On the heels of the city of Toronto cancelling events through June 30, the TIFF Bell Lighbox continues its shutdown through Canada Day on July 1.
The video update above from TIFF co-heads — Executive Director Joana Vicente and Artistic Director Cameron Bailey — goes into planning preparation for what would be TIFF 2020. While so much is unknown thanks to the COVID-19 coronavirus, creative solutions are high on anyone's priority. That will likely include some online events, no matter what the world looks like in early September.
There is the question about Canadian films that were scheduled to debut at TIFF in the recent weeks. Stay tuned for some solution involving those new Canadian films, hopefully.
TIFF's Stay-at-Home Cinema is doing online talks before showing films on Crave in Canada. That included a talk with Sarah Polley on Wednesday before Crave streamed Away From Her.
Pipe Dreams, which we saw last November at the Windsor International Film Festival, draws the April 8 primetime slot on CBC television in lieu of the Stanley Cup playoffs that normally would have started that night. The pace of the documentary is a far cry from the pace of the normal checking and cross-checking action.
We ran the schedule for Saturday nights a few weeks back. There is one substitution on April 11: Window Horses will be in the late slot instead of Dr. Cabbie. Window Horses is a really great film, an animated film most of the family can enjoy (a brief theme of death might be the only concern).
Most Stanley Cup playoff evenings will have special programming. Made You Look: A True Story of Fake Art is a documentary that will air April 16.
We will track Canadian films on Saturday nights as we get more information. The films should also be available on CBC Gem in Canada.
Tom Power, whose show Q has disappeared in the short-term, has been contributing to The Current with Matt Galloway. Power has taken some of that Q magic to a new TV show called What're You At? on CBC television. The show looks to have elements from Q, including an interview with Daniel Levy (Schitt’s Creek) in the show's debut tomorrow night. The show runs Sunday nights at 8 pm local time and also is available on CBC Gem.
Johanna Schneller weighed in on the state of Canadian film with all the cancellations and postponements thanks to the COVID-19 coronavirus. Schneller writes for The Globe and Mail and was the co-host of The Filmmakers on CBC.
The film world, streaming, the Cineworld takeover of Cineplex affecting Canadian films and other films in Canadian theatres, Disney taking over 20th Century Fox pictures: there already was bad news for films and theatres even before the pandemic.
Cannes, TIFF, WIFF, Hot Docs: countless festivals that will either be limited or not have a 2020 next to their name. We will try and cover this world and its many changes, few for the better.
Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara were the visible signs of the early promotion Schitt's Creek had in the United States. Having Levy and O'Hara out there made sense since SCTV and the Christopher Guest films were well-known in the United States.
The U.S. promotion for the final season of Schitt's Creek features Eugene and Dan Levy, O'Hara, and Annie Murphy. The Levy father-son duo got to guest host Ellen where O'Hara and Murphy were guests on the episode. The four of them were featured together on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Watch What Happens Live.
Dan did a separate appearance on the Late Show with James Corden while Annie was on The Kelly Clarkson Show where Clarkson and Murphy did a version of A Little Bit Alexis.
O'Hara shared the story of how she met Gilda Radner because O'Hara's brother Marcus was dating Radner. O'Hara started waitressing at Second City in Toronto before moving up to the stage. Murphy told the story about how in the provisional pilot, Abby Elliott, daughter of Chris Elliott of Schitt's Creek, played Alexis. Murphy said Elliott was too busy to be in the show, making way for Murphy to take the role.
One of the many legacies of Schitt's Creek is bringing attention to great Canadian actors. Chris Elliott is American but the rest of the cast is Canadian. You know these actors on Schitt's Creek. Let's take a peek into their TV and film catalogues.
Emily Hampshire (Stevie Budd) I am very familiar with several films that feature Hampshire: Good Neighbours; My Awkward Sexual Adventure; The Trotsky; All the Wrong Reasons; Cosmopolis; The Life Before This (with Catherine O'Hara); and The Death and Life of John F. Donovan.
You should see Hampshire display her range well past Stevie Budd, especially in My Awkward Sexual Adventure and All the Wrong Reasons. She is also great at making a difference in smaller roles such as Cosmopolis and The Death and Life of John F. Donovan.
