Are you desperate for a dose of Desperate Housewives? Are you dying for an episode of Grey’s Anatomy? Has your life been rendered meaningless without CSI, The Office, and other shows that keep your butt firmly confined to the couch on a weekly basis? CBC is hoping that their new winter lineup of bigger-budget, mainstream-friendly shows may present an opportunity to screen something that would otherwise seem unthinkable—Canadian-made television. It sounds shocking and a little unnatural. But hey, Desperate-less times call for desperate measures.
MVP
Premise: This “secret lives of hockey wives” billing is a bit of a misnomer. MVP focuses primarily on the sex lives of players themselves. A prime-time soap opera with glossy presentation and a hip soundtrack, the suggestion that MVP could become the Canadian O.C. is not so farfetched.
Great Canadian Moment: It’s a brilliant stroke to combine Canada’s game with beautiful people and steamy plotlines. Thankfully, there’s no on-ice action. We’ll leave that to The Mighty Ducks.
The Verdict: Unfortunately, fast cars and beautiful women don’t make great television, and the show’s writing can be downright cringe-worthy. However, there’s something compelling about MVP, and if they can make the scripts sound less forced, the jury’s still out.
Can-con: 2.5 / 5
jPod
Premise: Based on the Douglas Coupland novel of the same name, jPod follows Ethan Jarlewski, seemingly the last normal guy in a hyper-modern world gone haywire.
Great Canadian Moment: In a moment of sacrilege to his Growing Pains reputation, Canadian Alan Thicke plays Ethan’s wannabe-actor dad. The show is also set in Vancouver, and Coupland subverts pot culture stereotypes by having Ethan’s mom run a grow-op that resembles a Martha Stewart operation.
The Verdict: Those familiar with dark humour and irony won’t be shocked by any of jPod’s contrived conventions, from the zany secondary characters right down to Coupland’s pop- art shtick.
Can-con: 2 / 5
Heartland
Premise: Gilmore Girls meets The Horse Whisperer, as two estranged sisters keep their late mother’s dream alive by training a bunch of unruly horses.
Great Canadian Moment: With the Rockies in the background of every panoramic moment of epiphany, it’s hard to forget that Heartland is set in the wild Canadian west.
The Verdict: The fine performances of the cast are overshadowed by the predictable storyline. You just know the central character will train the horses, win a show jumping competition and probably date a few farmhands along the way.
Can-con: 2.5 / 5
The Border
Premise: The valiant agents of Immigration and Customs Security (ICS) fight terrorists and battle for jurisdiction with CSIS, the cut-throat agents who are tough on terror and disrespectful of human rights.
Great Canadian Moment: The Toronto skyline is the centerpiece of every establishing shot, with acronyms CSIS and RCMP dropped into rapid-fire briefings, reminding viewers that slick crime-fighting forces do exist in Canada.
The Verdict: suspenseful and fast-paced, The Border compares favourably to any American-made espionage program. If any CBC show is going to be picked up down south, this is it.
Can-con: 4 / 5
Sophie
Premise: A quirky sitcom centering on a new mother whose boyfriend ditches her once it’s apparent that he’s not the father. Sophie leans on her “crazy” friends and family for support. It’s all very…quirky.
Great Canadian Moment: None to speak of. Aside from the Can-con cast, Sophie bears no patriotic element whatsoever.
The Verdict: With annoying characters and a disappointing script, CBC’s attempt to create a show for hip cosmopolitan moms falls completely fl at.
Can-con: 1.5 / 5
Little Mosque on the Prairie
Premise: Now in its second season, Little Mosque centres on the misadventures of a Saskatchewan town with a small but vocal Muslim population. It feels more like a religious education program than a sitcom.
Great Canadian Moment: Illuminating a stereotype by turning it on its head is simply the Canadian way, and on Little Mosque, the non-Muslim characters represent them in spades: from the racist Prairie hick, the bumbling Catholic priest, the dimwit farmer, etc.
The Verdict: The CBC deserves kudos for celebrating multiculturalism by creating a mainstream North American program focusing on the Muslim community. While the show is not exactly laugh-out-loud funny, it succeeds in presenting religious issues in an entertaining way.
Can-con: 3 / 5
