Headline, Industry News

CBC puts plans for Canadian version of The One on hold

TORONTO (CP) _ A Canadian version of The One will not air any time soon, the CBC said Tuesday, roughly two weeks after a U.S. version of the televised singing contest proved to be a flop south of the border.

CBC spokesman Jeff Keay said the reality show is "still in development" but not on the broadcast schedule this year.

"We can confirm that it’s not going to be fall of 2006," Keay said Tuesday.

"We’re going to be looking a little bit further out than we may have been before."

A Canadian version of The One: Making a Music Star had originally been planned to air in late 2006 or in 2007, and was expected to follow a U.S. version that aired on ABC and was simulcast on CBC-TV.

But the U.S. series was abruptly cancelled July 28 _ less than two weeks after its debut.

At the time, Canadian critics were quick to seize on the cancellation as proof of poor decision-making at the CBC, which bumped its flagship news program The National to accommodate the simulcast and build a future audience for a homegrown version.

Keay said the show’s failure in the U.S. has the CBC reconsidering all aspects of a Canadian version.

"We want to take a careful look at it," said Keay.