Dustin Milligan (Ted Mullens) is likely known more in American productions than Canadian productions. Milligan was on X Company for its first 2 seasons as advertising expert Tom Cummings. Filming primarily in Hungary proved for some logistical issues for Milligan as he couldn't do too much on Schitt's Creek while halfway across the world. Évelyne Brochu ran into similar issues trying to juggle her role as Delphine Cormier on Orphan Black.
Karen Robinson (Ronnie Lee) might be as well known for her theatrical work. Her TV work includes Canadian shows such as King; The Line, Shoot the Messenger, Mary Kills People, Forgive Me, and Frankie Drake Mysteries. Robinson won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Performance in a Guest Role in a Drama Series in 2019 for her role in Season 2 of Mary Kills People. Robinson can also be seen in the Canadian film Love, Sex and Eating the Bones that won Best Canadian First Feature Film at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival.
Jennifer Robertson (Jocelyn Schitt) has been a writer and actor. She is best known in Canada for her role as a writer/actor on Comedy Inc., a sketch comedy series. Robertson has had recurring roles on Canadian TV shows such as Degrassi: The Next Generation; Wingin' It; Little Mosque on the Prairie; and Mr. D. Like Milligan, Robertson is well known on American shows.
Sarah Levy (Twyla Sands) is relatively new based on the number of credits. You might remember her from the short-lived TV show Working the Engels, a Canadian-American co-production.
Noah Reid (Patrick Brewer) doubles as a musician and actor. Reid started on the show in Season 3 as David's business partner and later relationship partner. Reid is best known for the leading role in Score: A Hockey Musical, the opening night film at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival. He was also seen in Canadian films such as People Hold On and Cardinals.
Tim Rozon (Mutt Schitt) hasn't been seen in quite awhile in Schitt's Creek. He was Alexis' love interest in the first 2 seasons of the show. Rozon has been plenty busy as Doc Holliday on Wynonna Earp. You may have seen him in recurring roles on Canadian shows such as Lost Girl and Being Human. In an non-acting role, Rozon is co-owner of the Garde Manger restaurant with Canadian chef Chuck Hughes.
John Hemphill (Bob Currie) and Robin Duke (Wendy Kurtz) were SCTV vets. Hemphill was a writer and played minor characters on the show. Hemphill was nominated for a Gemini award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Program in 1995 and a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2018. Duke replaced O'Hara on SCTV in 1980 and Saturday Night Live in 1981. O'Hara lasted less than a day as a cast member on Saturday Night Live.
Rizwan Manji (Ray Butani) has made his mark much more in the United States than Canada. Like Sarah Levy, he also guest starred on Working the Engels.
Ennis Esmer (Emir Kaplan) played a travel blogger and brief love interest for Stevie Budd in Season 5. You likely remember Esmer from Canadian TV shows such as Private Eyes and perhaps from Billable Hours.
You might recognise Esmer from Canadian films such as Clara, Big News from Grand Rock, How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town, and YPF.
A special shout out to some single-episode wonders and the year they appeared on Schitt's Creek.
François Arnaud (2017) films such as J'ai tué ma mère and Jean of the Joneses; TV shows such as X Company Linda Thorson (2019) mostly non-Canadian productions, especially One Life to Live and, of course, The Avengers Aaron Poole (2015) best known for Strange Empire as well as films such as Cas & Dylan and Mary Goes Round Stacey Farber (2018) known for her TV work that includes 18 to Life, Degrassi: The Next Generation, and Saving Hope Victor Garber (2020) known for his TV work on Alias, film work on Argo, and was Jesus in the famous Canadian production of Godspell Jennifer Irwin (2015) known mostly for her American TV work and Canadian TV show such as Slings & Arrows, Michael: Every Day, and Working the Engels Rob Stewart (2018) Known on both sides of the border for Tropical Heat (Sweating Bullets in the U.S.) and Killjoys and stars as himself in Slaughter Nick for President Saul Rubinek (2020) known for his U.S. film work that includes Against All Odds, Wall Street, The Bonfire of the Vanities, True Romance, and Unforgiven as well as a 5-time Genie Award nominee, winning Best Supporting Actor for Ticket to Heaven Genelle Williams (2020) known for her Canadian TV work that includes Degrassi: The Next Generation, Radio Free Roscoe, and The Latest Buzz Henry Czerny (2020) is known for Canadian films such as Remember and The Other Half and American films such as The Ice Storm Paul Shaffer (2018) musician and actor Saturday Night Live; Late Night with David Letterman; Late Show with David Letterman as well as Godspell on stage with Eugene Levy in Toronto.
