Juliette (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Juliette is a Canadian
music variety television series which aired on CBC Television
from 1956 to 1966.
made early Canadian radio and television appearances on series such as Holiday Ranch
. She was a regular on The Billy O'Connor Show
from 1955 and inherited that show's time slot in 1956 following a dispute with O'Connor.
The series opened with the tag line, "[n]ow let's meet, and greet, your pet. . .Ju-u-liette", as delivered by announcer Gil Christie. Juliette then greeted the audience saying, "Hi there, everybody." Each episode proceeded with selections of current and past popular music then Juliette finished the programme with her phrase, "Good night, Mom.".
Bobby Gimby
was a regular performer during the series' initial years, joined by an "escort" or male vocalist. Other regular performers included the vocal groups The Four Romeos (1959-1965) and The Four Mice (1960-64).
Player's cigarettes
was a key show sponsor; series announcer Gil Christie also narrated the company's advertisements.
. In 1957, each episode's production cost was $6000. Visiting artists included Eleanor Collins, Jack Jones
, Marg Osborne and Earl Wrightson
. Gino Silvi provided choral arrangements for the series.
Significant changes were made for the final 1965-66 season. Bill Isbister, musical director since the program's debut, was replaced by Lucio Agostini
. More attention was given to visiting artists and a new "This Week" segment was introduced to promote particular performers and their upcoming events. The Art Hallman Singers became regular performers.
and national newscast. Its first season's air time was 11:10 p.m..
The cancellation of Juliette was made public by CBC on 7 April 1966, announcing that its star would move "into the field of one-hour specials". The time slot that September was replaced by the short-lived multicultural music series A World of Music
. Meanwhile, Juliette was scheduled for at least two appearances in the 1966-67 season on the network's Show of the Week Monday broadcasts.
Globe and Mail
columnist Dennis Braithwaite took a critical view of the programme's quality. When Juliette was cancelled in 1966, he noted the star's "real trouble has been her failure to grow as a performer" during the ten seasons. Braithwaite further felt the automatically high audience levels following the hockey broadcasts curtailed any incentive for creative production and improved program financing.
Television in Canada
Television in Canada officially began with the opening of the nation's first television stations in Montreal and Toronto in 1952. As with most media in Canada, the television industry, and the television programming available in that country, are strongly influenced by the American media, perhaps...
music variety television series which aired on CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
from 1956 to 1966.
Premise
Juliette CavazziJuliette (singer)
Juliette Augustina Sysak Cavazzi, CM , nicknamed , is a Canadian singer and television host who was featured on CBC Television from the 1950s through the 1970s....
made early Canadian radio and television appearances on series such as Holiday Ranch
Holiday Ranch
Holiday Ranch was a Canadian television variety series airing on the CBC from 1953 to 1958. The show initially aired on weeknights then moved to a weekly Saturday night schedule before Hockey Night in Canada....
. She was a regular on The Billy O'Connor Show
The Billy O'Connor Show
The Billy O'Connor Show was a Canadian variety television series which aired on CBC Television from 1954 to 1956.-Premise:Billy O'Connor, a jazz musician, hosted this series with a small house band - Vic Centro , Kenny Gill and Jackie Richardson . Jack Duffy and Bill Isbister also made frequent...
from 1955 and inherited that show's time slot in 1956 following a dispute with O'Connor.
The series opened with the tag line, "[n]ow let's meet, and greet, your pet. . .Ju-u-liette", as delivered by announcer Gil Christie. Juliette then greeted the audience saying, "Hi there, everybody." Each episode proceeded with selections of current and past popular music then Juliette finished the programme with her phrase, "Good night, Mom.".
Bobby Gimby
Bobby Gimby
Bobby Gimby, was a Canadian orchestra leader, trumpeter, and singer/songwriter.-Biography:He was born Robert Stead Gimby in Cabri, Saskatchewan where he played in a boys' band. He was a member of the popular radio show The Happy Gang...
was a regular performer during the series' initial years, joined by an "escort" or male vocalist. Other regular performers included the vocal groups The Four Romeos (1959-1965) and The Four Mice (1960-64).
Player's cigarettes
John Player & Sons
John Player & Sons, known simply as Player's, was a tobacco and cigarette manufacturer based in Nottingham, England. It is today a part of the Imperial Tobacco Group.-History:...
was a key show sponsor; series announcer Gil Christie also narrated the company's advertisements.
Production
The series was produced at CBC Toronto and was broadcast live. Its rehearsals were frequently conducted immediately prior to air time during Hockey Night in CanadaHockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...
. In 1957, each episode's production cost was $6000. Visiting artists included Eleanor Collins, Jack Jones
Jack Jones (singer)
John Allan "Jack" Jones is an American jazz and pop singer. He was one of the most popular vocalists of the 1960s.-Overview:...
, Marg Osborne and Earl Wrightson
Earl Wrightson
Earl Wrightson was an American singer and actor best known for musical theatre, concerts and television performances. His regular singing partner was the soprano Lois Hunt.-Early life and career:...
. Gino Silvi provided choral arrangements for the series.
Significant changes were made for the final 1965-66 season. Bill Isbister, musical director since the program's debut, was replaced by Lucio Agostini
Lucio Agostini
Lucio Agostini was an Italian-born composer, arranger, and conductor who established his career in Canada.-Life:...
. More attention was given to visiting artists and a new "This Week" segment was introduced to promote particular performers and their upcoming events. The Art Hallman Singers became regular performers.
Scheduling
This series was broadcast from 27 October 1956 to 18 June 1966, generally after the Saturday hockey broadcastHockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...
and national newscast. Its first season's air time was 11:10 p.m..
The cancellation of Juliette was made public by CBC on 7 April 1966, announcing that its star would move "into the field of one-hour specials". The time slot that September was replaced by the short-lived multicultural music series A World of Music
A World of Music (TV series)
A World of Music was a Canadian musical variety television series which aired on CBC Television in 1966.-Premise:This series was hosted by folk singers Malka and Joso who presented music in various languages from various cultures....
. Meanwhile, Juliette was scheduled for at least two appearances in the 1966-67 season on the network's Show of the Week Monday broadcasts.
Reception
The series attracted substantial viewership, exceeding one million viewers per episode, retaining a large proportion of the ratings of the preceding hockey games. Juliette's performance style on the series was inoffensive, positive and informal.Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
columnist Dennis Braithwaite took a critical view of the programme's quality. When Juliette was cancelled in 1966, he noted the star's "real trouble has been her failure to grow as a performer" during the ten seasons. Braithwaite further felt the automatically high audience levels following the hockey broadcasts curtailed any incentive for creative production and improved program financing.