Behind the scenes at HNIC

On a personal note

As a fan of The Hour, later GST and of George Stroumboulopoulos the person, I sometimes feel a bit left behind since he has moved on to his weekend job as host of Hockey Night in Canada. I just loved his interview style and his down to earth friendly personality. He is always able to relate intelligently to each person on a variety of topics whether they were a guest, or a fan, or a passer-by on the street. Music, travel, motorcycles, sports, politics, business, spiritual issues, film and television shows. All of that was open for conversation on his talk show. For Hockey Night in Canada obviously the focus is on all things hockey. His talent translates well to hockey talk but you can't convince all hockey fans of that yet. It does not matter to them that he started in sports radio, is a seasoned broadcaster and a huge fan of the game..

I like hockey but have never been a dedicated, jersey wearing, statistics gathering, entire season watching fan. I have only been to one NHL game in my life because a friend gave me a ticket and I had a great time. I used to live one block away from The Forum in Montreal (when it was still The Forum) yet never went there for a game. Hockey was always a luxury out of reach for us common folk. The Expos, The Jays and the Allouettes just seemed more affordable and in touch with the people. I do remember watching Hockey on CBC as a child and wanting to be the camera guy; that was my connecting point. Live broadcasting...that's where sports finds her audience.
 
Blogging for George and The Hour, that's how I connected to 'infotainment' television.  That's one reason I find this article from The Globe and Mail's media reporter, James Bradshaw, so fascinating. Connections... 

Hockey Night confidential: A sneak peak at the controlled chaos of the country's most iconic show


JAMES BRADSHAW - MEDIA REPORTER

The Globe and Mail


Published Friday, Jan. 09 2015, 9:07 PM EST

To see what makes the revamped Hockey Night in Canada tick, media reporter James Bradshaw looks beyond the smooth-talking analysts, the spherical cameras and the gleaming, $4.5-million set to find controlled chaos – or what HNIC staffers refer to as ‘the zoo’

MORE

Broadcast run is done.

There is still the Strombo Show on CBC Radio 2 Sunday nights but the TV show is done now.
This is the message on strombo.com

After 10 seasons on CBC, we've finished our broadcast run. Love and gratitude from the whole GST team.

... He Nails It!

The CBC's 22 Minutes presented a preview of George Stroumboulopoulos on Hockey Night in Canada last night to its viewers.  In this episode, George interviews Joffrey Lupul, and Jian Gomeshi joins them to add some commentary to George's commentary.  The result?  Mark Critch nails it.  Watch.  ;)

Watch

Video Roundup: The Best Moments of 2013 and Christmas Special

New Year's is often a chance for us to be a bit more introspective and reflective on the year that has past and look forward to the infinite possibilities the new year will bring. If you have been caught in the whirlwind madness of the holidays and perhaps neglected our national boyfriend, here is a chance for you to catch up and to walk through a year of memories.

Let us begin with some highlights from the Christmas special. Kevin Smith has delighted fans for a long time by inviting them over for an engaging evening. What happens when Kevin is in your home as a guest for the holidays?

The Christmas special also featured some wonderful musical acts that range from our national pride, Chris Hadfield, to respected artists within the industry. You can visit each performance on George's youtube page or by clicking on the link on the playlist in the next video. But first, we have Run DMC's Christmas in Hollis performed by a variety of hip hop stars.

Next up is a clever and witty trailer for Boxing Day with many notable stars.

Then there's the secret fantasy of a few people out there. What would happen if we not only had one George, but three? Here are all three versions of our national boyfriend welcoming us into the new year and having some rather interesting conversations.

Now we get to the point where we look back upon the year with our graceful host and the moments we have shared. Shall we begin with taking a look back at what happened in the world of science?

George is often filled with important messages. Here is what he had to say.



One of the most delightful aspects of live television and one where the host/interviewer doesn't prompt you with questions beforehand is the opportunity for surprises to occur on the show. Here is a look back on some of those moments.

It can also take us into much more intimate settings where we see the humanity behind the celebrity. Here are the top confessions of the year.

But at the end of the day, audiences alike tune in for some fun.

