The dark and stormy night of the Writer’s Guild of America strike has been going on for, like, ever and shows no sign of approaching dawn. The warring parties haven’t had formal talks in weeks, most shows have run out of scripts, next season is in jeopardy and, worst of all, Stewart and Colbert have been forced to wing it during this unexpectedly exciting presidential primary season. Sure, you could just throw up your hands (or just throw up) and watch American Gladiators or, even ickier, Celebrity Apprentice. But there are flashlights to be found.

There ain’t no strike up here in Canada so our often overlooked (admittedly, often for good reason) domestic programming gets some desperately needed breathing room.

CBC has an unusually full winter slate — and unusually high ratings. Douglas Coupland’s jPod is joined by chick-com Sophie, a Quebecois production with no pretense of being interesting for boys; The Border — described as “24... but with a conscience” — is a terror-era series about Canadian immigration sparring with US Homeland Security; and MVP, which basically slapshots hockey players and puck bunnies into BBC’s Footballers Wives.

Global is offering up The Guard, a Pacific Ocean–set action-soap about the Coast Guard search-and-rescue team, shot in Squamish, BC, while Citytv debuts Murdoch Mysteries, about a revolutionary police detective in 1895 T.O. who uses forensic techniques to solve murders. It’s been dubbed a Victorian-era CSI, but sounds awful similar to Caleb Carr’s novel The Alienist set in the same time period about using now-contemporary profiling techniques to catch a serial killer.
CTV is airing the miniseries Would Be Kings (loosely based on Shakespeare’s King Henry IV) about crystal meth and corruption in Canada’s drug squad. This family tragedy revolves around two cop cousins — one good, one bad — who find themselves trading places.

Last, but so not least, is Degrassi: The Next Generation, Canadian TV’s most consistently high-quality series. The seventh season, already half-aired in the US, continues the show’s trademark controversially realistic plotlines.

Christian good girl Darcy gets roofied and suffers a slow-burn emotional meltdown. There’s also much drama to be mined when a fire forces rival school Lakehurst — y’know, the one that JT’s killer attended — to relocate to Degrassi’s hallowed halls. Plus, old-schooler Caitlin comes back, more students go after record deals and someone’s got testicular cancer.


Starlight
The writers’ strike tarnished the Golden Globes and may yet wreck the Oscars, but it’s also threatening next month’s Grammys. Feist has said she’ll be there if the show goes on, but there are other ways to enjoy Canadian music on TV without worry of a picket line.
Several months after Canada’s music critics picked the “best” homegrown album, the invite-only Polaris Music Prize ceremony will be aired. Nicely hosted by CBC Radio 3’s Grant Lawrence, the show features performances by Julie Doiron (reunited with Eric’s Trip), Chad VanGaalen, Besnard Lakes, Joel Plaskett, Miracle Fortress and surprise winner Patrick Watson (pictured).
Alas, no camera in the judges’ chambers means we’ll never know for sure if Watson won because he needed the $20,000 prize more than heavy-hitting no-shows Arcade Fire and Feist.
For Canadian music without the competition, check Stars: Live at the Rehearsal Hall. The latest entry in Bravo’s long-running live-to-tape series features the soft-rock Stars, led by duelling vocalists Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan, playing from their latest LP In Our Bedroom After The War. The set list includes the mesmerizing epics “Take Me To The Riot” and “The Night Starts Here,” plus old favourites “Ageless Beauty” and “Elevator Love Letter.”