Review: Late Night in the Studio, CBC Gem
Hello! I'm Nobu Adilman, and I'm the Head Archivist at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Late Night in the Studio is a digital series featuring five short episodes of too good to be true vintage shows, hosted by Nobu Adilman. Each episode begins with the warping, static and frame distortion effect of VHS tapes, depicting the vintage. As it settles, Adilman introduces the archival videos, gives his opinion and provides context for each show he’s about to play, through his VHS player. Adilman speaks of this content with a comical tone since nothing about this series, like the programs showcased, is serious. Late Night in the Studio was created by Toronto based collective shy kids, and none of what Adilman is presenting in the series is real - but you will feel like you have seen it before. The first “classic” he begins with is The Adventures of Young Suzuki, then the animated Dougie Doughnuthole, the soap opera My Regina, the late 70s kids show Mr. Bright-Bright and finally the cartoon holiday special, There Will Be Jolly. Each episode of Late Night in the Studio features a stellar cast.
The vibe in this humorous series is antiquated as well, to match the vintage energy showcased here. Adilman is set up in the basement of the CBC building, in downtown Toronto, where he’s surrounded by several film tape rolls, outdated telephones, and shelves full of radios, cassettes and VHS tapes. Through his outfit, Adilman is also giving 60s and 70s vibes with a well-fitted khaki trench coat, big glasses and an almost oversized dark green tie. He interacts with the audience in a manner that will capture their attention, for instance, forming conversations and drinking his cup of tea.
The trip back into the past with this faux CBC programming will make one understand that CBC has played an important part in the history of Canadian media. For Canadian millennials to better understand the past tone of Canadian TV, and to poke fun at the notable and fascinating CBC archives (real or imagined), this series may be a great place to start.
