I’m on a break for a couple of weeks. Not exactly on vacation. More of on a Quest that’ll either turn out to be very interesting or a total disaster. More on that soon. I also decided not to write about TV for a couple of weeks. With the CRTC making some major announcements on July 6, I figured I should use this time to clear my head, do a few curls and crunches and get ready for what looks to be “The Big One” – or at least...

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There are generally two kinds of people in this business. Those who are creative and those who feed off them. Please don't read that assessment as being harsh. Because that which the creatives create is meant to be consumed and exploited and copied and used to provide a livlihood or cultural enrichment for others. But lately an entire industry has stepped to the fore wherein the creatives themselves...

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I was living and working in Hollywood in the late 1970’s during the tail end of what was probably the golden age of iconic prime time television. The big hits were M*A*S*H*, Dallas, The Dukes of Hazard, Taxi, Happy Days, The Incredible Hulk, CHiPs and, of course, Charlie’s Angels. Cotton candy television for the most part. Shows with big budgets and big stars. Every one of them had a familiar theme, great title sequences,...

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In an example of how much Canadian broadcasting executives just don’t get it, CanWest issued a press release recently to announce changes to its specialty channels.These included:1. Turning out the lights at “Fine Living Canada”. I guess people here aren’t living as fine as the Prime Minister seems to think.2. Going after a larger male demographic on the, currently heavy with Wedding shows and Makeover shows and shows on Figuring-out-how-to-make-boys-like-us,...

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When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, pee in it, and serve it to the people that piss you off. (Jack Han...

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This week I watched three different television news services, CNN, CTV and Newsworld all run segments in which the anchors were awed by the Twitter–ed uprising in Iran. They marvelled at the ability of a repressed population to get around the brutally restrictive practices of their government to share information and get their stories out to the rest of the world, achieving what these organizations...

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We just had one of those violent High School incidents in my part of the world. There was a big fight at a local high school. Knives were drawn and several kids and a teacher who tried to intervene ended up in hospital.So now there's a big debate here about metal detectors, cops in schools, what teachers should do in such situations -- and probably whether Fencing and Kendo should be on the ciriculum.It's been 40 years since I...

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I was cleaning out the garage on the weekend and found a copy of MacLean’s Magazine I’d bookmarked from October 3, 2005. The story was a report on CTV boss Ivan Fecan’s ratings battle with Global and included elements far more interesting now than they seemed back then. For students of modern history, this article may have been the first time the public became aware that CTV was purchasing hit American network shows and then...

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I first heard the term on a chilly Friday night in 1986. I was working on my first television series as a staff writer, a Canadian series called “Adderly” sold to CBS as part of its late night slate. The practice of American networks buying cheaper Canadian programming is older than some people realize. We’d been on the air for a few weeks and were doing well; so well that a couple of executives from our American studio...

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As I’ve said many times before, my philosophy of producing is simple: Hire good people. Leave them alone. Take credit for what they do. When you follow those steps, you’re invariably more successful than you are on your own. And considered much smarter than you actually happen to be as well. A lot of people in this business and many other endeavors follow a different strategy. They make sure...

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Now THAT was some game! I know you Detroit fans needed it to last about five seconds longer. But somebody had to lose and any Red Wing supporter hanging their head after that performance needs to have that head examined. A Canadian Captain hoists the cup. A Russian kid is MVP and kids and veterans from all over the hockey world finally live their dreams and sip from the Holy Grail of sports trophies. Admit it, you fought back...

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Somebody up there likes us! We have been blessed with a Game Seven. And double blessed because it has all the makings of a Game Seven for the ages. And outside of rabid fans for one of these teams, I get the distinct feeling that most people will be thrilled for whichever side hoists The Cup tonight. Let’s just say, this isn’t the night you want to head out to see if either John Travolta or Eddie Murphy can once more kick-start...

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REBUILDING CANADIAN TELEVISION – PART THREE The term “Snakes On A Plane” might describe: a) A really bad movie b) Canadian Television Executives flying off to buy shows in LA c) A good example of a high concept pitch From their first moment in a screenwriting class, writers are confronted with the concept of “High Concept”. And while it can technically be described as a show premise encapsulated in one sentence, that’s...

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REBUILDING CANADIAN TELEVISION – PART TWO   A couple of weeks ago, I heard a film critic refer to DVDs as “The New Drive-In” and felt it was an astute observation. Mostly because I’d thought the same thing myself a few days earlier. The “Old” Drive-In was one of the great pleasures of my childhood and teenage years. I have early memories of being bundled into the back seat of a Mercury in my Lone Ranger PJs and sharing...

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