The art of Canadian drama production.

Even with the input of the new $100 million from the ctcpf, budgets over and above the $1-million-per-episode mark, and the ever increasing number of broadcast windows for Canadian productions, dramatic series stamped Made In Canada are still the most arduous of the program genres to sell and finance, not to mention produce.

How well it’s working is cause for speculation, but the bottom line after year one of the ctcpf is evident if only in the oversubscription tally and the frenetic union crews in the major centers. At the end of the summer there will be more Cancon programming in the offing than ever before. It’s a buyers’ ­ the broadcasters ­ market.

With that in mind, Playback went to the heads of original drama production at the six major networks to discuss the evolution of the flagship Canadian product on their 1997/98 schedules. How program strategy has evolved at their respective nets, the best means of reaching new audience, and blue-sky plans for drama production are all fodder for conversation in interviews with Loren Mawhinney, vp Canadian production for CanWest Global; Baton Broadcasting’s vp dramatic programming Bill Mustos; CTV Network’s group vp programming Gary Maavara; Dale Andrews, executive vp for WIC Entertainment; Andre Provencher, vp programming at TVA Network; and the cbc’s Susan Morgan, creative head of dramatic series.

See p. 34 for case studies on Alliance Communications’ Once a Thief (ctv), the Keatley MacLeod Productions and Atlantis Communications coproduction Cold Squad (bbs), Altantis’ Traders (Global), Donkey Kong Country from Nelvana and Medialab of France (wic), the Chris Haddock and Lazlo Barna-produced DaVinci’s Inquest (cbc), and Diva, produced by Productions Sovimage (tva).

* * *

‘We want our network to be the choice of families, and we want to be seen as being close to the viewers and offering them a chance to participate directly in our shows,’ says tva vp programming Andre Provencher.

The new TVA Network is symbolized by shows such as Fort Boyard, an action/adventure sports game show ‘which is spectacular and evokes dreams’ and has a wide appeal ­ for children two to 11 to their parents, says Provencher.

In drama, tva aired a series called Chambres en Ville for eight seasons, and Provencher says this show about young people sharing a downtown boarding house marked the turning point for more contemporary themes at the network.

Other new teleromans are also attracting large family audiences including Ent’ Cadieux, Le Retour and Les Machos.

Provencher says the network d’es not repeat successful program formulas broadcast by other networks.

Shows such as Lobby about a female lobbyist, Jasmine about a black woman police officer and Paparazzi, a drama about professional photogs, reflect their desire for originality.

Beyond drama, this season tva scored a programming coup at some expense, hiring away two prominent Radio-Canada personalities, variety show host Julie Synder and news anchor Simon Durivage.

Because r-c has more ctcpf money this year for drama programs during the primetime 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. timeslot, Provencher says Synder’s late-night show at 10:30 p.m. will help pull back viewers while Durivage is a necessary addition in consolidating Nouvelles tva’s ratings lead following the departure of news anchor Stephane Bureau.

Major changes in tva’s repositioning actually started in 1987 following the acquisition of Tele-Metropole by Groupe Videotron but were set in motion in 1986 with the launch of a second private Quebec tv network, Television Quatre Saisons.

At that time, Provencher says the goal was to improve program quality and differentiate tva from tqs. tva subsequently made a major commitment to news and public affairs and has continued to consolidate its more upscale positioning.

tva also relies heavily on the high recognition Quebec star system, values such as simplicity, warmth and family.

On fragmentation, Provencher says ratings for French-track specialty channels have quadrupled in recent years in the Quebec tv market, from 3% to 12%. However, the share for conventional broadcasters has largely held steady, or even increased as in tva’s case, which last year had its best year in a decade. tva had a 32-share in prime time in 1996/97 while making sizable gains (10%) over Radio-Canada among the 18-49 and 25-54 groups.

tva conducts two major audience polls each year.

The upshot is that the new French-track specialties have drawn viewers away from the English-language tv stations, specifically u.s. border stations which today have as little as 5% of the French-speaking audience.

‘We think about fragmentation when we want to stabilize the cost of program acquisitions,’ says Provencher. ‘What interests us is safeguarding our business base because we have had some difficult financial years.’ The situation has improved, he adds, as acquisition costs have been reined in, closer to the price programs can be sold to advertisers.

And tva is working with other broadcasters at sharing windows on documentary programs like Des Crimes et des Hommes (with Canal d) and Epopee en Amerique (with Tele-Quebec).

Provencher launched his career 25 years ago as a print journalist in Trois Rivieres, Que. He joined Tele-Metropole in 1988 as director of production, leaving for Coscient in 1991 where he was vp operations. He returned to t-m in ’93 as general manager of programming and subsequently was named head of development and then vp programming in 1995. Provencher manages 85 employees in the programming and production departments.

Provencher, who loves his golf game, is also very active in community affairs. He is a board member of Centre de Jeunesse de Montreal, TV5 Quebec Canada, Canal Indigo, the French-language ppv service, and the ctcpf.