The Movie Network
Encyclopedia
The Movie Network is a Canadian English language
Category A premium television service, owned by Astral Media
. The service is licensed to operate east of the Ontario
-Manitoba
border, excluding the territories. The name was formerly abbreviated to TMN, which remains a common informal name and is therefore used below for brevity.
The Movie Network is carried by various Canadian cable
and satellite television
providers in Eastern Canada
including Bell TV, Shaw Direct, Rogers Digital Cable, Vidéotron
, EastLink
, Cogeco
and more. It is the equivalent of Movie Central
, which is available in western Canada.
was quoted as saying "(Canadian) pay television is inevitable". During the 1970s when premium pay-TV service HBO and the then up-and-coming Superstation WTBS became available on satellite in North America, some Canadians who were living in underserved rural areas, wanted access to these services. The Saskatchewan
government together with Cable Regina
set up a provincial pay-TV network called Teletheatre in 1979.
Growth of grey market TVRO dishes by 1980 led the government of Pierre Trudeau
to allow for pay television in Canada, and that there would be hearings to licence Canadian pay television networks. In September 1981, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) held a hearing
in Hull, Quebec
to licence Canada's first pay-television networks. There were more than 24 applicants.
A pay-TV license was issued by the CRTC to First Choice Canadian Communications Corp. on March 18, 1982. When First Choice, as TMN was then known, was launched on February 1, 1983, it was a national pay-TV service. The first movie ever to air on First Choice (now TMN) was For Your Eyes Only
. The movie aired following a replay of The Who
's farewell tour concert special and a two-hour promo for First Choice announcing the programming it would carry; the airing of The Who concert which had been aired live on other channels the year before, as well as the two-hour promotional ad had several critics wondering about the channel's claims that it would be commercial-free and not play reruns. At 7 a.m. PST, First Choice aired Star Wars
and would continue to play the film again every other day for eight hours. The service was offered as a free 14-day preview, then scrambled exclusively to the subscribers who wanted to pay extra.
After a disappointing run for pay services in general, the industry was restructured and First Choice was restricted to eastern Canada, with competitor Superchannel (now Movie Central
) taking territorial rights in the west. Both services briefly used the First Choice-Superchannel name. In the 1980s, First Choice took the slogan "The Movie Network", which became the name of the channel itself in 1993
.
The channel also applied for a license and owned a French-language channel called Premier Choix, which merged with another (Quebec-based) pay-television network TVEC, to form Super Écran
, which is still in operation today.
Together, they had $19 million in equity
financing and proposed to spend $310.4 million over five years on Canadian television production. Estimated profit (over five years) would be $3.1 million; today, The Movie Network is owned by Astral Media
of Montreal
.
, although often Mpix is sold together in a package with The Movie Network.
High definition
feeds are available for M (whose HD feed launched in May 2005), MFun, MExcess, and HBO Canada.
Programs broadcast on TMN are rated according to the Ontario Film Review Board
.
announced they would jointly begin offering a dedicated HBO multiplex channel (in both standard definition and high definition formats), called HBO Canada, on October 30. For TMN subscribers, HBO Canada replaced MMore and MMore HD. For Movie Central subscribers, HBO Canada replaced Movie Central 4 and Movie Central 1 HD. The channel remains available at no additional charge to TMN / Movie Central subscribers and, moreover, is not available on a stand-alone basis.
The channel focuses on programming from the U.S. premium service HBO, including several HBO series, specials and sporting events not previously available in Canada; however, some programs that have aired on HBO Canada have actually aired in the United States on HBO's rival Showtime. A selection of Canadian films and series also airs to satisfy Canadian content
requirements. HBO programming eventually airs solely on HBO Canada, as opposed to any of the other TMN / Movie Central multiplex channels.
