TV, eh?

From BBM Canada:

• Top programs – Total Canada
  #14 Dragons’ Den (1.718 million)
  #30 Rick Mercer Report (1.070 million)

Tonight Rick is in Jasper National Park learning all about how the avalanche control and rescue team works and even experiences first-hand how ace rescue dog Starksy performs his duties. Later he goes on a date to the West Edmonton Mall with leader of the upstart Wild Rose Alliance party, Danielle Smith.

From Bill Brioux of TV Feeds My Family:

• Kids are Allright Opposite American Idol
  “Despite the big guns on the private networks, CBC had a very strong night … Rick Mercer Report (1,070,000) and Kids in the Hall (1,054,000) in the million+ club. 22 Minutes was also above average for the season, clocking 785,000.” Read more.

Rick is in Vancouver taking a pre-Olympic look at how the airport functions—he checks out baggage-handling, security, emergency services, and even helps getting birds off the runway. He also goes ice sailing on the Bay of Quinte in Trenton, Ontario.

From Jerome Lessard of mi agency:

• Wild ride for Rick Mercer
  “Last season The Rick Mercer Report on CBC started with a splash when Mercer swam blind with Canada’s Paralympic team in Bejing. That launched a typical year of Rick Mercer crisscrossing the country on a quest to meet politicians, entertainers, athletes, and sample some wild, daring or simply outlandish activities.” Read more.

From BBM Canada:

• Top programs – Total Canada
  #5 Dragons’ Den (1.937 million)
  #21 Rick Mercer Report (1.137 million)
  #26 Heartland (1.034 million)

From BBM Canada:

• Top programs – Total Canada
  #18 Dragons’ Den (1.624 million)
  #28 Rick Mercer Report (1.126 million)

From Bill Brioux at TV Feeds My Family:

• Mercer Still Rolling, TSN Riding High

From John Doyle of the Globe and Mail:

• The best of the best of Canadian TV
  “Being Erica (CBC, 9 p.m.) is very interesting tonight. Erica faces serious challenges. That book she has been working on is published and the consensus is that it stinks. There is an amusing scene in which Erica (Erin Karpluk, giving it her all, as ever) goes to confront the top literary critic in Toronna about his negative review.” Read more.

Tonight Rick is in Montreal to train and compete with the women of the Montreal Roller Derby; he follows with a trip to Grand Manan Island in the Bay of Fundy, for a lesson in lobster fishing.

From Bill Brioux at TV Feeds My Family:

• Are Those PPMs Losing Their Lift

From Bill Brioux at TV Feeds My Family:

• CBC Puts Cherry on Full Winter Launch
  “Cherry said he had a blast working Battle of the Blades last month as a judge, but said one guy associated with that show just isn’t getting enough credit. “I know I’m going back on everything I’ve ever said about the guy, but Ron MacLean held that whole show together,” sez Grapes. MacLean truly was the cool head who kept Blades on ice, so consider that oversight corrected here.” Read more.

Tonight Rick is in Edmonton for the 35th annual Canadian Finals Rodeo event. He joins the season’s top point-getters for this grand season finale — Rick barrel-races, does trick riding on a horse, and even helps to get the stock animals in order backstage. Later, he’s north of Toronto getting a fly-fishing lesson from a pro.

From a media release:

CBC TELEVISION OFFERS MORE GREAT CANADIAN ENTERTAINMENT WITH ITS NEW WINTER 2010 PROGRAM SCHEDULE

Kirstine Stewart, general manager of CBC Television, today announced details of the network’s winter 2010 schedule that, along with a number of ongoing favourites, features the new Monday night family comedy 18 TO LIFE, the father-and-son P.I. series REPUBLIC OF DOYLE, the long-awaited return to the network of one of Canada’s most legendary comedy troupes with KIDS IN THE HALL: DEATH COMES TO TOWN, a two-part TV movie event based on the life of DON CHERRY, and a daytime lineup anchored by a new season of STEVEN AND CHRIS.

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From Bill Brioux of TV Feeds My Family:

• V Falls Back to Earth
  “Rick Mercer Report 1,084,000. … 22 Minutes clocked 597,000. Being Erica drew 537,000.” Read more.

From Andrew Ryan of the Globe and Mail:

• We all love Rick. But how about Erica? Two homegrown programs currently at the top of their game
  “Tonight brings two homegrown programs currently at the top of their games. You’re probably already watching one, and barely aware of the other.” Read more.

Tuesday, November 17 at 20:00 content for RICK MERCER REPORT, repeating Friday, November 20 at 20:30:

This week Rick is in London, ON training with members of Canada’s national wheelchair rugby team. Later, he goes to Toronto’s Royal Winter Fair and checks out some ‘super dogs’ in action — a wide variety of canines who dance, catch frisbees and perform other amazing feats.

From a media release:

The 24th Annual Gemini Awards concluded this evening with the Broadcast Gala, a glitzy event held at the historic BMO Centre, Stampede Corral in Calgary, Alberta. Hosted by award-winning comedian Ron James, a total of 17 awards were presented including those for Best Comedy Program or Series and Best Dramatic Series. The gala, broadcast on Global and Showcase, also included special tributes to Corner Gas, Royal Canadian Air Farce, and Trailer Park Boys for their outstanding and enduring contributions to the Canadian television industry.

The following categories were announced:

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From Alex Griffith of the University of Toronto Strand:

• The Rick Mercer Report: cross-country satire
  “When Rick Mercer entered the CBC studio, the first thing that caught my attention was how short he actually is. For someone who looms like the CN Tower in Canadian television, Mercer’s short stature was initially underwhelming. The surprise faded as Mercer launched his show, demonstrating why he is arguably Canada’s most popular comic.” Read more.

From Kyle Carpenter of the McGill Tribune:

• POP RHETORIC: CAN’TCON
  “Canada’s television shows – news and non-fiction programs excluded – are terrible compared to their American counterparts. And it’s not only in one genre: we fail in every category imaginable. In response to American comedies like The Office and 30 Rock, we come back with Little Mosque on the Prairie. For their action dramas NCIS and Prison Break, we come up with Flashpoint. Animated shows like Family Guy and South Park are met with Bob & Doug and Chilly Beach. They created Saturday Night Live, we came up with The Royal Canadian Air Farce. The Daily Show? The Rick Mercer Report. Seriously, we couldn’t even get Sesame Street right – we had to create a monster named Sesame Park.” Read more.