and i feel fine...

i am full of cbc love today. so much, that i am going to devote a whole post on 'the hour'.

i got a lovely email from allison brachman, a producer on 'the hour'. she actually made me feel bad because i think my original e-mail wasn't as nice as the one she sent me. a few weeks back, mr. stroumboulopoulos plugged the upcoming week on 'the hour' and mentioned a frank black interview. by sunday nite, on the strombo show, it had become it might be on this week or next. so far, nothing. so i sent an email to 'the hour' asking about it. i think i only put 'where is the frank black interview?'. i hope it wasn't anything worse . :) i just assumed it would be treated as a general comment. was i surprised to get a response in less than 24 hours. she sent me this information.

"I am a producer with The Hour. Just wanted to let you know George's interview with Frank Black will be coming up in the last week of November. We have not set air date yet but I will send you a note as soon as we have it in our lineup. Keep checking our web site as well"

how nice is that? and when i went back to her, because i wanted to make sure it was ok to post her response, she again got back to me within 24 hours (on a weekend!). besides agreeing to the post, she again mentioned that she would send me a note with the exact date so i can put it on my blog as well.

ok, onto the actual show.

i have to say that, in my humble opinion, there has been a vast improvement in the show in the past two weeks. loved the 'fear' episode. except for hilary doyle's piece. here is my beef with her. and i like to say i figured this out before i read it in the 'now' piece. at first, i thought she just annoyed me because she reminded me of all things i didn't like in kim d'eon (but i did grow to like her). but it wasn't until i watched 'the daily show' right after seeing her piece on halloween that i figured it out. she's too much of a samantha bee imitation. and i don't necessarily think that's her fault. perhaps the producers are pushing her in that direction. the pieces that she does always has that samantha bee slant to it. i wish the pieces that she would do would be more focused on being serious pieces. because the glimpses of actual journalism i have seen in them, make me want to see more. but then it rapidly dissolves into trying to be funny and she loses me again. i just think, if i wanted to see straight humour on news, i'd watch 'the daily show'. plus she needs to tone down her on air personality. she is way too loud and in your face for my liking. reminds me of a music vj or a host of etcanada. just relax lady. breathe.

the guests and interviews in the past two weeks have been less fluffy. more filling. even the pop stars (groban, cochrane, jean) were actually talking about stuff other than their latest cds. i understand that's why they go on these shows. it's just that if i'm not interested in their music, i have no reason to pay attention, unless they can offer me something else. which they did.

i always enjoy when they have david suzuki on. and i'm liking the fact that they are extending some interviews. i don't want all the interviews longer, but when you have someone as fascinating as david suzuki on, it's nice to hear him talk for longer than five minutes.

the plugging of cbc shows are getting better. at least, there were no puff pieces like that gill deacon one. the cast of rumours was on, but they didn't try to sell it as anything other than a plug for a tv show. but on the same note, i saw no point in putting up the mercer/harper clip on the website. it's from mercer's show, not 'the hour'.

the closers are starting to get a little better. there were a couple in the past two weeks were a glimmer of what they used to be. i hope it keeps up. the closers used to be something people would talk about. not anymore. i mean, they aren't even posted on the website.

stuff i liked about 'the hour' in the past two weeks.

david suzuki (and also his list. i knew he was funny)
lewis lapham
deepak chopra (i had no idea he was so funny... oprah chopra...)
the money lesson with kardinal. to me, this is how you can make a story entertaining.
disinformation segment
i loved the bobbby orr story where mr. stroumboulopoulos said for the second year, he could not talk to bobby orr as he was too nervous. i loved it because i love bobby orr and i do not think i could do it either.
the panel van
the newsstand. i love this feature anyways but to have rick mercer on it. perfect. and the fact that he mentioned stephen harper and idi amin in the same thought was too freakin' funny.
paul wells.
marc zupan
vice magazine and travel
rick hansen


stuff i didn't

the whole cultural threat index thing. i just don't find it funny.
hilary doyle pieces
the gum chewing during the fear doctor's interview.
the time slot
the theme music.