Elbows Up - subscribe to CBC Gem
Tomorrow is an historic election in Canada. Over Easter weekend, the advance polls were flooded with people who wanted to make sure they made their mark early to avoid the rush. And tomorrow, I can only hope we’ll have a big turnout, surpassing the tepid figures of recent elections.
Voting tomorrow will be the ultimate ‘elbows-up’ demonstration.
But there’s something else you can do too to show your Canadianism. You can subscribe to CBC Gem.
Regular readers will know of my lifelong love affair with CBC Radio. Missed it? Click here. And you may even have had a glimpse of my affection for TV generally through this piece, literally a love-letter to my television. I’ll admit, though, that for the last few years, I’d drifted from CBC TV, having fallen prey to the allure of Netflix. Disengaging from all things American has meant giving up that account in favour of GEM and Britbox. At first, I assumed Britbox was going to be my primary babysitter, with all its deeply layered female cop characters and nuanced approaches to race relations not to mention the comedies which speak to my first humour-language - scathing sarcasm.
But no, it’s CBC Gem that hooked me hard in April.
First, it was the Great Canadian Baking Show and its older and better cousin, the British version, also aired by CBC. The soothing discussion of laminations in a rough puff and the drama of whether the dowels will support the weight of the genoise are a delightful way to drift off for the night. After ploughing through a season (or three), I started nosing around for something new. I can come back to other seasons for a palate cleanser later.
Under the Bridge caught my eye. Reena Virk’s murder was pretty fresh when I arrived in Victoria in 2002. Every time I crossed the Craigflower bridge on the way to the Western Communities, I shuddered. How had a 14 year old been beaten and drowned by peers? Who were these monsters? And what was Reena like? Under the Bridge is an eight part docudrama chronicling the story, including the trial, through the eyes of Rebecca Godfrey, a writer who happened also to have a tragic drowning clouding her own past. While this is an American production, originally aired on Hulu with an American cast, including Elvis’ granddaughter(!), it’s Canadian to the core. Dark. Gripping. Nuanced. Can highly recommend.
My final recommendation from the Gem catalogue is the brilliant and ground breaking comedy Small Achievable Goals. Those who watched Baroness von Sketch will already be familiar with its two stars - Meridith MacNeill and Jennifer Whalen, two members of the Baroness troupe. I will never forget the sketch where the characters of Baroness discover that in their 40s, they convert to drinking exclusively white wine. If you’ve missed this sketch, google it. You won’t regret it. Small Achievable Goals picks up where Baroness left off. Its two stars are older now, dealing with the indignities of perimenopause. The opening episode featured more menstrual blood than I’d ever seen on TV. Dialogue like “Are you there god, it’s me, menopause” speak to their target demographic of Gen Xer Judy Blume fans. I’ve romped through the first season and am eagerly awaiting news Small Achievable Goals has been renewed for a second.
But that’s at risk if by tomorrow night the Conservatives are in power. They’ve promised to axe funding to the English language side of CBC, turning it into a non-profit, self-funded operation, a radical departure from the institution that has bound Canada together since 1936, created in part to counter the growing influence of American media that crept across the border.
Of course, CBC funding is just one of many things at risk if the Conservatives are elected tomorrow. I kinda suspect I’m preaching to the choir here, knowing my readership as I do. But if you’ve been waffling about Poilievre, please give this CBC issue some thought. What kind of person would stick by his position on defunding, despite the events of the past three months south of the border? Think about it.
And now back to my CBC Gem watching. Hot tip - I’ve sprung for a premium subscription. Worth every penny of the $6.77/month to lose the ads.
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