Okay, the cable is finally back on and just in time for the new TV season. So I'm going to provide "Instant Reviews" of all the new shows:
The Big Bang Theory
Premise:
Hot dumb chick lives next door to two nerds. Hilarity ensues?
Characters:
We know they're nerds because they have a white board of algorithmic equations in their kitchen, they dress like what real nerds tend to avoid and cool guys wear to look hip, they say "coitus" and their showercurtain is the periodic table.
The female is a dumb blonde slut, but not the good type of slut who will sleep with a nerd. (Really if I were a woman, this would totally piss me off. The character is like a dumber Suzanne Summers)
Demographic:
Would be teenage boys if this were 1976 and/or internet porn wasn't invented.
Overall Opinion:
I came in here to blog until Two and a Half Men comes on. Sad on many levels.
Monday 24 September 2007
Wednesday 19 September 2007
Halifax CBC Shakeup!
Last week my friend Maurice attended a CBC luncheon as part of the Atlantic Film Festival. As my readers know, I'm unable to leave the apartment so Maurice has become sort of my eyes and ears of the tangible tv film industry in Halifax. He also helps edit this blog and because he's a struggling scriptwriter (ed. is there any other kind in Canada) he wants to remain anonymous so we'll just refer to him as "ed".
To backtrack, several weeks ago we reported that Ron Crocker the Regional Head for the Maritimes "retired" and Andrew Cochrane took over. One of the first things Cochrane did was hire Peter Coade away from rival CTV to bring us the supper time weather. Previously the weather was read to us by anchor Norma Lee McLeod (ed. she was especially good at telling us when it was going to be icy.).
So at the CBC luncheon, it was announced that was only one of several changes that were going to happen over the next few weeks. Yesterday another change was announced, Norma Lee was being replaced at the desk by former anchor from years gone by Jum Nunn!
Now Jimbo left his anchor position years ago, went to Toronto to host Marketplace, left or was made to leave, and returned to Halifax. For the last few years he filled a seat as a"producer" waiting for his pension to kick in and bemoaning his fate.
Until this week. Oh, to be a fly on the wall when Norma Lee was told "we're thinking of some changes". Norma Lee had only taken over the desk from Linda Kelly after Nancy Waugh returned to head the newsroom. (ed. "Linda, we're thinking of making some changes." )
I'm sure there were public smiles all around but I bet it's a chilly ole newsroom.
To backtrack, several weeks ago we reported that Ron Crocker the Regional Head for the Maritimes "retired" and Andrew Cochrane took over. One of the first things Cochrane did was hire Peter Coade away from rival CTV to bring us the supper time weather. Previously the weather was read to us by anchor Norma Lee McLeod (ed. she was especially good at telling us when it was going to be icy.).
So at the CBC luncheon, it was announced that was only one of several changes that were going to happen over the next few weeks. Yesterday another change was announced, Norma Lee was being replaced at the desk by former anchor from years gone by Jum Nunn!
Now Jimbo left his anchor position years ago, went to Toronto to host Marketplace, left or was made to leave, and returned to Halifax. For the last few years he filled a seat as a"producer" waiting for his pension to kick in and bemoaning his fate.
Until this week. Oh, to be a fly on the wall when Norma Lee was told "we're thinking of some changes". Norma Lee had only taken over the desk from Linda Kelly after Nancy Waugh returned to head the newsroom. (ed. "Linda, we're thinking of making some changes." )
I'm sure there were public smiles all around but I bet it's a chilly ole newsroom.
Electropolis Vermin!
On top of Michael Donavan's company DHX aka Halifax Film Company being squeezed for more money to lease the Electropolis Soundstage, Frank Magazine is reporting the place is invested with Rats! Mind you, only the grunt workers toil away there, management firmly esconcened above a Starbooks on Spring Garden Road, so there's no worries, right?
Wrong! Apparently these particular rats are fond of stop motion animation puppets and have kidnapped them. The fact that these puppets cost thousands of dollars is one thing but the thought of Poko or Minus being dragged off frantically waving for help (ed. albeit frantic would be one movement a minute for the little guys) is sickening.
This of course is the government's fault and they should step in and subsidize the lease costs for the struggling international distributor.
Wrong! Apparently these particular rats are fond of stop motion animation puppets and have kidnapped them. The fact that these puppets cost thousands of dollars is one thing but the thought of Poko or Minus being dragged off frantically waving for help (ed. albeit frantic would be one movement a minute for the little guys) is sickening.
This of course is the government's fault and they should step in and subsidize the lease costs for the struggling international distributor.
Tuesday 18 September 2007
Electropolis in Ruins!
