Not 'The One'

Not so long ago, CBC seriously ruffled some feathers by announcing that they would simulcast a new ABC reality series called The One. While this may have seemed like an innocuous decision - after all, the Mother Corp has dipped its toes into murky reality waters before (Hockeyville, anyone?) - it got some viewers and commentators all in snit.

The problem was that The One, which sounded like a full-on American Idol rip-off, would cause The National to be bumped from its normal timeslot on some nights. Oh, the indignity. See, we Canadians take our news seriously. No fair-and-balanced info-tainment up here. We're all sent to bed with good old left-wing sanctimony every night, thanks to Mansbridge and company. Unless it's hockey season, in which case The National can be bumped every damn night for all we care. (It's worth it to see how pissed off Mansbridge looks when he comes on the air after another overtime game. He's one Canuck who you know just hates hockey!)

Ok, back to CBC picking up The One! It seemed like a strange decision to me at the time. CBC generally lets CTV and Global gobble up these variety/reality hybrids. Then, they announced the host of The One and it all became clear. The One was to be hosted by punky-hunk CBC-staffer George Stroumboulopoulos. George, you see, is the too-cool-for-school former MuchMusic veejay that the Corp poached a few years back and whom they count on to attract a certain, ahem, younger demographic to the net. With their golden boy hosting this new show, no wonder CBC was willing to bump old Peter and friends.

Now, after all the fussing and feuding comes work that ABC - the original broadcaster - has canned The One, in the face of low ratings. Seriously, painfully low. Near-record lows. Ouch.

Better luck next time, Stroumbo.