Comments on: It’s not just sports, Jack

By: Fagstein

Fagstein — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 03:04:11 +0000

Original programming isn't that expensive. It's just more expensive than paying royalties to run another CSI rerun.

Discovery Canada has Daily Planet, or the Canada's Worst series, or my favouritest TV program ever: Mayday.

Why can't other channels do that?

Spike TV, to give a perfect example, is nothing but reruns of Star Trek, CSI and World's Wildest Police Videos. I won't miss it.

By: princess iveylocks

princess iveylocks — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 02:36:45 +0000

Unless you count home videos and singing competitions.

We don't have more original programming because it's very, very expensive. And risky. I was reading a 2004 issue of People the other day (where else but the university gym?) and gawked at the number of TV shows, particularly ABC sitcoms, that premiered that fall and disappeared with the speed of a remote flicking past them.

Culturally, we just don't have the clout, resources, and innovation that our neighbours do. I think we do reasonably well with what we have (see: CBC history mini-series, CTV drama, endless Weather Channel fascination).

Is Spike the one with "The Man Show"? I like that. I'd watch it if I had real cable.

By: Josh

Josh — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 14:10:30 +0000

I thought you were going in a different direction with this. Specifically, where is the amateur theatre on TV? Amateur film? Amateur dance? Amateur journalism?

On the whole, people just aren't interested in watching amateur anything on television.