From Cameron Archer of Gloryosky:
Why Strange Empire Doesn’t Need To “Save The CBCâ€
With Strange Empire, Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik’s new CBC Television show, two narratives dominate the show’s current publicity – the woman-oriented western angle, and the drama that’s “more substantial†than CBC’s other homegrown dramatic fare. With this in mind, Strange Empire’s debut earned 319,000 viewers on October 6, 2014. Its second episode earned 312,000 viewers on October 13, 2014. That’s not a good start for the latest show that’s allegedly too “un-CBC†for CBC. Continue reading.
I disagree with the writer. Promoting it as a show by Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik or from the creator of Durham County wouldnt change things. Not enough people saw Durham County for the name to carry any weight with mainstream audiences. And mainstream appeal is what a Canadian show needs to get higher ratings. We are too small a country to make niche shows and Strange Empire is too niche. I think what Strange Empire lacked is a hook and that it is too serious and dark, at least on the surface, In a competitive Monday night timeslot, Strange Empire was screwed from the start, especially with a title that really doesn’t catch the eye of your typical guide-surfing tv-watcher.
Yeah, Strange Empire is likely getting much higher ratings than Durham County ever did. If they used it in promos, most people would wonder why the writer for an Ontario county was supposed to be a draw.
It is true that it’s ridiculous to talk about it saving CBC, but I only heard one writer from a Toronto website I’m not familiar with who asked if it would. I think under the old regime CBC was chasing ratings with populist fare, and they had to know Strange Empire was not going to fit that model.