CBC PROMO COUNT:For those keeping track at home:
1 Promo for the National: 15 seconds
1 Promo for No Opportunity Wasted: 30 seconds
1 ‘So Montreal’ local feature with host Leah Hendry: 15 seconds (this obviously varies from region to region)
1 Promo for the Tudors: 15 seconds
1 Promo for Triple Sensation: 30 seconds
1 Promo for Little Mosque on the Prairie: 15 seconds
1 Promo for 5th Estate/Million Dollar Baby: 15 seconds
1 Promo for Heartland: 30 seconds.
1 Combined Rick Mercer/22 Minutes promo: 15 seconds
TOTAL AIRTIME FOR PROMOS: 3 minutes
Until recently, per CRTC rules, the maximum number of minutes per hour during prime time that could be devoted to commercials was 12 minutes (or 6 minutes per half hour). If that is still the case here, CBC actually devotes half of its commercial airtime to promoting its own programming.
However, I’m pretty sure CBC has gone along with the recent increase to 14 minutes, which puts the airtime at something closer to 43%. I guess my question is: does the CBC sell itself airtime or is the advertising department considered a separate business unit? Does the CBC make money for itself through their numerous promotions or is this “free” for them to do? If some of these promos are done to fill up space, I think it may be time to cut back and put those missing minutes back in, before the Sunday omnibus.
Anyhow, on the episode.
The Connors Move In
Outside the Kabin, Michelle is unpacking a few things from her Ford Fiesta. Rita comes out and wishes her a Happy New Year. Norris asks if she’s allowed to be doing that and Michelle replies no, she plans on squatting in the apartment. Norris also asks if Ryan the graffiti artist is coming with her. She says no, she plans on leaving him behind. Michelle and Ryan, of course, are moving into the flat above the Kabin.
Norris mutters something about defacing her own property.
Steve comes along and asks if she’s moving in today (and not offering, by the way, to help the lady he fancies with some of her boxes up the stairs). She says no, just cleaning the place as the previous tenant was a real pig.
“I used to live here,” Steve says offended. She then hands him a sock, a fridge magnet, and a magazine that must be used, she reckons, for “uplifting moments.”
Steve asks how her evening was last night and reckoned she must have been desperate. She counters that Sonny was a good kisser and then asks who his kissed last night? His mother? (no, but you never can tell with this show.)
At the Baldwin’s house (which is paid for by whom, these days?), Jamie is on the phone to Frankie who claims not to have seen Danny nor told him of the news. She then hangs up on him.
Jamie tries to figure out who could have told Danny when his attentions turn to Sean, accusing him of tearing him and Frankie apart. Sean is offended and asks him to take it back. Jamie doesn’t back down so Sean tells him that the next time he needs a shoulder to cry on, find someone else.
At the Rover’s, Jamie orders a pint and tells Liz he and Frankie are through. Liz thinks it’s best to happen now than later as it was doomed from the start. Violet comes over to tell Jamie that Sean is hurting over his accusation and that he should apologise.
He reconciles with Sean, but aided with some additional pints, because obsessed with who could have told Danny. When Liam, Paul, Michelle, and Carla come in he starts giving them the Manson Lamps.
Carla is giving Michelle a hard time over the throw she bought for her chesterfield, which Carla says is old and ugly. But then, Carla reminds her that she’s just a barmaid and can’t afford nice things like her. Or something. She’s a bright ray of sunshine, that Carla. It looks like the street has just inherited its latest snob.
Jamie then accuses Liam of calling Danny but he honestly appears to not know what Jamie is on about. Paul also confesses that he’s not heard from Danny since his disappearance. Later, outside the Rovers, Liam gets a call from Danny but it’s clear that this is the first time for him as he starts demanding to know just where he has been.
Meanwhile, Liz tells Steve about Vernon’s romantic gesture. Steve points out that it was him who planned all that for Michelle. Overhearing this, she asks how long this was in the works. He says a few days, proudly. Michelle calls him a stupid prat for getting his mum to make her work last night when she had other plans.
