man let's all get together and make some rad stuff

Yesterday I watched Corner Gas and I totally laughed out loud!
I thought parts of it were really quite charming and also clever. It was very funny in parts.
Then I watched Gary Unmarried and Three and a Half Men and I most definitely did not LOL I only groaned/was incensed that such SHIT exists on my television.
The best part of Corner Gas is Oscar (Eric Peterson) for sure. And the worst part is definitely the terrible guest stars. I'm sure that there are people in Saskatchewan who can act, in fact I think I even know some of them. I don't know why they keep choosing guest-stars who are awkward and wooden.
Like I should talk, I haven't worked at all lately!

Aaand I was reviewing performances for putting together my demo reel and guess what, I too have sucked.
I'm getting better and better though. So, there's that.

The other worst part is when the characters become caricatures and the jokes get stale. But that show has had a good run and is coming to an end - with some of the highest ratings in the country.
So, congratulations Corner Gas!

The question is, why hasn't this lead to other good Canadian television?
Letting a comedian create a show is a concept that has been successful many times (and has failed many times also), and yet I don't see any other Canadian comics getting the chance.
CBC is trying to get in on the success of Corner Gas with things like Little Mosque on the Prairie and Sophie.
Except these aren't funny.
They don't have a heart.
I think Brent Butt was really smart with Corner Gas and believed in it and loved it up and that's why it worked out. That's just my humble opinion, obviously, but someone's gotta really really love a show for it to be the best.
They're like little babies who need to be cared for and nurtured and encouraged and they need to be told that they're unique and special. And then the little baby shows need to actually be unique and special.

UGH.

Performers should create the shows as well. Not saying that writers aren't needed, 'cause obviously they are, just saying that the best actors are inherently story-tellers. And have stories to tell and have characters who need voices...
The creators of Flashpoint are both actors (not on that show), just sayin'.
And especially for comedies, it makes sense to have the comedians - the actors - create them television.

In other news, I'm working on creating some TV shows.

I watched Wild Roses tonight. I think I actually might have seen every episode so far, actually. Luckily Dollface has cable with timeshifting (and she also had miniwheats (mmm wheat) and ice cream. Had being the operative word because now it's all in my tum and my tum hurts)

Wild Roses is kind of great!
This week's episode was advertised as "must-see" and it kind of was!
Man do I like TV and I really do look to like, so bear that in mind whenever I'm reviewing something.
But this episode is where we're actually starting to see depth from quite a few of the lead characters. Amy Lalond's character, Rebecca, showed her first turn as a human and capable of hurt, her fiance as well just got a whole hell of a lot more interesting. And someone got killed off! Someone I liked! And we're finally seeing a bit of Clare Stone's character, Charlotte, being a teenager (who interacts with a cute boy). I love shows about teenagers! More than I even know why.
Now I'm actually looking forward to next week's episode, whereas before I was fine with watching the show but mostly because I want, desperately, to support Canadian television.

Aaand the CBC has come into 2K9 and now has their online video player (though kind of awkward to track down sometimes on their disorganized website) with full episodes of both Wild Roses and Being Erica (probably others as well, but I haven't looked into it)
The current episode of Wild Roses.
Having episodes of TV series online is so genius to keeping your audience. With shows driven by intense plotlines it can take as little as a missed episode or two to lose an audience member (happened to me and Heroes, for instance, but I kind of think that show jumped the shark anyway).
Having the episodes online eliminates the problem!

I never would've gotten back into Gossip Girl or Grey's Anatomy or even started on 30 Rock if it weren't for streaming online video.

And I've missed the past couple of episodes of Being Erica, which I originally liked more than Wild Roses, so I'm totally going to catch up on that...

Man all this talk makes me so excited for all the good TV in the world. I'm so, so ready for Canada to start pulling its weight in this department. And supporting its industry!

Hockey Day in Canada!

ABC Family bought Sophie.
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/tv/story/2008/02/05/sophie-abc.html?ref=rss
Which proves that the writers' strike has affected their heads. Oh, wait, ABC Family was the one with the series Beautiful People (which is how I met Teddy Geiger one time and he fell in love with me, but that's another story), so their heads were already messed.
Also interesting in this article - I didn't realize it was an adaptation of a successful Quebecoise TV series.
This is maybe the only show of CBC's new line-up that I can bear to watch without clawing at my face, but it is still just not very good.
It's the over-done caricatures that are still really getting to me. And how completely unrealistic some of the characters are. "It's fresh and funny but with real heart and warmth." - ABC Family worker guy
Really?
Really though?

I made my friend watch JPod with me last night while we were getting ready to go out.
Whoa. We were both in awe. Of how bad it is.
Even the costume design of that show screams Canadian TV.
The resident bad boy/sex addict wearing DOG TAGS, seriously? Of course he is. With his spiky hair and Diesel Clothing, his motorcycle boots and unbuttoned shirts. And the "pretty girl" who happens to be blonde and blue-eyed and wears a whole goddamn lot of pink... ingenious. And the Asian girl who wears printed T's and shorts with boots! Awesome.
I can't take any of these characters seriously because I want to punch them.
And that's not even getting into how bad the plot lines are. (Seriously you kidnapped the woman who wrote the happy birthday song and then posted a video of her rolling around in money on the internet? Neat!)

I heard rumours that a US station was going to pick up The Border as well, until they realized that it sucks. I only watched the first episode of this and it seemed fine. But fine is never something that's going to keep viewers coming back for more. It's funny that in Canada we settle for 'fine', like it's the best we can do, so it's worthwhile. Nope. Not good enough.

The news this morning was saying that the American writers are in talks again this weekend. So the strike just might be settled soon.

I've always said that I'd way rather work in Canada, but these days... the industry is just so disappointing.

The problem is that I care.
I wish it meant nothing to me.

.

More to say except I have to run to work and I seem to be wearing some sort of "streetcar repellent" these days.
Any time I leave my house there are no streetcars in sight and even if they do come around they always short-turn and leave me stranded and stuff.
Yay TTC!

Tonight I plan on seeing How She Move. I love dance movies like I can't even tell you, and this one stars one of my college classmates. So it should be interesting...
Oh and stay tuned for how much I love hipster parties with cupcakes bakes into ice cream cones and pretentious discussions about film and art in general!
Mmmhmmm....