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On the Spot (Canadian TV series)

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On the Spot was the first television series made specifically for TV by the National Film Board of Canada, and aired on CBC Television from 1953 to 1955.[1] Each episode reported on a different aspect of life in Canada and was introduced with the line "The National Film Board’s up-to-the-minute report of what’s happening somewhere in Canada”.[2] The series was originated by Bernard Devlin, with Robert Anderson as executive producer.[3]

On the Spot
Created byBernard Devlin
Presented byFred Davis
Robert Anderson
Lloyd Bochner
Austin Willis
Country of originCanada
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes66
Production
Executive producerRobert Anderson
Running time13-30 minutes
Production companyNational Film Board of Canada
Original release
NetworkCBC
ReleaseOctober 6, 1953 (1953-10-06) –
June 30, 1955 (1955-06-30)
Related
Perspective

The series debuted on October 6, 1953, at 7:45 pm and ran until June 30, 1955, for a total of 66 episodes. Episodes were from 13 to 30 minutes, with the CBC running one or two in one time slot. The series changed time slots frequently, playing as late as 11:45 pm on Monday nights before going to Sundays at 4:30 pm. The second season aired on Sundays at 10 pm. Cancelled after the 15th episode of the third season, On the Spot was replaced by Perspective, a 30-minute show that mixed documentary reports and dramatizations on contemporary Canadian issues.[4]

Episodes included Survival in the Bush, with producer Robert Anderson, acting as host, apparently dropped off in northern Quebec armed with just an axe; The Dresden Story, looking at racism in a small Ontario town, where the town's white and black populations insisted on being filmed separately; and Artist in Montreal, written and directed by Jean Palardy, looking at the Automatistes movement.[4][5]

Transpacific Flight involved an account of a flight across the Pacific Ocean in 1953, based on first-person interviews of the flight crew by Fred Davis.[6] Another aviation-themed episode was Radar Station (1953). The documentary involved an account of a visit to a radar station while it was involved in a simulated air attack and was based on first-person interviews, by RCAF Squadron Leader Bill Lee, of the station's staff.[7]

One episode that was cancelled was Backstage at Parliament, on the workings of the Canadian Parliament, with a mock session with actual members of Parliament. When the film was shown to the Prime Minister's Office, there were complaints about showing a session of Parliament without including the PM and the NFB was forced to shelve the episode.[4]

The episode Alcoholism won the Frigon Trophy for Best Canadian Television Programme on Film at the 1957 Gala Radiomonde et Télémonde.[8]

Regards sur le Canada

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Three On the Spot episodes were produced in French: Alcoholism (L'alcoolisme, est-ce une maladie?), Artists in Montreal (Artiste à Montréal) and Better Business Bureau. Devlin and Anderson then produced a French series for Quebec, Regards sur le Canada.[9] Thirty-nine 30-minute episodes of Regards sur le Canada aired on Radio-Canada from late 1953 through 1955. It was not new programming; this series was a combination of previously-released, market-appropriate documentaries and episodes of Eye Witness.

Episodes

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(Air dates are unavailable)[10]

1953

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Title Director Producer Length
The Winnipeg Story Bernard Devlin Bernard Devlin 14:34 min.
Winnipeg Ballet Bernard Devlin Bernard Devlin 15 min.
Oil Bernard Devlin Bernard Devlin 15 min.
Transpacific Flight Bernard Devlin Bernard Devlin 15 min.
It's Raining Soldiers! Bernard Devlin Bernard Devlin 15 min.
Football Story Bernard Devlin Bernard Devlin 15 min.
Hotel Story Bernard Devlin Bernard Devlin 13 min.
The Zoo in Stanley Park Bernard Devlin Bernard Devlin 14:47 min.
The Mounties' Crime Lab Bernard Devlin Bernard Devlin 15 min.
Saskatchewan Farm Museum Bernard Devlin Bernard Devlin 15 min.
Radar Station Allen Stark Allen Stark 15 min.

