‘Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story’ March 12-13 on CBC

Public network finally gets around to airing the miniseries it delayed until after the election

Ottawa (22 Feb. 2006) - The CBC is finally going to air Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story, a two-part miniseries about the founder of Candian medicare on March 12 and 13.

The public network announced that the miniseries would be delayed until after the Jan. 23 federal election, apparently because the story of the man who inspired Canada to adopt the most progressive and universal public health care system in the world might be interpreted as politically biased toward the NDP.

Curiously the network, whose bills are paid by ordinary taxpayers, had no qualms about broadcasting a production called Medicare Schmedicare on Dec. 8, a Passionate Eye production attacking medicare and promoting the biases of politicians favouring private health care.

“Is one-tier medicare a myth? Have we been saluting its founder, the ‘Greatest Canadian’ Tommy Douglas as an emperor who really has no clothes?” the CBC asked at the time on its web site.

Inexplicable

Even more inexplicably, the network went on to promote the program as a matter of national importance in the context of a federal election.

“As the country heads toward an election in which our health care system promises to be an emotional issue, Medicare Schmedicare takes the highly unorthodox stance that two-tier health care is already here and thriving. Medicare Schmedicare offers viewers an inside look at private health care clinics across Canada - where $1,250 can get you immediate access to a doctor.”

What was going through the CBC’s head? Was it sucking up to the Tories in advance, fearing they might win the election and that the network might thus draw more fire from Conservative politicians than it had already?

At the time, CBC spokesperson Ruth-Ellen Soles had the gall to say that the postponement was made by the CBC to ensure balance and fairness.

“Our goal in any of our election coverage is, of course, to be able to be as fair and balanced as we possibly can, and we work very hard at that. And we were concerned that there would be a perception of partisanship if it ran during the campaign,” she claimed.

So Medicare Schmedicare aired as scheduled, knocking Douglas’ legacy, but not Prairie Giant (which was scheduled in January), putting Douglas’ legacy in a more positive light.

Election now over

Now, with the election over, the pro-CBC Liberals gone and the anti-CBC Tories in power, the network seems to have decided it can risk telling Douglas’ story.

To say the least, it’s curious behaviour for a public network whose viewers, by the millions, voted Tommy Douglas the “Greatest Canadian” of all time in a contest that ran for nearly eight months in 2004.

Still, better late than never.

Prairie Giant, which runs four hours in total, focuses on Douglas’ extraordinary achievements as a political leader and his long-honoured legacy of social reforms and causes.

“Vision, eloquence, wit and passionate commitment to social causes made Tommy Douglas an unstoppable force,” says Kevin De Walt of Minds Eye Entertainment in Regina, the company that produced the miniseries.

“Now more than ever, this story will inspire generations of Canadians to preserve his precious legacy - the legacy of a spirited champion of the people.”

Web posted by NUPGE: 24 February 2006