CBC 2013-2014 season launch: New and returning shows, Sochi 2014, and more

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      Don't believe the negative hype. That was essentially Jian Ghomeshi's message at the CBC Season Preview in Vancouver at District 319 on May 29.

      "I'm happy to be here because there's a lot of noise about the CBC and sometimes I think we need to cut through some of the less than positive noise and remember the reality, that CBC, in terms of our content, is in a pretty positive place right now," the Q talk show host said.

      He pointed out that American fare like Happy Days and Mork & Mindy used to play on CBC in the 1980s but now the CBC has an all-Canadian prime-time. He added that CBC Radio is number one in the Vancouver market.

      "I like to say that we're in a golden age," he said. "And that's borne out not just by the great programming on the national and local level but the way that the programming is resonating."

      Executive vice-president for CBC English services Neil McEneaney (who is filling in the position on an interim basis after the departure of Kirstine Stewart) said:

      "We're also in our third year of Stratégie Radio-Canada/CBC Strategy 2015. What that means is we're going to do a number of things. We're going to strengthen our local identity. We're going to increase our mobile and digital offers. And we're going to increase the excellent Canadian content on all of our platforms."

      CBC will be the country's official broadcaster of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics with CBC Olympic hosts Ron MacLean, Scott Russell, and Diana Swain, and CBC News Network host Heather Hiscox.

      CBC's Hockey Night in Canada returns for its 61st season, and will include exclusive coverage of the Stanley Cup finals. The skating competition Battle of the Blades, which teams up figure skaters with hockey players, will return for a fourth season this fall.

      A new crime drama about a police unit specializing in crossborder crimes, Crossing Lines, will debut this fall and will star William Fichtner, Donald Sutherland, Marc Lavoine, Gabriella Pession, Moon Dailly, and more.

      Also this fall, the made-for-TV movie Still Life, about a Quebec village unsettled by the discovery of a dead community member, is an adaptation of Louise Penny's first novel.

      Meanwhile, a screen adaptation of Terry Fallis' award-winning novel The Best Laid Plains, a satire of Canadian politics, will launch this winter.

      A new reality competition series in winter will be Four Rooms, featuring four Canadian art buyers seeking to buy prized possessions from citizens across the country. Each buyer, waiting in one of four rooms, will make an offer to a prospective seller. The sellers must decide to accept the offer or to move on to the next room. If they reject an offer, the deal is off the table. Applications are still being accepted online and a cross-country audition tour will take place in June and July, with a stop in Vancouver on June 24.

      The culinary reality competition series Recipe to Riches relocates from the Food Network to CBC in winter 2014.

      Primetimes series that will return will include Arctic Air, Republic of Doyle, Dragon's Den, Heartland, Cracked, Mr. D, Murdoch Mysteries, Marketplace, and the fifth estate

      Other returning shows include George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight, The Rick Mercer Report, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, The Ron James Show, The Nature of Things With David Suzuki, and Doc Zone.

      Senior managing director for CBC BC and Alberta Johnny Michel talked about the need for Canadians to recognize Canadian talent.

      "They could be amazing stars anywhere else in the world but they chose to be here in Canada and they chose to make a great life for themselves and contribute to the arts and culture of this country. We should be proud of that. We are proud of that."

      You can follow Craig Takeuchi on Twitter at twitter.com/cinecraig.

      Comments

      6 Comments

      MarkFornataro

      May 30, 2013 at 9:27pm

      Re:"DON'T BELIEVE THE negative hype"- but do believe that ads are coming to Radio 2 because the Cons have cut funding to CBC so drastically.

      The Facts..

      May 31, 2013 at 7:04am

      The CBC scares The Cons, as does investing in revolving around the Arts.

      Hazlit

      May 31, 2013 at 7:44am

      Let me suggest an improvement--Fire Rick Cluff. He's such a moron! Can we persuade Michael Enright to do the Early Edition?

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      Gregg

      Jun 3, 2013 at 10:19pm

      What a steaming pile of c__p. Sell the CBC NOW.

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      Martin Dunphy

      Jun 3, 2013 at 11:21pm

      You're right, Gregg! Where the hell is <em>Miel Boo-Boo</em>?

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      Michael MacGregor

      Jul 11, 2013 at 2:06pm

      Read this article a little late. Its kind of funny, the author and Johny Michel want us to support the CBC because its Canadian but there zero content from BC other than news.

      0 0Rating: 0