Special
ACTRA Awards
The ACTRA Awards was a glittering occasion honouring Canada's TV, film and radio artists. Beginning in 1972, and until 1986, the award was symbolized by the "Nellie." Later in 1986, responsibility for presenting the Canadian television and film awards was transferred to the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television which continued to present the Nellie ...
Along the Tower Trail
The first "live" program across the 1,680 miles of microwave linking Winnipeg to Eastern Canada aired Sept 30, 1956. It included events from Winnipeg, St. Boniface, Ottawa, Toronto, the Montreal area, and Quebec City. Winnipeg: Grain Handling in the C.P.B. freight yards. St. Boniface: St. Boniface Basilica and interviews with Father Deschambault, of ...
American Whiskey Bar
American Whiskey Bar consisted of a series of politically charged, increasingly artificial conversations between sketchy characters sitting the same seedy bar. In one, three garbagemen discuss the racy plot of one of their reputed 200 screenplays; in another, a legal secretary discusses (in lurid detail) a past sex encounter with a Liberian exchange stu ...
Anna Bolena
The Canadian Opera Company's production of Donizetti's opera, based on the final days of Anne Boleyn's marriage to Henry VIII. Despite her 30-year career, this was soprano Joan Sutherland's first performance in the title role of Anna, the Queen who was unaware of her husband's scheme to be rid of her. The opera began on a somber note with Anna awaiting ...
Babar and Father Christmas
Babar and Father Christmas is a fully animated half-hour special produced by Atkinson Film Arts and MTR Ottawa Productions Ltd. in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The program was scheduled at 7:30 p.m. on December 15, 1986 as family viewing. The story, Jean de Brunhoff's last book, published in 1940, is narrated by his son Lauren ...
Back to the Beanstalk
CBC Television presented Back to the Beanstalk, a charming one-hour musical comedy on ice, starring Olympic silver medalist Elizabeth Manley. Manley played the high-spirited Jack Jr., the 13-year-old son of the famous Jack the Giant Killer. The special boasted a star-studded supporting cast: Olympic skating champion Robin Cousins as the elder Jack; Jayn ...
Black Night
Black Night, produced at CKX-TV in Brandon, Manitoba, was that station's first live local drama production. It was a play by John Bourne, adapted for television by Don S. Williams who was also director of the production. Stuart Craig was producer. The cast was chosen from the ranks of the Brandon New World Theatre Association. The project was a joint ...
Borderline High
This YTV special examined the phenomenon of "dropping out." It asked why teen-agers leave school and looked at their prospects in the outside world. The program presented an assortment of other teenage dilemmas, such as pregnancy, the broken home and cultural alienation, skillfully acted by a young cast. It was hosted by Alanis Morissette. Aired on Y ...
Canada in Question
In 1992, CTV's news programming produced Canada in Question which included up to the minute results of the constitutional referendum on the Charlottetown Accord along with reaction from political leaders and guest commentators.
Canadian Country Music Awards
Growing in both reputation and experience, the CCMA (Canadian Country Music Association) was able to secure a broadcast partnership with CTV Television in which the 1987 Canadian Country Music Awards were televised for the first time coast to coast to coast. The CCMA partnered with CTV until 1996.
In 1997 the CCMA entered into a new partnership with ...
Christmas Letter, A
This Christmas Day tribute to Canada's three armed services will be introduced by the Hon. Douglas Harkness, minister of national defence. The three sequences in the program depict a normal day for navy, army and air force personnel and are linked together by a (fictitious) letter home from a sailor, soldier and airman. The program will stress the routi ...
Cream of Comedy
Cream of Comedy is an annual award show presented by The Comedy Network, in which five of Canada's best new comedy acts compete for the Tim Sims Encouragement Fund Award.
David Steinberg Metric Special, The
David Steinberg was joined by Bill Saluga and the Bambinis when he tackled the topic of how to think in metric. From Fahrenheit to Celsius, from pounds to kilos, from pints to litres, from weight to mass, the whole metric system got a good going over when Steinberg applied the comedic pressure while explaining, with the assistance of a guest expert, ...
Easter Fever
A jive-talking Easter Bunny named Jack decides to retire, so his friends throw him a crazy roast before he officially hangs up his basket. A series of kooky flashbacks tells of his life-story and career, but will all this reminiscing only convince him not to quit after all?
First Day of Christmas, The
From the Sick Children's Hospital in Toronto. Singers Joyce Sullivan and George Murray will be co-hosts. Others on this program will be the Art Snider Chorale and a quartet of musicians under the direction of Art Snider, and magician John Giordmaine. Numbers to be performed: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Sullivan), Cherry Tree 'Carol (Sullivan ...
Friends of Gilda
A 90 minute CBC special, featuring Gilda Radner's former Toronto Godspell and Second City co-stars reuniting to do some bits for the Genesis Research Foundation.
Fromage
Fromage is an annual one-hour special on MuchMusic. Originally hosted by MuchMusic VJ Christopher Ward, Fromage pays "tribute" to the cheesiest music videos of the year.
Since 1999, the program has been hosted by Ed the Sock. The show traditionally airs during the Christmas season, and features a countdown of the worst music videos of the year, with ...
Funnier Side of Eastern Canada, The
Steve Martin's first TV special was this independently produced Canadian travelogue. Designed to promote tourism in Montreal and Toronto, the special featured Martin doing short sketches and describing tourist sites. Standup segments were also filmed at the Ice House in Pasadena, California.
Gemini 12 Space Mission
Live coverage of the launch, including some colour coverage, with CBC News science editor Kingsley Brown, and various CBS newsmen, including Walter Cronkite. Aired November 9, 1966 at 2:00 pm CST
Gemini Awards
The Geminis celebrate excellence in Canadian English-language television. The event has grown in prominence and stature to become one of the most prestigious cultural events in Canada. The Geminis were created to replace the Nellie Awards which ran for 15 years under the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists. The CBC union endured mu ...