The great and the great big
Vinay Menon
In a country famous for its modesty, it's an unusual question.
But for the next six weeks, CBC is encouraging viewers to get in touch with their patriotic sides — however foreign it may seem — and consider a rather brazen query: Who is the Greatest Canadian?
The Greatest Canadian (begins Sunday, 8 p.m.) is part documentary series, part popularity contest. So put on your thinking toques and break out the maple syrup: Another vote is upon us.
The series begins with a slick, two-hour program hosted by one of television's Ubiquitous Canadians, Wendy Mesley. With its jangling music and quick cuts, the premiere looks and feels like a countdown show on E! or VH1.
The network began promoting the series in the spring when it issued a call for nominations. More than 100,000 votes were cast. This Sunday's opener reveals the "Top 50 Great Canadians" (I've been asked not to name names prior to the broadcast or risk deportation).
The relative merits of each Top 50 Great Canadian is discussed by CanCon luminaries, including Shania Twain, Mario Lemieux, Jeanne Beker, Neil Bissoondath, Nancy Lee, and Michael Landsberg, whose attempts to be provocative and contrarian sound suspiciously like soundbites from his Off The Record shoutfest on TSN.
(Ditto Bissoondath who, at times, sounds like he's on a show called Why Is This Canadian Not Really Great? On the upside, Shania is still One Very Hot Canadian.)
After Sunday's introduction, The Greatest Canadian becomes a series of one-hour documentaries in which various "advocates" make the case for their Top 10 candidate.
On Monday (8 p.m.), the advocate is MuchMusic's George Stroumboulopoulos, a cool and plugged-in chap who should really consider adopting a stage name (my damn spell-check just crashed). Anyway, G-Stro describes his Top 10 as a "real rebel and a rebel with a cause," a circular, meaningless locution that may cause viewers to wonder if Billy Idol was born in Halifax.
The other advocates include: Canada's first Reform Party MP, Deborah Grey; former wrestler Bret "Hitman" Hart; professor Charlotte Gray; radio host Sook-Yin Lee; comedienne Mary Walsh; actor Paul Gross; journalist Evan Solomon; ex-Hole bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur; and broadcaster Rex Murphy who, truth be told, would get my vote for just about anything: The man is a national treasure.
The "advocate" programs, as the network is branding them, will air on Mondays and Wednesdays with encore presentations on Tuesdays and Thursdays (CBC Newsworld). Check listings or visit
http://www.cbc.ca/greatest.
When the votes have been tallied and the red and white confetti settles, the Greatest Canadian will be unveiled Nov. 29. From coast to coast, the streets will overflow with jubilant masses hoisting placards into the frigid night air and chanting, "(blank) is The Greatest Canadian of all-time! Long live (blank)!"
Assuming, of course, that 1. (blank) is still alive and, 2. people actually watch this series.
If the show is successful, maybe the CBC can expand it into a demo-targeting franchise. Imagine the spin-offs:
The Greatest Canadian Novelist. The Greatest Canadian Rock Star. The Greatest Canadian Scientist. The Greatest Canadian Politician. The Greatest Canadian Lawn Care Expert.
The possibilities are endless.
Also this weekend, CBC's Marketplace (Sunday, 7 p.m.) airs an episode about childhood obesity, a rampant problem in North America where junk food + sedentary lifestyle = tubby toddlers.
The one-hour news show, with the unsubtle title "Fat Grade!" has reporter Susan Ormiston visiting Arkansas, where some schools are now testing students' body mass index and sending report cards to concerned parents.
The problem of childhood obesity has been a staple on news magazines for the past couple of years. And having recently finished Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation, I didn't learn a whole lot from "Fat Grade!" I did, however, leave with a sudden craving for Doritos.
Clear your schedules: It's a weekend of Fat Children and Great Canadians.
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Co...ol=969483191630
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