Re: RARA-AVIS: Re: Canadian Noir

From: Kerry J. Schooley ( gsp.schoo@murderoutthere.com)
Date: 14 Apr 2007


At 08:20 PM 13/04/2007, you wrote:

>Da Vinci's Inquest was finally released on DVD in the US recently.
>Maybe that, and some cable crime shows that are set as well as shot in
>Canada, will make the idea of dark crime above the 49th Parallel more
>acceptable below it.

You should enjoy Da Vinci. It's something of an exception, and survived more on critical acclaim than public support, which is something you can do sometimes with government support for the arts. The CBC is owned by us all, even a tiny corner of it by me, as Canadians.

Sandra's "Cold Squad" which was also quite good, struggled on a privately-owned network and died when an inferior (in my opinion) US imitator hit the market. I think that show is still running.

There were always rumours that Da Vinci might be picked up and succeed stateside- I think it did have a brief run, no? The producer got a shot doing a series in Hollywood, but that lasted one season. Still, Canadians have found more success moving south to work in the cultural heartland, setting their stories in American locations. Once again, the sheer size of the market...

As for reading by location- yes it's the writing that counts, over all. Enjoying the location is an additional pleasure for me. Being able to recognize the local flora and fauna is the cherry. I've sat through some so-so movies, even paid attention to the odd commercial here and there when I spotted familiar street corners. But there's something else at work here too, extra to location. We all like to see our stories told. It is part of identifying with the characters wherever they may be. When those characters are in our home towns it's a bit like brushing with celebrity, and a validation of our own existence. Who doesn't like to see the local kid make good?

Best, Kerry

------------------------------------------------------ Literary events Calendar (South Ont.) http://www.lit-electric.com The evil men do lives after them http://www.murderoutthere.com
------------------------------------------------------



This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 14 Apr 2007 EDT