Canada Makes Bargain-Basement Shows by Stephanie Earp, posted Jul 27th 2010
http://add.my.www.tvsquad.com/2010/07/27/canada-bad-tv-shows/ Last week, CBS canceled 'The Bridge' after just three episodes. The show is a Canadian one, but a joint production - meaning the US network helped pay for the cost of making it - and the cancellation stateside is ominous for Canadian viewers. We've already seen the first season and a second season has been ordered, but without a pick-up from another U.S. network, it's unclear how long it will last. This comes on the heels of a slew of bad - or at least tepid - reviews for Canadian fare playing across the border. 'Rookie Blue' is being pummeled by critics for the cliche characters and lame writing, and 'The Bridge' was blasted for making little sense. Some U.S. critics are even complaining that the shows aren't Canadian enough, accusing Canadian producers of selling out to the U.S. market, a charge Canadians aren't exactly denying. 'Rookie Blue' star Gregory Smith admitted the show is set in 'Generica' and compared that to Gotham City or Metropolis. Generica sure doesn't have quite the same ring. Half-hearted denials aside, we know it's true, don't we? We know the only way networks like CBS ('The Bridge', 'Flashpoint'), NBC ('The Listener') and ABC ('Rookie Blue') would agree to co-finance a show for their airwaves is if the setting was generic enough to pass for a U.S. locale. They've got the best of both worlds - if the show is good, they can send out press releases about what wonderful new programming they are creating with their Canadian partners, but if the show is bad, they can shrug their shoulders and say they had nothing to do with the creative, they were just the bank. Ironically, two of the most successful cross-border shows revelled in their Canadian-ness - 'Due South' and 'Corner Gas.' All I can say to American critics and audiences that are disappointed with the quality of these shows is: You get what you pay for. The co-financing deals made for these shows allowed the US nets to acquire original programming at about half the price they would have paid for a straight licensing deal, and a tiny fraction of what it would have cost them to make a similar show themselves. Basically, Canada is becoming a bargain basement for tired TV execs to pick up damaged goods and seconds to fill their summer nights - and that wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the fact that at home, these bargains are touted as first-rate fare. Listen, I'm not saying these shows are all bad - but they aren't the best we can do either. I know a lot of viewers have found things to like about 'The Bridge' (that amazing chase scene at the end of season one, for example) and 'Rookie Blue' (Missy Peregrym's performance, for another) but I can't help but wonder what these shows would look like if they hadn't been developed so consciously for a US market. Well, other than cheap, since there would have been less money in the pot. There's no doubt in my mind that CBS thought of 'The Bridge' as discount product. Not only did they sit on it for almost two years, they dumped it into a terrible Saturday night time slot and then pulled it before anyone had a chance to notice it was there. Certainly, they've treated their own shows almost as badly, but maybe if the investment on their behalf had been a little higher, they would have given it a fighting chance. The funny thing is, I keep calling these shows cheap, but in fact they have a bigger operating budgets than most Canadian shows, thanks to the very deals I'm running down. But these shows are like fake designer purses; they're knock-offs of a more expensive original. Stand them up next to each other, and the difference in quality is going to be obvious. What good Canadian television has done so well is create funky, original art that doesn't cost a mint - I'm thinking of 'The Trailer Park Boys' and 'Kenny vs. Spenny' for example - where the quality of the show isn't dependent on the budget, and where the low-fi aspect becomes an asset, not a hindrance. Some viewers have been inspired by these shows to take to their blogs and declare that Canadian television sucks. Ouch. I admit, it hurts. But I console myself by remembering that while we may have given the U.S. four not-great shows, the U.S. has given us hundreds. -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