Kristian Bruun (2015) appeared as a gas station attendant in a scene that was cut. He still gets a credit for that episode. Known for Orphan Black and Murdoch Mysteries as well as numerous Canadian films.
The characters played by Farber and Irwin could theoretically return in a wedding scene on Tuesday.
The series finale of Schitt's Creek airs April 7 on CBC at 8 p.m. local time and Pop TV, Comedy Central, and Logo at 8 p.m. Eastern.
When the musical Godspell came to Canada in 1972, the cast consisted of local performers. Turns out those local Toronto performers who got their big break in the production sparked some amazing Canadian content.
Victor Garber played Jesus Christ. Garber also played Jesus in the film version of the musical (1973).
Other notable members of the Canadian cast included future SCTV vets Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Dave Thomas, and Martin Short as well as Saturday Night Live original cast member Gilda Radner. Thomas was not in the original cast, but joined the show near the end of the run. Martin and Radner were Americans who made their way to Canada. Levy and Short were university friends in Hamilton. Levy pointed out that Short and Radner dated during the run of Godspell. Short ended up marrying Nancy Dolman, who was Radner's understudy in the production. All of them ended up at Second City in Toronto.
Jayne Eastwood was also in the cast a couple of years after being in Goin' Down the Road (1970). Other performers included Gerry Salsberg, Rudy Webb, Valda Alviks, Don Scardino, and Avril Chown. Alternates included Elaine Lansitie, Derek McGrath, Randi Sanfield, and Robin White. (Not all of them are Canadian.)
Paul Shaffer was the Godspell musical director and Howard Shore played saxophone. Shore later went on to be a prominent Canadian film composer with 3 Oscars, 3 Golden Globes, and 4 Grammys. Shore has worked a lot with David Cronenberg.
The Toronto production started out at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. After a scheduled limited run, the Godspell production shifted to the Bayview Playhouse in Leaside. The production finally ended in August 1973 with a then-record run of 488 performances.
Levy and Martin were together in 1973 with Ivan Reitman in Cannibal Girls. Catherine O'Hara tells the story of meeting Radner because O'Hara's brother Marcus was dating Radner. The Canadian acting scene is built on a lot on relationships. If the Toronto production of Godspell was the trunk of the tree, there were many fruitful branches stemming forward.
This is not an April Fool. The NHL is still shut down thanks to preventive measures over COVID-19. We did want to keep the impression of regularity with the monthly update.
We don't know what games the U.S. outlets would have carried down the stretch. We have preserved as much of the schedule, including a theoretical NHL Center Ice free preview. Consider this a blessing for the archives.
COVID-19 had been hovering for awhile. Teams had finally decided to play in empty arenas. Then a NBA player tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus. The domino theory proved true this time as sports leagues suspended their schedules.
While NBA players and other sports figures with coronavirus are known, the 2 Ottawa Senators players who tested positive for COVID-19 have not been identified.
The unknown is very unknown. We will set up the Stanley Cup playoffs if that happens. We've never been about predictions on this blog, but we feel certain that when sports go back, there will be no crowds at these events.
Enjoyed watching the U.S. and Canada versions honouring International Women's Day on March 8. Leah Hextall did well in her debut as did Kate Scott in the United States. Play-by-play was perhaps the weakest link on both sides of the border. Both countries can use more play-by-play people so grooming female options shouldn't be a one-off opportunity.
This was a really nice memory in the middle of a busy NHL picture. The treat was even more significant when 3 days later, the NHL would play their final games for a really long time.
Canadian fans of the NHL have been used to disappoint over postponed events.
