THE TORONTO SUN'S BIG MOVE DOWN SIZE

I've seen it happen many times before; a company makes a move to much smaller digs only to end up closing its doors for good, a few years or months later. Like many, I've worked for companies where this was the case. We hear how "it's good for the company", "things will stay the same", "it's still the same company", and so on... to the grave.

The Toronto Sun, which currently occupies a small fraction of the space in the building originally built to house them exclusively, is moving up from King Street E. to take office space at Postmedia headquarters on Bloor Street E., number 365 (which contains a clue, no doubt).

Today's issue of the Toronto Sun contains a story explaining the "when" but not the "why"; the "real why", not the official line of "there will be great opportunities for Sun Media and Postmedia to work together": They conveniently skirt around the issue...

The Sun's Big move
We say goodbye to our historic King St. location and hello to our new home on Bloor St.
http://www.torontosun.com/2016/03/25/the-suns-big-move

There's a real story coded in that article. But, no surprise, the Toronto Sun is incapable of reporting the unedited truth, which is why I go to the Globe and Mail. While that paper is not perfect, at least it makes an effort to live up to the title of "newspaper", and the Globe is written above a Grade-3 reading level.

Check back here in about 365 days. I'd be willing to clear some space in my tool shed. Rent: $1 per month.

MEMORIES OF AND ABOUT SYLVIA ANDERSON (1927 - 2016)

Several times in the history of this blog I've posted thoughts on the old television series Space: 1999. It was created and produced by Gerry Anderson and his then wife, Sylvia.

Last weekend I took a look at what Sylvia Anderson was up to these days. (Gerry died back in December of 2012.) I also went on to her personal website and saw her comments about looking forward to production of the new Thunderbirds series. (Thunderbirds was a "Supermarionation" series that had been produced in the early to mid 1960s. It enjoys the largest following of all the Anderson shows and, in my opinion, it is their best... with the possible exception of UFO.)

On Wednesday morning I awoke to the news, revealed to me via The Guardian, that the grand lady had passed away the day before (March 15th). At first I was saddened, of course, but was reminded that she lived to 88 years of age; as a matter of fact, Anderson died less than two weeks shy of what would have been her 89th birthday.

I remember listening to an interview with Ms Anderson a few years ago where she spoke of her applying for a job at a film production company back in 1957. She was a graduate of the London School of Economics ("I wanted to save the world...") and was looking for work, now that she was a single mom. What I remember most about Anderson's reminiscences was her recounting how she almost didn't get the job, not through failing the interview, but because she could not find the address of AP Films (Anderson-Provis). Sylvia Anderson, then "Sylvia Thamm", was seconds away from giving up, but before aborting her quest she happened to notice a small side street. It was the street she had been looking for. Just think, had she not decided to check it out Sylvia Thamm would have not become an "Anderson" and gone on to co-produce and co-create and help design all those "puppet shows" and UFO and Space: 1999.

I think that's a great story; a great "what if?". We all have those stories: "If only I had... I didn't realize they were right around the corner... If only I could go back and make sure I looked at the odd sign over what I thought was an automotive repair shop... Why didn't I call that number?...."

The odd thing is many people who gear up intending to enter and prosper as a creator/producer in the film and television business should probably not work in the "biz". They have nothing special in the way of talent, and offer little of note if anything at all. Sylvia Anderson was guided, perhaps, by some great force; someone or something knew this lady would wield influence through innate talent. Imagine that.


Look back at my previous posting on Ms Anderson; from July 12th, 2013...

SYLVIA ANDERSON INTERVIEW STORIES
http://barrysmight.blogspot.ca/2013/07/sylvia-anderson-interview-stories.html

(I would agree with her still on the casting of Space: 1999. Having seen, recently, more than a few episodes of that "near-miss" series, it's obvious one of the many things that would have helped it attain greater heights was if Robert Culp had have been cast as "John Koenig".)