Network: Global Television Network
Broadcast Run: 1973 to 1975
Broadcast Medium: Television
In the spring of 1973, Stu Griffiths (president of Bushnell Communications, owners of CTV affiliate CJOH-TV) and Roy Fabish (executive v.p.) wanted to do a weekly program satirizing the news, and were receptive to a presentation from Barry McLoughlin, Don Harron and Ken Shaw (who would later become anchor of CTV’s Toronto 6pm newscasts). They came up with Shh! It’s the News. Canadian director Norman Campbell, fresh off his second Emmy Award, was hired to produce the pilot.
Unfortunately CTV couldn’t find a place in its schedule for a Shh! series, but offered to take a series of specials. However, the fledgling Global Television Network was just coming on air, was in dire need of Canadian programming, and made a deal to buy the series. The deal was done and the series began airing in the fall of 1973.
Bill Swaffield was the director. Don Harron became head writer / producer. The cast included Don and his wife Catherine McKinnon, her sister Patrician Anne McKinnon, Barbara Hamilton, Jack Duffy, Bill Luxton, Les Lye, Howard Jerome Gomberg, newsman Geoff Scott, Barry MacLoughlin and Ken Shaw. There were guest performances from Gordon Pinsent and Billy Van.
The show ran for two years until Global ran into the financial problems that eventually resulted in ownership changes, and the series was dropped.