series, “Evil Bones.” She joins Tom Power to tell us about the book and the surprising reason she started writing in the first place.

The Canadian shoegaze band Living Hour just released their new album, “Internal Drone Infinity.” Many of the songs on the album are steeped in the life and landscape of Winnipeg — the band’s hometown. Lead singer Sam Sarty talks to guest host Talia Schlanger about how the band captured both the sounds of Winnipeg and the sounds of yearning on their new record. Plus, she sets up the song “Texting.” 

Last week, we took the show on the road all the way to Tom Power’s hometown of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador! This special live taping of “Q” took place at the historic St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre, featuring performances and interviews with musician Alan Doyle formerly of Great Big Sea, opera singer Deantha Edmunds, comedian Rick Mercer, actors Allan Hawco and Joséphine Jobert, and many more. Here’s a sample of some of the funny, heartfelt and wonderful moments that happened that night. Next week, we’ll share more from Q Live in St. John’s, including conversations with comedian Mark Critch and award-winning drag queens Tara Nova and Gravy, plus an incredible stand-up performance by comedian Trent McClellan of “This Hour Has 22 Minutes.”

Elle Fanning is an A-list actor who calls herself a "nepo sibling.” When she was just two years old, she appeared in her sister Dakota Fanning’s movie “I Am Sam,” playing a younger version of her character, Lucy. But for someone who’s been famous for nearly her entire life, there’s a bit of mystery surrounding Elle — and that’s intentional. During the Toronto International Film Festival in September, she sat down with Tom Power to talk about her latest film, “Sentimental Value,” which broke applause records when it premiered in Cannes earlier this year. She discusses the movie, her start in acting and why she wants to maintain some mystery around who she is.

Amaarae is one of the biggest new voices in music with a sound that blends Afrobeats, pop, house and rap. In the past few years, she’s gone viral on TikTok, she’s performed at Coachella, and she’s opened for Sabrina Carpenter and Childish Gambino. Amaarae joins Tom Power to talk about her new album, “Black Star,” how she got her start in music, and how a trip to Ghana led her to reconnect with her roots.

Sydney Sweeney is one of this generation's biggest stars. Her new film “Christy” tells the story of the trailblazing boxer Christy Martin, who broke into the male dominated world of 1990s prizefighting and became one of the biggest stars in boxing. It may not seem like Sydney — star of the hit teen show “Euphoria” and rom-com “Anyone But You” — would have much in common with Christy. But they both come from small towns, broke into their respective industries without connections, and have backgrounds in combat arts. Sydney joins Tom Power to talk about taking on the role of Christy, the physical transformation she underwent, and how her own background in martial arts influences her life and career.