That concludes our video roundup for 2013. May your new year bring you peace, love, harmony, good health, and success.  Don't forget to tune into George's radio show as well as he brings us the second half of the Hundo and counts down the top 100 songs of the year.

Watch GST at 7 pm and GSTL at 11:30 pm (what?)

George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight Late!
The 7 pm GST will be as advertized and the 11:30pm GST + Late (so it's now GSTL) will include the debrief and maybe include other changes. The show will now have musical performances again. George is also talking about having extended interviews on Fridays.

7 pm

11:30 pm

Here is the first new debrief from Monday night.



 My personal opinion...
As a long time fan I welcome the changes! It's a challenge for a Canadian talk show to compete with the US late night shows. Especially when those shows can produce viral video clips of comedic commentary on Mayor Rob Ford where our talk show was a day behind.  The way the CBC studio prerecorded and had to have an edited close captioned version up and out for 7 pm Atlantic time did not allow for same day changes. Taking the 11:30 rerun and adding a current debrief and making it a different version of the talk show has, as far as I know, never been done before outside of news programming. When the show was The Hour it had the time to edit for the same day and it had room to run all the features like musical acts and the debrief and commentary of current news while still featuring the longer interviews. This step George and the crew are taking, without any budget increase, makes the half hour show a two part one hour show. Both parts worth watching! I am also looking forward to the Friday longer interviews they talked about featuring. If you have ever been to a taping of the show you know that George interviews the guest for much longer than what you see on TV. It's always fascinating and deserves to be televised in it's long format. If you can't watch the two shows, set your PVR to record each of them. Watch it like a daily mini series. 

Enjoy Canada's early night and late night talk show!

Barbara

She Asks Ali Hassan

Ali Hassan of 'The 3 Things Comedy Panel' and host of Laugh Out Loud on CBC Radio One was recently at the PodAlmighty studios in the sketchy part of Etobicoke. 

He was a guest on the Humble and Fred Show the morning of May 23rd and was kind enough to come next door and be my guest on a five minute podcast I record called She Asks...

May I proudly present She Asks Ali Hassan 

The PodAlmighty studios is looking to expand and we are doing a little fund raising if you are interested in Podcasting and supporting the arts check it out.

This week in Strombo Oct 8 - 12

George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight this week
Enjoy it on-line on Strombo.com or on CBC TV

Monday Oct 8

The whole half hour on  Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Promoting his new book, "Total Recall" Schwarzenegger's always been a bit of a controversial figure, from his body building championships, acting, political career and private life ... let's see what he's willing to verbally recall on GTonight.


Tuesday Oct 9
Cesar Millan

Problem pooch?  Then self taught dog whisperer Cesar Millan just might have the advice you need! Be sure to watch GTonight and see if our host learns any new tricks ;)

Neal Brennan

Best know for his comedic capabilities and co-creating Chapelle's Show the Emmy nominated director and actor joins George to help us laugh off the last of the Thanksgiving turkey lethargy.


Wednesday Oct 10
Emmanuel Lewis

Former child star of the hit series, "Webster" sits to chat about where his life is heading now.

*The Stroumboulopouli wish to express their condolences to Emmanuel Lewis and the family of Alex Karras. Alex Karras played the role of Webster's adopted father, George Papadapolis ... as well as being an actor Mr. Karras was a professional wrestler and football player.  He passed away October 10, 2012 of kidney failure.

Linwood Barclay

The award winning author had not one, but two, novels come out this year; "360: A Novel" and "Trust Your Eyes", which is now being made into a film.


Thursday Oct 11
Paul Shaffer

The recent host of the 14th annual Canada's Walk of Fame is someone you may of heard of, he's the music director on a little late night talk show south of the border ... now that GTonight is on at 7pm ... you may have seen it ;)

Daniel Levy

Canadian TV personality, actor, writer and self proclaimed glasses wearer hangs out with G and us. 


Friday Oct 12
The best of the week

Okay readers ... what would YOU have voted your best of this week?

Meli's Take ...

on the new feel for Season 9.

