Hey Canadians/CBC Viewers...

[CanuckAmok]

..."The Newsroom" is back on the air. If you have seen the previous airings of it, you know writer/director Ken Finkleman is one of the most creative, cynical, and satirical writers out there, and it look slike CBC has given him free license once again.

Yes, that does mean another series which will devolve into a ridicilous Fellini-esque mid-life crisis circle jerk, but nobody can pull that off as entertainingly as Finkleman!

The first episode (aired tonight) was pretty good, but not nearly as hilarious as previous offerings. Perhaps it's the lack of familiar faces, as it seems most of the supporting cast are long gone. Hopefully, it'll improve with a few more showings...

http://www.cbc.ca/newsroom/


Here's a good URL about the original series, including some great quotes:

http://www.connarch.com/The_Newsroom/

Jeremy, on Jim: "He's an anchor. He's an idiot!"


George: "The last thing you want is to come home after a hard day's work, sit down in front of your television set and be intimidated by intelligence."


Talent agent, on a co-anchor candidate: "She doesn't have an in-your-face ethnicity...seventy-four percent of her audience in Saskatoon actually thought she was white. It's a very subtle ethnicity. Almost subliminal."


George: "A black anchor reads 'equality,' and equality reads 'social spending,' and a social-spending message in this deficit-reduction climate looks like we're taking sides--and we have to be objective. A white anchor, on the other hand, reads 'deficit reduction.' Which doesn't mean that equality isn't a very high priority for us..."

George, on the abortion question: "If you can't define life in one word, you don't belong in a political campaign."


George, again on the abortion question: "If Mary Magdalene can flip-flop, Jim Walcott can flip-flop!"


George, advising Jim: "Forget insemination, forget semen, forget masturbation--you're pro-life!"


Jim, to a sidewalk abortion clinic protester: "Is that a dead human fetus in that shoebox?"
Protester: "No. Those are my other shoes."
Jim: "Well, if it was a dead fetus, I'd support you a hundred percent."

[paranoid floyd]

1. Saskatoon eh?

That's where I am right now. The Newsroom is very good. Did you catch Rick Mercer's show just before the Newsroom? Very much like the Daily Show, and funny too.

[CanuckAmok]

2. Just caught the last 10 minutes of Mr. Mercer...looks good.

Welcome to DU, by the way! :toast:

[NWHarkness]

3. I caught tonight's show

I thought it was pretty funny. For those who haven't seen it, think of a more politicized Curb Your Enthusiasm

Canadian TV- one of the benefits of living in Detroit.

[Philostopher]

4. I see Peter Keleghan's still on there.

I've seen a couple of episodes of the show when we were in Canada in the summer (we don't drive more than a hundred miles from home in the winter). Of course, I first saw him on Red Green -- our cat, Gord, is named after the character he played on The Red Green Show.

I remember seeing a decent Canadian newsroom show about a decade ago, they ran it on Lifetime down here, called 'E.N.G' -- I suppose it may not have been much by Canadian prime time standards, but it was better than anything I ever saw on U.S. TV with the same subject matter, at least until we started seeing reruns of 'Sports Night.' 'Sports Night' had a very similar story arc and pacing, but I doubt any of the same people were involved.

[CanuckAmok]

5. Eeesh, I don't know too many people who enjoyed ENG...

CTV productions are usually just pale rip-offs of whatever is popular in the US at the time.

I worked with the tall blonde guy (the cameraman--can't remember his name) on a show once, and he was kind of a prick. Actually, he was very much like Jim Walcott, now that I think about it...

[Venomous_Rhetoric]

6. YuK!

I NEVER ever EVER watch CBC. Is peter Mansbridge still on the air?
I heard he was. Isn't that a wax figure with a moving jaw?
Do they still have shows like "the friendly giant"? Mr. Dressup?
The Avengers, with Emma Peel?
Is the CbC still black and white?

LoL just kidding, but barely. You do need rabbit ear antennae to get the cbc chaannel don't you?

[CanuckAmok]

8. No, silly, not rabbit ears, moose antlers. n/t

[Philostopher]

10. Don't get me wrong -- as I said,

It was only in comparison to similar shows attempted down here that it seemed good. 'Sports Night' was a better show, done by one of the few down here who's managed to produce anything for American TeeVee that didn't bore the crap out of me (he went on to do The West Wing, though by then I'd given up on American TeeVee myself and never watched it, I hear it's been good at times).

I never knew whence it came -- it was on Lifetime down here, before everything on Lifetime was about single mothers with bulimia and home decorating tips.

[arikara]

7. I caught the first half of Rick Mercer's new show

then my mother called. What I saw was pretty funny though.

[SeveneightyWhoa]

9. Mercer's show seemed like..

..they tried hard to make it a Canadian version of The Daily Show, but it ended up being 10% as funny.

[CanuckAmok]

11. Here's what sucked, though...

"This is Wonderland". Oh, mygod. It was like CBC 1981. Unrealistic characters, overacting, obvious dialogue, and, worst of all, if you're going to try to create sympathy for a whitebread Ally McBeal wannabe, make her likeable! Yuck, what a horrible bunch of people. And that "greek chorus" of her muttering to herself? Oh, brother... Luckily, it'll follow the CBC model of running three episodes before being shuffled through the schedule, and then cancelled unceremoniously, four episodes later. I was really disappointed, particularly as it was directed by Bruce McDonald, who's work I usually like.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

12. I thought it worked well. Hit and Miss of course, but the hits were funny.

[truthspeaker]

13. wish I could see it, I loved the original

Especially the cute red-headed chick. But you said most of the supporting cast is gone :(

[CanuckAmok]

14. The only original supporting cast so far:

Jim Walcott, Roni Sandhu (the East Indian female reporter--the one who hates the weatherman-- who briefly moved up to George's job).

That's it. No intern (Tanya Allen), no wisecracking junior producers, no asshole weatherman...

at least, not yet.

[Skittles]

15. I'm just making sure you Canadians aren't talking about me

:7