AN IMMODEST TV PROPOSAL

What Alex Strachan says a post-hockey CBC primetime landscape might look like:

Sunday

Homegrown drama early in the evening with proven, quality family fare like Heartland, Murdoch Mysteries or even Republic of Doyle, followed by adult drama, like the Danish noir Forbrydelsen, remade here as The Killing. Homegrown miniseries could feature an amalgam of French and English-language characters, stories and themes.

Monday

An evening of entertainment, comedy and satire, fronted by Rick Mercer, returning to his Rick Mercer’s Monday Report days, followed by sitcoms and standup-comedy showcases featuring up-and-coming homegrown comics.

Tuesday

A focus on Canadian history, natural and man-made, with a glimpse into the future as well: This kind of programming can be both edifying and entertaining, whether it’s in the vein of BBC’s Human Planet, or Fox and National Geographic’s Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey.

Wednesday

Nature and science programming. Think of how PBS’s Nova incorporates knowledge from leading U.S. universities.

Thursday

A showcase of arts programming. How about a behindthe-scenes documentary about a year in the life of the Stratford Festival or Cirque du soleil. For hosts, Drake one week, Win Butler of Arcade Fire the next? Yes, they could say no — but chances are nobody’s bothered to even ask.

Friday

How about expanding Marketplace to a full hour, beefing up its staff and putting resources into news. Everyone has a consumer complaint.

Saturday

A showcase for Canadian film, new and old, with a vibrant, charismatic host — David Cronenberg one week? Norman Jewison the next? — and a panel of actors, writers, musicians and artists who worked on the film in question.