Voici la 5e partie de notre grand dossier “PopCorn” sur la saison télé de l’automne 2010.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

That might very well be the recurring theme of most TV networks for their fall 2010 programming. Who can blame them for sticking to the best programs and strategies, especially after a year of profound questioning about the future of television and continued economic turmoil?

Interesting to note is that in the fall 2010 programming intro, CBC’s host expressed concerns that were raised in their Toronto preview a week prior about the lack of new programs. The thing is, CBC has been searching (for quite some time) for a pattern in their schedule that would ensure stability to its audience and comfort to its advertisers. After many years of trial & error, the 2009 schedule has paid off, and CBC is proud. Due to its mandate, CBC has introduced many new original productions and it’s now time to rely on the success built in the last year and watch it grow.

This past success can be credited to shows such as The Hour, Rick Mercer Report, and Dragons’ Den, which will benefit from increased spending this fall and thus enabling tons more of ‘I’m iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin’s!’ (hopefully from Arlene, our favourite!).  Battle of the Blades, a new program in 2009 that initially lacked industry buzz surprisingly generated good results and hence will also be returning this fall. In the upcoming season we will be seeing more behind-the-scenes footage as requested by viewers as well as a new line-up of great athletes such as Russ Courtnall and Theoren Fleury just to name a few … we can’t wait to see them on the ice again!

Only two new shows were added to the schedule; All For One and Men With Brooms. Firstly, All For One will feature Debbie Travis travelling across the country on the search for unsung heroes among diverse communities. Although the concept is noble, it is hard to predict the fate of the show due to the fact that the content itself remains outside of the decorating realm. Secondly, Men With Brooms (based on the Canadian movie bearing the same name) will feature four 20-something guys, curling & humour, all with an authentic feel. With Paul Gross as a collaborator and the recent hype surrounding our Canadian athletes during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, we deem this series to be promising; after all, Canadians surely can’t wait to hear the melody “haaaaaaaaaaaarder, hurry haaaaaaaaard” once again!  In any case, both new programs will benefit from their positioning on the schedule with Battle of the Blades as a lead-in.

T! Highlights: Sincere congratulations to the CBC team behind the Montreal 2010 Fall Preview. In under 40 minutes the overall schedule was presented and core programming was discussed with a great video that summed it up in a visual nutshell.

Finally, we would like to draw attention to the impeccable work of George Stroumboulopoulos, host of The Hour, the highly acclaimed current affairs-meets-talk show program, arguably one of the best of its kind on both sides of the border, and definitely our team’s favourite. A last shout-out goes to Being Erica which remains a strong series that our American cousins can now enjoy under the name The Importance of Being Erica (oddly, the series will be broadcast on a non-SRC network in September, which is a shame).