The HBO Canada schedule is common to both services, with the exception of Eastern (TMN) / Mountain (MC) timeshifting. Although essentially operating as a joint venture of Astral and Movie Central's parent company Corus Entertainment
, the east and west feeds are technically separate channels wholly owned by the parent company of the applicable regional service. In any event, HBO's parent company Time Warner
is not a shareholder, and only licenses the name
to Astral and Corus. Unlike the other multiplex channels offered by TMN and MC, both the standard-definition and high-definition HBO Canada feeds (East/West) are available nationally to those television providers who wish to carry them.
and MuchMusic
were licensed, First Choice was the network for watching premium (commercial-free) professional sporting and concert events. Sports came from such sources as ESPN
, USA Network
, and HBO.
Before the advent of stereo
television and home theatre
systems we have today, subscribers who paid for cable FM service could receive a stereo feed of First Choice.
Its slogan was: "Look out for number one! Look out for First Choice!"
of The Movie Network and Movie Central has been subject to criticism. At the time, no other similar premium services broadcasted within Canada. Critics argued that this limits competition and consumer choice, while proponents say there is very little in content or functionality that it is not already offered by the existing services.
In July 2005, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the Canadian federal broadcast regulator, announced that public hearings would begin on October 24, 2005 on four broadcast group applications for new national pay TV licences. Each applicant said they would commit towards the creation of more Canadian program content.
On May 18, 2006, it was announced that the Allarco Entertainment application was accepted, while the other three were rejected. This approved application effectively ended The Movie Network/Movie Central duopoly in Canada. On November 2, 2007, the new service launched as Super Channel.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
Category A premium television service, owned by Astral Media
Astral Media
Astral Media Inc. is a Canadian media corporation. It is Canada's largest radio broadcaster with 83 radio stations in eight provinces, and is a major player in premium and specialty television in Canada, including The Movie Network, Super Écran, Family, Teletoon, Canal D, Canal Vie, VRAK.TV,...
. The service is licensed to operate east of the Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
-Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
border, excluding the territories. The name was formerly abbreviated to TMN, which remains a common informal name and is therefore used below for brevity.
The Movie Network is carried by various Canadian cable
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
and satellite television
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
providers in Eastern Canada
Eastern Canada
Eastern Canada is generally considered to be the region of Canada east of Manitoba, consisting of the following provinces:* New Brunswick* Newfoundland and Labrador* Nova Scotia* Ontario* Prince Edward Island* Quebec...
including Bell TV, Shaw Direct, Rogers Digital Cable, Vidéotron
Vidéotron
Vidéotron GP is a Canadian integrated telecommunications company active in cable television, interactive multimedia development, video on demand, cable telephony, wireless communication and Internet access services. Currently, the company primarily serves Quebec, as well as the francophone...
, EastLink
EastLink (company)
EastLink is a Canadian cable television and telecommunications company. In 1970, EastLink was established in Amherst, Nova Scotia, when it was issued one of the first cable licences granted by the CRTC...
, Cogeco
Cogeco
Cogeco Inc. is a Canadian media and communications company. The name is an acronym for Compagnie Générale de Communication .-History:...
and more. It is the equivalent of Movie Central
Movie Central
Movie Central is a Canadian English language Category A premium television service. Movie Central is designated to operate west of the Ontario-Manitoba border, including the territories...
, which is available in western Canada.
History
In 1976, Communications Minister Jeanne SauvéJeanne Sauvé
Jeanne Mathilde Sauvé was a Canadian journalist, politician, and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 23rd since Canadian Confederation....
was quoted as saying "(Canadian) pay television is inevitable". During the 1970s when premium pay-TV service HBO and the then up-and-coming Superstation WTBS became available on satellite in North America, some Canadians who were living in underserved rural areas, wanted access to these services. The Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
government together with Cable Regina
Access Communications
Access Communications Co-operative Ltd. is a Canadian cable television provider, operating in Regina, Saskatchewan and several other communities in Saskatchewan...
set up a provincial pay-TV network called Teletheatre in 1979.
