Performance (Canadian TV series)

Performance is a Canadian television anthology series, which aired on CBC Television from 1974 to 1978.[1] The series presented one-hour dramatic television plays, predominantly adaptations of both Canadian and international literary works but also including some original films.[1]

It premiered as a regular series in December 1974, and aired episodes regularly through 1975. In 1976 it was replaced as a regular series with For the Record, which commissioned primarily original new television films about social issues, although the Performance title was retained until 1978 as an occasional special title for other television films that did not fit the For the Record format.[2]

## Episodes

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### 1974

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#  | Title  | Directed by  | Written by  | Original air date

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1| "An Angel Against the Night"| Ron Weyman| Lyal D. Brown| December 8, 1974 (1974-12-08)

A family struggles after the failure of their family business. Stars George Waight, Jackie Burroughs, Cedric Smith and Demetri Mina.[1]

2| "Find Volopchi!"| Rudi Dorn| Kaino Thomas| December 15, 1974 (1974-12-15)

John Colicos stars as Volopchi, an illegal immigrant who relies on disguises to elude capture by immigration officials.[1]

3| "Raisins and Almonds"| Don S. Williams| Fredelle Bruser Maynard| December 22, 1974 (1974-12-22)

A young Jewish girl comes of age in the Canadian Prairies.[1]

4| "Village Wooing"| Mario Prizek| George Bernard Shaw| December 29, 1974 (1974-12-29)

Stars Paxton Whitehead as A and Patricia Gage as Z.[1]

### 1975

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#  | Title  | Directed by  | Written by  | Original air date

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5| "The Good and Faithful Servant"| George Bloomfield| Joe Orton| January 5, 1975 (1975-01-05)

Stars Cyril Cusack and Helen Burns.[1]

6| "The Farm Show"| Ron Meraska| Theatre Passe Muraille| January 12, 1975 (1975-01-12)

Repeat broadcast of film previously aired as an episode of Opening Night.

7| "Baptising"| Allan King| Alice Munro| January 19, 1975 (1975-01-19)
8| "The Last of the Four-Letter Words"| Allan King| Nika Rylski| January 26, 1975 (1975-01-26)

A young wife and mother battles cancer. Stars Jayne Eastwood and Les Carlson.

9| "Ten Lost Years"| John McGreevy| Barry Broadfoot| February 2, 1975 (1975-02-02)

A dramatic adaptation of Barry Broadfoot's non-fiction book about Canada during the Great Depression. Stars Jackie Burroughs.[3]

10| "The Man in the Tin Canoe"| John McGreevy| Barry Callaghan| February 9, 1975 (1975-02-09)

Hudson's Bay Company administrator George Simpson (Douglas Campbell) and Rev. James Evans (Leo Burns) conflict over how to interact with the local indigenous population.[4]

11| "A Bird in the House"| Allan King| Margaret Laurence| February 16, 1975 (1975-02-16)

Repeat broadcast of film previously aired as part of the CBC Drama '73 anthology.[5]

TBA| "The Middle Game"| Martin Lavut| Matt Cohen| February 23, 1975 (1975-02-23)

A university professor (Maurice Good) faces a mid-life crisis and must confront what he really wants in life. Also stars Sean McCann and Charlotte Blunt.

TBA| "The Trial of Sinyavsky and Daniel"| Ted Kotcheff| Ted Kotcheff| March 9, 1975 (1975-03-09)

An adaptation of Max Hayward's book On Trial, about the Soviet Sinyavsky–Daniel trial of 1966. Stars Alan Dobie and Robert A. Silverman.[6]

TBA| "Mandelstam's Witness"| Jan Kadar| V. M. Rakoff| April 7, 1975 (1975-04-07)

Adaptation of the memoirs of Nadezhda Mandelstam, the widow of Soviet poet and political prisoner Osip Mandelstam. Stars Ida Kamińska.[7]

TBA| "The Betrayal"| Kurt Reis| James W. Nichol| April 27, 1975 (1975-04-27)
TBA| "Going Down Slow"| Peter Carter| Barry Pearson| May 11, 1975 (1975-05-11)

Adaptation of the novel by John Metcalf, starring John Scardino as an idealistic young teacher.[8]

TBA| "Lulu Street"| Alvin Rakoff| Ann Henry| September 7, 1975 (1975-09-07)

A clergyman (James Blendick) is torn between his family life and activism against the context of the Winnipeg General Strike.

