Canadian Broadcasting Corporation: Difference between revisions
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In [[2005]], history repeated itself when the CBC hosted the North American broadcast premiere of the revived series, initially broadcasting the show only a couple of weeks after its UK telecast (and many months before American broadcasts of the revived series began). | In [[2005]], history repeated itself when the CBC hosted the North American broadcast premiere of the revived series, initially broadcasting the show only a couple of weeks after its UK telecast (and many months before American broadcasts of the revived series began). | ||
The CBC also received screen credit for contributing development funds towards the new series. Graeme Burk, writing in the June 2009 issue of ''[[Enlightenment (magazine)|Enlightenment]]'' (#151), however, states that it wasn't a | The CBC also received screen credit for contributing development funds towards the new series. Graeme Burk, writing in the June 2009 issue of ''[[Enlightenment (magazine)|Enlightenment]]'' (#151), however, states that it wasn't a traditional co-production so much as it was an acquisition deal (it was credited as a co-production because the funding was given in advance of the series being produced). Burk writes that a more traditional co-production model can be found with the the CBC's involvement in the BBC series ''The Tudors'', where they not only provided funding but also creative input. There was "no real weight" with the CBC's co-producer credit on ''Doctor Who''. | ||
The 2005 broadcasts were sponsored by ''TV Guide'' magazine, and [[Christopher Eccleston]] videotaped a series of introductions and "bumpers" in which he discussed the series and its characters and also promoted a contest run by ''TV Guide'' and the CBC, the first prize being a trip to Wales to visit the set of ''Doctor Who''. One phrase coined during one of the bumpers, "Hands off the TARDIS - Doctor Who will return", continued to be used on commercial bumpers into the 2008 season (albeit spoken by an announcer and no longer by Eccleston). | The 2005 broadcasts were sponsored by ''TV Guide'' magazine, and (in accordance with a CBC practice at the time to have evening programming hosted by a personality from a CBC program) [[Christopher Eccleston]] videotaped a series of introductions and "bumpers" in which he discussed the series and its characters and also promoted a contest run by ''TV Guide'' and the CBC, the first prize being a trip to Wales to visit the set of ''Doctor Who''. One phrase coined during one of the bumpers, "Hands off the TARDIS - Doctor Who will return", continued to be used on commercial bumpers into the 2008 season (albeit spoken by an announcer and no longer by Eccleston). | ||
Most broadcasts of the 2005 season ended with a brief, ''[[Doctor Who Confidential]]''-style look behind the scenes, and the CBC also compiled its own version of ''Confidential'' for its website entitled ''Planet of the Doctor''. (It was during one of these webcasts that the unofficial title ''Out of the Ashes'' was attributed to the [[Doctor Who (1996)|1996 TV movie]].) | Most broadcasts of the 2005 season ended with a brief, ''[[Doctor Who Confidential]]''-style look behind the scenes, and the CBC also compiled its own version of ''Confidential'' for its website entitled ''Planet of the Doctor''. (It was during one of these webcasts that the unofficial title ''Out of the Ashes'' was attributed to the [[Doctor Who (1996)|1996 TV movie]].) | ||
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During the first season, the CBC was criticised for editing episodes for length (due to the need to fit in commercials) and for editing out the cliffhanger resolution at the beginning of ''[[World War Three]]'', which the CBC acknowledged as an error (which was rectified in subsequent rebroadcasts). | During the first season, the CBC was criticised for editing episodes for length (due to the need to fit in commercials) and for editing out the cliffhanger resolution at the beginning of ''[[World War Three]]'', which the CBC acknowledged as an error (which was rectified in subsequent rebroadcasts). | ||
On December 26, 2005, the CBC aired ''[[The Christmas Invasion]]'', one day after its UK showing. For this occasion, [[Billie Piper]] recorded special introductions and bumpers, wearing an outfit with the Canadian-iconic "Roots" logo. This was the last time the CBC's broadcasts of the series came close to coinciding with that of the BBC. The CBC also discontinued the practice of recruiting the show's stars to record promotional material such as bumpers after airing ''The Christmas Invasion''. | On December 26, 2005, the CBC aired ''[[The Christmas Invasion]]'', one day after its UK showing. For this occasion, [[Billie Piper]] recorded special introductions and bumpers, wearing an outfit with the Canadian-iconic "Roots" logo. This was the last time the CBC's broadcasts of the series came close to coinciding with that of the BBC. The CBC also discontinued the practice of recruiting the show's stars to record promotional material such as bumpers after airing ''The Christmas Invasion''. (Additionally the network discontinued the practice of hosting evening programming around this time). | ||
In 2005, it was also announced that the CBC would co-produce the first season of ''[[Torchwood]]'' in much the same capacity as it did ''Doctor Who''. | In 2005, it was also announced that the CBC would co-produce the first season of ''[[Torchwood]]'' in much the same capacity as it did ''Doctor Who''. | ||
