Say It Ain't So, Tina!!

I am heartbroken.

One of my favourite shows, TVO's Imprint, has been cancelled, after running for an amazing 15 seasons.

I knew there was trouble a-brewing, when this year they changed the time-slot for the show from Thursday at 7:30 pm to Monday nights at 11:00pm. I simply do not understand it. The explanation for the cancelling of this stellar show is so that it can make room for more 'educational' shows. WTF??? So a show about books, writers, publishing and reading isn't educational?

I won't deny that I think the quality of the show wasn't at good as when it originally started, when the so-very-clever Daniel Richler got the idea to do a TV show about books and authors. After Richler left the show, gradually it became less literary, and more 'hip' and 'pop-centric'. But I still enjoyed it. The present-day host, Tina Srebotnjak, although not as gritty and witty as Mr. Richler, is very intelligent, elegant and insightful. Imprint used to be an hour long (what joy!) but in the past few years was whittled down to only half an hour. It was one of the few places where authors could get great promotion for their books, and I loved the wide variety of people and authors who were interviewed, and were interviewers themselves. The other TV shows about books that I have seen pale in comparison. Fine Print? Please. Bo-ring. Carolyn Weaver needs to put a firecracker under that ass of hers. Mary Walsh's Open Book? An embarrassment. Evan Solomon's Hot Type? Yes, I watch it, albeit begrudginlgy, because he can be such an annoying pompous ass at times. But he does have good guests, and he does ask very thoughtful questions. Personally, I wish Ian Brown from CBC Radio's Talking Books could get his own book show on TV. That I would watch religiously. I can't afford to pay for the extra cable to watch BookTelevison, and why bother now, since Daniel Richler is leaving that show as well, to move to the U.K.?

So what will authors do now to get more coverage? There's so little of it in print as it is. I suppose they will scramble for these other shows, no doubt. And perhaps they will turn more and more to book blogs for promotion. Well, I am here, ready to do my duty, with my arms wide open.

Comments

[boko999]

Tina Srebotnjak may be insightful but she has the critical thinking skills of a true moron. Visit the Annapolis Valley Skeptic web site and check out the Mushroom Awards.