Jason Chow of the Ottawa Citizen:
- New CBC shows are something to write home about
“The usually staid, boring and risk-averse CBC launched four new midseason series last week — The Border, jPod, Sophie and MVP. It’s unlikely the CBC will undo Canada’s addiction to hammy David Caruso anytime soon (CSI: Miami remains the country’s top-ranked show and routinely pulls in more than two-million viewers each week) but the network has finally created a primetime schedule that is actually watchable, and at times fresh and slightly sexy — adjectives that have rarely been associated with the network in recent years.” Read more.
Urbane? Not quite Mr. Jason Chow. Reminder: Little Mosque, Corner Gas, Heartland and The Guard are all definitely not urban…I just wanted to point that out. Being a rural Canadian myself, I’m a big fan of the rural genre and despite the fact many like to put down former rural-set shows like The Beachcombers, North of 60, Road to Avonlea and The Littlest Hobo, the reality is that they were top-rated shows in their time, watched by both urban and rural Canadians and remain some of the greatest success stories of Canadian scripted TV fare to date.
I think it’s important for the CBC to show stories from all regions of the country. After all, it is publicly owned with a duty to show Canada’s cultural voice (it’s whole cultural voice–just not the ones from Toronto and Vancouver). That being said, I like the variety and hope that shows like The Border, Heartland and MVP (my current three currently-running faves) continue to flourish in the ratings. As well, I hope upcoming shows like Murdoch Mysteries and The Guard garner success as well.
Urbane? Not quite Mr. Jason Chow. Reminder: Little Mosque, Corner Gas, Heartland and The Guard are all definitely not urban…I just wanted to point that out. Being a rural Canadian myself, I’m a big fan of the rural genre and despite the fact many like to put down former rural-set shows like The Beachcombers, North of 60, Road to Avonlea and The Littlest Hobo, the reality is that they were top-rated shows in their time, watched by both urban and rural Canadians and remain some of the greatest success stories of Canadian scripted TV fare to date.
I think it’s important for the CBC to show stories from all regions of the country. After all, it is publicly owned with a duty to show Canada’s cultural voice (it’s whole cultural voice–just not the ones from Toronto and Vancouver). That being said, I like the variety and hope that shows like The Border, Heartland and MVP (my current three currently-running faves) continue to flourish in the ratings. As well, I hope upcoming shows like Murdoch Mysteries and The Guard garner success as well.
the point is that these shows were different than the usual. the shows you cite, the rural shows, were all cbc used to do. if you check the census you’ll see that over 80 percent of canadians live in urban or suburban areas, not rural. so it’s appropriate that this side of the country be shown too.
between Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax you probably have 3/4 of the population of the country. remember that.
The vast majority of shows produced over the past few years have been based in urban settings – Intelligence, Blue Murder, Cold Case, DaVinci’s Inquest & City Hall, This is Wonderland, Snakes & Ladders, Mocassin Flats are just a few examples that come easily to (my) mind. I find it interesting that he has to go back years for non-urban set shows. Just indicates to me that he probably hasn’t been paying much attention to Cdn produced TV. Yes, the majority of people in this country live in cities, but just because I live in a city it doesn’t necessarily follow that I’m only interested in watching shows based in cities. Just as someone who lives in a rural area isn’t always interested in watching shows set in small towns. We’re a big country & it doesn’t matter where a show is set – it only matters that the show is good!
Heartland, North of Sixty, Hatching Matching and Dispatching, Paradise Falls, Corner Gas, Little Mosque on the Prairie, Black Harbour, Trailer Park Boys, Falcon Beach, and the Upcoming new Anne of Green Gables show.
Sorry, I don’t agree with your analysis. And in any case, the first poster was making the point that what was needed was a return to more rural based programming.
I agree with you. What’s needed is that it be good. Period.