Support the CBC!

[dulcecoeur]

Natasha's thread on the Trudeau "epic" made me want to pose the question to all those Canadians (or any one who watches CBC) what was their favourite CBC show and thier general opinion of it.

I love CBC, did a big paper on it in University about its necessity in Canadian television (since we are otherwise flooded with US networks), and how we can't afford to lose it due to "cutbacks".

My favourite show is definitely This Hour Has 22 Minutes (and since we got Colin on there it's only gotten better - anyone who DOES not get this show is missing out!). AIr Farce is good for a laugh two (but not as laughing till you cry as 22 minutes).

I only started watching DaVinci's Inquest a few months ago, I was leery but I have to admit it is pretty good in a weird way. He's like a really laid back Canadian Columbo.

And I usually catch the other dramas on occasion (like Tom Stone) and other "specials" (like Trudeau, which was a little focused on the Margaret-Trudeau thing, but it still was pretty good)

And they had AWESOME Olympics Coverage this time - and LIVE. I was SHOCKED that NBC etc did not show the Women's Hockey Gold Medal Game when it was happening (even though the US was playing!?!?!) But CBC was of course on the ball (and for mens game too!) Anyway, Olympics LIVE coverage was on almost round the clock (well, when Salt Lake was awake too!)

So put in your two cents worth! Public television needs public support!

[kima]

Can't really add much to what you have said! I too love CBC- radio and TV. Oh sure they put on the odd dud- for me that would be The Red Green Show- just can't stand it! Sorry!
Canadian comedy is absolutely first class. Of course I love British comedy- especially Spitting Image- has any one seen that? And British Drama- To Play the King, A Very British Coup etc. that have been shown on PBS.
My DH is an artist an so CBC radio is on in his studio all day. He was very fortunate to be on Gzowski a few years ago- a real thrill for him.
I have read that some shows like This Morning are in jeopardy- I for one would fight that tooth and nail. CBC brings all Canadians together- we need it!!!

[AndreaU]

An American piping in here... I just had to add that I LOVE "Royal Canadian Air Farce!" Our PBS (Public Broadcast Station) affiliate used to carry the show- but on Sunday nights at 11pm. DH & I managed to find it, though, and grow attached to it. Unfortunately, they no longer show the Farce. :( Does anyone know if this show is on anywhere in the states??

Not sure if this is a CBC show- "The Newsroom." This was shown back-to-back with Farce on PBS. Absolutely wonderful, witty dry humor. We loved it even more than Farce (but not as much as "The Kids in the Hall). Was this the inspiration for the US series "Sports Night?" We noticed quite a similarity.

[Natasha]

Hi Dulcecoeur, and welcome to the boards! :)

As you may have guessed, I too love the CBC. Some of my favourites include HNIC (since childhood), Royal Canadian Air Farce, and This Hour Has 22 Minutes. I had not realized that any U.S. stations used to carry Air Farce - maybe they stopped because those shows deal so much with domestic Canadian politics and events, which are not necessarily current topics of conversation among/very interesting to many Americans? I dunno...

Anyway, I also enjoy some of the movies that the CBC puts out (still regretting missing the one on the Millar baby contest) and the history shows. Gotta say that the part of the second night of Trudeau that I saw was a big improvement on the first part, IMHO. I thought the constitutional conferences (the Gang of Eight, Levesque s hesitations, etc.) were well presented.

Good topic! :) Have a wonderful evening - hey, go watch Comedy Night! We are taping the shows to watch later.

Natasha

[beejayw1]

Originally posted by dulcecoeur
its necessity in Canadian television (since we are otherwise flooded with US networks

This is a serious question, not meant to offend, but I am genuinely puzzled here: :confused:

What is to stop private Canadian companies - or individuals - from starting up their own networks in order to stem the flood of US networks? Is there some legislation that prohibits private ownership of communications networks? Or something similar? It would seem that the answer to the concern about the US 'invasion' of the Canadian way of life is for the private (meaning non-government) sector start taking a bigger role in broadcasts, with support from the government.

As I said, just curious.

