John Doyle from The Globe and Mail wrote a column today that mentioned this blog in extremely complimentary terms. For those of you surfing into Dead Things On Sticks on the back of that mention, I do write a lot about the Canadian TV industry here. The columns that seem to have stirred the most hornets recently are:
Ten Things That Would Make Canadian TV Better. With a Response from the Audience.
I'm a little bit scared about how CBC is selling Little Mosque On The Prairie. And I'm not sure their current obsession with numbers and metrics is going to get them any more hit shows.
Thoughts on an upcoming ACTRA strike.
If you're a certain type of Canadian TV person, you may find Corner Gas gives you agita.
Doyle also wrote about how a lot of students interview him about the Canadian industry. I get a bit of that, too.
I'm a mid-level writer based in Toronto. Later this week, I'm going to be leaving for Vancouver for three months to work on a show that's shooting there called Blood Ties. Blood Ties is a show based on books by Tanya Huff. It's a neat little vampire love triangle story with monsters of the week and a truly asskicking female heroine. I think it's going to be a whole heap o'fun. I'm coming in at the end of production to replace another writer, so I've got to pull up my bootstraps and just dive in.
This is exactly the kind of show that a lot of culture vultures and snobs sniff at. I can't wait. Because whatever else I do, I'm in the business of trying to make TV that people want to watch, not TV that feeds my (admittedly healthy) ego.
Oh, I also co-created a show that's going to be on CHUM stations in 2007 called Across The River To Motor City. Watch for that, would you? It would make my Mom happy.
In all seriousness, there are times when I have thought, and have heard, that blogging honestly about an industry that's broken like Canadian TV is not the way to go. I can't tell you how many of my friends and colleagues have said to me, "right on! I agree with you 100%...(beat...beat)....Please never mention my name or say that I agree with you 100%."
If you can't talk honestly, the industry can never change. I made a mild criticism of one show (actually on the way to a totally different point) and heard that one of the guys who did the show was slamming me, like, six months later. About the same paragraph. Apoplectic, off the charts pique over some really, really, really mild criticism, made from a place of wanting a show to succeed. What can you do?
Well. Now that it seems like there are people really reading this, maybe I can be a little more kind and understanding. But when the message comes from entitlement and self-importance, I can't do it. Because that kind of attitude is just killing our industry. Catch 22.
I never want to have to stand in the middle of the room at a big splashy premiere of a Canadian show again, and watch as everyone praises it, then goes out for a smoke and runs it down without mercy for being a flaming tax-dollar wasting turd.
We all deserve better, don't we?
14 comments:
OMG Blood Ties. Tanya Huff is a regular at cons, etc in the area, and her first book 'As One Dead' has a bit of stuff lifted from the old Toronto by Night Vampire Live Action game.
I am very excited and somewhat jealous! I play A LOT of Vampire roleplaying games - so I am interested to see how it goes!
(I also liked Kindred: The Embraced. See, vampire fans are pretty easy to please, so I am positive this will be excellent. ;) )
We all deserve better, don't we?
Absolutely! As a member of the audience you have the right to be entertained first and foremost...
Have fun in Vancouver.
So...you'll be working on Peter Mohan's Blood Ties, huh? Although my heart is filled with envy I will try to ignore those negative feelings for a moment to say congratulations and best of luck with the new gig. Rumour is this is an awesome new show for CHUM and should be just as popular as 'The Collector' and 'Charlie Jade' ever were -- possibly more so.
OK, the envy's welling up again...can't control it...I...I hate you! Sorry, that just slipped out. :-( Seriously, dude. Congrats!
KJC
OK, can you stop drawing attention to yourself? I'm going to have to get a posting identity or I'll never work anymore (that or learn to keep my yap shut, good luck on that one).
Cool re: Blood Ties. Have fun in Vancouver. I see lots of smart cocktails with the fair Diane in your future.
Minion, I loved Kindred: The Embraced. It was vampires meets soap opera, kinda. About my speed.
I couldn't read the John Doyle column because I don't got subscriber status.
This is exactly the kind of show that a lot of culture vultures and snobs sniff at...
Thank god I ain't that sort of person. I'm really looking forward to this show. I mean an idea by a Canadian Author developed by Canadians shot in Canada... what's not to be excited about? (Especially since if it sucks big time I know who I can come to to complain to ;) )
Doyle had a great column on Mansbridge's response to his column on CBC TV's sentimental "home front" coverage just before Christmas. He's been in top form lately.
It is nice to see him recommend a couple of good Canadian blogs. But I admit I am intrigued by his description of the majority of online commentary about TV in Canada -- "written by the same dozen people [who] seem to be a miserable bitter and twisted bunch....[and] to exist [in a] stew of envy and resentment.... Often hiding behind anonymity, they spew venom and insults and spread inaccurate rumours and tattle. Sometimes they have the nerve to proclaim themselves 'commentators' and assert to superiority to what they call the mainstream media...." Unfortunately, Doyle doesn't give any names or URLs so that we might see and judge for ourselves, for instance, the post-CBC-lockout blogs that feature "often hilariously badly written hatred."
I'm just surprised there are blogs devoted to trashing Canadian TV.
Teresa, Diane very kindly has the full article (and most full articles) up on her site ... that's where I go to stay up to date.
http://tv-eh.com
Blood Ties... I remember trying to secure the rights to that series a few years ago. Glad to see that it's getting made.
Also good to see you are getting notice from Doyle. You are doing good work here.
Caroline - It's such a blast, Kindred. I wish there'd been some more of it - though it could be cheesy, it was brilliant fun at some moments.
Thank you Caroline, and Diane too. I've bookmarked your site now too.
I read that in The Globe and Mail today.
Dolye and I agree on that.
Your blog is the best of it's kind.
I can't imagine why he didn't mention ours though...
Just kidding. It's better he doesn't.
You know Denis, I could apartment sit for you while your in Vancouver if you want ... I hear you got a new couch and full cable.
Think about it.
;-)
Is entitlement earned or is it because people have been working in the same industry for so long, they feel like part of the furniture. Perhaps if television were not based mostly in Toronto and Vancouver, things might get shaken up a bit. I am a bit of a boat rocker. It gets me into trouble quite often, but it is so much fun. :)
Is entitlement earned or is it because people have been working in the same industry for so long, they feel like part of the furniture. Perhaps if television were not based mostly in Toronto and Vancouver, things might get shaken up a bit. I am a bit of a boat rocker. It gets me into trouble quite often, but it is so much fun. :)
Unfortunately, Doyle doesn't give any names or URLs so that we might see and judge for ourselves, for instance, the post-CBC-lockout blogs that feature "often hilariously badly written hatred."
That would be me.
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