Well folks the first week of the season is all wrapped up for George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight and I am wondering what you’re all thinking of the changes so far?

The new set and layout of the studio took me a bit to get used to.  At first I felt it lacked a bit of edge to it with the sleek white backdrop and then found the video display a bit distracting. However, I do love that when the camera is focused on George himself, the back drop is bleu blanc et rouge (Habs reference). Hoping that over time more of “punk G” finds its way back to the set. Please don’t take your “Carlsberg years” too literally ;)

As a viewer I still lament the loss of the “Mile-a-Minute” and now even, “The Debrief” is gone.  I understand the new 7pm time slot follows the news and people are trying to unwind after a long day … but I still think there’s room for a quick, "George’s take on the news of the day" segment. May I formally suggest/request to the powers that be at CBC that it returns at some point, perhaps when you go back to making the show an hour?!

The Panel … Wasn’t a fan of this new segment, the first couple of episodes.  For me, it doesn’t really work.  It is a comedy segment; I get that, but too short and not really giving us any beneficial information, when the show is known for its depth and not just light-hearted humour. It feels like it’s trying too hard at times.  After seeing it taped in-studio, I would personally love to see Fridays go from being “Best ofs” to The Panel episode.  Eventually as funding improves again and GST, hopefully, returns to an hour long format Fridays could be music/comedy nights.  What an excellent way for George and the show to bring us into the weekend!

The Panel

I think the first week of guests had a nice well-rounded appeal with cancon, CBC Personalities, celebs, and of course the amazing Jane Goodall.  Jane, David Suzuki and James Appurathai are my all time fave guests and I am hoping the show keeps this type of guest in the forefront.  I sincerely look forward to some of the conversations that I know are coming up this season.  One thing hasn’t changed … George is still brilliant at the art of conversation.  J

Dec 12 through to the 16th on GST

George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight this week


Monday Dec 12
The Royal Canadian Air Farce has a new book.
AirFarcianado  
Don Ferguson

and
Historian, author

Niall Ferguson

 Tuesday Dec 13
Canadian Superstar 
Paul Anka

as well as
American novelist 
Jeffrey Eugenides

Wednesday Dec 14
Corespondent on the Daily Show
Samantha Bee

and
Anthropologist, explorer for National Geographic
Wade Davis

Thursday Dec 15
Actor 
Jamie Bell

also
Bob Nicholson


Friday Dec 16
Best of the Week
plus a performance by 
Laura Marling

a singer reminiscent of early Joni Mitchell...


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just a note about the red cups that George is using on the show. 

Instead of using his own Strombo mugs to promote the show George has switch it up with World Food Programme plastic red cups as a symbol and a reminder to donate to The Hungry Billion.
  

Do you want to work for George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight?

I am following That Eric Alper on twitter and he has a tendency at night to tweet jobs posts in the Arts and Entertainment field among other interesting subjects. Tonight he is listing a number of positions at CBC some specifically for George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight.


This is what they are looking for... 


Video Journalist, Video Producer, Creative Researcher, and  Headline and Promo Producer.


If you are qualified go for it!
Be creative, professional and show 'em your moxie!

If you are interested check out all jobs at CBC here

Repeat, repeat....I said WHAT?

Hope your weekend's gone well.... just sitting at my desk, listening to excellent tunes & most awesomely: 'Cabin In The Woods' & 'Look Who's Evil Now' from
The Evil Dead Musical, on
The Strombo Show. (Every Sunday 8pm - Midnight on CBC Radio 2.)

Upcoming guests for
George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight.

Yes, we have a week of repeats.....according to George; he, Raine Maida &
Chantal Kreviazuk are off to play with polar bears in Churchill Manitoba.

So, here are some not so oldies, but some goodies:

Mon, Nov 8
A selfish plug to wish my sweetness A HAPPY 10th BIRTHDAY....Love you BenJammin'!
So, speaking of sons....here we have one, with his equally talented father.

Martin Sheen & Emilio Estevez

Tues, Nov 9
Simply? A very funny comedian.

Billy Connolly

Wed, Nov 10
One of the most talented, down to earth, character actors out there.

