Public broadcasting gets a bad rap in Canada. Shows produced by the CBC (the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, for the non-Canadians) are often written off a boring dreck by the general viewing public. The CBC is generally acknowledged to do news, hockey, and some very specific stripes of comedy (ie, Rick Mercer) very well, but beyond that, in my opinion, it doesn’t have a lot of pan-Canada cultural clout.

Part of this is simply because that in the early days of radio and television, the CBC was the only national network, whereas now there are considerable numbers of competing networks and stations crowding the airwaves. Part of it is that the CBC operates on a comparatively shoestring budget and can’t put on the razzle-dazzle that for-profit media conglomerates can afford. That razzle-dazzle is what draws in eyes in a visually saturated cultural environment, so the CBC has become sort of the staid uncle of the airwaves: not exceedingly cool, but reliable, relatable, and while maybe you wouldn’t admit it to your friends, someone you like hanging out with.

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