Dan Hughes is producer of Startv and The 2004 Genie Awards

When CHUM Television signed on with the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to produce and broadcast The 2004 Genie Awards show, people were understandably intrigued. Would the brain trust behind such programs as Sextv and the MuchMusic Video Awards stage the annual celebration of the best in Canadian film in an outdoor parking lot brimming with roaring punk bands, pyrotechnics and Pamela Anderson? Would Arsinee rub shoulders with Avril?

Well, not quite, but the Genies, scheduled for May 1, have undergone a renaissance of sorts. The traditional two-hour theater-style production has been changed to a fast-paced and glamorous awards dinner; the after-party drinking and backslapping will be part of the live broadcast and Scott Thompson, Brampton, ON’s bad-boy of alternative comedy, has been brought on to host.

Early on, creative discussions centered on how to bring our edgy, freewheeling style to a rightfully serious awards show that honors the uncompromising vision and hard-fought victories of Canada’s finest filmmakers. Marcia Martin, CHUM Television’s VP of production and executive producer of the show, was intent on capturing the energy and uncensored excitement that usually occurs after shows of this kind. Hence the Post-Genies Schmooze, an opportunity for Genie nominees and winners to celebrate, do deals and dish the dirt on live television.

‘It’s an unrehearsed show that takes you inside the Genie party to meet the stars up-close,’ Martin says. ‘The Schmooze is the full, exciting story – where the feeling is off-air but the cameras are still rolling.’

To make time for the Post-Genies Schmooze, and mindful that Johnny Carson once described the Oscars as ‘two hours of sparkling entertainment spread over a four-hour show,’ we’ve trimmed the awards ceremony from its usual two-hour format to a brisk 90 minutes or so. That’s why, when we went in search of a host, we knew we needed someone with the force of personality to keep a show running in high gear from beginning to end. Scott Thompson, whom fellow Kid in the Hall Bruce McCulloch once described to me as ‘a beautiful hurricane,’ was always at the top of our list.

‘Scott is smart, honest and wickedly funny – in other words, the perfect Genie host,’ Martin says. ‘We want a show that not only celebrates our films, but is fun and engaging as well. In our many meetings we’ve marveled at his wit, talent and firm grip on the absurdities of show business. In a live show like this, we expect he’ll be about as predictable as a lit firecracker.’

From The Kids in the Hall and The Larry Sanders Show to his regular appearances on Comedy Central’s Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn and The Howard Stern Show, Thompson carries with him a young, built-in audience. He’s an ideal choice as we look to bring a wider, more youthful demographic to the Genie Awards.

And our promotion teams have been working hard to spread the word. A 30-second trailer encouraging viewers to see the Genies ‘in a whole new light’ is airing on 11 CHUM stations and on more than 1,700 movie screens across the country. As well, two 30-minute specials and a series of vignettes showcasing Genie nominees will air on such channels as Star!, Bravo!, Citytv Toronto and Citytv Vancouver. A glance at the nominees reveals what may be the strongest Genies race in recent memory.

The show will be promoted on CHUM’s original entertainment programs, including Startv, MT-MovieTelevision, Star!News Weekend and other news and morning shows. The night of the awards, Star! will catch all the pre-show action with its customary Star! LIVE on the Red Carpet: The 2004 Genie Awards, featuring on-the-spot coverage of celebrity arrivals and star-studded fashion.

All of this is in keeping with CHUM’s long-standing support of Canadian cinema and talent and its ongoing commitment to developing, funding and promoting Canadian films. MovieTelevision has been on the set of almost every Canadian film produced in the last 16 years, and its annual Festival Schmooze party/show during the Toronto International Film Festival is entering its 11th year. And Startv, Star!’s flagship program now in its sixth season, remains the only show of its kind devoted entirely to Canadian stars.

For CHUM Television, The 2004 Genie Awards show represents an opportunity to build on that history. But more than that, it’s a chance for us to help honor the filmmakers who have entertained, enlightened and entranced us over the last 12 months. Let the fun begin.

The 2004 Genie Awards air Saturday, May 1 at 8 p.m. ET on Citytv Toronto, Star!, Bravo! and MusiMax and at 8 p.m. PT on Citytv Vancouver. The show will also air in Halifax at 9 p.m. AT on ASN and 6 p.m. MT on Access in Alberta.