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Thur, Nov 11
Director to some shows you'd recognize: 24, ER, Deadwood.
He's facing controversy with a documentary he filmed called "Waiting for 'Superman'" about the failures of public schooling.

Davis Guggenheim

Fri, Nov 12
The couple that showed the world, romance can flourish, even under wraps.
(2 for 1 Plastic surgery....awwwww.)

Gene Simmons & Shannon Tweed

Triple Ten Thanksgiving - 10/10/10

Happy Thanksgiving!

May your giving of thanks include many positives in your life. And hey, even negatives deserve a thanks...when you have the ability to take something good from it. At times it may seem, as if there are far too many negatives in our life, but understanding the situation & the source can sometimes thrust us into the knowing, the acceptance & the lesson learned. My thanks are far too many to list here & my hope is that it's the same for you. May your Thanksgiving include friends, family, comforts & a hot meal, as not all of us are quite so fortunate.

Sun, Oct. 10
Once your belly is full & contentment follows, why not finish your evening up with George & The Strombo Show on CBC Radio 2

Mon, Oct. 11

Jonathan Safron Foer, a young American author with a recently published vegetarian minded book, 'Eating Animals.

Anthony Bourdain, also an American author, but most recognized as a chef with an opinionated outlook on food & cultures. Who, controversially, considers vegetarianism to be a "First World luxury."

Tues, Oct. 12

Margaret Trudeau has just published her 3rd memoir 'Changing My Mind' which has her reflecting life, through her late-diagnosed mental illness of Bi-Polar, in hopes of helping others.

Eliminated Battle of the Blades Pair....who are you betting on?

Wed, Oct. 13

Paul Anka will also be in town for the following night to perform a concert at Massey Hall. (Perhaps he'll write a theme song for George's newly renamed show!)

Thur, Oct. 14

Juliette Lewis - Having been banged up and sore from a hit-and-run this last Wed, I'm a-wondering if the interview will be from TIFF, or if it'll be a live taping? Regardless, hopefully she's on the mend.

Fri, Oct. 15

M.I.A. - Performer, songwriter, activist, philanthropist...a true individual in today's standards, is kicking off her Fall /\/\/\Y/\ (Maya) tour.

The XX - Performance by the exex.
British Tories had used one of their songs recently, at a political event, by this Indie band without their permission.
(I would consider that to be a 'double cross', wouldn't you?)...groan.

A 'bonus' show this week!

Greeting and salutations readers! This is my first post since the start of the new season. How are you enjoying the new George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight? I quite like the look of the show and have found the interviews to be very well done. My favourites thus far have been the 'pairs'...Martin Sheen & Emilio Estevez, as well as Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed. I'm looking forward to see how the rest of the season unfolds.

This is a special week for George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight viewers, as we will be getting an EXTRA show tonight (Sunday), immediately following Battle of the Blades!

Sunday, October 3rd

Star of the soon to be released film Stone, actor Edward Norton.

American born Jeremy Roenick has had quite an impressive career in a sport typically dominated by Canadians! As an eighteen year NHL veteran, Boston native Roenick played for several teams including the Chicago Blackhawks and the San Jose Sharks. He is only one of three US born players to have scored over 500 goals in the NHL. Since retiring, and in addition to his charity work, Roenick has taken a stab at broadcasting and now has a new gig as a judge on the the hugely popular CBC's Battle of the Blades.

Monday, October 4th

Time Magazine refers to author him as the "poet-prophet of alternative medicine". While our lives are complex and often chaotic, his message is simple:

"A life of purpose reveals the purpose of life". -Deepak Chopra

Tuesday, October 5th

No, your eyes are not fooling you! That IS a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey and as you can see, it belongs to Captain Dion Phaneuf. It's true...a Leafer will be on with die hard Habs fan George! In keeping with the theme of this day, here's a joke: Q: What does Toronto have that Montreal doesn't? A: Black and white photos of their past Stanley Cup. (Bwahahaha).

Wednesday, October 6th



Musician John Legend.

Thursday, October 7th



Actor Sam Rockwell.