TBA| "The Captain of Köpenick"| David Giles| John Mortimer| November 16, 1975 (1975-11-16)

Adaptation of the play by Carl Zuckmayer, starring Donald Pleasence in the lead role.[9]

TBA| "Summer Mournings '59"| Janine Manatis| Elisabeth Harvor| November 23, 1975 (1975-11-23)
TBA| "The Ottawa Valley"| Danièle J. Suissa| Alice Munro| November 23, 1975 (1975-11-23)
TBA| "Six War Years"| Allan King| Norman Klenman| November 30, 1975 (1975-11-30)

Adaptation of Barry Broadfoot's book about Canada in World War II.[10]

### 1976

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#  | Title  | Directed by  | Written by  | Original air date

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TBA| "Red Emma"| Allan King, Martin Kinch| Carol Bolt| January 4, 1976 (1976-01-04)

The early years of influential anarchist activist Emma Goldman. Stars Chapelle Jaffe.[11]

TBA| "Fellowship"| Paul Almond| Michael Tait| March 24, 1976 (1976-03-24)

An adaptation of Michael Tait's play about a schismatic religious community, starring Donald Moffat as its defrocked minister, Patricia Hamilton as his wife, and Neil Vipond as a gay priest who tries to negotiate returning the church into communion with its denomination. Originally scheduled to air in prime time on March 3, it was instead rescheduled to an irregular late-night slot on March 24, due to the sensitivity of some of its content.[12]

TBA| "An Enemy of the People"| Unknown| Henrik Ibsen, Norman Klenman (tr.)| March 28, 1976 (1976-03-28)

Starring Robin Gammell.

### 1977

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#  | Title  | Directed by  | Written by  | Original air date

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TBA| "The Man Who Wanted to Be Happy"| Ron Weyman| Douglas Bowie| March 6, 1977 (1977-03-06)

Wally Bliss (Neil Dainard) is a radio host who has become cynical and jaded, and hires Hilary Deane (Jackie Burroughs), who runs an agency helping people to achieve their ambitions, to help him become happy again.[2]

TBA| "A Gun, a Grand and a Girl"| Ron Weyman| Douglas Bowie| March 20, 1977 (1977-03-20)

Chuck Shamata stars as a physical education teacher who takes on a side job as an enforcer for a loan shark.

TBA| "On the Job"| Unknown| David Fennario| March 27, 1977 (1977-03-27)

### 1978

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#  | Title  | Directed by  | Written by  | Original air date

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TBA| "Brooke"| Unknown| Betty Lambert, Anna Reiser| March 26, 1978 (1978-03-26)

Stars Diane D'Aquila as a woman struggling to decide whether or not to stay with her husband (Neil Munro) when he announces that he does not want children.

## Awards

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Jayne Eastwood won the Earle Grey Award for best performance in a television film at the 5th ACTRA Awards in 1976 for The Last of the Four Letter Words.[13]

## References

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1. ^ a b c d e f g "Wide range of drama in spotlight". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, December 6, 1974.
2. ^ a b James Nelson, "Jackie Burroughs helps bring Performance back". The Province, March 3, 1977.
3. ^ Dave Billington, "CBC has a winner with Ten Lost Years". Calgary Herald, February 1, 1975.
4. ^ "Drama set on history". Regina Leader-Post, February 7, 1975.
5. ^ "Encore telecast of Canadian drama Sunday, 9". North Bay Nugget, February 14, 1975.
6. ^ Blaik Kirby, "CBC's Soviet trial best as history". The Globe and Mail, March 8, 1975.
7. ^ Blaik Kirby, "Kaminska superb in show CBC is almost hiding". The Globe and Mail, April 7, 1975.
8. ^ Gerald Anglin, "Dear Old Golden Rule Days". Windsor Star, May 10, 1975.
9. ^ Bettelou Peterson, "Canadian Theater Reaches Out Through Television". Detroit Free Press, November 16, 1975.
10. ^ Jamie Portman, "Six War Years doesn't work on TV". Owen Sound Sun-Times, November 27, 1975.
11. ^ "Anarchist's career dramatized Sunday". Regina Leader-Post, January 2, 1976.
12. ^ Bruce Peacock, "Tube talk". Regina Leader-Post, March 12, 1976.
13. ^ "CBC dominates awards as Canada honours own". Alberni Valley Times, April 22, 1976.

## External links

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* Performance at IMDb