| It hasn’t even reached its one-year anniversary and already MTV Canada shows like The Hills, Two a Days and Dance Life have become part of the vocabulary of Canadian youth and twenty-somethings. Perhaps even more surprising, is the rise to stardom of the channel’s hosts. Even without playing music videos, MTV Canada has made its hosts every bit as important as the reality programming that they discuss.
One of these hosts is Jessi Cruickshank, who was born in a Calgary A&W when her mom came in for a Teen Burger and went into labour in the booth. Cruickshank’s first big break came while she was studying at the University of Toronto when she accompanied a friend to an audition for YTV and left with a job as host of Weird on Wheels.
A few years later opportunity knocked again when in New York for a weekend film festival, Cruickshank received a call from MTV. The problem was that she only had a few days to submit a demo tape.
"I literally asked some friend of a dude that was in New York to borrow a camera and I had someone come with me to Times Square for an hour to talk to Americans about Canadians," says Cruickshank. "A week later I was meeting with the president of MTV, which was so unexpected and I still feel very lucky to have this job."
Like all of the hosts, MTV has become Cruickshank’s life. She regularly works 12-hour days, doing everything from researching for interviews to producing segments. Despite her many roles, Cruickshank is best known as the co-host of the Laguna Beach and The Hills after-shows. Now a huge fan of the shows, she admits that having attended university to study English she was a little wary of reality programming at first.
"That was the first thing we did, they’re like ‘OK you’re the new host. Sit down, you’re going to watch Laguna Beach for the day.’ I’d never seen it. I started watching it and I was like ‘are you kidding me, I’m too good for this, I’m too smart for this.’ Then, four episodes in I’m like, ‘let’s watch the next one, Kristen did what now?’ I was really into it," says Cruickshank. "A lot of the time I question whether I really do love it or if I would be watching it if I didn’t have this job, and then I’ll sit and I’ll cry in an episode. I will physically shed tears and then I’ll realize it’s not a facade, I genuinely care about these characters and I love these shows."
Cruickshank appeared at age 12 in the 1996 Bob Saget directed TV movie For Hope and starred in a few films after university including Virtuality and The Pretender. She is happier acting like herself and hopes that by just being herself she can set a good example for younger audience members.
"I felt like I grew up watching idiot women on television and I really don’t want to be that. I want girls to see someone who is smart and funny and not like a lot of the female television personalities out there."
Senior vice president and general manager of MTV Canada, Brad Schwartz, says that the hosts are an integral part of MTV’s plan for creating a talk-based television community.
"People can lean back and watch a television show or they can lean forward and be a part of what they’re watching," says Schwartz. "By having our hosts come on during the commercial breaks and be on-air, and read people’s e-mails, or take a web-cam, or take a phone call, it allows us to be even more communicative with our audience and allows people to lean forward and be a part of the programming."
MTV Canada came on the air in March of 2006, taking over Talk TV’s license, which does not allow it to play music videos. Schwartz says that he could not be happier about the current license. MTV has adapted to become a lifestyles-based network and with websites allowing people to view any video they want whenever they want, he argues that the music video format has become outdated.
In its first year, MTV Canada relied heavily on recycled American programming, with much of the Canadian content coming from host-driven shows like MTV live, the Anna Cyzon entertainment show e2, and various after shows and mid-commercial talk segments. Though there were Canadian episodes of MTV mainstays Diary and Cribs, Schwartz says that viewers should expect more Canadian-based episodes and shows to start showing up in the station’s sophomore year.
"We are absolutely looking at doing a Canadian version of a reality show and not just reformats of popular MTV shows but original concepts, things that we think will be amazing in Canada."
Schwartz says that MTV is currently casting for Canadian episodes of MADE and that he would like to do something along the lines of a Canadian Real World or Laguna Beach-style show.
MTV vs. MuchMusic
MuchMusic may have gotten a break when MTV Canada’s broadcasting license forbade music videos, but the two stations are still going head-to-head when it comes to moulding the hearts and minds of impressionable young Canadians. How do the new versions of the old rivals match up?
· Hosts – Captained by Daryn Jones (formerly of The Buzz), the MTV stable of hosts is quirky, stylish and entertaining. From Leah Miller screaming through layers of makeup to Tim "dead-air" Deegan, MuchMusic’s current crew leave audiences pining for the days of Amanda Walsh and Rick Campanelli. Winner – MTV Canada
· Signature Show – MTV Live throws a hundred things at the wall each show and most of them stick. With great topics, engaging hosts and cutting-edge musical guests, it may be the best Canadian talk show since Jonovision. Much On Demand on the other hand features Miller flirting, Matt Babel posing and as much substance as the latest Beyonce song. Winner — MTV Canada
· Schedule Filler – Neither station shines when it comes to afternoon programming, whether it is MuchMusic playing the same 20 videos ad-nauseum or MTV’s mind-numbing lineup of dating shows, there is little to keep you home from work. Winner – tie
· Dance Show – Both stations have something to brag about when it comes to dance. MTV’s Dance Life takes on MuchMusic’s So You Think You Can Dance and Bump ’n’ Grind. Though good, the two American Idol-style shows don’t offer the same depth as MTV’s J-Lo produced, behind-the-scenes extravaganza. Winner – MTV Canada
· Celebrity Content – Gene Simmons and Ice T seem to be teaching their various brands of music to well-to-do youngsters every time you turn on MuchMusic, and MTV’s Xzibit has got to be running out of rides to pimp. It’s the weekly car crash that is House of Carters that puts Much over the top. Winner – Much Music
· Comedy – Hosted by That ’70s Show’s Wilmer Valderrama, who has as much street-cred as Mr. Belding, MTV’s Yo Momma causes more groans than it does laughs. MuchMusic’s Video on Trial, on the other hand, features a bevy of homegrown comedians openly biting the hand that feeds them. Hilarity more often than not ensues. Winner– MuchMusic
· Overall –Three years ago we might have been singing a different tune, but today’s MuchMusic is soundly defeated by the fresh-faced newcomer.
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