This ain’t your parents CBC. That seemed to be the message Wednesday in Toronto as Canada’s public broadcaster hosted an industry event they called “CBC Live at Massey Hall.” The hour-long stage presentation was youthful and vibrant, showcasing a Millennial-and-under vibe that made it seem more like a re-launch of Vice than a traditional broadcaster’s
Tonight, with a special episode, CBC celebrated the 30th season of This Hour Has 22 Minutes. They really should have made it an hour-long special at least. Imagine trying to crunch over 600 episodes down to one 22-minute episode. That was the task handed to Matt Charlton, who has been associated behind the scenes with
Monday night, the cast and crew of This Hour Has 22 Minutes took over the Glenn Gould Theatre at the CBC Broadcast Centre. The occasion was the first-ever Toronto taping of the sketch series, which normally is based each week in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Toronto episode airs tonight at 8/7c on CBC and CBC
Tonight’s fourth episode of Son of a Critch is titled, “Cucumber Slumber.” It could have also have been called “Province in a Pickle.” The episode finds roving reporter Mike Sr. (played by Mark Critch) firmly behind a new provincial government initiative to make Newfoundland the cucumber capital of Canada. His sudden interest is swayed after
Tuesday night brings the second episode of the new CBC sitcom Son of a Critch. Titled, “Lordy, Lordy, Look Who’s Dead,” it opens with a favourite family activity for the Critch clan: attending funerals. That’s where, among other things like paying respects, sandwiches can be obtained and hoarded. “Pops” (Malcolm McDowell), is an old pro
CBC, which could use a little good news, got some Tuesday night. That’s when their new sitcom Son of a Critch rocketed off to a robust start. The Newfoundland lensed series based on star/co-creator Mark Critch’s memoir drew 740,000 viewers, an opening number that is sure to grow as six more days of data is
Watching the first two episodes of Son of a Critich brought me right back to the first time I saw The Wonder Years, the original, ABC version which premiered in 1988. This was back when I was working at TV Guide Canada. That show seemed so based on my own suburban childhood I expected residuals.
Some of the best podcast conversations I’ve had in 2021 were with authors. The six listed below seized this pandemic predicament by hunkering down and writing great books either about their own life experiences or, in one case, a biography about one of Canada’s best storytellers. I thank them all for helping me to read