Article from Toronto's Metro Free Paper. Rick McGinnis, Monday June 5/06
TOP MODEL A LOUSY CANADIAN RIPOFF
Show lacks elements that made original watchable
CANADA'S NEXT TROUBLE WITH TRACEY: "Why". asked an article on The Tyee website last wekk, "is Canadian trash TV so stinkingly bad?" The subject was Canada's Next Top Model, which debuted last week on Citytv and which was to be perfectly frank, a bit on the lousy side. Host Tricia Helfer was surprisingly bland for someone who plays a sexy killer robot on Battlestart Galactica, the locale was a bit too pastroral to suggest the distinctly urban world of fashion, and the girls chose were a remarkable sheepish lot, excep for one - who was promptly canned for having too much attitude.
"The whole thing," wrote Elaine Corden, "-bland contestants, wilderness locale, low-budget sets and graphics, has a certain je ne sais fierceness that amounts to mind-numbing, nation-embarrassing television.
CNTM lacks all the elements that make ANTM so addictively watchable: sweet and civil Tricia has nothing on the hilariously self-important Tyra: Victoria, B.C. and a cabin in the wilderness are no New York City: 10 contestants from three provinces does not amount to a 'nationwide search.'"
Corden's rant gets even better - and far be it from me to cut off a really good rant. "Ripping off a cheap, tawdry American reality show," she writes, "does not look good on us in Upper Canada, but it has becaome part of the four pillars of Canadian television: shows on Bravo and Showcase that assume if you say the word 'sex' enough times, the show will eventually be described as 'sexy'; coming-of-age on the Prairies tales (I am looking at you, CBC); off-beat and funny comedies; and now, the latest, clones of American hit series."
She ain't half wrong - put in context, we should expect that a Canadian version of Survivor would involve placing the contestants on an island in Georgian Bay during off-season, where they'll bicker halfheartedly about who finished the Timbits, and will be voted off the island for saying rude things about the Governor General. ~~~
They didn't even show the audition process which has been fun to watch with ANTM. Jay Manuelle, thank god you were in the first episode...I pray to see you in the following shows as this will be quite boring if you're not.
Anyone else have any views on this???
