UPDATED: The numbers posted by the victorious Toronto Blue Jays during the ALDS are incredible: an overnight, estimated 4.85 million viewers watched that unforgettable fifth and deciding game on Sportsnet Wednesday night, peaking at a staggering 8.1 million by the final out. That tally followed 4,377,000 viewers for Game 4 vs Texas on Thanksgiving Monday afternoon and
Is there an art to getting viewers to watch arts programming on television? We’ll find out this season as CBC launches an aggressive new arts initiative. Taking the high road on arts seems like a kamikaze mission for a broadcaster given all the shiny distractions on other channels. Covering Canada’s thriving national arts scene has one big
Is it possible to be bored with a Fall TV season before it even starts? That seems to be the case with many critics this September after suffering through a largely lame, unadventurous pack of pilots. Talk about seen-it-before: Don Johnson, John Stamos, Rob Lowe, The Muppets and Heroes? I feel as if I’ve covered
Terrible news Tuesday about the sudden death of CBC personality Chris Hyndman. Early news reports suggest there is no on-going police investigation. CBC has pulled the daytime style series Steven and Chris, which began in 2008, for the time being. Born in Ottawa and raised in Newfoundland and Labrador, Hyndman was 49. Condolences to his husband and
Sunday marks the finale of The 2015 Pan American Games. Canadian athletes did our country proud, winning a record 214 medals by end of day Saturday, including 77 gold. Sunday’s haul should add to that tally. But how did the Games do on TV? CBC is the rights holder and is looking for a big
Are you like me–gripped by Pan Am Games fever? A lot of us would rather take one of those HOV lanes the hell out of town than face the Gardiner over the next two weeks. CBC head of sports programming, Trevor Pilling, believes all the negativity will disappear once the Games get underway. It all
Celebrate Canada Day by reading about national treasure Catherine O’Hara. She’s come a long way from Our Lady of Peace grade school in Etobicoke. O’Hara and her ol’ SCTV mate Eugene Levy, and his son Dan Levy, just wrapped up the Season Two shoot of Schitt’s Creek. It returns next season on CBC and Pop.
Last October when I was at MIPCOM in Cannes you couldn’t help but notice all the signage for Just For Laughs Gags. Scenes from the very visual Quebec comedy were everywhere, on giant electronic billboards as well as on the sides and roofs of the many overpriced taxis. The message: visual gag comedy sells internationally.