The Toronto Maple Leafs were supposed to play in the 2013 Winter Classic. That game was postponed due to the 2012–2013 NHL lockout. Our argument then was that the league didn't care about blowing off that game in Ann Arbor, MI since a Canadian team was the opponent. The 2014 Winter Classic showed the league why that was a mistake.
The Winnipeg Jets were supposed to get a Heritage Classic in the late fall of 2015. The NHL wanted the game in December shortly after the 2015 Grey Cup in Winnipeg. The Jets were concerned about that timeline. The game was postponed to October 2016 at a time in the season where the game wouldn't get too much publicity. Sadly the Heritage Classic in Regina suffered a similar fate with an October date from the NHL.
The Montréal Canadiens had to wait 6 years to play Boston in an Winter Classic and in a much more inferior location. The Habs were the logical opponent for the 2010 Winter Classic at Fenway Park. The Philadelphia Flyers, not even in the same division, were picked by the NHL as the opponent. The Habs finally got to play in the 2016 Winter Classic in the football stadium in Foxborough.
Montréal still has not hosted an outdoor game. Edmonton, the original site of a NHL outdoor game, will reportedly get the next shot at a Heritage Classic very far off in the future.
NBCSN was not scheduled to have a game involving Canadian teams so no announcers list to mock.
NHL Network finally gave the U.S. a late HNIC game and we get stuck with Canada's worst duo of Kevin Quinn and Louie DeBrusk. Rick Ball was available. Quinn and DeBrusk are each in their own lane, each giving a cream of wheat approach to the game.
The CBC promos were the same ones from February 29. The Junos were scheduled for March 15 in Saskatoon but were cancelled over COVID-19.
There were early games scheduled for March 14 and March 21 as well as the early and late games from March 28 as part of the NHL Center Ice free preview. CBC ran Canadian films on those Saturday nights.
March 7 late game: Junos (1st); Fridge Wars; Junos; Oland Murder (2nd); Fridge Wars; Oland Murder (3rd)
Your heart may not be ready seconds after the series finale of Schitt's Creek. A documentary on the show Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: A Schitt's Creek Farewell will run on CBC and Pop TV following the series finale next week. The series finale moves up to 8 p.m. Eastern with the hour-long documentary to run at 8:30 p.m Eastern.
The series finale will also run on Comedy Central and Logo.
The special features the magical phrase "never-before-seen footage." There will be cast and crew interviews. The style now is to have other celebrities talking: they include: Paula Abdul, Will Arnett (Canadian), Carol Burnett, Cameron Crowe, Tony Hale, Amy Sedaris, Johnny Weir, and more. Hopefully, Mariah Carey will be on the list.
Our advice is to tape the documentary and watch when you are ready emotionally. Your humble narrator might not be able to handle the documentary right away.
As we count down to next week's series finale, we are looking back at how the United States was first introduced to the show: through the primary crew of Hockey Night in Canada on the CBC simulcast on the NHL Network.
For those who follow our NHL coverage, you know the hockey announcers read CBC promos on Hockey Night in Canada games. This was our summary of the very funny circumstance of the first promo for Schitt's Creek.
(Jim) Hughson reads the first promo for the show, including the title. "I've never said that on the air in my life," said Hughson. Craig Simpson chimes in but we couldn't hear exactly what he said. Glenn Healy adds his teasing questions: "What is that show again? Jim, could you repeat that?"
Minutes go by in the period. Hughson reads the 2nd on-air promo for Schitt's Creek, but Hughson doesn't say the name of the show.
Healy can't let that go by without a remark. Healy was talking about Pittsburgh's Craig Adams who did not pass the puck to Sidney Crosby when Crosby wanted the puck. Healy joked that therefore this was Adams' last shift with Crosby and how Adams "basically was up Schitt's Creek without a paddle."
Hughson, realizing what Healy had done, groaned, "Oh no."
The name is part of the gag of the show. In print, people can easily see that the word they are hearing isn't that word. But in a casual promo during a hockey game, the audience might not realize what is happening.
