Undercurrents (TV program)

Last updated
Undercurrents
Genre News magazine
Presented by Wendy Mesley
Country of originCanada
Original languageEnglish
Production
Running time30 minutes
Original release
Network CBC
Release1995 (1995) 
2001 (2001)

Undercurrents was a Canadian news magazine television program that was hosted by Wendy Mesley. It focused on media, marketing and technology. [1]

Contents

Overview

The series, which debuted in 1995, primarily concentrated on investigative and documentary reports about media, marketing and technology, such as examining media coverage of controversial issues. [1] Its debut episode drew 800,000 viewers despite having received little advance publicity and having been scheduled so hastily that it wasn't even listed in that week's TV Guide listings; [1] the episode examined the role of video in criminal trials, using the Paul Bernardo trial as its hook. [1]

Mesley was interviewed about the program's cancellation in 1997 by Scan Magazine.

Mesley won two Gemini Awards for Best Host or Interviewer of a News or General Information Series for her work on Undercurrents, in 1999 [2] and 2001. [3]

In 2001, Undercurrents was folded into the new series CBC News: Disclosure , cohosted by Mesley and Diana Swain. [4] The new show did not continue to discuss the media or technology; instead, the media analysis theme was picked up by a different new CBC series, MediaWatch. [5]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Wendy Mesley returns with new series". The Gazette , June 25, 1995.
  2. Antonia Zerbisias, "CBC cops 41 Geminis ; Public network dominates news and information awards; CTV dramas win big". Toronto Star , November 8, 1999.
  3. "Cold Squad, Da Vinci hot at Geminis". Vancouver Sun , October 29, 2001.
  4. "Dynamic duo: Wendy Mesley and Diana Swain hope to shock viewers with their new CBC show Disclosure". Halifax Daily News , November 13, 2001.
  5. "Lots of buzz for media show: Chattering classes brace for CBC show about -- themselves". National Post , August 3, 2002.