Growth of grey market TVRO dishes by 1980 led the government of Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
to allow for pay television in Canada, and that there would be hearings to licence Canadian pay television networks. In September 1981, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) held a hearing
Hearing (law)
In law, a hearing is a proceeding before a court or other decision-making body or officer, such as a government agency.A hearing is generally distinguished from a trial in that it is usually shorter and often less formal...
in Hull, Quebec
Hull, Quebec
Hull is the central and oldest part of the city of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is located on the west bank of the Gatineau River and the north shore of the Ottawa River, directly opposite Ottawa. As part of the Canadian National Capital Region, it contains offices for twenty thousand...
to licence Canada's first pay-television networks. There were more than 24 applicants.
A pay-TV license was issued by the CRTC to First Choice Canadian Communications Corp. on March 18, 1982. When First Choice, as TMN was then known, was launched on February 1, 1983, it was a national pay-TV service. The first movie ever to air on First Choice (now TMN) was For Your Eyes Only
For Your Eyes Only (film)
For Your Eyes Only is the twelfth spy film in the James Bond series and the fifth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It marked the directorial debut of John Glen, who had worked as editor and second unit director in three other Bond films. The screenplay by Richard Maibaum...
. The movie aired following a replay of The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
's farewell tour concert special and a two-hour promo for First Choice announcing the programming it would carry; the airing of The Who concert which had been aired live on other channels the year before, as well as the two-hour promotional ad had several critics wondering about the channel's claims that it would be commercial-free and not play reruns. At 7 a.m. PST, First Choice aired Star Wars
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
and would continue to play the film again every other day for eight hours. The service was offered as a free 14-day preview, then scrambled exclusively to the subscribers who wanted to pay extra.
After a disappointing run for pay services in general, the industry was restructured and First Choice was restricted to eastern Canada, with competitor Superchannel (now Movie Central
Movie Central
Movie Central is a Canadian English language Category A premium television service. Movie Central is designated to operate west of the Ontario-Manitoba border, including the territories...
) taking territorial rights in the west. Both services briefly used the First Choice-Superchannel name. In the 1980s, First Choice took the slogan "The Movie Network", which became the name of the channel itself in 1993
1993 in television
The year 1993 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1993.For the American TV schedule, see: 1993-94 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
.
Super Écran
Super Écran is a Canadian French language Category A premium television service that broadcasts nationally via satellite or cable subscribers. The network is owned by Astral Media...
, which is still in operation today.
Ownership
When First Choice initially made its application to the CRTC in September 1981, the following individuals and companies were part of the proposed channel:- Donald Sobey - of the SobeysSobeysSobeys is the second largest food retailer in Canada, with over 1,300 supermarkets operating under a variety of banners. Headquartered in Stellarton, Nova Scotia, it operates stores in all ten provinces and accumulated sales of more than $14 billion CAD in 2009...
supermarket chain - J. R. McCaig
- Norman Keevil
- Royfund Equity Ltd. - Royal Bank of CanadaRoyal Bank of CanadaThe Royal Bank of Canada or RBC Financial Group is the largest financial institution in Canada, as measured by deposits, revenues, and market capitalization. The bank serves seventeen million clients and has 80,100 employees worldwide. The company corporate headquarters are located in Toronto,...
mutual fund division - AGF Management Ltd.
- Manufacturers Life Insurance Co.
Together, they had $19 million in equity
Ownership equity
In accounting and finance, equity is the residual claim or interest of the most junior class of investors in assets, after all liabilities are paid. If liability exceeds assets, negative equity exists...
financing and proposed to spend $310.4 million over five years on Canadian television production. Estimated profit (over five years) would be $3.1 million; today, The Movie Network is owned by Astral Media
Astral Media
Astral Media Inc. is a Canadian media corporation. It is Canada's largest radio broadcaster with 83 radio stations in eight provinces, and is a major player in premium and specialty television in Canada, including The Movie Network, Super Écran, Family, Teletoon, Canal D, Canal Vie, VRAK.TV,...
of Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
.
Management
- Donald MacPherson, First Choice President 1983-1984
- Harold GreenbergHarold GreenbergHarold Greenberg, OC, CQ was a Canadian film producer.Harold was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1930. Harold was born into a family of three brothers: Ian, Sydney and Harvey . Greenberg began working in a second-hand camera store when he was thirteen...
