Sunday 15 April 2018

Not A Lot Goin' On - Corner Gas News April 2018

It is well recorded that it is hard to break into the world of world record breaking breaking records. In as much as I tried I could not get the people at Guinness to identify me as having smashed the most vinyl LP's between the period of 1981 and 2015. When I called them, they were so full of doubt and skepticism. Rude! Apparently, seventeen broken long players in such an extended period of time didn't show off the psychical aptitude or skill required to obtain recognition! Then they had the audacity to request proof of my record breaking broken records attempt, of which I had none. If I had known they were not just going to take my word for it I would have stopped my mum from tiding my bedroom up.

Monday 2 April 2018

A Lovely Chat with Lorne Cardinal

It is very difficult to describe how I was feeling just before the conversation I am about to transcribe for you. A few seconds before I was to interview the legendary Lorne Cardinal I was talking to the equally legendary Fred Ewanuick and Nancy Robertson. In readiness for these little chats I had spent rather a long time putting together a copious amount of questions that I hoped would be a little against the norm and will belay any boredom in my subjects who were half way through a two day press marathon, no doubt being asked the same few questions over and over.

What I hadn't quite prepared for was that Fred and Nancy were a right couple of chatty charlies! Their down to earthness threw me off guard. Now I wasn't sure what to expect when the second part of my interview was to take place. I had to decide if I should throw caution to the wind and wing it to keep the relaxed atmos flowing. Maybe I should stick to the script so the powers that be who organised the whole thing don't get cross and make me sit on the naughty step, for not pushing Corner Gas Animated enough in my questioning. The naughty step, in this case, would geographically mean I would have to go and sit on the coast of the Isle of Wight pointing in the direction of Nova Scotia until I agree to be good

I needn't have worried, Mr. Cardinal was as equally forthcoming and charming. Which made me realise something important.

A Lovely Chat with Fred Ewanuick and Nancy Robertson

April 2nd. A red letter day in all our diaries. A day that will go down in the annuls of televisual history. I think we all know what I am talking about (if I was texting, this is where I would put an emoji of a winky face.) Yes indeed, today is Easter Bank Holiday and ITV 3 have scheduled a back to back Carry On marathon for a historic 37th year in a row!

Here in England, on a bank holiday such as today, the government arranges for it to pis...rain very hard so all we can do is stay in drink tea and watch the mandated Carry On films until the holiday is over or our eyes start bleeding, which ever comes first. It's the law you know, if you fail to watch at least Carry on Camping and at Carry on at Your Convenience you can be fined up to £350 or do a week of community service.

Elsewhere in the world excitement has reached fever pitch as the premiere of Corner Gas Animated is only hours away! This week the cast and crew were running around Toronto promoting like crazy and having a lovely time of it by the looks of things. Three of the gang took time out of their hectic schedule to take the weight of their feet and have a little chat with me about the up coming show, future projects and an awful lot about how awesome British telly is.

Fred Ewanuick (FE), Nancy Robertson (NR) spoke to me over the phone. It was a real thrill when they called, mainly because it meant I wasn't paying the phone bill.

Sunday 1 April 2018

By Popular Demand - Hook, Line and Sinker (Season 1, Episode 11)


Review by Charles Culbertson - Corner Gas Fan Corner's Official U.S. Correspondent 

               I've gone on record as saying that my favorite Corner Gas episode is "Buzz Driver." Ian Richards noted it in his eloquent and moving review of the episode, and one would naturally suppose that I'm hedged in by the public record. But fortunately, in this ever-evolving Internet world of ours, it's okay to waffle, bail out, switch allegiances, and even abandon ship. All of which I'm now doing, since I've changed my mind about my favorite CG episode. It's now "Hook, Line and Sinker."
               Even more significantly, this review is the result of a confluence of epic events.
               First, while recently perusing my collection of the CG seasons, I chose to watch "Hook, Line and Sinker"—mostly because it's been awhile since I last watched it. So I did. And then I watched it again. And then, as breathlessly as I'm writing this epistle, I emailed Ian and suggested a review of this intensely funny episode from the lives of the Dog River gang.
               Here's where the confluence comes in. At about the time I was hooting and chortling over "Hook, Line and Sinker," Ian was receiving an email from one of his untold millions of devoted fans. This one went by the name of Mike Thomas—location unknown—who extolled the virtues of "Hook, Line and Sinker" and suggested a review of same. Ian said that he had fully expected to write the review himself, but that his parole officer had mandated some additional community service and he was finding it hard to get to his computer. Apparently there was a lot of litter to be picked up on a roundabout near his home.
               Anyway. Ian asked if I could write the review, and I acquiesced. One simply doesn't argue with a jackass like Ian. I'd be a jackass if I did. So: for you, Mike Thomas, wherever you are, here's a look at your favorite episode and mine, "Hook, Line and Sinker."