In January, Avenue called Edmontonians to action. We asked whether our readers would support a monument celebrating the popular sketch comedy show SCTV, which was produced out of the Capital Region during its most successful years. The response was overwhelmingly positive — with more than 600 signatures in total — and, one month later, Avenue editor Steven Sandor, will be presenting ideas for a possible SCTV monument at PechaKucha on Feb. 2 at Metro Cinema.
Readers didn't just sign the petition, they suggested a monument and spread the message through social media.
Reader Chris Sanson suggested renaming an area around the current Global studios “Melonville,” or “scattering statues or plaques for a walking tour, with each spot a tribute.”
Another idea, suggested by Liam Cusack, is to create “an SCTV walk of fame where the cast members could put their hands and footprints into concrete.”
Cary Falez suggested that the monument be reminiscent of the show’s opening sequence (originally John Candy’s idea) where televisions are thrown from a second story window — but in this case the 1970s rabbit-eared TV set would be “five to eight times the actual size, carved in black granite and all contained within a glass display.”
Jeff Robbins, author of Second City Television: A History and Episode Guide, signed the petition and suggested "maps could be made up to allow for self-guided tours of prominent SCTV locations where certain segments were filmed."
Edmonton Journal columnist David Staples gave a great recap of all the positive things that the members of SCTV have said about Edmonton over the years, and Colby Cosh blogged a solid pro-monument argument for Maclean's.
We even heard from Doug McKenzie himself. When asked if Edmonton played an important role in the filming of SCTV, Dave Thomas doesn’t even hesitate. “There’s no doubt in my mind that Edmonton played a seminal role in the history of SCTV," he said. "Bob and Doug were born in Edmonton.”
When we talked to SCTV alumnus Joe Flaherty about honouring the show in Edmonton, he was equally enthused: “I love the idea. All false modesty aside, it sounds great.”
Post new comment