You might recall that Ryan Kesler, then of the Vancouver Canucks, said the actual naughty word on the CBC airwaves during an episode of After Hours. Oake said the late hour allowed for that word on CBC television. We have learned many times that Canadians are much more tolerant of on-air swearing than Americans.
video credit: YouTube/Schitt's Creek photo credit: Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: A Schitt's Creek Farewell
"The Canadian Academy is deeply saddened to announce the cancellation of all Canadian Screen Week activities in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, including the national broadcast gala on Sunday, March 29th. Following a thorough review of Canadian Screen Week events and an assessment of the potential risk to our attendees, we feel this is the only responsible decision at this time."
If the 2020 Junos were any example, the winners of the 2020 Canadian Screen Awards will remain a mystery for some time. The music event was scheduled for March 15 in Saskatoon while the Canadian Screen Awards live finale was scheduled for last night in Toronto. We still don't know the 2020 Junos winners.
The Academy Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television weighed in on Friday: "We remain committed to the celebration of our Canadian Screen Award nominees and Special Award honourees, and look forward to feteing them properly when the time is right."
The plan appears to be a ceremony of some kind when curves are flattened in dealing with the COVID-19 coronavirus. Hopefully, the winners won't have to wait too much longer to find out who won the awards.
The momentum of Canadian film, TV, and digital winners would carry on into the next season. That is going to be an issue down the road.
Filming is highly impractical now and in the near future. The delays may bite into the fall TV season, releases at TIFF, TIFF itself and other Canadian film festivals (WIFF!!). As much as we would love to have space filled with jubilant reactions to winning, we are not there right now.
You don't have to play Double Jeopardy to figure Alex Trebek will appear via video if there is a ceremony. Trebek is one of the Special Award honourees this year.
You’ve voted... a lot (over 35 million times in total)!
Now, introducing your 2020 @cogecofund Audience Choice Award winner....
Kat Barrell (Wynonna Earp) beat out the other finalists: Amybeth McNulty (Anne with an E) and Graham Wardle (Heartland).
The week of festivities in Toronto, Montréal, and Vancouver hopefully will return in 2021.
The Canadian Screen Awards celebrates the best in Canadian television, Canadian film, and Canadian digital projects. The awards ceremony has been on CBC and available online outside Canada.
Twitter captures: @TheCdnAcademy photo credit: Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television
Shelter in place hasn't quite reached British Columbia and Vancouver. Given the trend in Canada and the United States to try and flatten the curve over the COVID-19 coronavirus, that trend may soon hit the west coast of Canada.
The housing situation in Vancouver with multiple roommates or small living spaces is more traumatic during a pandemic.
This leads us to Meng Wanzhou. Meng has been living in Vancouver since December 1, 2018 when she was arrested on U.S. charges.
Meng has been home confined since the arrest. She initially lived in her less prominent mansion, the 6-bedroom residence near a park. In May 2019, Meng moved to her other Vancouver estate, one more than triple the size of the less prominent mansion.
The Supreme Court of British Columbia had to approve that move. Meng can roam around Vancouver, but not near the airport or a BC Ferries terminal.
Meng has bodyguards who must stay near her when she is not in the mansion. She has enough money so she doesn't have to walk the streets to get food, medicine, or other essentials.
Even if Meng Wanzhou finally has to remain, within reason, inside her ultra mansion and its grounds, she can sleep with the lights off. Not so for Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, who have been forced to have lights on while trying to sleep. Sure you do that when you fall asleep on the couch or pass out drunk one night. You haven't done so for months on end in a Chinese prison.
Spavor and Kovrig haven't been able to stroll to the grocery store or even roam the grounds of an ultra-mansion. They might even settle for living in a 6-bedroom mansion in Vancouver with the lights off at night.
Her house arrest hasn't literally meant just her house. Thanks to the COVID-19 coronavirus, Meng might finally understand a bit about house arrest. A mansion with double digit bedrooms is a lot better off than most who live in Vancouver or anywhere else.
For most criminals, house arrest would be just that. Can't leave the house or its grounds. Meng has enough money and lawyers to make this fight last a very long time. The longer Meng spends in Vancouver, the longer Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig rot in prison for charges that aren't true.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for late April, almost 17 months since her arrest. Meng's lawyers have argued "double criminality" — the theory is that to extradite someone from Canada, the charge in the destination country must also be a crime under Canadian law. Canada does not have sanctions against Iran listed in the U.S. charge. The Canada Attorney General's office has argued that Meng committed fraud, which exists as a charge under Canadian law.
