Canadia: 2056 approaching: T-Minus 2 Days

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Canadia 2056CBC producer Joe Mahoney has posted what looks like the official art for the Canadia: 2056! Also, Matt Watts, the writer/lead actor in the show will be interviewed on Q CBC Radio One’s new arts and culture radio show around 3:00 PM Toronto time Thursday April 19th 2007. Even better have a listen to the three promos up on Matt Watts’ blog!

And though I risk sounding like the Roman senator Cato, I must remind you once again that… the first episode of Canadia: 2056 airs this Friday at 11:30 AM on CBC Radio One.

Canadia 2056 The Countdown Continues: T Minus 3 Days

SFFaudio News

Canadia 2056Woohoo! I got a preview of the first three episodes of CBC Radio One‘s new Comedy Science Fiction radio drama series Canadia 2056. This show is absolutely hilarious! Its a satirical look at Canada/US politics, the Canadian inferiority complexes, American obliviousness, universal bureaucracy, internet culture, Star Trek, CBC inside jokes, plenty of toilet humor (literally) and Iraq, Iraq, Iraq!

The viewpoint character, Midshipman Max Anderson, is an American (or at least as American as a Canadian stereotype of an American can be). He’s been saddled with the responsibility of being the USA’s liaison aboard the only Canadian ship in an otherwise all American invasion fleet headed towards an alien planet. It seems the planet “Ipampilash” refused to allow some galactic inspectors to land on their planet so the United States and its loyal friends in the Great White North declared war!

You can hear the first episode on Friday! Tune in…

April 20, 2007, 11:30 a.m on CBC Radio One (in Canada) and streaming online – worldwide.

Episode 1: Getting the replacement parts to leave Earth orbit is harder than getting episodes of the hot TV series Foxy Chalet (“the best Canadian show the American’s ever made”).

Episode 2: The stressed out crew of the Canadia has broken the speed of light barrier to catch up with the American fleet. Safe and secure, they’re now high on stress pills and low on brains. There’s a sequence between a homesick Midshipman and his ex-girlfriend that laugh is out loud funny.

Episode 3: A month into deep space and Midshipman Anderson has passport problems. The rest of the crew is also embroiled in a fight for supremacy with another maintenance ship – who gets to clean up the spill? He also learns a thing or two about the Canadian delicacy known as “poutine.”

Review of Big Big Space by Roger Gregg

SFFaudio Review

Big Big Space: The Complete Series
By Roger Gregg; Performed by a full cast
3 CD’s – 3 Hours [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Crazy Dog Audio Theatre
Published: 2001
ISBN: 689232069827
Themes: / Science Fiction / Comedy / Audio Drama /

Included in this 3 CD set are three hilarious one-hour audio dramas in 6 episodes – The Cabaret of Forbidden Celestial Delights, Big Jim Chancer and the Space Pirates, and The Zombies of Dr. Krell. The shows were originally broadcast on Ireland’s RTE Radio 1.

The cast of characters includes the crew of the starship Amadan: Captain Roslyn Sane, First Officer Hoax Minstrel, Counselor Disco Trojan, and Robot RomManDroid. The scripts have a lot of fun at the expense of the genre, and at the mainstays of Star Trek especially. Captain Roslyn Sane sounds and acts much like Trek’s Captain Janeway, and David Murray is brilliant as First Officer Hoax Minstrel – I swear he’s performing the part as “William Shatner as Captain Kirk” with hilarious results. The crew experiences adventures, dealing with teenage fractal quarks, evil accountants, and demanding extras, and poking witty, merciless fun at science fiction along the way.

All three shows were recorded live – live cast, live music, live effects, and live audience – which harkens back to the golden age of radio comedy. The shows are thoroughly entertaining and very funny. The live audience obviously enjoyed themselves, and so did I.

Don’t take my word for it! Listen to one of the episodes (“Who’s Afraid of Rotwang Krell”) at the Crazy Dog website.

The set is also available from ZBS.