With the Atlantic Film Festival still in full swing and a new and improved tax credit announced, Halifax's production community has been dealt a debilitating blow. Nova Scotia Power, the province's electricity provider has singlehandedly killed the industry by bolting the doors and throwing out the tenants from the Electropolis sound stage in downtown Halifax. (ed. metephorically speaking that is).
In an announcement today Michael Donovan (ed. Mr. Oscar (tm), to you) has received news that he will have to vacate the building where shows like Bo on the Go, Lunar Jim etc, have and are being produced.
The Chronicle Herald quotes the Oscar (tm) winner ""They want us out," he said, adding that while NSPI can do what it wants with the property, he isn’t happy about the way negotiations took place. "We feel very badly treated.""
"Utility spokeswoman Margaret Murphy called the "unfortunate situation" an impasse between a landlord that wants to increase its lease price to better reflect current market conditions and a tenant that had enjoyed a favourable long-term lease."
Apparently Donovan's company DHX Media signed a lease ten years ago (ed. wouldn't that have been Salter Street Films?) agreeing to pay $50,000 a year lease. The contract also stated that after the ten years were up, the lease amount would rise to $500,000 which is about the actual operating cost of the building.
According to "a close friend", The gold statuette recipient is baffled at how the corporate monster NSPI would actually hold him to a signed legal contract thet bleeds his company of close to the market value of the property. After all, he did win an Oscar (tm). (ed. Enough)
Surely to God the government of Nova Scotia will step in and buy the property to avoid the sad sight of Poko and Minus packing up their meagre belongings and shuffling down the side of the road looking for a small corner to film his adventures in.
The government did come through last week after producers in town held a hunger strike (ed. actually they just cut out carbs for a few days). The tax credit on Nova Scotian labour has been increased to 50% + 5% for "frequent flyers" and another 10% for shooting in rural nova scota. (ed. really, isn't it all rural?) At a potential 65%, this tax credit is the highest in North America. And luckily for Halifax Film Nova Scotia Labour still counts people from Ontario who come to work here.
So, i urge everyone to call their MLA's and the premier's office to beg for their support to get Electropolis out of the hands of the spoiler of dreams NSPI and back into the hands of the free-"ish" marketplace.
Halifax Film should not have to did into their $25M IPO, their $1M provincial labour grant, or the money coming in from international sales of its evergreen children's programming. And I'm not saying this because I own 1000 shares of DHX (ed. presently at $1.70 where you acquired it)
In an announcement today Michael Donovan (ed. Mr. Oscar (tm), to you) has received news that he will have to vacate the building where shows like Bo on the Go, Lunar Jim etc, have and are being produced.
The Chronicle Herald quotes the Oscar (tm) winner ""They want us out," he said, adding that while NSPI can do what it wants with the property, he isn’t happy about the way negotiations took place. "We feel very badly treated.""
"Utility spokeswoman Margaret Murphy called the "unfortunate situation" an impasse between a landlord that wants to increase its lease price to better reflect current market conditions and a tenant that had enjoyed a favourable long-term lease."
Apparently Donovan's company DHX Media signed a lease ten years ago (ed. wouldn't that have been Salter Street Films?) agreeing to pay $50,000 a year lease. The contract also stated that after the ten years were up, the lease amount would rise to $500,000 which is about the actual operating cost of the building.
According to "a close friend", The gold statuette recipient is baffled at how the corporate monster NSPI would actually hold him to a signed legal contract thet bleeds his company of close to the market value of the property. After all, he did win an Oscar (tm). (ed. Enough)
Surely to God the government of Nova Scotia will step in and buy the property to avoid the sad sight of Poko and Minus packing up their meagre belongings and shuffling down the side of the road looking for a small corner to film his adventures in.
The government did come through last week after producers in town held a hunger strike (ed. actually they just cut out carbs for a few days). The tax credit on Nova Scotian labour has been increased to 50% + 5% for "frequent flyers" and another 10% for shooting in rural nova scota. (ed. really, isn't it all rural?) At a potential 65%, this tax credit is the highest in North America. And luckily for Halifax Film Nova Scotia Labour still counts people from Ontario who come to work here.
So, i urge everyone to call their MLA's and the premier's office to beg for their support to get Electropolis out of the hands of the spoiler of dreams NSPI and back into the hands of the free-"ish" marketplace.
Halifax Film should not have to did into their $25M IPO, their $1M provincial labour grant, or the money coming in from international sales of its evergreen children's programming. And I'm not saying this because I own 1000 shares of DHX (ed. presently at $1.70 where you acquired it)
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