The Great Eastern (radio show)
Encyclopedia
The Great Eastern was a radio
comedy
show on CBC Radio One
. It ran from 1994 to 1999.
Billed as Newfoundland's Cultural Magazine, The Great Eastern was an hour long summer replacement show on CBC Radio One for the first two seasons, and then became a half hour regular show for the next three seasons.
of which hour long and half-hour long segments were broadcast on Radio One (and, through atmospheric anomalies, to Iceland
). Although content varied from show to show, most shows started with theme music
, moved to a hearty introduction and hello from host Paul Moth
, a visit to Ish Lundrigan and the BCN vault for old radio content, the "What's that noise from Newfoundland
" contest, and then to the meat of the show, which would involve anything from discussions of the religion
/get-rich-quick scheme Economology to Newfoundland Christmas radio plays.
, although to maintain the illusion of The Great Eastern as being a "real" show this was never mentioned on the show itself except during the closing credits of some seasons, when they were referred to as the BCN's "legal team."
attempted to cut the budget and suggest script changes aimed at making the show more accessible. The last episode of The Great Eastern aired in 1999 and, apart from a 2002 one-off celebrating the life of Guglielmo Marconi
, the show never returned to the CBC.
format amongst other content.
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
show on CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
. It ran from 1994 to 1999.
Billed as Newfoundland's Cultural Magazine, The Great Eastern was an hour long summer replacement show on CBC Radio One for the first two seasons, and then became a half hour regular show for the next three seasons.
The (Fictional) World of the Great Eastern
The Great Eastern purported to be a long-running show on the Broadcasting Corporation of NewfoundlandBroadcasting Corporation of Newfoundland
The Broadcasting Corporation of Newfoundland was the government-owned public radio service of the dominion of Newfoundland. Following Newfoundland's admission as a Canadian province in 1949, the BCN was absorbed into the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and its three main AM radio transmitters...
of which hour long and half-hour long segments were broadcast on Radio One (and, through atmospheric anomalies, to Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
). Although content varied from show to show, most shows started with theme music
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
, moved to a hearty introduction and hello from host Paul Moth
Paul Moth
Paul Boothby Simarin Moth was a fictional broadcaster on two CBC radio comedy shows: The Great Eastern and Sunny Days and Nights. He served as host on those two shows, which often featured comedic sketches of his personal life, presented as cinéma vérité in audio. Moth was portrayed by Newfoundland...
, a visit to Ish Lundrigan and the BCN vault for old radio content, the "What's that noise from Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
" contest, and then to the meat of the show, which would involve anything from discussions of the religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
/get-rich-quick scheme Economology to Newfoundland Christmas radio plays.
Characters of the Great Eastern
Some recurring characters on The Great Eastern are:- Paul MothPaul MothPaul Boothby Simarin Moth was a fictional broadcaster on two CBC radio comedy shows: The Great Eastern and Sunny Days and Nights. He served as host on those two shows, which often featured comedic sketches of his personal life, presented as cinéma vérité in audio. Moth was portrayed by Newfoundland...
(played by Mack Furlong), the mostly genial host. He has a shoe fetish, a fear of being probed by aliens, a checkered past replete with substance abuseSubstance abuseA substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
and a past career involving such things as directing MexicanMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
versions of Lassie movies. These events are probably covered in his book, "The Rocky Road to Recovery". - Erling Biggs (played by Jamie Fitzpatrick), the BCN's erudite "Weather Watchdog" and occasional substitute host for Paul Moth.
- J. Richard Candow, conservative pundit, lobbyist and political opportunist.
- Hollis Duffett, sound engineer for the Great Eastern and custodian of the "Noise from Newfoundland".
- Ariel Flint, liberal pundit and host of BCN's Show Trial.
- Jerome Granger, earnest host of the investigative journalism show Wearing the Wire.
- Kathleen Hanrahan, book reviewer, featured in the segment Wordworks.
- Morris Jesso, mortician host of the popular BCN series Interred.
- Ishmael "Ish" Lundrigan, the BCN's surly director of radio and custodian of the BCN vault. Old Ish is a BCN company man, fighting the union and cutting every corner.
- Rita Molloy (played by Jacinta Wall), host of The Five O'Clock News at 5:30.
- Ari Uldmanis, the BCN's "Latvian" Head of Engineering, likely a reference to real-life Newfoundland political figure and reputed Nazi collaborator Alfred Valdmanis.
Institutions of The Great Eastern
Institutions and locations in The Great Eastern universe included:- The BCN, the Broadcasting Corporation of Newfoundland, based in a former abbatoir on Duckworth Street in St. John's, proudly broadcasting "coal-fired radio" from its transmitter tower atop Mount Scio.
- UNSJ, the hyper-corporate University of Newfoundland at St. John's.
- Oougubomba, a fictional AfricaAfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n nation (capital: BeepbobalulaBe-Bop-A-Lula"Be-Bop-A-Lula" is a rockabilly song first recorded in 1956 by Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps.-Origins of the song:The writing of the song is credited to Gene Vincent and his manager, Bill "Sheriff Tex" Davis. There is evidence that the song was started in 1955, when Vincent was recuperating from...
) and former colony of Newfoundland, through which Paul Moth made a Heart of DarknessHeart of DarknessHeart of Darkness is a novella written by Joseph Conrad. Before its 1903 publication, it appeared as a three-part series in Blackwood's Magazine. It was classified by the Modern Library website editors as one of the "100 best novels" and part of the Western canon.The story centres on Charles...
-esque journey over the course of two episodes. - The Funks, based on the real (uninhabited) Funk IslandFunk IslandFunk Island is a small, barren, isolated, uninhabited island approximately northeast of Wesleyville, Newfoundland, Canada.-Geography:The island is roughly trapezoidal in shape, with a maximum length of 0.8 km and a maximum width of 0.3 km and is nearly flat, rising 14 m out of the North...
, allegedly containing the BCN's massive repeater stationRadio repeaterA radio repeater is a combination of a radio receiver and a radio transmitter that receives a weak or low-level signal and retransmits it at a higher level or higher power, so that the signal can cover longer distances without degradation. This article refers to professional, commercial, and...
. Crewing the repeater on the bird-infested Funk Islands was an experience that brought near madness to BCN crew members, including Paul Moth and Erling Biggs, who were sent there.
Behind The Great Eastern
The show was written by Mack Furlong, Glen Tilley, Steven Palmer, and Ed RicheEdward Riche
Edward Riche is a Canadian writer. He currently lives in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.-Background:Riche was born on October 24, 1961 in Botwood, Newfoundland, Canada. For three years he attended Memorial University, and then transferred to Concordia University in Montreal to study film. He...
, although to maintain the illusion of The Great Eastern as being a "real" show this was never mentioned on the show itself except during the closing credits of some seasons, when they were referred to as the BCN's "legal team."
The Decline of The Great Eastern
The Great Eastern developed a fairly large group of fans; however, late in the show's run the CBCCanadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
attempted to cut the budget and suggest script changes aimed at making the show more accessible. The last episode of The Great Eastern aired in 1999 and, apart from a 2002 one-off celebrating the life of Guglielmo Marconi
Guglielmo Marconi
Guglielmo Marconi was an Italian inventor, known as the father of long distance radio transmission and for his development of Marconi's law and a radio telegraph system. Marconi is often credited as the inventor of radio, and indeed he shared the 1909 Nobel Prize in Physics with Karl Ferdinand...
, the show never returned to the CBC.
The Great Eastern on the Web
Gerry Porter maintains a detailed site on the show—it includes complete episodes in MP3MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
format amongst other content.