Jason’s baby and Violet’s baby
As the gang at number 11 prepare for their day, Eileen forces Jason out of bed by splashing water on his face and telling him that he is going to take care of Holly as Eileen is working all day. Meanwhile, Violet is rubbing her shoulder and looking very ill.
Jason, after much moaning, has managed to feed and change the baby without driving out to a park and leaving her in the car (*cough*Claire!*cough*). It may have something to do with Eileen telling him that his current attitude toward children reminds her of his father, Tony.
At the Rovers, Liz regales Violet with Vernon’s romantic New Year’s Eve candlelight dinner. Vernon claims he has a sore back and won’t be fetching any barrels today. When Liz leaves, Violet says that dinner was prepared by Steve for Michelle but she’ll keep it under her hat if Vernon gets those barrels. Vernon weighs working for his pay for a change versus not having sex with Liz for an afternoon and decides to work.
Throughout the day at Rovers, Violet complains to Liz that her shoulder is getting worse and she feels awful. Liz says Vernon, who lied about the romantic dinner, will be happy to fill in for her.
Violet walks out and we see her staggering down the street.
When she gets to number 11, Jason is on his way out the door with Holly and asks Violet for help walking her. Looking awful, Violet brushes past Jason and goes to the kitchen to make tea (Violet is obviously part Maritimer as she knows toast, tea, and a bath cures everything, almost).
As she takes the milk from the fridge, she collapses in pain, dropping the bottle and clutching her abdomen. She calls out for Jason but he is already out the door. She makes it to the phone dials an ambulance to number 11, Coronation Street. Violet’s baby, it seems evident, is in trouble.
In Other News
Liz has given up smoking for her new year’s resolution and is becoming increasingly short-tempered. It lasted 7 hours and 12 minutes. It ended when she put Vernon to work.
Janice’s heating has gone off and the plumber is nowhere to be found. She, Chesney, and a hungover Fizz and Kirk head over the Rovers. They proceed to get drunk (except for Chesney) and leave insulting messages on the plumber’s voice mail.
Rita and Emily thought we would have had flying cars and hotels on the moon by now.
Captain Sisko agrees:
September 27, 2007 at 2:49 am
Great update, John! Once again it was posted before the show had even aired out here in BC (though I did not read your summary beforehand!)
Okay, so I looked up ectopic pregnancy at that fount of all knowledge – Wikipedia – and found this:
‘Patients with a late ectopic pregnancy typically have pain and bleeding. This bleeding will be both vaginal and internal . . . More severe internal bleeding may cause . . . Shoulder pain. This is caused by free blood tracking up the abdominal cavity, and is an ominous sign.’
That sounds . . . ominous. I’m sure the Corrie Street writers use Wiki for all their obscure diseases and symptoms. Though according to Wiki most ectopic pregnancies are diagnosed within the first 8 weeks of pregnancy and Violet must be at least 10 weeks along because the weeks of pregnancy are counted from the last menstrual period and she missed her second one a couple of weeks ago. Oh, wait, Wiki says ‘Later presentations are more common in communities deprived of modern diagnostic ability.’ Weatherfield’s medical services are apparently not up to snuff! Who knew? Must be far too backward for flying cars as well.
So more heartache for poor Violet (ooh, and good call on the pregnant-about-to-miscarry-Marilyn-Monroe foreshadowing).
Paul was being unusually uninterested in the Danny saga. I think he’s the spy/new owner.
September 27, 2007 at 11:55 am
I agree about Paul. I think he’s the link. When asked if he’s heard from Danny his off handed response was a little suspicious.
Thanks for the explanation on how the shoulder pain and etopic pregnancy linked – I didn’t know that.
September 27, 2007 at 12:29 pm
I can help with the CBC promo answer….
yes, the regs have changed from 12 to 14 mins-hour for commercial allowance; however, promoting a Canadian program (as all those promos were) is NOT considered advertising time – only if the promo is for a foreign program.