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Controversially, the network chose not to broadcast the 2007 Christmas special, ''[[Voyage of the Damned]]'', meaning Canadian viewers were not given a resolution to the previous season's cliffhanger. As of August 2009 there has been no announcement as to whether the special will ever be aired by the CBC. On 18 November 2008, the DVD box set of the fourth season was released in Canada, even though the CBC broadcasts still had 4 episodes remaining. (The CBC either did not attempt to, or they were unsuccessful in, delaying the Canadian release of the set; unlike Space which was able to delay the Canadian release of ''Torchwood'' Series 2 on DVD until after its broadcasts of the show had concluded.) | Controversially, the network chose not to broadcast the 2007 Christmas special, ''[[Voyage of the Damned]]'', meaning Canadian viewers were not given a resolution to the previous season's cliffhanger. As of August 2009 there has been no announcement as to whether the special will ever be aired by the CBC. On 18 November 2008, the DVD box set of the fourth season was released in Canada, even though the CBC broadcasts still had 4 episodes remaining. (The CBC either did not attempt to, or they were unsuccessful in, delaying the Canadian release of the set; unlike Space which was able to delay the Canadian release of ''Torchwood'' Series 2 on DVD until after its broadcasts of the show had concluded.) | ||
A major fan controversy erupted when the CBC's broadcast of the Season 4 finale ''[[Journey's End]]'' on 12 December 2008 | A major fan controversy erupted when the CBC's broadcast of the Season 4 finale ''[[Journey's End]]'' on 12 December 2008 used an international print of the episode that had been severely edited to approximately 44 minutes from the original 63 minutes in order to fit a standard 60-minute timeslot, with commercial breaks. This resulted in major narrative scenes being deleted[http://dwin.org/article.php?sid=262], with reviewers commenting it rendered the episode hard to follow. The CBC made the uncut episode available for a brief time in streaming format on its website. Despite Series 4 concluding just before the Christmas holidays, the CBC did not broadcast the 2008 Christmas special, ''[[The Next Doctor]]''. | ||
Despite calls on fan forums and in blogs in the wake of the ''Journey's End'' controversy and non-broadcast of ''The Next Doctor'' for Space to take over broadcasts of ''Doctor Who'' from the CBC as it had ''Torchwood'', in January 2009 the network said it had no plans to do so. However, Space subsequently announced that it would indeed broadcast the skipped 2008 Christmas special ''The Next Doctor'' on 14 March 2009, leading to speculation the CBC would be dropping the programme altogether.[http://www.dwin.org/expressionengine/index.php/site/space...the_final_frontier/] This appeared to be confirmed a few weeks later with an informal announcement that Space would air the second special ''[[Planet of the Dead (TV story)|Planet of the Dead]]'' in June 2009, followed by the remaining specials and the 2010 season.[http://dwin.org/article.php?sid=268] | Despite calls on fan forums and in blogs in the wake of the ''Journey's End'' controversy and non-broadcast of ''The Next Doctor'' for Space to take over broadcasts of ''Doctor Who'' from the CBC as it had ''Torchwood'', in January 2009 the network said it had no plans to do so. However, Space subsequently announced that it would indeed broadcast the skipped 2008 Christmas special ''The Next Doctor'' on 14 March 2009, leading to speculation the CBC would be dropping the programme altogether.[http://www.dwin.org/expressionengine/index.php/site/space...the_final_frontier/] This appeared to be confirmed a few weeks later with an informal announcement that Space would air the second special ''[[Planet of the Dead (TV story)|Planet of the Dead]]'' in June 2009, followed by the remaining specials and the 2010 season.[http://dwin.org/article.php?sid=268] | ||
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==Criticism== | ==Criticism== | ||
An example of the criticism levelled towards the CBC and its recent handling of ''Doctor Who'' can be found in the article "National Dreams" by Graeme Burk, published in the June 2009 issue of ''[[Enlightenment (magazine)|Enlightenment]]'' (#151), a magazine published by the Canadian Doctor Who Information Network. In his critique of the situation, Burk notes that after a strong first season in 2005, which involved large amounts of promotion, the network seemed to forget that it had a hit series. Burk alleges that changes in management at the network, coupled with company politics, resulted in loss of interest, and that the network missed out on numerous opportunities to promote the series, such as in 2008 when [[John Barrowman]] was in the country for several weeks co-hosting the CBC production of the competition series ''How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?'', yet the network never attempted to recruit the actor to help promote the pending fourth season of ''Doctor Who'' in which Barrowman appeared. | An example of the criticism levelled towards the CBC and its recent handling of ''Doctor Who'' can be found in the article "National Dreams" by Graeme Burk, published in the June 2009 issue of ''[[Enlightenment (magazine)|Enlightenment]]'' (#151), a magazine published by the Canadian Doctor Who Information Network. In his critique of the situation, Burk notes that after a strong first season in 2005, which involved large amounts of promotion, the network seemed to forget that it had a hit series. Burk alleges that changes in management at the network, coupled with company politics, resulted in loss of interest, and that the network missed out on numerous opportunities to promote the series, such as in 2008 when [[John Barrowman]] was in the country for several weeks co-hosting the CBC production of the competition series ''How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?'', yet the network never attempted to recruit the actor to help promote the pending fourth season of ''Doctor Who'' in which Barrowman appeared. Burk cited an earlier article in ''Enlightenment'' wherein the organizer of the Canadian fan awards the Constellations found after talking with a number of officials at the CBC, that many CBC staffers weren't even aware the network had a co-producer credit and simply regarded the series as a foreign acquisition. | ||
==CBC Bold== | ==CBC Bold== | ||
