PVR’d last night’s season premiere of Canadian Idol, which may be the best way to enjoy this talent search showcase. You can fast forward through the hundreds of shampoo ads and CTV promotional spots and zero in on a well packaged 40 minutes, with plenty of hints as to how the series should play out
One glaring omission in all of yesterday’s CTV 2008 upfront hoopla–there was almost no mention of Canadian Idol.Odd, since it returns tonight for a sixth season (9 p.m., CTV) Usually Ben Mulroney takes the stage and lights firecrackers out his ass. Anything to draw attention to this show.So is this the last season? Yesterday at
If yesterday’s CTV upfront had been a hockey game, it would have opened with “O Canada.”There was more solid Canadian content front and centre at a CTV upfront than usual, thanks to a dearth of U.S. shows to import and some timely investment in Canadian programming.CTV CEO Ivan Fecan got to brag for the seventh
Ivan Fecan actually said it: “A comes before E!, except after CTV.”The CTV CEO (above), standing on the stage of the Four Seasons Centre For The Performing Arts in Toronto, was giving advertisers the scoop on the new season at today’s 2008 Upfront. He was referring to the rebranded, CTV-owned A-Channel, now called “The A.”
Is this the last season of Canadian Idol? I make the suggestion today in The Toronto Star (read the full story here).CTV’s summer talent search showcase returns for a sixth season Tuesday at 9 p.m. E.T. Last year saw Canadian Idol ratings sag, especially in July and August, and this year’s edition follows on the
What a week. “Captain” Jack Duffy, Earle Hagen, Dick Martin, Sidney Pollack, now Harvey Korman. The guy who couldn’t keep a straight face on The Carol Burnett Show passed away Thursday in Los Angeles. He was 81.Check out his obit here in the Los Angeles Times and, if they haven’t corrected it yet, check out
The final 2007-08 TV season ratings are in. Here is a link to the Top-20 U.S. network shows of the year as well as a link to the Top-20 demo hits.The finish line for the annual ratings race, tracked since 1950 by Nielsen, is generally regarded as the end of the May Sweeps. American Idol
A colleague called me out on a comment I made a post or two back about CBC executive director of network programming Kirstine Layfield (left). She objected to the way I described her at CBC’s 2008 press launch Monday. I think the offending line was “kittenish programming mistress.”Looking back the line may have been a