Canadian Crossing

Schitt's Creek documentary to run following series finale

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.

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CanadianCrossing.com CBC coverage

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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.

Previewing the 2015 CBC winter schedule

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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

Canadian Screen Awards ceremony scheduled for last night but remains in limbo

An important message about Canadian Screen Week: https://t.co/iO62ouW9oC pic.twitter.com/uOnskxHp0c

— The Canadian Academy (@TheCdnAcademy) March 12, 2020

"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.

COVID-19 forces TIFF Bell Lightbox to close for a month, cancel Canadian Screen Awards

Expanding on the Canadian film nominees at the 2020 Canadian Screen Awards

Anne with an E, Schitt's Creek dominate 2020 Canadian Screen Awards nominations

Parasite is the first film not in English to win the Oscar for Best Picture

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.

CanadianCrossing.com television coverage

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

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....

Congratulations @KatBarrell!

A big thanks to all the fans for voting!#CdnScreenAwards pic.twitter.com/Oma82wY74B

— The Canadian Academy (@TheCdnAcademy) March 30, 2020

The one Canadian Screen Award that was given out was for the Cogeco Fund Audience Choice Award.

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

Meng Wanzhou might finally know true house arrest thanks to the COVID-19 coronavirus

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.

Why is Meng Wanzhou still in Canada?

Canola farmers in Canada latest pawn in China battle over Meng Wanzhou arrest

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.

Sanctioned: The Arrest of a Telecom Giant (CBC podcasts)

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.

photo credit: me

Canadian film review: Cube

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.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

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.

Cube is available on YouTube.

photo credit: Cube film

Canadian film notebook: Tax credits in Manitoba and Alberta

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.

Canadian film review: Maudie

Canadian film review: The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom

Nova Scotia threatens to gut tax credit that helps film and TV industries

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

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.

NFL in Winnipeg with no starters and an 80-yard field

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

CBC News needs to bring back local news in wake of the COVID-19 coronavirus

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.

CanadianCrossing.com CBC coverage

CanadianCrossing.com journalism coverage

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.

photo credit: CBC News

Toronto Blue Jays would have played New York Yankees as 2020 opponents in Montreal

The COVID-19 timing took out what would have been a fun time in Montréal. The New York Yankees would have been the opponent. The Yankees would have been only the second American League opponent for the Toronto Blue Jays in the Montréal series at Olympic Stadium. The Boston Red Sox were the 2016 opponent.

The teams will scheduled to meet tonight and Tuesday at Olympic Stadium on the east side of Montréal. Rogers Sportsnet would have had live coverage of both games. MLB Network was scheduled to tape-delay the Monday contest and air the Tuesday game live.

The attendance took a tumble since MLB adjusted to start the season on a Thursday. The 2018 total of 51,151 set a new low while the 2019 total fell to 46,984. The crowds were in the 43,000-53,000 range when the format was Friday-Saturday.

The Tampa Bay-Montréal split-season rumours might have boosted the attendance for the 2020 series. If Larry Walker would have been there, attendance would have done a happy dance.

Youppi! is sad that the Blue Jays won't be in Montréal in 2020. A new stadium in Peel Basin plus some regular-season games in La Belle Province would stoke the fires a bit more. Imagine if the Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox played games that counted in downtown Montréal.

2020 Toronto Blue Jays spring training schedule

Larry Walker is now the second Canadian in the Baseball Hall of Fame

Toronto Blue Jays help celebrate the 50-year anniversary of Montreal Expos

CanadianCrossing.com MLB coverage

Toronto has a 6-5-1 record in the exhibition games in Montréal.

Toronto Blue Jays at Olympic Stadium in Montréal

Date	Opponent	Score	Attendance
March 24, 2020	NY Yankees	postponed	postponed
March 23, 2020	NY Yankees	postponed	postponed
March 26, 2019	Milwaukee	Toronto 2-0	22,502
March 25, 2019	Milwaukee	Milwaukee 10-5	24,482
March 27, 2018	St. Louis	Toronto 1-0	25,816
March 26, 2018	St. Louis	St. Louis 5-3	25,335
April 1, 2017	Pittsburgh	Toronto 6-4	52,202
March 31, 2017	Pittsburgh	Tie 1-1	43,180
April 2, 2016	Boston	Boston 7-4	53,420
April 1, 2016	Boston	Boston 4-2 (10)	52,682
April 4, 2015	Cincinnati	Toronto 9-1	50,231
April 3, 2015	Cincinnati	Cincinnati 2-0	46,314
March 29, 2014	NY Mets	Toronto 2-0	50,229
March 28, 2014	NY Mets	Toronto 5-4	46,121

photos credit: Evenko/Rogers; Rogers Sportsnet/MLB

CBC is showing Canadian films to fill time on Hockey Night in Canada

CBC has had to deal with sudden programming shifts due to NHL lockouts. With the NHL season in serious doubt due to the COVID-19 coronavirus, CBC has been filling the Saturday night gap with Canadian films.

The lineup starting at 7 pm Eastern last week was Bon Cop, Bad Cop and Bon Cop, Bad Cop 2. The original is an absolute classic; the follow-up took a lot of the humour found in the original.

This Saturday night, the lineup is Mr. Hockey: The Gordie Howe Story; Goalie with Mark O’Brien (Republic of Doyle) as Terry Sawchuk.

Here is the schedule (7 pm Eastern/9 pm Eastern) for the next few weeks:

March 28, Hyena Road; The Right Kind of Wrong

April 4: Race; Across the Line Stephan James double feature

April 11: Hector and the Search for Happiness featuring Christopher Plummer; Dr. Cabbie featuring Big Bang Theory star Kunal Nayyar.

