Draft:2000 Today (Canadian TV show)

2000 Today
Also known as	2000 Today
Presented by	Peter Mansbridge Laurie Brown Alison Smith
Country of origin	Canada
Production
Production locations	Canadian Broadcasting Centre, Toronto, Canada (Primary)
Running time	25 hours
Original release
Network	CBC Television
Release	December 31, 1999 (1999-12-31) – January 1, 2000 (2000-01-01)

2000 Today was CBC News' special programming covering the new millennium celebrations around the world from December 31, 1999, into January 1, 2000, as part of the 2000 Today programming in Canada. Peter Mansbridge anchored the 25 of broadcast from Canadian Broadcasting Centre in Toronto. CBC temporarily converted the entrance into a type of "millennium command centre" that included a desk, where a standing Mansbridge spent most of his time, two lounge chairs, where Mansbridge would interview guests, a large screen with a time-zone included map of the world, a wall of clocks, and a makeshift Canadian Broadcasting Centre where CBC News staffers would follow the latest developments.

Broadcast highlights

Originally, the name of the broadcast was 2000 Today, but it was officially retitled as the same because CBC Television joined 60 other nations, all celebrating the dawn of the new millennium. The network was part of the 2000 Today consortium that included PBS, WGBH, the BBC in the United Kingdom, ATV in Hong Kong, RCTI in Indonesia, RTM in Malaysia, CCTV in China, TCS and Singapore Television Twelve in Singapore, ABC in Australia, TV Asahi in Japan, MBC in South Korea, SABC in South Africa, TVE in Spain, Rede Record in Brazil, GMA Network in the Philippines, RTL in Germany, RTP in Portugal, TV3 in New Zealand, Televisa and Once TV in Mexico, TVN in Chile, Radio-Canada, TF1 and France 2 in France, RAI in Italy, ABC in the United States, and RTÉ in Ireland. (The program was nonetheless consistently promoted under the same name.

This was by far the most comprehensive coverage of any of the broadcast networks.

Peter Mansbridge stayed on the air for the entire duration without a break using only commercial breaks and correspondent pieces to rest, eat, or change suits. He changed his wardrobe four times, including wearing a tuxedo when Canadians celebrate the new millennium at the end of the 2000 Today broadcast.

At least millions of Canadians tuned into some portions of 2000 Today.

Development

2000 Today was conceived as part of the Millennium celebrations, given the numerical significance of the change from 1999 to 2000.

The program was produced and televised by an international consortium of 60 broadcasters, including CBC and headed by the BBC in the United Kingdom and WGBH in the United States. The BBC provided the production hub for receiving and distributing the 78 international satellite feeds required for this broadcast.

Production

CBC launched their millennium eve programming on November 1999. At the time the program was described as the largest, single television show in Canadian history. Up to 2,000 staff worked on the 2000 Today project worldwide, with hundreds of workers based at the Canadian Broadcasting Centre. In all three television studios were utilized while four outside satellite units, cameras in various locations worked to pull together an array of images from around both the country and globe.