Even without a pandemic, there hasn't been an update in awhile in the case. Shelter in place is a serious condition. We should focus on those who really small spaces or no spaces at all during this pandemic. Vancouver has a lot of homes owned by rich foreign nationals where no one is living in them, including theoretically a 6-bedroom mansion in Vancouver. This pandemic shows the inequality of this world, including the justice system.
Meng Wanzhou may have been "trapped" in Vancouver for over a year. She still has a better life than most of us. Way better of a life than Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig. House arrest doesn't mean much to Meng Wanzhou but that would be closer to what her fate should be while waiting out extradition.
I've read enough stories about Canadian films to learn a bit about Cube and how the Canadian film was a must-see. Cube is a science-fiction film filled with math, which makes the 1997 film seem relevant today.
The film starts with Alderson (Julian Richings) in a cube trying to get out into another room. Alderson sets off a trap and reaches his demise.
We then meet Quentin (Maurice Dean Wint), a police officer; Joan Leaven (Nicole de Boer), a talented math student; David Worth (David Hewlett), a cynic; and Dr. Helen Holloway (Nicky Guadagni).
They don't know why they are in the cube. They travel from room to room trying to solve the puzzle to escape the cube. Rennes (Wayne Robson), a renowned prison escape artist joins the group. Later, Kazan (Andrew Miller), a mentally challenged man, becomes part of the effort.
The people work together but not always well. There is a great concern in 1997 and the present day that the only character of colour (Quentin) is rather violent. Each of the names, which ends up on prison-like uniforms, are related to prisons in real life.
Vincenzo Natali directed and co-wrote the film (with André Bijelic and Graeme Manson [Orphan Black]). They make the audience think, perhaps too much. Prime numbers can be easy for some people; factors might be a bit convoluted. The viewer doesn't have to use scrap paper to follow along; I consider myself above average in math and I got lost.
Cube is genius in motion, well-acted with an intimacy rarely found in films. The film is also exasperating since there is no connection to any of the characters and within the relationship between the characters. The film is stark in that regard. The ending, without giving any details, is a bit frustrating but logical on some level.
This film is unique in that if you think Canadian films are boring, Cube is not boring. The film contains so much details and strategy in their attempt to escape. The film is intense and mostly rewarding.
The film won the award for Best Canadian First Feature Film at the 1997 Toronto International Film Festival.
Like a lot of political issues we write about in Canada (health care), provinces have a lot of control. Canada is used a lot for shooting films and TV shows, many of them not Canadian. Outside of Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec, provinces have to battle against each other to keep their film industries viable to outside filmmakers.
Let's look at recent efforts in Manitoba and Alberta. Both governments are run by conservative parties: Progressive Conservative in Manitoba and United Conservative in Alberta.
Sport, Culture and Heritage Minister Cathy Cox is building on an existing 30% tax credit that refunds companies on their total project costs. Cox says there will be an 8% credit for projects that use Manitoba-based production firms. Filming is an issue but so is editing and post-production positions.
The Manitoba tax credit was scheduled to expire at the end of 2019 but the Pallister Government has made the tax credit permanent.
In Alberta, the Alberta’s new tax incentive program is running into issues and criticism. The province is committing only $22 million in 2020-21, $30 million in 2021-22 and $45 million in 2022-23. The small production grant fund program will be limited to $1 million/year. Alberta had caps on the Alberta Film and Television Tax Credit, unlike other provinces.
Alberta had a credit where 30% of eligible expenses would be reimbursed. The new Alberta budget reduced that mark to 22%.
Anecdotally, the TV series Fargo left Calgary to film on the very north side of Chicago for Season 4.
Nova Scotia lost business after restructuring its film and TV tax credit. The idea of a true Nova Scotia story such as Maudie being filmed in Newfoundland is truly insulting.
Even if the relatively smaller provinces keep churning with tax credits, they might lose business to other provinces. If they don't compete, they will lose business to other provinces.
