CBC Archives: documentary dream factory

CBC Archives: documentary dream factory

Author: Bill Brioux September 8, 2025 Duration: 1:07:50
Send us Fan Mail Where do documentary filmmakers go to find that historic clip or interview nobody else has? Many turn to the CBC Archives in Toronto. The vast, climate controlled vaults at the CBC Broadcast Centre are home to approximately 1.5 million hours of digitized material. Those restored holdings are drawn from over 90,000 cans of film, 215,000 videos and over 270,000 audio assets. Classic CBC shows such as The Friendly Giant, This Hour Has 7 Days, and Hockey Night in Canada bro...

Ever wonder what really happens behind the glitz of your favorite shows? Tune into brioux.tv: the podcast for those answers, straight from the source. Veteran TV columnist Bill Brioux sits down each week with the people who shape what we watch-actors, network executives, writers, and other industry insiders. These aren't just promotional chats; they're candid, outspoken conversations that get into the nuts and bolts of the business while also uncovering the personal journeys behind the screen. Bill has a knack for getting his guests to open up, meaning you’ll hear fantastic behind-the-scenes stories, frank discussions about the challenges of the industry, and of course, plenty of laughs along the way. It’s like having a backstage pass to the entire world of television, delivered with the insight and familiarity only a seasoned pro like Brioux can provide. Whether you're a casual viewer or a film and TV buff, this podcast offers a unique, entertaining look at the forces driving your screen.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

brioux.tv: the podcast
Podcast Episodes
Private Eyes duo Priestley & Sampson head for The Coast [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:24
Send us Fan Mail As a TV beat reporter with an eye on the ratings, I never could understand why the Global television network walked away from their top-rated Canadian original hit Private Eyes in 2021. This breezy, styl…
Godspell doc director Nick Davis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:35
Send us Fan Mail Back in the ‘70s there was this hippie musical Godspell that ran for over a year in Toronto. The cast was mainly unknown at the time but wouldn’t stay that way for long. Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Gilda…
Son of a Critch: the final season [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:57
Send us Fan Mail As George Harrison once said, all things must pass. Which brings us to the fifth and final season of Son of a Critch, the CBC sitcom based on the early life of Mark Critch (This Hour Has 22 Minutes). Las…
Kathy Garver celebrates 60 years of Family Affair [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:47
Send us Fan Mail This week on brioux.tv: the podcast, meet a former child star who continues to impress -- Kathy Garver, best known for playing oldest sibling Cissy on Family Affair. The series premiered on Sept. 12, 196…
Marc Berman takes the Critics Quiz Pt. 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:54
Send us Fan Mail For Part Two of my conversation with "Programming Insider" Marc Berman, we continue with the back half of the Critics Quiz. What was the scariest thing you ever saw on television? Do you think the era of…
Marc Berman takes the Critics Quiz [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:38
Send us Fan Mail If you are reading this, you probably already follow Marc Berman, a.k.a. "Mister Television." In 1997, while at Mediaweek, Marc created The Programming Insider, the daily, digital online destination for…
FROM THE VAULT: late night's "Host Whisperer" Peter Lassally [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:49
Send us Fan Mail Back in 2008, I had the pleasure of interviewing Peter Lassally, then winding up his extraordinary career in late night as executive producer of The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson. For close to an h…
FROM THE VAULT: the late Ronnie Schell on Good Morning World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:31
Send us Fan Mail In 2022 I had the good fortune to welcome Ronnie Schell as a guest on this podcast. Schell was a familiar face and voice on TV for decades, most prominently as Jim Nabors' army pal on Gomer Pyle, USMC. H…
John Doyle Pt. II: from Late Shows to Heated Rivalries [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:44
Send us Fan Mail In Part II of this two-part conversation, retired Globe and Mail TV columnist John Doyle returns to talk a little bit more about soccer but mostly about our shared fascination with television. The two of…
John Doyle, soccer sherpa! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:39
Send us Fan Mail Can it be? Is that our John Doyle making sense of The World Cup in The Toronto Star? The former TV columnist at The Globe and Mail has come out of retirement to help explain why we are all suddenly mad f…