We asked and they answered. Broadcast experts in the French-speaking market talk about the best bets on TV in Montreal. This is the first in a two-part series that examines which shows will net the most eyeballs at 8 and 9 p.m.
*N.B. Because of constant, up-to-the-minute changes to the nets’ fall lineup in Montreal, there’s much dissent among our broadcast pundits’ opinions as to which of their programming grids is the most up to date. The opinions below are based on each person’s version of the grid.
Line Contant, broadcast supervisor at Allard-Johnson Communications, believes that ‘Radio-Canada (R-C) has been revamping their schedule to appeal to the masses. They’re very cultural, very high art but now, they’re adding shows that are more for everybody. The quality is still there but it’s becoming more accessible for all.’
Carol Cummings, director of TV services at Media Experts shares that opinion. ‘SRC was really losing share last year but they came out with a good one in Les Bougon so good for them. It’s about time.’
Marketel media buyer Marie-Josée Dionne echoed that, saying: ‘They came back with new shows such as Tout le monde en parle and this helped them gain back their share. It’s very popular.’
But SRC won’t win many timeslots, according to buyers. Dionne’s pick for Monday night at eight? ‘Annie et ses hommes [on TVA] is the winner,’ she says. ‘It’s always better than [Radio-Canada’s] L’auberge du chien noir.’
Contant agrees. ‘That show has been on forever,’ she says about Annie. ‘And it’s still doing well.’
The vote appears unanimous as Cummings predicts the same. ‘Annie et ses hommes has always done well, and I think it will continue to win.’
For 9 p.m., Contant says: ‘La Promesse is new [on TVA.] I didn’t hear anything good or bad about it. In Quebec, there are no pilots so it’s difficult to say.’
‘At nine is Au nom de la loi [on R-C,]’ says Dionne. ‘It’s a dark cop thriller and it’s running against Les ex [on TVA at 9:30.] We like sitcoms and the other one is very dark so I think Les ex will win.’
‘R-C has Au nom de la loi and I think the story line is good,’ says Cummings. ‘And (lead) Patrick Huard is popular. The show is about a guy who goes to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. There seems to be a lot of prison-themed shows on Monday night.’
For Tuesday at 8 p.m., she predicts that TVA will take the whole night. ‘Beginning with Star Academie at 7:30 and then they have Histoires de filles and Km/h – these are all top shows.’
And at 9 p.m., the net’s La Promesse promises to steal eyeballs because ‘it’s got very weak competition.’
Dionne predicts the same for Tuesday nights. ‘Both Histoires de filles and Km/h are always number one and they’ve been in that timeslot forever. They each averaged 1.2 million [viewers] last spring for each episode while Providence [on R-C] had about 700,000. And I think this will happen again this year.’
For 9 p.m., she says: ‘La promesse is on TVA and it’s against Enjeux, [on R-C.] Enjeux is an info show and La promesse is drama and it’s new. I think La promesse will do better. People like family drama-type shows here. Enjeux is stable but La promesse is entertaining.’
According to Contant: ‘Providence did well last year but Histoires de filles and Km/h will win that slot. It’s like Will & Grace in genre and it’s been there for years and does very well.’
For Tuesdays at 9 p.m., she says that ‘Enjeux has its niche. Personally, because I’m bilingual, I’ll watch Amazing Race.’
Look out for the Fall in Montreal Wednesday to Friday night predictions in the next issue of MIC.
