Patrick Watson

The intimate tale of two young people, Canadian singer and poet Leonard Cohen and extraordinary Norwegian woman Marianne Ihlen, falling in love during a period of their life when they are trying to figure out who they are and their place in the world, while one is becoming one of the most famous singers of all time.

Workaholic reporter, Jack Elgin takes his family on a working trip to India, but their aircraft is hijacked in Cyprus by a previously-unknown terrorist movement, and his wife and daughter are among the slaughtered. With western governments suppressing key facts and unwilling to go after the terrorists, Jack uses his contacts and snooping skill to seek the truth himself.

"The Way It Is," a Sunday night one-hour show, aired from September 1967 to June 1969. Under the executive production of Ross McLean, following the success of similar CBC programs, it attracted up to 60 contributors, aiming to challenge viewers with compelling content. Hosted by John Saywell and Barbara Frum, who honed her interviewing style here, it featured Patrick Watson, Warren Davis, Percy Saltzman, Ken Lefolii, Peter Desbarats, and Moses Znaimer. Segment producers like Perry Rosemond and Peter Herrndorf worked on the show, which covered diverse topics via studio interviews, music, commentary, panels, and documentaries. While not pushing controversy, it contributed to national dialogue. Notable productions included documentaries on airline safety and Vietnam, setting a serious tone for its era. Its influence extended to later CBC shows like the fifth estate and The Journal.

The true story about the Canadian cancer amputee hero, who decided to run across Canada on only one leg to raise money for cancer research.

Englishman Archie Belaney rises to prominence as a notable author and lecturer after he took on the First Nations identity called Grey Owl. Adapted from the film of the same name.

For almost a century and a half, Her Majesty's Ship Breadalbane lay wrecked and forgotten under the Arctic ice. In the spring of 1983, noted undersea explorer Dr. Joseph MacInnis led a team of twenty men on one of the most difficult, dangerous and unforgettable undersea adventures of the century--to put a diver on board the sunken vessel and recover some artifacts. This film, introduced by H.R.H. Prince Charles, provides a stunning visual account of this historic expedition.

A fictional confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union over the Strait of Hormuz, the gateway to the Persian Gulf. The narrative of the film details the events that lead up to the initial exchange of nuclear weapons from the perspective of an on-going news broadcast.

Based on the true story of Canadian doctor Norman Bethune, this film traces his life from his beginnings with his deeply religious family in Ontario, through his medical studies in school, where he developed his overwhelming compassion for those less fortunate, and his driving desire to see that they get the medical attention they need. Most of his life after college was spent either working in war zones around Europe or developing new treatment techniques in his home country.

The first woman to be elected to the Canadian House of Commons Agnes Macphail fights for penal reform.

Filmed over five weeks at the Warrendale residential treatment center near Toronto, "Warrendale" observes twelve emotionally disturbed children and the staff who care for them. Working without narration, interviews, or direction, Allan King records daily life as it unfolds, establishing what he later described as “actuality drama.”

A controversial television newsmagazine which ran from 1964 to 1966.

Three men from Pine Street in Winnipeg win the Victoria Cross in World War I, and the street's name is changed to Valour Road in their honour.

Women's rights activist, jurist, and author Emily Murphy's quest for equal rights for women.

An African American escapes to Canada along the Underground Railroad.

Paul-Émile Borduas, Québec's voice of the Quiet Revolution, reflects on the impact of his writing and art in his Paris studio.

Jacques Plante becomes the first NHL player to wear a goaltender mask in regular play.

Philosopher of communication theory Marshall McLuhan coins the phrases "the medium is the message" and "global village."

Mennonite communities in Southwestern Ontario serve as inspiration in the design of tools and practices of sustainable development for developing countries.

The ferry command pilot delivers fighter planes to Britain during the Second World War, and plans her post-war career as Canada's first female flight school operator.

The British Columbia painter discovers the artistic muse that will drive her life's work.