[Alisa]

Originally posted by beejayw1
This is a serious question, not meant to offend, but I am genuinely puzzled here: :confused:
What is to stop private Canadian companies - or individuals - from starting up their own networks in order to stem the flood of US networks? Is there some legislation that prohibits private ownership of communications networks? Or something similar? It would seem that the answer to the concern about the US 'invasion' of the Canadian way of life is for the private (meaning non-government) sector start taking a bigger role in broadcasts, with support from the government.
As I said, just curious.

I'm no expert but I believe the main factor is that we have 30 million people in this entire country which of course means there's a small tax base. Add to that a government that is ineffective in many ways INCLUDING in its handling of Canadian culture AND living next door to the richest country in the world.....I wouldn't consider the prevalance of US Television to be an invasion...it's just difficult for Canadian companies to compete.
I hope this makes sense, I'm writing this as I'm doing other things (another sign of BB addiction) so may be rambly. I'm quite happy to watch good US shows, and here I am online with a US magazine - isn't it great how we share????

[beejayw1]

Originally posted by Alisa
I hope this makes sense, I'm writing this as I'm doing other things (another sign of BB addiction) so may be rambly. I'm quite happy to watch good US shows, and here I am online with a US magazine - isn't it great how we share????

The explanation makes excellent sense.

Now, regarding sharing - I've been meaning to ask you to post the rest of the quote under your signature. It seems to be part of a poem or song (which I haven't heard) and is beautiful by itself. So how does the rest of it go?

[Alisa]

Originally posted by beejayw1
Now, regarding sharing - I've been meaning to ask you to post the rest of the quote under your signature. It seems to be part of a poem or song (which I haven't heard) and is beautiful by itself. So how does the rest of it go?

The quote is from The Ode to Newfoundland written by Cavendish Boyle. It was Newfoundland's national anthem before we joined Canada and still one of those songs that stirs me. Here you go...


When sun-rays crown thy pine-clad hills,
And summer spreads her hand,
When silvern voices tune thy rills,
We love thee, smiling land,
We love thee, we love thee,
We love thee, smiling land.

When spreads thy cloak of shimm'ring white,
At winter's stern command,
Thro' shortened day and star-lit night,
We love thee, frozen land,
We love thee, we love thee,
We love thee, frozen land.

When blinding storm gusts fret thy shore,
And wild waves lash thy strand,
Thro' sprindrift swirl and tempest roar,
We love thee, wind-swept land,
We love thee, we love thee
We love thee, wind-swept land.

As loved our fathers, so we love,
Where once they stood we stand,
Their prayer we raise to heaven above,
God guard thee, Newfoundland,
God guard thee, God guard thee,
God guard thee, Newfoundland.

[beejayw1]

Originally posted by Alisa
As loved our fathers, so we love,
Where once they stood we stand,
Their prayer we raise to heaven above,
God guard thee, Newfoundland,
God guard thee, God guard thee,
God guard thee, Newfoundland.

Beautiful, Alisa! And probably even more so when set to music.

Thank you so much for typing it out for me! It was very much appreciated. (I'm saving it where I can reread.)

I hope this coming week is a wonderful one for you! (And for all my Neighbors to the North...)

[Natasha]

Hi!

Just to clarify, we do have privately owned Canadian stations but they are not as committed to showing Canadian content (IMHO) as CBC, which is the national station. Diana, your question is very legitimate, and I appreciate your asking it! And Alisa, you are so right about the small tax base!

Natasha

P.S. I saw a rerun of "This Hour Has 22 Minutes" last night - hilarious!

[dulcecoeur]

Diana;


Your question is definitely legitimate, and Alisa is pretty much on the ball with the answer. It is also very hard to fill the "demand" of Canadian content too. I think it rather humourous that "Food Network Canada" is basically JUST like the U.S. station, with "more" Canadian content. I find that they just have more repeats of Canadian shows.

The Canadian television media is very hard for start-ups both in terms of $ and finding a viewer base who will support it, and the government is not exaclty willing to "help" out either!

I wish I could think of a song/poem for Manitoba to post! I will have to search for that one!

