Episode 7: Listen or download here or subscribe via iTunes or with any other program via the TV, Eh? feed
It’s a ranty podcast with Anthony Marco and I appalled at CBC’s 3D documentary on the Queen and accompanying distribution of 3D glasses and John Doyle’s fabulous tear on Stursberg’s departure: “The CBC is a bizarre institution, a rats’ nest of ego, bickering, backstabbing, rumour and sour dislike of anyone who either has power inside CBC, or anyone or anything that isn’t part of the CBC.â€Â
A clip of The Kids in the Hall talking about downloading their own show from bittorrent leads to even more CBC bashing. We even disparage a show neither one of us has seen yet: So You Think You Can Dance Canada.
And then I lay into the Canadian TV publicity machine for omitting mention of writers while listing directors and production executives, and the Writers Guild of Canada for letting it happen.
And stick around for a great chat with funny, opinionated TV writer/producer Adam Barken (Flashpoint, Rookie Blue, Shattered), one of Playback‘s “10 to Watch” and an observer of the State of the Canadian TV Industry. He also talks about the art and science of writing for TV, and how “they’re making it up as they go along” is actually a compliment.
Your links
- I don’t want to see the Queen in 2D, but CBC wants me to see her in 3D
- John Doyle on Stursberg’s departure and what it means for the “bizarre institution” of the CBC
- The Kids in the Hall are pirates … of their own show
- So You Think You Can Dance Canada premiered this week and I will watch it soon to see if I agree with my opinion of it
- The Murdoch Mysteries media release is the one that set me off about Canadian TV writing itself. The Shattered release wasn’t provided electronically but here’s the show
- Adam Barken is one of Playback’s 10 to Watch. Trust me, because the site’s behind a pay wall. Follow him on Twitter @adambarken. We also recommend Hart Hanson, who gives good Twitter @HartHanson. And the show Adam couldn’t remember was Wojeck. Check out Flashpoint and Rookie Blue, too.
Your hosts
- Anthony can be found at Dyscultured and lovehatethings, and on Twitter here and here.
- Diane can be found here at TV, eh? and here, and on Twitter here and here.
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As for the WGC “letting” this happen – publicity departments don’t run their press releases by us. So we can only respond when we see they’ve made the omission – and we do respond. This is certainly not the first case of this happening, and we’ve been successful in a number of instances getting corrections issued or, at the very least, informing the ‘offending’ party of not only their obligation to acknowledge the writer but of the absolute appropriateness of doing so. The WGC also has provisions and protections in the collective agreement (as Jim rightly pointed out) that are supposed to prevent such omissions. But they still happen – and when they do, we are on it.
Thanks for the clarification David. I’d asked via Twitter before this podcast what the WGC response was and didn’t hear back, and I’ve never been provided with a correction though, as you say, this happens frequently.
I laughed so hard, I almost passed out when I read John Doyle’s column on Saturday. Seems a perfect bookend to to Richard Stursberg’s tenure at the mother corp which began with him calling CBC staffers, “a bunch of entitled grad students”.
Criticizing a show you’ve never seen. Because its Canadian? Bravo! Good to see people living up to stereotypes.
Btw, the show is a (obviously) smaller version of the American but is actually done with a little more class and subtlety (less commercial pandering, more focus on perormance…). The Canadian dancers also tend to be quite a lot better than the Americans – explain that one!
I’m guessing you didn’t listen to the podcast. And don’t know what this site is about. We didn’t criticize because it’s Canadian. That’s kind of the opposite of what I do. I am not a fan, sight unseen, because it’s yet another reality show format we bought from Americans instead of creating our own original series, plus as a rule I don’t enjoy competitive reality shows. Anthony has a problem with the schadenfreude of competitive reality shows. Irony: someone not listening before criticizing, but criticizing us for not watching before criticizing.