 BY TODD ROBSON
It seems about every five years or so, CHCH TV in Hamilton goes through its own version of an extreme makeover to keep up with the competition. Today, if you surf across the dial, you'll find CH is now Canada's version of the E! Network, the trashy Hollywood gossip network we all hate to admit we secretly watch.
E!'s fall line up includes some real trash like E! News with
Ryan Seacrest, Dr. 90210 (reality TV meets plastic surgery),
Bionic Woman, and The Simple Life. However, one of my personal
favourite shows of all time, The Soup, airs this Sunday. It is
mean, cruel, pulls no punches and might be the most honest look
at fame and celebrity on the air. If you need one of those
sinister, groaning belly laughs to feel better about yourself,
watch The Soup.
Big Shots: So someone at the CTV mothership obviously stood up
last spring and said "bring me some TV shows that are anything
but CSI or Law and Order,"…and well, it paid off. If the pilot
episode the network sent me is any indication, CTV has another
hot show on its hands, and Big Shots could be the final piece
in their blockbuster fall package. It's about four very
successful guys and their relationship at a prestigious country
club. Each of the men is likeable, funny, realistic and
somewhat flawed. Every viewer will be able to relate to one of
these characters, their adventures and dysfunctional
relationships. Great writing and a solid cast led by Dylan
McDermott and Michael Vartan should see Big Shots making some
big waves at CTV.
And I never used be in favour of hanging: OK, I really did get
into the first season of Prison Break. It had a cool and
original concept, high drama and a great cliff-hanger leading
into the second season, which then started to push the limits
of plausibility and excitement. But come next week, we'll find
ourselves staring a third season right in its ugly and now
ridiculous face. All the lead characters are now in a
Panamanian jail and must work together to stay alive. Kind of
like Season One, only this time we can't really cheer for the
murderers to win. Prison Break was probably once a great idea
for a movie, but I expect season three will be the last voyage
of this now rudderless ship.
Tired of bleeding Leaf blue? And just when you thought a team
with the audacity to charge almost 200 clams a seat and 12
bucks for a pint couldn't gouge their loyal fans anymore, the
grateful execs at MLSE have decided to banish 20 games this
season to LeafsTV. You know, the channel that expects you to
lay out actual cash to watch the Leafs lose in your own living
room. Sorry boys, why pay for that disappointment when I'll get
60 games of it for free on TSN and CBC.
Celebrity B-List Tête-à -Tête: So did anyone catch Rick Wyman
and me yesterday on Big Daddy talking TV and the NFL?  If
you missed us, tune in every Thursday afternoon around 3:30
pm.  We'll need a big audience to get that elusive and
important beer company endorsement. Once we have sponsorship,
it's just one of those things I get to cross off of on my list
of life achievements: Marriage, kids, beer sponsor, med school,
Everest...
 
Todd Robson writes Basic Cable for Northern Life. Before moving
to Sudbury to raise children and play handicap football, he
worked for close to a decade in the Toronto media.
