The CBC's documentary series, Love, Hate, & Propaganda, finished last week with the airing of its sixth episode. Generally it was well done, with the odd awkward stock shot (which did not match the descriptive).The real problem with the show, and one which all but killed it for me, is that it was hosted by that lightweight CBC rabbit, George Stroumboulopoulos. A typical opening would have GS heavily back-lit as he opened up with the introduction to that installment. He looked goofy... he made the show look goofy. A program which dealt with the serious matter of 'manipulation' during the second world war was undermined by an intellectual shrimpkin.
(In all seriousness, for a moment, about a year ago I read a letter-to-the-editor by a woman who had just visited the The Hour program as one of the studio audience and she was struck by how ice-cold the experience was: The audience members were lined up outside the studio for quite a while before they were allowed to enter; they were unceremoniously led into the studio to take their seats; George was awkward and aloof, rarely making eye-contact with the audience during the commercial breaks; and when the whole thing was over, they were ushered out with hardly a word spoken. The whole thing was very clinical. The letter writer was expecting something more upbeat. Why am I not surprised?)
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