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).

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When Gary Maavara stepped into his position as group vp, programming for the CTV Television Network in January, he had some big sh’es to fill. They were the no doubt sensible sh’es of programming legend Arthur Weinthal.

Maavara had been with the network management team since 1988, and before that he practiced entertainment law at Borden & Elliot. He was also the executive producer of the official film of the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary.

‘So far it’s been great,’ says Maavara, who finds some aspects of the new job difficult, such as getting pitched about five projects a week: ‘I see very little come across my desk that is not capable of being on the network,’ he says. ‘One of the worst parts of my job is saying no all the time. The only concept I’ve seen lately that I knew right out of the envelope wasn’t going to work was the chap who wanted to do a cooking show in the nude.’

Maavara is also quick to point out that with the present strength and quality of the Canadian industry, his predecessor’s task was more difficult than his.

‘There’s no shortage of product out there now, the Canadian industry has come a long way on the craft side. We’ve always had the terrific ideas, but now we’re able to deliver great shows. Arthur Weinthal has been part of the process of building this production organism that we now have. He helped mold all that so for me it’s a lot simpler, I’m selecting things whereas he was in the process of building things.’

Maavara seems to be continuing the strategy that Weinthal firmly entrenched for the network in his 30 years with ctv.

‘We at ctv have always had a program offering to the broadest cross section of Canadians,’ he says. ‘If there is such a thing as middle Canada, that’s who we appeal to. Our brand is more of a middle-of-the-road brand with a focus on trying to give people things that entertain them but not necessarily shock or disturb them.’

Maavara ­ who also handles ctv’s News One, four regional sports channels, and is president of the company’s pay-per-view operation, CTV Direct ­ d’esn’t see audience and channel fragmentation as a great concern for ctv.

‘My view of programming in a fragmented world is that there’s great opportunity. Ten years ago people were concerned about the exclusivity of programming. We’re not concerned about that anymore and we believe in cross-marketing, cross-services and cross-programming. Getting 20% of the audience on first play on ctv [just] means there are 80% of the people who haven’t seen it yet.’

Showcase’s broadcast of Due South reruns serves as an example of such practices. ‘We were willing to have Showcase run that through the summer and I think they’ve done it quite successfully in the sense of keeping that show’s profile high in the minds of Canadians.’ says Maavara. ‘We’ll come back with it on Sunday night in the fall with new episodes and we think it’ll do gangbusters.’

Presently shelved one-hours like Police Academy and Nikita (which will appear mid-season) are what ctv intends to seek for the future, says Maavara. ‘We’ve focused our strategies on one-hours so we’re not looking for any sitcoms per se, although I suppose if one did come along we’d look at it.’