Airwaves (TV series)

Airwaves is a Canadian comedy drama television series that aired on CBC Television in 1986 and 1987.<ref>"Airwaves a show with a difference - and mother doesn't know best". Montreal Gazette, May 2, 1987.</ref>

Plot

The Toronto-filmed show stars Roberta Maxwell as Jean Lipton, a radio talk show host and widowed mother, who lives with her daughter Zoe, played by Ingrid Veninger, and her father Bob, played by Roland Hewgill.<ref name=backtobasics>"Airwaves gets back to basics after reaching too far". Ottawa Citizen, February 27, 1987.</ref> Maxwell has indicated that Canadian journalist-activist June Callwood was a basis for her portrayal of Jean.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The show's cast also includes Taborah Johnson, Alec Willows, and Kimble Hall.<ref name=ccf>Template:Cite web</ref> Writers for the series included Judith Thompson, John Frizzell, Susan Martin, Rob Forsythe, Linda Svendsen and Paul Gross.<ref name=ccf />

Production

Some of the early episodes were criticized as clunky, with Ross McLean of The Globe and Mail writing that the show seemed unsure of its identity,<ref>"Airwaves fails to live up to its potential". The Globe and Mail, March 15, 1986.</ref> and even the producers later acknowledging that they had tried to fit too much into a half-hour show.<ref name=backtobasics/> The show was retooled slightly in its second season, with the writers getting a firmer grasp on the stories they wanted to tell and adding two new characters: Christopher Bolton in the role of Matt, Jean's nephew, and Patrick Rose as Dale, Jean's new coworker at the radio station.<ref name=backtobasics/> Critics responded favourably to the changes, with even McLean himself noting by 1987 that the show had significantly improved.<ref name=bolstering>"Shaking down hosts and bolstering Airwaves". The Globe and Mail, March 21, 1987.</ref>

The show was modestly successful, with an average audience of 850,000 viewers per week in its first season.<ref name=backtobasics/> and 761,000 viewers in its second.<ref name=snapped>"Snapped off". Toronto Star, June 10, 1987.</ref> Although the CBC was willing to order a third season, the producers decided to end the series as they felt it was better to move on to other projects than to continue tinkering with a show that wasn't getting the ratings they wanted.<ref name=snapped /> However, CBC subsequently reran the first two seasons, outside of prime time, in 1990.

The series was repeated on Vision TV from 1989 to 1991.<ref>"Year later, YTV and Vision TV mature". Ottawa Citizen, September 6, 1989.</ref>

External links

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