The end of a TV era

Forget Big Brother Canada or MasterChef Canada or even The Amazing Race Canada.  Last week, Canadians got a harsh dose of reality TV.  After 43 years on CTV, Canada AM was cancelled with just one day’s notice.

Of course, many were incensed by the network’s lack of warning.  Apparently, they didn’t realize that Canadian television was losing money.

And despite the changes in television over the last four decades, Canada AM did what few shows would dare: it stuck with its original format.  Tuning into the show was like hanging out with old friends each morning.  Nothing bad ever happened and you only had to listen to half of it to get the gist.

But beyond friendship for shut-ins, what did the show bring to the television landscape?  Not the hard news.  Complicated stories were summarized for easy listening. 

No political discussions.  How in-depth can you get in a five-minute segment? 

No weather forecasts.  If you didn’t live in one of the key major cities, you had to look over Jeff Hutcheson’s shoulder as your town flew by on the map.

With social media and the growth on online information, Canadians weren’t tuning in the moment their feet hit the floor anymore.  Phone apps took the place of show hosts while brushing teeth or drinking coffee. 

So why are we so angry about losing this show?  First and foremost, there’s history involved.  Canada AM launched the careers of numerous reporters, producers, and even politicians. 

And according to former co-host and now Maritime politician, Seamus O’Regan, viewers want the Canadian stories that the show brought.  But if that’s the case, why weren’t more people watching?

Even on its last morning, while the crew broke protocol and appeared on camera to say goodbye, the network skipped the excessive trip down memory lane.  Many expected a drawn-out retrospective of the show.  Many were disappointed.

As someone who’s combed through archive footage on numerous occasions, it’s a daunting task.  You always leave out something that someone else felt should have been included.  And the network didn’t want to beleaguer the fact that an old friend would no longer be there and that they were responsible.

The truth is, there’s no room for sentiment in television anymore.  Your local station earned a lot of flak when the Kinsmen and Kinette Clubs cancelled their annual Mother’s Day CF Telethon after 31 years.  The fact that people didn’t watch television the way they used to or that day-long telethons no longer brought in the funds that they used to didn’t seem to lessen their pain.  The telethon was a tradition in Thunder Bay. 

We seem to realize that when we’re children, Mr. Dress-Up, the Friendly Giant, and Mr. Rogers are people and shows that we outgrow. 

So we move on.  And eventually, so do they.

Yet as adults, we have greater difficulty saying goodbye.  The television industry was outgrowing Canada AM.  So CTV moved on.  And soon, a new day will begin on television.