2019 WIFF Canadian films in review: English

2019 WIFF Canadian films in review

Canadian film review: Across the Line

Canadian film review: Bon Cop Bad Cop II

We've seen the Bon Cop Bad Cop films (both available on Netflix in the United States); Goalie; and Across the Line. Hector and the Search for Happiness has 5 countries as co-producers so don't count on too much Canadian.

I would like to see Race and The Right Kind of Wrong. Heard Hyena Road is good but not a huge fan of war films.

Canadians can find most if not all of these films on CBC Gem.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

CanadianCrossing.com CBC coverage

CBC also has to fill weekday and Sunday programming starting April 8 for what would have been the Stanley Cup playoffs. Some of those blocks will be filled with repeats of prime time programming. Would be fun to have a Beachcombers night or a night of the King of Kensington. Not likely.

If you are fortunate to have a CBC feed, you can get some interesting Canadian films in the next few weeks, even if you would rather be watching hockey.

photo credit: Goalie film
logo credit: CBC

Canada-U.S. border closes to non-essential traffic over COVID-19 coronavirus

The world's longest undefended border will close to non-essential travel thanks to the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Canada and the United States has mutually agreed to make the move. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said "essential travel will continue," to preserve "critical" supply chains between countries. "Canadians and Americans cross the border every day to do essential work or for other urgent reasons — that will not be impacted," Trudeau said yesterday.

Windsor nurses working in Detroit hospitals are essential. Auto parts crossing borders are essential. Canadian beer is awesome and we want to bring some back: non-essential.

The latest move involving U.S. citizens came on Wednesday, 2 days after Canada closed the border to all but Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Exceptions were made for diplomats, aircrews, immediate family members, and U.S. citizens. The U.S. citizens section is now limited to essential travel.

COVID-19 forces TIFF Bell Lightbox to close for a month, cancel Canadian Screen Awards

NHL, MLB, MLS latest sports leagues to suspend their regular season

How COVID-19 is impacting Canadian sports

How Toronto recovered from the SARS impact

#cdntavel difficult to do right now. You can read about places to visit down the road. We have travel coverage and you can also click on a province link to find out more about a specific place. https://t.co/g8Vqyjn6E4 @canadian_xing #covid_19

— Chad Rubel (@canadian_xing) March 16, 2020

We called our blog Canadian Crossing for Canadians to cross their own country and Americans (primarily) to cross into Canada. For now and some time, Americans and Canadians have to stay on their own side of the border. We know this extraordinary circumstance is highly rare.

We may not like it. We can be very sad about it.

The timetables tied to COVID-19 coronavirus are only theoretical. This move has no specific timetable. Flattening the curve is as popular as social distancing.

Conan O'Brien deserves our support for his support for Toronto

Where to visit Canada in 2020

CanadianCrossing.com travel coverage

On the right side of our page, we have links to our travel section as well as individual provinces where you can learn more about potential travel destinations. We will travel again, especially to Canada. A little research for future travel. A good use of time.

photo credit: me
Twitter capture: @canadian_xing

Amazon finally has an original Canadian series: Kids in the Hall

The criticism has been focused on Netflix for not investing in Canadian programming. Amazon Prime Video has also been guilty of not investing in Canadian programming.

Finally, Amazon Prime Video is investing in an original Canadian series: Kids in the Hall.

Kids in the Hall isn't new: the original CBC series from 1989-1995 that also ran on HBO and CBS. The original cast will be back for 8 episodes: they are Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson. Lorne Michaels will also return as executive producer.

The group did have the film Brain Candy (1996) and the TV miniseries Death Comes to Town (2010), the latter running on CBC and IFC.

"We've been investing in Canada for several years and are excited to add to that momentum by making the 'Kids in the Hall' the first Canadian Amazon Original series,” said James Farrell, vice president of international originals for Amazon Studios. "The 'Kids in the Hall' is an iconic show with a deep-rooted fan base."

An ad-free CBC just one of the recommendations from a government panel report

Anne with an E cancellation might be start of fallout with CBC and Netflix

Steven Guilbeault is the new Canadian heritage minister

Four in the Morning would benefit Canadian television with a Netflix boost

Young Drunk Punk was more of what Canadian TV should be

Given how tepid Netflix and Amazon have been to produce original series that qualify as Canadian content, starting with a well-known group makes some sense. Then again, they could have taken over Bruce McCulloch's Young Drunk Punk and produced more episodes.

We know that the cast will bring out some classic characters along with new characters. Will there be lots of Helens and Daves? Buddy Cole? Chicken Lady? Will Thompson and Foley recreate their prostitute characters Maudre and Jocelyn? Will heads be crushed?

Speaking of Canadian sketch comedy, Netflix could step up and finally broadcast An Afternoon with SCTV, the SCTV reunion hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and directed by Martin Scorsese. The special was filmed at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto on May 13, 2018. We have had no news on a potential release date. Maybe this will air before the new series from the Kids in the Hall.

Once Netflix and Amazon Prime get their feet wet with well-known Canadian sketch comedy, they can be introduced to great, young Canadian talent. As we noted sometime ago, Four in the Morning would be perfect on Netflix or Amazon Prime. CBC Gem has some digital gems.

CanadianCrossing.com CBC coverage

CanadianCrossing.com television coverage

There were a few changes in the original series for the American audience. The American audience deserves to see the original material, hopefully also on Amazon Prime.

For those who loved the original series, we are confident these 5 will put together some great material. The perspective will be different; very curious to see what can happen in 8 episodes. Hopefully, a new generation will like what they see and search for the original episodes.

photo credit: Kids in the Hall/CBC