CBC can run all the Canuck promos they desire. I bet we´ll see a heck of a lot of Hockey Night promos in our future.
Canucklass (blogging from Vienna
September 27, 2007 at 12:47 pm
Westcoast/Pip…thanks! Mr. Glacia and I were wondering about that oursevles.
John…gold, gold star for the Hole video.
I love me some Courtney. And I never scratch my head when she, the punk widow of a sucidial grunge genius, acts badly in public.
Carla needs to go now. She’s bitchy without being fabulous.
September 27, 2007 at 12:50 pm
You guys need to write to the cbc and tell them this.
They do read viewer email and I think if enough people write they may consider showing *one* less ‘No Wasted Mosque on the Corner Dragon Den’s Marketplace’ promo.
September 27, 2007 at 12:51 pm
And how come you’re in Vienna?
I love the thought of ex-pats sitting in Austria, sipping their morning coffee, nibbling on a piece of fine Mozart chocolate and filling their longing for Tim Horton coffee and doughnut by reading Corrie Canuck.
September 27, 2007 at 2:58 pm
Shoulder pain is also associated with HEELP syndrom and pre-ecempsia, but both of those are usually much later in pregnancy and accompined by swelling and high blood pressure.
September 27, 2007 at 4:06 pm
Re: later diagnoses of ectopic pregnancy. I read at one site that a rupture can occur as late as 12-16 weeks when the egg has partially implanted in the fallopian tube, and partially in the uterus. Late ruptures can be very dangerous.
Though I suspect the Corrie writers aren’t too concerned about being accurate, and have not really thought about where the egg implanted.
September 27, 2007 at 4:22 pm
I saw a preview for Intelligence on the Toronto CBC feed. They can promote the heck out of that show. Season One would be on DVD in the US or UK by now.
September 27, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Rob,
Yeah. But Season 1 of DaVinci’s Inquest just made it onto DVD, so you can expect Season 1 of Intelligence along about 2012.
I call it sadistic.
Michigander Fan
September 27, 2007 at 4:48 pm
You know, here’s the thing about CBC and commercials. I don’t care how many commercials they show, how redundant the commercials are, etc. If they want to advertise Little Mosque on the Prairie 25 times every hour, that’s their prerogative.
Where I get upset is where they cut into the ACTUAL BROADCAST TIME of a show. This is not a rerun. This is not like Fred Sanford telling Lionel that “this could be the big one” for the 497th time. We are actually missing information that might come in handy to us.
That’s my gripe.
Michigander Fan
September 27, 2007 at 5:29 pm
And by ‘handy’ Michigander fan means ‘panders to our baser emotions’ (such as the desire to see Vern bopped in the face, Tyrone treated like a puppy, and Jason’s bare-naked – and wet – chest)
September 27, 2007 at 5:44 pm
MF – I think CBC’s reasoning for cutting minutes off the nightly broadcast were because of commercials from their sponsors. The promos, we find, are not considered commercials. If they cut out the promos, they still make their commercial revenue and there would likely be room for those missing minutes. 3 minutes is long time in a teleplay.
But yeah, they need to promote the hell out of Intelligence, because it is awesome.
September 27, 2007 at 6:56 pm
John, the maddening thing about the CBC is that when do have a cracker of a show, that’s the one they neglect to promote.
September 28, 2007 at 12:36 pm
Glacia:
am in Vienna on my honeymoon
Going back to Amsterdam tomorrow (LOVE it there) then back home on Tuesday
have not seen corrie since Sept 12, and am looking forward to sitting with a big cocktail, with the new Mr. Canucklass, and catching up on all the stories. Just hope the PVR doesn´t fail me now – or the ever changing CBC preempts.
I have friends in low places at the CBC, and I´ll see what I can do about the mind numbing promos they are airing ( but can´t promise much)
The newly minted Mrs. Canucklass
September 28, 2007 at 12:46 pm
Mazel Tov girl!!!!