As Canadian As Jim Perry

I was home by design today in the middle of a snowy and stormy day. I'd wager that half my coworkers were home too because they didn't want to take a chance (on being productive). I'll hear all about their weather related transit issues tomorrow and slip right into a coma as they drone about the drive.

Remember this tune? (don't worry, I'm not selling anything) - SoulBossaNova.mp3

Long before Mike Myers popularized it as his Austin Powers theme, it was heard daily in many Canadian homes as the mainstay theme for a game show called Definition. The low budget hangman style game in which the player and a celebrity partner guessed at letters to complete a phrase in a particular category was quite a popular favourite. The prizes may have been crap and the celebrities quite minor, but it was all ours. Just like the host, Jim Perry.

Jim actually hailed from New Jersey but was affable enough to pass for Canadian. He hosted a few shows here (my favourites being Eye Bet and Headline Hunters) and then did a reverse somersault into the US to host $ale of the Century back in the 1980s. Jim had mood hair and for years was silver gray but then suddenly went completely dark and still stayed nice. No word on the colour choice of today's Jim.

While talking about Canadian institutions on the train one day, when Definition was mentioned, I learned that my pal who gave me the beautiful Christmas treasure was not just any old passenger, but a 5 time Definition champion! He'd also seen front line action as a player in the Tournament of Champions!

I could barely contain my excitement at hearing this (it was a slow news day). Not only did he win a truckload of Rice-a-Roni but he also ended up with a set of encyclopedias that he still has and a 2 night stay at an area hotel. The celebrities he got to play with were the type of famous you get to be if you're the 8th lead on an old television pilot that never aired.

He explained that he had just tagged along to keep his sister company as she was trying out and they picked him to try out as well and the rest, as they say, is just train ride home and blog fodder.

While Canada has some excellent quality television on the go here and available for export, we've also had our share of really awful stuff hit the airwaves too. I'm wondering how a made for TV movie about Definition would play. Maybe all it needs is a catchy title? Something like Soul Bossa Nova or Bust and then put topless girls on all the advertising?

Someone get Mike Myers on the phone for me please and cue the music.