Friday, October 8th




Twilight saga fans...be ready...it's Jasper!!! Better known as actor Jackson Rathbone!

A musical performance by Newmarket, ON natives Tokyo Police Club.

Also...

Coming up this week on The Strombo Show from producer Darby Wheeler:

"Bob's back with the ultimate road song mixtape - Kary Osmond gives us some tips on rookie Thanksgiving chefs, album side from a folk legend". Find your frequency here.

The Last Hours

What's coming up this week on The Hour, you ask? More re-runs? Alas yes, it's true, but fret no more friends....this is the LAST week for them & the last week for the show formerly known as:
The Hour

Monday, Sept. 13
Ugh, what can I say? It was a Monday

Tuesday, Sept. 14
Singer Rosanne Cash, director Kevin Smith & actress Saoirse Ronan

Wednesday, Sept. 15
Actor Bruce Greenwood, comedian Danny Bhoy & hip-hop group Cypress Hill

Thursday, Sept. 16
Actor Jay Baruchel, director Jacob Tierney & musician Rufus Wainwright

Friday, Sept. 17
Actor Christopher Plummer & actor Jake Gyllenhaal

Tune in next week for a blast of freshness!
New Website: Sept. 19th
New Season: #7 to be exact - Sept. 20th
New Name: George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight
New run-time: 30 minutes
New interviews: Fresh from TIFF & pre-tapes
New set? Yes, according to my TO gals
New hair? Tune in to check
New piercings? Only George can say

Ch-ch-ch-ch Changes...

When you're finished changing, you're finished. Benjamin Franklin

Good advice and one of my favourite quotes. Change is inevitable, healthy and if you think you're immune to it, life and opportunity soon passes you by...

To that end, a snapshot of the long promised changes to the show formerly known as 'The Hour' were announced today by CBC. In the press release, George Stroumboulopoulos was quoted as stating 'We're never going to change the core values of the show - in a sense the show is going to be the same'.

What is promised as we flash forward to September 20th, 2010 and the launch of the 7th Season will actually be the launch of George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight - a revamped 'Hour' that features more online content, including an interactive website and a new Youtube Channel. It's more in keeping in how people consume television these days -- seeking content they want, when they want it.

Of course, with change also comes resistance and these changes as well as other details/tweaks to be rolled out in a few weeks are not immune to criticism and discussion and I suspect the name change will be the main topic of debate - in fact, it's already begun. Why change the name of 'The Hour'? You've got recognition there and it's a simple name to remember. Here are a few advantages of the name change:

Kids today can't spell for sh%t. Renaming 'The Hour' George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight represents an opportunity for outreach into our schools. If you can spell Stroumboulopoulos, eventually you might be able to spell words and phrases more complex than LOL, UR, LMAO and BRB. At least, one can only hope...

There can be cross promotion and cost savings in the production process. There is the matter of a program in the States called 'George Lopez Tonight'. I will cop to not knowing the intricacies of television production but hell, dub in 'Strombo' for 'Lopez' and that my friends is value. This suggestion is tailored for the one track mind CBC haters who are convinced that nothing's been right in the world since they took the Beachcombers off the air.

Lastly, with the recent successful legal victory to legalize Mixed Martial Arts in Ontario, there are lots of part time pursuits that the team can take advantage of with this change. Juice up the host and in no time, you can take advantage of interesting and lucrative opportunities. Yes. GSP taking on GST. Okay, maybe not.

In all seriousness, I like the name 'The Hour' but identifying the program directly with the host in the longer term is a smart strategy. The new name will take some getting used to. Like other viewers I have enjoyed the previous incarnation but that doesn't mean that there are things that could perhaps be done better, or at least differently. It's a process and it's the weak that are afraid to try something new. Be bold. Be fearless.

My hope as a viewer and an epic music fan is that the new format allows for more live musical performances, particularly to highlight the variety and depth of talent of Canadian musicians. With the increase in online content of the show and the viral nature of internet content - this can be a win win for both the show on the air and on the web. New theme song perhaps? Time will soon tell.

Good luck to the team as they work to launch a successful season featuring some great Ch-ch-ch-changes.