by Diane | Jun 17, 2010 | Banff, Canadian TV
I’ve been a bit incommunicado today so didn’t have time to respond by deadline to an Edmonton Journal request for comment on the story about the Alberta Culture Minister Lindsay Blackett who called some Canadian television “shit” at the Banff World Television Festival. I’ll write more about the overall issue of Canadian television later, unattached to this news story, but this is what I wrote back, knowing it’s too late for her article:
I was in the room and have the session recorded. I feel his comments were taken slightly out of context, though I know a politician – especially a Culture Minister – being less than supportive of tax money going towards culture is obviously going to cause consternation among the cultural community, as it should. However, he said the same thing I have heard in that room year after year.
He did not say or imply that all Canadian television was shit. He said that a lot of what he saw at the funding stage was shit, and asked how we could have a business model that supported better quality – a question that generated interesting discussion from the panel who agreed that a better model is needed. I interviewed Peter Keleghan later and he was not happy with the comment but acknowledged that he was right about needing a better business model (it was Keleghan who responded at the panel to say that broadcasters are given no incentive to make shows Canadians want to watch – their financial incentive is in buying American programming.)
If you read industry blogs or talk to anyone making their living in Canadian television, they aren’t shy in talking about the problem of quality. You only have to look at the failed pilots the networks burn off every year to understand that a lot of what goes into development is not great television. I believe if he were a television producer saying the exact same thing, everyone would have nodded and moved on. In fact, that’s exactly what I’ve seen and heard in three previous years at the festival.
In fact, the panel had been talking about the problem of quality in Canadian television. They, however, aren’t politicians and didn’t use the word shit. Kenny Hotz (Kenny vs Spenny) disparaged Canadian television far more than the MLA, using far worse expletives, but then he isn’t a Culture Minister. He’s just a guy who makes Canadian television.
EDIT: The audio is posted here.
by Diane | May 13, 2010 | Canadian TV, TV Interviews
I’m not sold on the series, but John Ralston actually made me appreciate it more.
by Diane | Jan 10, 2010 | Canadian TV, TV Interviews
I interviewed Mayko Nguyen and Byron Mann of Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures:
- Love and Medicine Tangle in Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures
“HBO Canada’s latest series, debuting tonight, brings with it a built-in audience. Adapted by Jason Sherman from Vincent Lam’s bestselling, Giller-winning book of interconnected short stories, the television version of Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures also brings with it inevitable comparisons. The verdict? It’s not the book. But it’s compelling TV.” Read more.
by Diane Wild | Nov 16, 2009 | Canadian TV, TV Interviews
I interviewed actress Caroline Cave from the upcoming Cra$h & Burn and the current Saw VI:
- Interview: Cra$h & Burn’s Caroline Cave
“Luke Kirby’s Jimmy Burn is clearly the title character of Cra$h & Burn, premiering Wednesday on Showcase. Catherine Scott, played by Vancouver actress Caroline Cave, may just be the Crash. ‘It was a clever spin,’ she says of the Toronto Star article that so labelled her. ‘I had failed to see it so directly, but it’s actually true. We see her in the middle of a divorce, with a demotion in her career. She’s sleeping around a lot, she’s drinking a lot. We meet her on her descent, whereas Jimmy’s on his way climbing up and out.'” Read more.
by Diane Wild | Aug 1, 2009 | Canadian TV, TV Interviews
I write nothing for Blogcritics for 3 months, then 4 in a week. My latest is an interview with Canadian actor Andrew Airlie (Intelligence, Reaper):
- Interview: Andrew Airlie of Defying Gravity
“I don’t think they went into it with the idea, ‘OK, let’s find something that will satisfy the sci-fi and the Grey’s crowd,'” Airlie explained, pointing out the inspiration for the show was the BBC pseudo-documentary Space Odyssey: Voyage to the Planets. “They found the source material interesting on its own, and they dramatized it and boosted the production value.” Read more.
by Diane Wild | Mar 16, 2009 | Canadian TV, TV Interviews
My interview with The Line co-creators George F. Walker and Dani Romain. Sorry again for the punny title – it’s my default when I can’t think of anything else:
- Cops and Drug Dealers Cross The Line In New Series
“The Movie Network and Movie Central are premiering a new cop show today, but don’t expect another case-of-the-week premise. ‘These cops weren’t going to investigate anything because they think they know all they need to know, so it’s just a matter of what they’re going to do about it,’ said The Line co-creator George F. Walker in a recent interview. ‘They don’t follow procedures. They are past caring about their jobs.’” Read more.
