First, a point of information. This column is about the TV racket. It's not the CBC column. So, I'm warning you - if you get to the end of this epistle and feel moved to write to me about CBC Radio, save your breath to cool your porridge.
Now then. It's nice that the Giller Prize was on TV last night. On Bravo!, take note. But airing a live awards show isn't enough. It's worthwhile but it's tokenism and literary awards shows rarely make for good TV.
Some people take the view that merely having writers and other artists on television is enough because, you know, they don't get enough attention from mass media. Publicity is what they need.
This is nonsense. First, make it worthwhile TV. Television is a medium unto itself, not a PR channel for angst-ridden novels about childhood trauma in the tundra that have been nominated for a small literary prize and sold 600 copies. That, my friends, encompasses a lot of Canadian literary fiction. But I digress. The issue at hand is TV's role in bringing the performing arts and attention-to-the-arts to the public.
Take me. (Don't do that literally. I'm a tad tired and headachy today. I'll shout abuse at you.) When I was a young fella, a know-nothing, opera and classical music came to me through TV and radio and those shows pushed me to see live performances when possible. That, in turn, eventually sent me to, and then led me to support, all manner of performances in the arts today.
Establishing an appreciation for the arts and performance is important and not merely on a notional, educational level, but as an economic investment in the future of the arts. To me, this seems self-evident. And yet the arts have largely disappeared from the TV broadcaster mandated to fulfill that investment - our good friends, the CBC.
On Wednesday night CBC airs a one-hour, TV-studio version of Billy Bishop Goes to War (CBC, 8 p.m.) with actor Eric Peterson starring and writer John Gray doing the musical accompanist role. That's nice too, but it airs because of Remembrance Day Thursday and only serves to remind us of the puny role the arts play on CBC-TV. And no, I'm not talking about some flibbertigibbet excitedly announcing the weekend U.S. box-office returns for the movie racket.
It's been three years since CBC killed the performing-arts program Opening Night. Opening Night existed because, well, the need for a program that showcases the arts for everyone, especially those who don't live in big cities, where arts performance is easily available, seemed glaringly obvious.
There does exist the CBC digital channel "bold" which declares itself to be "home to the world's best performing arts, intelligent drama and daring comedy." That's a laugh. Tonight's menu on bold is a repeat of George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight, followed by a repeat of CBC Winnipeg Comedy Festival, then Q, which is a radio show and a repeat of what unfolded earlier in a CBC radio studio, followed by Pineapple Dance Studios and then a repeat of an episode of Heartland.
The show Pineapple Dance Studio is there, you'll notice. Try to find out more about it on the CBC website and what pops up is "bold is home to the world's best performing arts, intelligent drama and daring comedy." Yeah, we know. Use Google and you'll discover this - "Pineapple Dance Studios: Where careers are made, dreams are broken, bitching is an Olympic sport and everyone is fabulous!" It's a reality show thingy. And it seems bold is a dumping ground for old shows and yet more promotion of Q and Strombo.
The arts made-for-TV that does exist is found on the Bravo! channel occasionally.
That's where you'll find the extraordinary dance creations (specifically choreographed and produced for TV) of Moze Mossanen. His Nureyev aired on Bravo! a few months ago. His earlier works for TV, Rings of Saturn, Roxana, visually sumptuous and startling to watch, aired on Opening Night. And, really, what he creates is both Canadian, award-winning and considerably more relevant than the bitching Pineapple Dance Studio.
Excuse my rant. In closing, I just want to say: Isn't the Giller great? Now, could CBC step up the arts-on-TV content, please.
ALSO AIRING
The 44th Annual CMA Awards (ABC, 8 p.m.) is brought to your attention for two reasons. First, many industry insiders think Brad Paisley is overdue for a win in the category Entertainer of the Year. Kidding. I'm not actually sure who Brad Paisley is. Second, Gwyneth Paltrow makes her debut as a country singer. Not kidding. It's happening. Bet it's artsy and all.
Check local listings.