TV, eh?

From Brian Towie of Metro Canada:

• Year of the Letdown
  “Disappointment hardly encapsulates a grim year when dross thrived and the axe fell on the righteous and wicked alike. Puerile Yankee knock-offs such as Project Runway Canada and So You Think You Can Dance Canada drew huge audiences despite cringe-inducing banter from Tré Armstrong and Leah Miller — whose saccharine anima won’t abandon my brain no matter how many times I envision a flaming school bus crashing into a room full of harp seal puppies.” Read more.

From Bill Brioux of the Canadian Press:

• Canadians get real
  “Reality is finally settling in across Canada. No, not political or economic realities – reality television. Two recent shows have led the charge: CBC’s Dragon’s Den and CTV’s So You Think You Can Dance Canada.” Read more.

From John Doyle of the Globe and Mail:

• 2008 Great between the crises
  “Flashpoint (CTV, CBS) changed everything. It benefited from the paucity of new shows available in the United States, thanks to the Writers Guild of America strike, but as soon as it became a hit, it brought the Canadian TV industry alive with hope and ideas. It also got better, episode by episode. And it showcased great Canadian actors to Hollywood and the world.” Read more.

From BBM Canada:

• Top Programs - Total Canada
  So You Think You Can Dance Canada at #6 and 11 (1.664 million and 1.470 million)
  Rick Mercer Report at #19 (1.150 million)
  Corner Gas at #22 (1.038 million)
  Dragons’ Den at #24 (1.007 million)

From a media release:

1.9 Million Watch Nico Win SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE CANADA

• More than four million viewers watch some part of broadcast on CTV

Last night’s SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE CANADA season finale was watched by a record 1.66 million viewers, the most ever for the series, preliminary data from BBM Nielsen Media Research confirms. The thrilling two-hour finale peaked at 1.9 million viewers when 24-year-old Longueuil, QC dancer Nico Archambault was presented with a cheque for $100,000, the keys to a brand new, 2009 Mercedes-Benz C230 and was named Canada’s Favourite Dancer. In all, more than four million viewers tuned in to some part of the finale, which was the most-watched program on Canadian television last night in its timeslot.

After 22 episodes, more than 15 million votes and countless twists, steps, turns and leaps, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE CANADA ends its inaugural season as Canada’s No. 1 new program of the fall in total viewers and all key demos. Ranking at No. 15 on the Top 20 list of Canada’s most-watched television programs, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE CANADA is also the No. 1 Canadian series overall, ahead of even HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA. Performance episodes of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE CANADA averaged 1.4 million viewers for the season.

From Rob Salem of the Toronto Star:

• Humble Nico Archambault is Canada’s dance king
  “It was an emotional end to an exhausting and exhilarating nine weeks as 24-year-old Nico Archambault was named “Canada’s Favourite Dancer” on last night’s much-anticipated season finale of So You Think You Can Dance Canada.” Read more.
• Natalli Reznik: We know she can dance
  “I must admit, the prospect of meeting Natalli Reznik, Toronto’s best and only chance to win last night’s So You Think You Can Dance Canada final, was a bit intimidating.” Read more.

From Lindsey Ward of Sun Media:

• Canada’s best dancer crowned
  “Nico Archambault doesn’t just think he can dance anymore — he knows it.” Read more.

From a media release:

Canada’s Favourite Dancer is NICO on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE CANADA

• CTV Congratulates the First-Ever SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE CANADA Winner
• After more than 3 million votes, ALLIE is the runner-up
• SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE CANADA Top 10 Tour kicks off in Vancouver on January 30, 2009

Canada has watched him waltz, hip-hop and salsa and following tonight’s gripping season finale, CTV congratulates NICO Archambault, who was named Canada’s first-ever Favourite Dancer on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE CANADA. Host Leah Miller announced live that NICO, a 24-year-old Contemporary and Hip-Hop dancer from Montréal received the majority of the more than three million votes cast during the countrywide poll on Wednesday night and would claim the title of Canada’s Favourite Dancer and the grand prize of $100,000 and a 2009 C230 Mercedes-Benz.

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From Susan Walker of the Toronto Star:

• Who will be crowned Canada’s favourite dancer?
  “Canada has voted. The results have been tallied. Tonight viewers will find out the winner of So You Think You Can Dance.” Read more.

From the Canadian Press:

• Dancers square off tonight
  “So You Think You Can Dance Canada ends its inaugural season today, as a winner of the hit CTV series is crowned.” Read more.

From Lindsey Ward of Sun Media:

• Will Nico dance to a win SYTYCDC?
  “The votes are in, and there’s nothing we can do now but wait and see who will earn the inaugural title of Canada’s Favourite Dancer.” Read more.