I’ve been loathe to post news notes over the last six months or so because, ultimately, I just don’t have the time – stopping mid-day to post the latest television updates is satisfying but also time consuming. However, as a rather busy schedule has the final two portions of the 10 Shows to (Hopefully) Watch in 2008 being pushed into Sunday/Monday, I figure I should share some news for my Canadian brethren about one of the shows that already made the cut.
CTV announced on Thursday that they have acquired the broadcast rights to Mad Men’s first season as well as its unaired sophomore session. This is a great boon for the series North of the Border, as it is sure to be a strong performer should the strike continue. CTV is in a far superior position to Global post-strike, as the loss of 24 will severely damage the latter while the former has Lost and American Idol returning. This is just one more drop in their bucket, especially in terms of quality.
My only concern is that they’ll treat the series as they treated Veronica Mars – after airing part of the show’s second season (Or was it the first?), they basically gave up on the show even as it continued on the CW. CTV’s schedule is usually so full that there isn’t room for smaller series, but Mad Men’s strike timing and its potential summer return could spell success.
If you’ve yet to see the series, and want to learn more, you can check our Cultural Learnings’ coverage of the series. It’s really not as definitive as that statement made it sound, but there is a lengthy essay on its portrayal of women there that could provide some incentive for academics amongst us.
Cultural Learnings 