Saturday Night at the Movies, TVOntario’s longtime film-and-interviews block, will have a new host as of October 2, 2010.  Thom Ernst will step in front of the camera as SNAM‘s new host, though he has been an off-camera interviewer for companion show The Interviews.  Ernst has been with SNAM in various roles since 1998.

SNAM has had a few hosts in its 37-season history: Elwy Yost, Shelagh Rogers and Johanna Schneller.  The show has embraced a hostless format for much of the 2000s.

SNAM will preface its 37th season with 36 Years of Conversation, which airs September 25, 2010 at 8:00 PM ET, SNAM‘s usual start time.  This special is basically the best of The Interviews.

I’m glad to see Saturday Night at the Movies embrace a host format again.  I’m not familiar with Thom Ernst’s work, but TVO has promoted an in-house producer to the host role.  He should be well familiar with how the show works.

SNAM‘s overall format has gone wayward its last few years.  It’s morphed from a showcase for older films into a general-interest film block.  SNAM also has the tendency to repeat films it’s already aired, like Brazil and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.

I’m not sure how many films on Saturday Night at the Movies this year are new to TVO.  I know both Videodrome and The Host are rehashes.

Current SNAM is at its best when it airs curios like West is West and Phantom of the Paradise.  I wish SNAM would air more obscure and/or underappreciated films.

Even given TVO’s perpetual budget problems, it could try for Coonskin and Rock & Rule.  I’m not kidding about those suggestions.

I really want to see more animated films on TVO.  It’s an avenue well worth exploring – The Plague Dogs, the original Heavy Metal, Allegro Non Troppo, even A Town Called Panic.  If none of the mentioned films fit SNAM‘s m.o., I want to know why.

As mentioned by Etan Vlessing of Kidscreen, TVOntario has applied to the CRTC proposing a TVOKids+ channel.  TVOKids+ will more than duplicate its children’s programming block, expanding it to fit a 24-hour schedule.

The channel will not carry advertising, save for “sponsor messages” similar in nature to TVOntario.  TVOKids+ will fulfill the same educational mandate as TVOKids, which is aimed at children ten years (i.e., Grade 5) and younger.  The CRTC will hear TVO’s application on May 12, 2010.

I have to wonder where TVOntario is going with this.  TVO’s “Go Public” campaign essentially asks viewers to give the network more financial support.  TVO’s even using the “Viewers Like You” tag before its shows, which is the last thing it should be cribbing from PBS.

On the other hand, TVOKids is a major part of TVO’s broadcast schedule.  A spinoff actually makes sense, given TVO’s reputation for educational programming.  At least the channel has a stated purpose and goal.

Whether TVOKids+ can help TVO make money is another matter, but it’s not like TVO has that many assets to spin off.  What else can it launch?  A documentary channel?  24 hours of The Agenda with Steve Paikin reruns?  It’s probably better to focus on the Internet, since that’s where the real action will be in the future.

To promote TVOntario’s four-part documentary series Empire of the Word, author Tish Cohen will serialize a work of fiction on TVO’s Twitter account from today until November 25.

TVO will debut Empire of the Word November 25 at 10:00 PM ET, as part of The View From Here.  TVO will make each Empire of the Word episode available online following broadcast.  The show is hosted by Alberto Manguel, author of A History of Reading.

I’m not impressed with the work posted on TVO’s Twitter account thus far.  The main problem with serializing something on Twitter is the nature of “lifestream” services.  The most recent post goes first, followed by the second-most recent, and so on.  The story reads backwards on a Twitter page, unless one goes to the trouble of reading the posts in reverse chronological order.  In addition, a post unrelated to the story interrupts the story’s flow.

I figure TVO is doing this intentionally.  Given Empire of the Word‘s focus and the way it’s being promoted, it wouldn’t surprise me.  At any rate, TVO has a far better grasp of Twitter than Margaret Atwood.  If Mondoville doesn’t have disdain for this stunt, TVO must be doing something right.

Highlander: The Series’ first season out on Blu-ray September 15, 2009, at least if one pre-orders the set through LegendaryHeroes.com.

Temporary package art for the Blu-ray set.  For Highlander: The Series‘ first Blu-ray release, “subtle” animated graphics fill bars left by the transition from full-frame to widescreen.

I think it’s a cheesy image, Super Game Boy meets the Quickening, but I’m not the consumer Davis-Panzer Productions is trying to impress.  Highlander: The Series is a cash cow, an immortal cash cow.  THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!  MOO!

---

Press release for Inspector Gadget: The Go Go Gadget Collection.  Don Adams’ and Frank Welker’s voiceover talents are noted.  What, no Cree Summer?  Brain gets credit over Penny?  Eh, what can you do.  It’s a press release and you’ve already forgotten about it by now.

---

TVOntario’s Get Ready For School DVD out since August 4, 2009.  I can’t believe it took TVO until 2009 to enter the world of consumer DVD, but it’s a start.  Yes, Polkaroo’s involved, although the godlike kangaroo mutant plays second fiddle to Gisèle’s Big Backyard.  Everyone does now.

Mongrel Media and TVO might each have a steady revenue stream on their hands, even if TVO entered the home entertainment game at a horrible time.  If the success of Get Ready For School leads to Eureka! and Prisoners of Gravity sets down the road, I’m all for it.  The story so far…

---

Just for Laughs Volume 3: Launching Pad on DVD October 20, 2009 through Image Entertainment.  Just for Laughs is selling this set on the strengths of Jeff Dunham, Dane Cook, Ray Romano, Russell Peters and other profitable comedians.

Has it ever occurred to JfL to release the Andy Kindler State of the Industry Addresses in their entirety?  They would be the DVDs to own, rather than the CliffsNotes run-throughs of stand-up comedy material.  The Just for Laughs merchandising juggernaut will continue unabated, so here’s a praying mantis puppet to end this post.