He’s the Maaaap!

Avi Lewis, son of Stephen, hubby of Naomi, has a new show on CBC Newsworld. It is now halfway through a four-week run, with 22 minutes of content Monday to Thursdays (at 7:30 ET and 11:30 PT, to be precise). It is called On the Map, which is a great title except for the fact that it reminds me of that song from Dora the Explorer (“I’m the Maaaaap!”), but if you don’t have small children you need not suffer like I do.

My brain is a little tired from tweaking the new website, so I will just give you the description in his own words:

A fast-paced half-hour show with substance and attitude, On the Map combines sharp talk, compelling footage from around the globe, and a wide spectrum of passionate opinion. OTM gives viewers a look at the ‘why’ behind the international headlines, while also looking at stories that are often missing from the mainstream news cycle.

The point is, the show is excellent: worth watching, and supporting (tell CBC you like it). There is an accompanying website, with an archive of stories, which barely makes up for the fact that CBC appears to have put next to no effort in producing and promoting the show. Unfortunately for Avi, the low-end studio camera they gave him makes his picture jerky and wierd like watching the show on YouTube, even though his guests are filmed with the normal studio cameras and look just fine. As for promotion, I only knew the show was on because of an article in the Globe the day it premiered, and only that because I was on a plane and had the paper shoved into my hands.

Let’s hope the CBC brings the show back in the Fall for a full production run.