Given Alberta's financial woes, they would welcome more film and TV business into the province. This characterizes the "if it's not oil and gas, it doesn't count" mentality of the Kenney Government.
Before you make this about Brian Pallister or Jason Kenney, know that Nova Scotia's premier at the time (and still premier) is Stephen McNeil, a Liberal.
Governments and small businesses make money even with the film and TV tax credits. People can point to scenes and know they were filmed in Canada, even if some of those filmmakers try to hide Canada as much as possible. Filmmakers like coming to Canada. If you think they care about the nuance of Alberta vs. Manitoba, remember the Oakland Raiders punter who bought a shirt last summer that said "Winnipeg, Alberta" without a speck of irony.
photo credit: The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom film video credit: YouTube/metropole films
Editor's Note:CBC News has reversed policy and as of March 25, "CBC will continue to restore our local TV news offer for local audiences with an expanded 30-minute local news segment on CBC News Network. Viewers in all our regions will see their trusted anchors back on air reporting the local news that pertains to their communities."
CBC has worked to make its CBC News Network coverage of the COVID-19 coronavirus more available to Canadians. That is great news. Unfortunately, another CBC News move is hurting Canadians wanting to get information.
CBC News is running CBC News Network instead of supper-hour TV newscasts at 6 p.m. and local newscasts at 11 p.m. after The National.
The COVID-19 coronavirus is a worldwide story, a Canadian story, and a local story. Those local stories are being lost because CBC doesn't have the person power to cover those stories. That is what we are being told.
"We are an essential public service, and we will be here for Canada through it all. That is our mandate and promise to all Canadians."
"Television is resource intensive, and much of it can't be done from home. The spine of our television broadcast infrastructure and the support for many of our local supper-hour newscasts run through Toronto facilities. On Monday, with fewer technical staff in the Toronto building, that spine was at risk of breaking."
"More importantly, we see what's coming: more cases, more illness, more people in isolation, more restrictions on travel, more staffing challenges in all of our newsrooms. To get ahead of the curve and the enormous strain we expect it will place on our news service, we were forced to act."
So, we put a temporary pause on one piece of what we do — local TV newscasts at 6 p.m. and some at 11 p.m. — in order to protect everything else: local and national reporting; local and national radio service; local and national digital service; our national nightly newscast; and our 24-hour news channel, CBC News Network (NN)."
These words are from Brodie Fenlon, editor in chief and executive director of daily news for CBC News. We don't doubt the integrity of anything said or the issues of limited resources.
We just think shutting down the local supper hour newscasts is a huge mistake.
CBC isn't just The National and CBC News Network. Viewers have a relationship with their local news people. Canadians need more security, not less.
The promise of CBC Gem was CBC News Network and getting streams of other CBC channels across the country. If you live in Ontario and your parents live in British Columbia, you will want to check in on what is going on there. No local news means you don't know what is happening in another part of Canada.
As far as resources, the late night comedy shows have been resorting to doing videos from couches and backyards. A local CBC anchor could give an update from their home. Local information delivered by local people. Doesn't even have to be a whole half-hour: 12-15 minutes would work.
As we have noted, Canadian journalism isn't that strong. Most of Canada can get updates from CTV, Global, and Citytv. Those markets would have a leg up on CBC once the crisis is over since their local anchors are still delivering local news.
Prince Edward Island as well as Newfoundland and Labrador have a different issue: CBC is one of the few news outlets in those provinces.
CBC North is exempt from the changes.
National newscasts aren't going to break down Alberta or Manitoba numbers. They might mention Edmonton or Winnipeg, not so much Red Deer or Flin Flon.
The private networks have more money and American shows as lead-ins to their news. Canadians want good local news. If they can't get from CBC, they will turn elsewhere.
CBC is great but can get locked in unfortunate decisions made by people not thinking above and beyond a limited box. This is one of those times.
Canadians and non-Canadians can watch CBC News Network online. They don't need CBC News Network to interrupt local newscasts.
Bring back the supper-hour broadcasts. Make them hybrids with some local coverage and fill the rest of the half hour with CBC News Network. Better than what is happening now.