[Alisa]

Long live the CBC!!!!:D

[Natasha]

From the book I'm currently reading - Hugh MacLennan's Barometer Rising, set in 1917 Halifax during the week of the Halifax Explosion. Of course, it is written before NF joined Canada, and also doesn't mention the territories, but still...here it is:

... For almost the first time in his life, he fully realized what being a Canadian meant. It was a heritage he had no intention of losing.

He stopped at a corner to wait for a tram, and his eyes reached above the roofs to the sky. Stars were visible, and a quarter moon. The sun had rolled on beyond Nova Scotia into the west. Now it was setting over Montreal and sending the shadow of the mountain deep into the valleys of Sherbrooke Street and Peel; it was turning the frozen St. Lawrence crimson and lining it with the blue shadows of the trees and buildings along its banks, while all the time the deep water poured seaward under the ice, draining off the Great Lakes into the Atlantic. Now the prairies were endless plains of glittering, bluish snow over which the wind passed in a firm and continuous flux, packing the drifts down hard over the wheat seeds frozen into the alluvial earth. Now in the Rockies the peaks were gleaming obelisks in the mid-afternoon. The railway line, that tenuous thread which bound Canada to both the great oceans and made her a nation, lay with one end in the darkness of Nova Scotia and the other in flush of a British Columbian noon.

Natasha

[dulcecoeur]

Love the quote Natasha - could see the pictures very clearly in my mind! I love this country :D

I was watching a Rough Cuts documentary last night on Newsworld called X-Change. Its a 2 parter (I think the second part is tonight or next week?) Anyway, its about a left-wing sovereignist from Montreal trading places with a right-wing Alliance member from Alberta (Edmonton I think). They went and lived in the others apartment etc for 10 days, hung out with their friends, family. It was very good, funny and pretty refreshing. If you can catch it I recommend it! Hopefully they air the first part again too, that was the best!

[Natasha]

Dulcecoeur,

That show sounds really good! I'll keep an eye out for it though we don't get cable so I'll have to get someone to tape it for me. :p

Natasha

[Natasha]

Did you guys see Air Farce last night (the special on air travel)? Funny!! Rick Mercer's Talking to Americans is supposed to be on soon too, as is the one-hour season finale of Air Farce, in case any of you haven't seen the numerous ads. :p No, really, REALLY, I don't watch a lot of TV! :D I just have my couple of faves.

Natasha

[Jen]

OK, I am shamelessly taking advantage of this thread for my own personal gain!! :D

(Well, not really)...just wanted to let you know, that if anyone is interested in choral music, my husband's choir (Phoenix Chamber Choir (http://www.phoenixchamberchoir.bc.ca) in Vancouver) is a finalist in two categories of the CBC Choral Competition. They will be performing live-to-air on Wednesday evening at 5 pm PST. If you've never heard the competition finals before, it's really amazing to listen to - everyone across the country gathers in their own cities, then each group gets up and sings wherever they are and everyone across the country can hear them! It's a very "Canadian" moment.

The competition website (http://www.cbc.ca/choralconcert/finalists.html) has a full schedule of the categories and choirs performing. (The competition is both Tuesday and Wednesday night, but their choir is on Wednesday only).

Let me know if you get a chance to listen in!! (It's on Radio Two, by the way).

[julia]

I don't watch CBC television that often - I do like 22 Minutes and when it was on on Monday I watched it religiously along with Made in Canada. When it went to Friday night, I stopped watching as I have other things to do on Friday night.

I was really disappointed with Airfarce when it went to television - I thought it was so much better on radio - the group are masters at imitating people, not so great at looking like them.

I may be alone here, but I wouldn't cry too much if CBC television was cancelled and the money put into CBC radio - they do so much more quality stuff than the tv portion of the network. I listen to CBC radio much more than I watch CBC television - Definitely Not the Opera, radio plays, the Muckraker, Basic Black, Madly Off in All Directions, and the list goes on.

I watched the last episode of the Trudeau thing and thought it was okay - would have been just as effective as a radio play (and less expensive). I wanted to watch the first episode, but alas, it was Easter, my in-laws were here and they were never fans of Trudeau so we didn't watch it. But if CBC television is true to form, it will be re-run over and over again.