Digital TV subscribers across Canada are noticing two new channels that weren’t there before. The CBC has arranged free previews on all the major systems, including Videotron (digital), Bell ExpressVu and Star Choice.
Bold
Bold is, near as I can tell, CBC’s answer to Showcase or Bravo. Its programming includes a bunch of second-run drama and comedy shows from CBC’s library, including MVP, The Tudors, Da Vinci’s City Hall, The Border, Intelligence, Dr. Who and a bunch of other shows I’ve never heard of.
It replaces CBC Country Canada, that other cable channel that nobody watches.
Bold can be found on Videotron Illico channel 106 and Bell ExpressVu channel 641.
Documentary
Documentary is self-explanatory, taking a bunch of stuff from CBC Newsworld and the NFB. It’s basically just a rebranding of The Documentary Channel, which the CBC bought a controlling interest in.
Documentary can be found on Videotron Illico channel 151 and ExpressVu channel 336.
The free preview lasts until April 29.
Elsewhere:
- Lower-case names and edgy documentaries? Now that’s bold! (National Post)
- CBC gives facelifts to digital channels (Globe and Mail)
Dude, documentary is not boring. It has run some awesome docs. It could be better for sure, but its not boring.
Hell yeah! Did you see the doc that was on last night about Dubai? Really something. I loves me some documentary channel!
Yes, the doc channel has great stuff. Can’t say I care for the near-identical lowercase d and b logos branding both channels, but I suppose that doesn’t matter much.
I think Bold could be good if they were to take a shot at creating Canadian versions of PBS performing arts staples like ‘Great Performances’, ‘Austin City Limits’, ‘American Masters’, as opposed to showing reruns of dramas no one watched the first time around.
I think Documentary could become my favorite channel on television if they would broadcast in HD. I bought my HDTV a couple of months ago, and never would have guessed just how much I prefer the HD broadcasts – to the point that I would rather head out and rent a documentary from my video store rather than watch a SD feed from the Documentary Channel. Any word on if/how/whether it will be possible for CBC to broadcast Documentary in HD?
The CBC currently doesn’t have a license for a companion HD channel for Documentary. In any case, it probably wouldn’t be all that useful, since most of the programming is coming from the CBC’s and NFB’s archives and is available only in standard definition.