1954

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Title Director Producer Length
School for Charm Bernard Devlin Allen Stark 30 min.
Dresden Story Julian Biggs Grant McLean
Julian Biggs
Gordon Burwash 		30 min.
Story of a Newspaper Julian Biggs Bernard Devlin 14:12 min.
Laurentian Skiing Allen Stark Bernard Devlin 15 min.
Test Pilot Allen Stark Bernard Devlin 15 min.
The Strong Man Bernard Devlin Bernard Devlin 15 min.
Threshermen’s Reunion Rollo Gamble Robert Anderson 30 min.
Survival in the Bush Bernard Devlin Robert Anderson 30 min.
The Traffic Cop Jack Olsen Bernard Devlin 15 min.
Javanese Dancing Bernard Devlin Julian Biggs 15 min.
On Leave in Tokyo Bernard Devlin Bernard Devlin 15 min.
Police Club for Boys Allen Stark Bernard Devlin 15 min.
Artist in Montreal Jean Palardy Robert Anderson 30 min.
Hidden Power John Feeney Allen Stark 30 min.
Movies in the Mill Allen Stark Bernard Devlin 15 min.
Judo - Jinks Bernard Devlin Bernard Devlin 15 min.
Chinese Canadians Allen Stark Robert Anderson 30 min.
Food and Drug Patrol Allen Stark Allen Stark 30 min.
Korea, After the War Bernard Devlin Bernard Devlin 15 min.
Aviation Medicine Julian Biggs Bernard Devlin 15 min.
End of Tour Bernard Devlin Bernard Devlin 15 min.
Auto Production John Spotton Allen Stark 15 min.
Chosen Children Bernard Devlin Bernard Devlin 15 min.
Workshop for Science Gordon Burwash
Grant McLean 		Gordon Burwash
Grant McLean 		30 min.
Better Business Bureau Bernard Devlin Bernard Devlin 15 min.
Camera Men Allen Stark Bernard Devlin 15 min.
The Magnificent Julian Biggs Robert Anderson 30 min.
How to Climb a Mountain Walford Hewitson Robert Anderson 30 min.
The Doll Factory Julian Biggs Bernard Devlin 15 min.
Deep Sleep Jack Olsen Bernard Devlin 15 min.
The Car Mart Walford Hewitson Bernard Devlin 15 min.
Cancer Clinic Allen Stark Bernard Devlin 15 min.
Bureau of Missing Persons Bernard Devlin Allen Stark 30 min.
Curtain Time in Ottawa Bernard Devlin Bernard Devlin 14:21 min.
Harness Racing Bernard Devlin Bernard Devlin 15 min.
French Cuisine Bernard Devlin Bernard Devlin 15 min.
The Magic Men Jack Olsen Bernard Devlin 15 min.
Micro Movies Bernard Devlin Bernard Devlin 15 min.
Montreal Fire Department Allen Stark Allen Stark 15 min.
Vancouver's Chinatown Bernard Devlin Bernard Devlin 15 min.

1955

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Title Director Producer Length
Christmas Comes Twice Gordon Burwash
Grant McLean 		Gordon Burwash
Grant McLean 		30 min.
Routine Flight Gordon Burwash
Grant McLean 		Gordon Burwash
Grant McLean 		30 min.
Trends in Textiles Rollo Gamble Allen Stark 30 min.
Vertical Flight Grant McLean Grant McLean 30 min.
Two Countries, One Street Jean Palardy Robert Anderson 30 min.
Maritime Montage Julian Biggs
Rollo Gamble 		Robert Anderson 30 min.
Lunenburg - Home of the Bluenose Ernest Reid Robert Anderson 30 min.
Gold Rush Land Allen Stark Robert Anderson 30 min.
Food Facts John Feeney Allen Stark 30 min.
Prairie University John Feeney Robert Anderson 30 min.
Forest Wardens Allen Stark Allen Stark 30 min.
Backstage at Parliament Don Haldane Allen Stark 30 min.
Child Guidance Clinic Don Haldane Allen Stark 30 min.
Alcoholism Don Haldane Allen Stark 30 min.
Career College Rollo Gamble Allen Stark 30 min.

References

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  1. ^ "Series - On the Spot". onf-nfb.gc.ca. National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  2. ^ "On the Spot". nfb.ca. National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  3. ^ Allan, Blaine. "CBC Television Series, 1952-1982." Archived 2010-03-11 at the Wayback Machine Queen's Film and Media: Queen's University. Retrieved: January 21, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c Ohayon, Albert. "On the Spot: The NFB in the early days of television." National Film Board of Canada (NFB.ca), April 14, 2010. Retrieved: January 21, 2016.
  5. ^ Robertson, Clive (2006). Policy Matters: Administrations of Art and Culture. YYZ Books. p. 166. ISBN 9780920397367. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  6. ^ Weldon, Carolyne. "Jets, Floatplanes and Bombers: 15 NFB Films about Planes." National Film Board of Canada, June 12, 2012. Retrieved: January 12, 2016.
  7. ^ Armbruster, Fred. "National Film Board Videos: Radar Station". Canadian Civil Defence Museum Association. 2012. Retrieved: January 20, 2016.
  8. ^ "Alcoholism". onf-nfb.gc.ca. National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  9. ^ "Regards Sur le Canada". onf-nfb.gc.ca. National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  10. ^ "On the Spot". onf-nfb.gc.ca. National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
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