, First Choice President 1984-1996
Channels and content
The Movie Network consists of a total of five 24-hour multiplex channels and two high definition channels. TMN operates as a separate service with a separate licence then its sister network, MpixMpix
Mpix is a Canadian English language Category A premium television service. Mpix is designated to operate east of the Ontario-Manitoba border, excluding the territories. Mpix is owned by Astral Media...
, although often Mpix is sold together in a package with The Movie Network.
List of channels
- The Movie Network or M: the main "flagship" channel that offers films, documentaries and TV series including content from the American pay service Showtime, along with Canadian programming.
- MFun!: airs comedic and light-hearted films, specials and series.
- MFest: airs independent and foreign films.
- MExcess: offers action & adventure films, TV series and late-night adult content.
- HBO Canada: offers original programming sourced from American premium service HBO.
- The Movie Network OnDemand: is a subscription video on demandVideo on demandVideo on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
service delivering select content from TMN and all of its multiplex channels.
High definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
feeds are available for M (whose HD feed launched in May 2005), MFun, MExcess, and HBO Canada.
Programs broadcast on TMN are rated according to the Ontario Film Review Board
Ontario Film Review Board
The Ontario Film Review Board is an agency of the government of the Canadian province of Ontario that is responsible for that province's motion picture rating system...
.
HBO Canada
On September 22, 2008, both TMN and Movie CentralMovie Central
Movie Central is a Canadian English language Category A premium television service. Movie Central is designated to operate west of the Ontario-Manitoba border, including the territories...
announced they would jointly begin offering a dedicated HBO multiplex channel (in both standard definition and high definition formats), called HBO Canada, on October 30. For TMN subscribers, HBO Canada replaced MMore and MMore HD. For Movie Central subscribers, HBO Canada replaced Movie Central 4 and Movie Central 1 HD. The channel remains available at no additional charge to TMN / Movie Central subscribers and, moreover, is not available on a stand-alone basis.
The channel focuses on programming from the U.S. premium service HBO, including several HBO series, specials and sporting events not previously available in Canada; however, some programs that have aired on HBO Canada have actually aired in the United States on HBO's rival Showtime. A selection of Canadian films and series also airs to satisfy Canadian content
Canadian content
Canadian content refers to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission requirements that radio and television broadcasters must air a certain percentage of content that was at least partly written, produced, presented, or otherwise contributed to by persons from...
requirements. HBO programming eventually airs solely on HBO Canada, as opposed to any of the other TMN / Movie Central multiplex channels.
The HBO Canada schedule is common to both services, with the exception of Eastern (TMN) / Mountain (MC) timeshifting. Although essentially operating as a joint venture of Astral and Movie Central's parent company Corus Entertainment
Corus Entertainment
Corus Entertainment Inc. is a publicly traded Canadian media and entertainment conglomerate.Corus is a leading Canadian specialty television and radio producer, with additional assets in pay television, advertising services, television broadcasting, children's book publishing and children's...
, the east and west feeds are technically separate channels wholly owned by the parent company of the applicable regional service. In any event, HBO's parent company Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
is not a shareholder, and only licenses the name
Brand licensing
Licensing means renting or leasing of an intangible asset. Examples of intangible assets include a song , a character , a name or a brand . An arrangement to license a brand requires a licensing agreement...
to Astral and Corus. Unlike the other multiplex channels offered by TMN and MC, both the standard-definition and high-definition HBO Canada feeds (East/West) are available nationally to those television providers who wish to carry them.
Noted series
- Band of BrothersBand of BrothersBand of Brothers is a 2001 ten-part, 11-hour television World War II miniseries based on the book of the same title written by historian and biographer Stephen E. Ambrose. The executive producers were Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, who had collaborated on the World War II film Saving Private Ryan...
- Big LoveBig LoveBig Love is an American television drama that aired on HBO between March 2006 and March 2011. The show is about a fictional fundamentalist Mormon family in Utah that practices polygamy...
- Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures
- Bored to DeathBored to DeathBored to Death is an American comedy series, which premiered on HBO on September 20, 2009. , three seasons have aired, each consisting of eight episodes. The show was created by author Jonathan Ames, and stars Jason Schwartzman as a fictional Jonathan Ames – a writer based in Brooklyn, New York...
- Brotherhood
- CalifornicationCalifornication (TV series)Californication is an American comedy-drama that premiered on Showtime on August 13, 2007. The show was created by Tom Kapinos. The protagonist, Hank Moody , is a troubled novelist whose move to California, coupled with his writer's block, complicates his relationships with his longtime girlfriend...
- Curb Your EnthusiasmCurb Your EnthusiasmCurb Your Enthusiasm is an American comedy television series produced and broadcast by HBO, which premiered on October 15, 2000. As of 2011, it has completed 80 episodes over eight seasons. The series was created by Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, who stars as a fictionalized version of himself...
- Da Ali G ShowDa Ali G ShowDa Ali G Show is the name of two related satirical TV series created by and starring British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen and featuring the character Ali G....
- DexterDexter (TV series)Dexter is an American television drama series, which debuted on Showtime on October 1, 2006. The sixth season premiered on October 2, 2011. The series centers on Dexter Morgan , a bloodstain pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who moonlights as a serial killer...
- Durham CountyDurham County (TV series)Durham County is a one-hour Canadian dramatic television series produced by Back Alley Film Productions Ltd. and Muse Entertainment Enterprises...
- Eastbound & DownEastbound & DownEastbound & Down is an American comedy television series broadcast on HBO, starring Danny McBride as Kenny Powers, a former professional baseball pitcher, who after an up and down career in the major leagues is forced to return to his hometown middle-school in Shelby, North Carolina, as a...
- EntourageEntourage (TV series)Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
- Flight of the ConchordsFlight of the Conchords (TV series)Flight of the Conchords is an American television comedy series that debuted on HBO on June 17, 2007. The show follows the adventures of Flight of the Conchords, a two-man band from New Zealand, as its members seek fame and success in New York City. The show stars the real-life duo, Jemaine Clement...
- Funny or Die PresentsFunny or Die PresentsFunny or Die Presents is a half-hour sketch comedy show that spawned from the Will Ferrell & Adam McKay created comedy website Funny or Die. It premiered on HBO on February 19, 2010...
- Generation KillGeneration Kill (TV series)Generation Kill is a 2008 HBO television miniseries based on the book of the same name by Evan Wright about his experience as an embedded reporter with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion of the United States Marine Corps during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It was adapted for television by David Simon,...
- How to Make it in AmericaHow to Make It in AmericaHow to Make It in America is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on February 14, 2010. The series follows the lives of Ben Epstein and his friend Cam Calderon as they try to succeed in New York City's fashion scene...
- HungHung (TV series)Hung is a comedy-drama series, which premiered on HBO on June 28, 2009. The series was created by Dmitry Lipkin and Colette Burson and stars Thomas Jane as Ray Drecker, a struggling suburban Detroit high school baseball coach who resorts to male prostitution. The second season premiered on June 27,...
- In TreatmentIn TreatmentIn Treatment is an American HBO drama, produced and developed by Rodrigo Garcia, about a psychologist, 50-something Dr. Paul Weston, and his weekly sessions with patients, as well as those with his own therapist at the end of the week. The program, which stars Gabriel Byrne as Paul, debuted on...
- La La LandLa La LandLa La Land may refer to:* A nickname for the city of Los Angeles* A euphemism for a state of unconsciousness* "La La Land" , a single by Demi Lovato* La La Land, an album by indie rock band Plants and Animals...
- Less Than KindLess Than KindLess Than Kind is a Canadian television comedy-drama series that stars Jesse Camacho as Sheldon Blecher, a teenager growing up in a loving but dysfunctional Jewish family in Winnipeg. The show's cast also includes Maury Chaykin and Wendel Meldrum as Sheldon's parents, Benjamin Arthur as his older...
