When CBC Was TCM (With A Dash Of MTV)

Hard to believe this now, but in the years before Turner Classic Movies was available in Canada (10 years before TCM was even thought of in fact), the CBC was providing classic films with commentary  in the late night slot with host Ben Gordon. And devoting an entire week to a producer? That would be something I would do, if I had a TV show. I didn't see any of these movies in the late-night slot originally (1985 being smack dab in the middle of my school years after all), but I did catch up with all these classics and many more at the Edmonton Film Society about 12 years later, so it's all good.

Looking at this set, I wonder if Ben and his crew of three or four set up shop in a corner of the actual CBC film library. Or maybe they waited for the Video Hits crew to be done for the day. Yes, I know I wonder about weird things. But if you've read this blog, you kind of expect that kind of thing.

Right?

Right.




Yes, there was a show called Video Hits on CBC, every weekday at 5. Think of it as Canadian Bandstand, with Samantha Taylor playing the Dick Clark role.

Whatever taste in music we children of the 80s have or had is thanks to Video Hits.

MTMG