Producer J.B. Sugar thinks CBC made a mistake in cancelling jPod

J.B. Sugar, one of the producers of the locally shot TV show jPod, directors and writers, thinks the CBC’s decision to axe the series (which was based on a Douglas Coupland novel) was a mistake.

He blames the CBC for failing to properly market the show, and suggested that a promotions budget should be built into government subsidies to series TV.

“It’s been a tough few days for sure,” Sugar told the Straight on the phone from his No Equal Entertainment office in Gastown. “But this is part of the reality of being a producer....It’s a miracle anything gets made.”

About 150 Vancouverites worked directly on jPod, Sugar said. Another 100 were indirectly employed by the production, in prop making, post-production, and other roles. They won’t be out of work for long, Sugar said, as B.C.’s TV production scene is offering plenty of work right now.

He noted that jPod is still running Fridays at 9 p.m., until April.

Six days after jPod and Intelligence were cancelled, the CBC executive responsible for English language programming received an international award.

On March 12, the World Economic Forum named Kirstine Layfield one of 245 international “Young Global Leaders” for 2008. Winners are under 40 and “must have an impeccable record in the public eye and good standing in his/her community,” according to the nomination process.

Layfield, according to CBC’s media relations and issues management advisor Katherine Heath-Eves, was involved in the cancellation of jPod and Intelligence.