- The Life & Times of Tim
- The Line
- Little Britain USALittle Britain USALittle Britain USA, an American television series, originated as a spin-off of the British BBC's Little Britain show.As in the British series, Matt Lucas and David Walliams play the majority of the characters: originals such as Lou and Andy, Daffyd Thomas,Sebastian Love, Marjorie Dawes and Vicky...
- Living in Your CarLiving in Your CarLiving in Your Car is a Canadian television comedy-drama series that debuted on May 7, 2010 on HBO Canada.The series stars John Ralston as Steve Unger, a former high-flying corporate executive struggling to rebuild his life after being indicted on fraud, obstruction and racketeering charges...
- Lock 'N' LoadLock 'N Load (reality show)For other uses see Lock and LoadLock 'N Load is a six part, unscripted, hidden camera reality show on Showtime that premiered on October 21, 2009. It is based at The Shootist gun store in Englewood, Colorado, where Josh T. Ryan is a master salesman. It examines the gun enthusiast lifestyle without...
- Meadowlands
- The Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency
- Nurse JackieNurse JackieNurse Jackie is an American series that premiered on June 8, 2009, on Showtime, Movie Central and The Movie Network.The series stars Edie Falco as the title character Jackie Peyton, an emergency room nurse at All Saints' Hospital in New York City...
- OzOz (TV series)Oz is an American television drama series created by Tom Fontana, who also wrote or co-wrote all of the series' 56 episodes . It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by premium cable network HBO. Oz premiered on July 12, 1997 and ran for six seasons...
- The Pacific
- Penn & Teller: Bullshit!
- Real Time with Bill MaherReal Time with Bill MaherReal Time with Bill Maher is a talk show that airs weekly on HBO, hosted by comedian and political satirist Bill Maher. Much like his previous show, Politically Incorrect on ABC , Real Time features a panel of guests that discuss current events in politics and the media...
- ReGenesisReGenesisReGenesis is a Canadian television program produced by The Movie Network and Movie Central in conjunction with Shaftesbury Films. The series, which ran for four seasons, revolves around the scientists of NorBAC , a fictional organization with a lab based in Toronto...
- The Ricky Gervais ShowThe Ricky Gervais Show (animated series)The Ricky Gervais Show is an American cartoon series produced for and broadcast by HBO. The series is an animated version of the popular British audio podcasts and audiobooks of the same name, which feature Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant , along with colleague and friend Karl Pilkington,...
- RomeRome (TV series)Rome is a British-American–Italian historical drama television series created by Bruno Heller, John Milius and William J. MacDonald. The show's two seasons premiered in 2005 and 2007, and were later released on DVD. Rome is set in the 1st century BC, during Ancient Rome's transition from Republic...
- Sanctuary
- Secret Diary of a Call GirlSecret Diary of a Call GirlSecret Diary of a Call Girl is a British television drama broadcast on ITV2 from 2007-2011 based on the blog and books by the pseudonymous "Belle de Jour," starring Billie Piper as Belle, a high-class London call girl. The series was written by Lucy Prebble, who is also known as the author of The...
- Sex and the CitySex and the CitySex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
- Six Feet Under
- Spartacus: Blood and SandSpartacus: Blood and SandSpartacus: Blood and Sand is a Starz television series that premiered on January 22, 2010. The series is inspired by the historical figure of Spartacus , a Thracian gladiator who from 73 to 71 BC led a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic. Executive producers Steven S...
- Stargate AtlantisStargate AtlantisStargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...
- Summer Heights HighSummer Heights HighSummer Heights High is a Logie Award-winning Australian television mockumentary series written by and starring Chris Lilley. It is a parody of high-school life epitomised by its three protagonists: effeminate and megalomaniacal "Director of Performing Arts" Mr G; self-absorbed, privileged teenager...
