It’s been a punishing few years for writers in Canadian TV drama. Long-running shows like Traders vanished without warning, and the networks are leery of new one-hour series. The number of new all-Canadian drama series launching this fall: one.
One possible reason: new CRTC rules, according to an article in Canadian Screenwriter. Those rules loosened TV drama requirements in 1999 Ôø? and the results were, ahem, dramatic. “Since 1999 we’ve gone from 12 dramatic series to five, and the trend will continue,” says actor Paul Gross in a recent Canadian Press story.” I think it’s desperate.”
Now production companies are cutting back. Alliance Atlantis, citing high costs (amidst record profits, the CBC notes), is halving its series, mini-series and MoW efforts.
The situation is bad enough that federal Heritage Minister Sheila Copps told the Banff Festival in June that she would strike an informal working committee to review the government’s TV policy and find ways to encourage more drama.
Want to help convince her? ACTRA has a campaign underway to give you the chance to lobby the feds to change the rules. Here’s an excerpt from a recent e-mail from ACTRA organizer Dan Mackenzie:
Canadian dramatic television production is in serious trouble and needs your support. In just two years, English Canadian-produced one hour dramatic series have declined from 12 to just five, and not one of those series is in the top-10 most viewed by Canadians. A review of the top-10 dramatic television series in the UK, Germany, France, and French Canada show that nearly all of the programs are indigenous; even in Australia, half of the top-10 series Ôø? are by and about Australians. In English Canada the number is zero!
…ACTRA has started a campaign to lobby the government and the CRTC to take action to make broadcasters increase the amount of Canadian dramatic series produced and to air more drama in primetime hours. Part of that campaign is getting Canadians to send an email letter to their MP outlining their concern about this issue. We urge you and your organization to get involved with this campaign.
ItÔø?s easy! Go to the ACTRA Toronto website at www.actratoronto.com, click on the box Ôø?Campaign for Canadian ProgrammingÔø? and follow the simple instructions for sending an email letter to your MP. You can edit the letter and remove the line about being a performer (unless you are one of course!). Let them know you care about this important cultural and economic issue.
Thanks in advance for your support and please tell your friends and colleagues about this campaign.
In solidarity,
Dan Mackenzie
ACTRA Organizer
