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TV, eh? podcast episode 11: Call Me Anytime, Fitz

Episode 11: Listen or download here or subscribe via iTunes or with any other program via the TV, Eh? feed

I do not have a crush on Jason Priestley. I do, however, have a giant crush on his upcoming show Call Me Fitz. I interviewed him about his days as a teen idol, playing the anti-Brandon Walsh, and about what I’m calling one of my favourite Canadian shows of all time. Yes, before it’s aired.

Anthony rants a bit on Bell buying CTV and the use of tax money and incentives to fund Canadian TV – though his objections aren’t for the usual reasons.

I force Anthony to discuss the recently announced Battle of the Blades casting and we mention Rookie Blue‘s ratings success – it’s the most watched new Canadian series in two decades.

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TV, eh? podcast episode 10: Waking in a Bad Gemini Dream

Episode 10: Listen or download here or subscribe via iTunes or with any other program via the TV, Eh? feed

Anna Silk, the “sexy succubus” of Lost Girl, is this week’s special guest, talking about her new Showcase series and her return appearance on the upcoming season three of CBC’s Being Erica.

Anthony and I are exhausted just looking at the list of Gemini nominees (there are eleventy billion, as the wise Bill Brioux says) and I’m exasperated by the demonstration, yet again, of how little the Canadian TV industry thinks about their audience. (I was wrong in that nominees who are voting members of the Academy get one free ticket to the gala.)

Shattered‘s premiere ratings were better than I expected and worse than I hoped. Translation: they were pretty bad.

Before I call Anthony a jerk, we close the show with our favourite 10 Canadian shows, in honour of the Geminis inviting Canadians to vote on their faves of the last 25 years, and Toronto Life compiling their own top 10.

Spoiler alert!

Anthony’s Top 10
(in no particular order except the first 2)

  • Hockey Night in Canada
  • SCTV
  • Slings and Arrows
  • Kids in the Hall
  • King of Kensington
  • Hilarious House of Frightenstein
  • The Friendly Giant
  • Hammy Hamster
  • The New Music
  • The Red Fisher Show

Diane’s Top 10

(in no particular order except the first 1)

  • Slings and Arrows
  • Intelligence
  • The Newsroom
  • Durham County
  • Twitch City
  • Call Me Fitz (yeah, I know, pre-air – call me crazy)
  • Anne of Green Gables
  • Made in Canada
  • Rick Mercer Report
  • Some years of This Hour Has 22 Minutes

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TV, eh? podcast episode 9: The Bucky Gunts Summer Classic

Episode 9: Listen or download here or subscribe via iTunes or with any other program via the TV, Eh? feed

Callum Keith Rennie joins me, Diane Wild, for an interview about Shattered, where he plays a cop with multiple personalities.

But first, I try to convince Anthony Marco that the Emmys are worth watching. I did not succeed. I’m not sure I convinced myself. We mention the Gemini Award nominations which will have been announced by the time you listen to this.

Is 18 to Life returning to The CW? Maaayyyybeeee.

Anthony and I could not be less excited about Canada Sings. But if you disagree, casting is now open.

Then I discuss creative control in the Canadian television industry, from the consistent vision brought to Call Me Fitz to the multiple showrunners and lack of a cohesive vision on Shattered and The Listener. I mention my interview with Peter Keleghan, too, where he brings up some of the same issues. And Anthony laments that Shattered lost a golden opportunity to claim that their multiple showrunners were reflective of the multiple personality of the main character.

We finish up with how PVRs are affecting television viewing – for Anthony, it’s being even more annoyed by commercials, while Diane now gets weepy over iPhone 4 commercials.

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TV, eh? podcast episode 7 – A rats’ nest of ego, bickering, backstabbing, rumour and sour dislike

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.”

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.

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