- Tell Me You Love MeTell Me You Love MeTell Me You Love Me is an American cable television drama series that premiered on HBO and on The Movie Network on September 9, 2007.The series was created by Cynthia Mort and originally conceived as sexlife. The pilot episode was produced and directed by Patricia Rozema and shot in Winnipeg,...
- Terminal CityTerminal City (TV series)Terminal City was a Canadian mini-series about a woman diagnosed with breast cancer while running a failing reality tv show turning it into a hit as her life and body begin to change.- Cast :* Maria del Mar ... as Katie...
- Tracey Ullman's State of the UnionTracey Ullman's State of the UnionTracey Ullman's State of the Union is an American sketch-comedy series starring comedian Tracey Ullman. The series is written by Ullman along with Hollywood satirist Bruce Wagner. Gail Parent and Craig DiGregorio acted as contributing writers to the series' first season. On May 17, 2010, it was...
- TremeTreme (TV series)Treme is an American television drama series created by David Simon and Eric Overmyer that premiered on April 11, 2010 on HBO. It takes its name from Tremé, a neighborhood of New Orleans...
- True BloodTrue BloodTrue Blood is an American television series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris, detailing the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a fictional, small town in the state of Louisiana...
- The United States of TaraThe United States of TaraUnited States of Tara is an American television comedy-drama created by Diablo Cody, which began airing on Showtime in 2009. The series follows the life of Tara , a suburban housewife and mother coping with dissociative identity disorder....
- Wild ThingsWild Things (TV series)Wild Things is an eight episode reality television series which features three transgender women on a fundraising road-trip to earn money for a relative with a life-threatening disease. The series stars Maria Roman, Tiara Russell and Cassandra Cass...
- ZOS: Zone of SeparationZOS: Zone of SeparationZOS: Zone of Separation is a Canadian television drama mini-series, co-executive produced by Paul Gross.It is an eight-part Canadian original drama mini-series about the life and death struggle to enforce a U.N.-brokered ceasefire in the fictional, Sarajevo-like town of Jadac.-Plot:ZOS is a...
Programming
Before other Canadian specialty networks like TSNThe Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
and MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
were licensed, First Choice was the network for watching premium (commercial-free) professional sporting and concert events. Sports came from such sources as ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
, and HBO.
Before the advent of stereo
Multichannel television sound
Multichannel television sound, better known as MTS , is the method of encoding three additional channels of audio into an NTSC-format audio carrier.- History :...
television and home theatre
Home cinema
Home cinema, also commonly called home theater, are home entertainment set-ups that seek to reproduce a movie theater experience and mood with the help of video and audio equipment in a private home....
systems we have today, subscribers who paid for cable FM service could receive a stereo feed of First Choice.
Its slogan was: "Look out for number one! Look out for First Choice!"
Controversy
First Choice originally aired programming from the American Playboy Channel. Feminist groups voiced their opposition to this. First Choice aired a two-hour block of Playboy programming during a late night time slot on Friday during its first year.Pricing
When First Choice applied to the CRTC, they initially estimated that to program major American movies, entertainment specials and Canadian movies and specials, pay for satellite time, and marketing of the channel, they could sell it to the cable companies at a wholesale rate of $7.50/month. However, by the time the channel launched, and the cable companies had their take of the pay-TV pie, the retail cost of First Choice jumped significantly to $15.95.Duopoly issue
For many years, the de facto twin regional monopoliesMonopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
of The Movie Network and Movie Central has been subject to criticism. At the time, no other similar premium services broadcasted within Canada. Critics argued that this limits competition and consumer choice, while proponents say there is very little in content or functionality that it is not already offered by the existing services.
In July 2005, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the Canadian federal broadcast regulator, announced that public hearings would begin on October 24, 2005 on four broadcast group applications for new national pay TV licences. Each applicant said they would commit towards the creation of more Canadian program content.
On May 18, 2006, it was announced that the Allarco Entertainment application was accepted, while the other three were rejected. This approved application effectively ended The Movie Network/Movie Central duopoly in Canada. On November 2, 2007, the new service launched as Super Channel.