Mary Walsh: Open Book

"Ardent, amicable, animated and audacious: in literature that's alliteration, in life that's Mary Walsh."

That's from the description of the CBC Television programme "Mary Walsh: Open Book", from the show's web page.

I stumbled across the programme two weeks ago, and was immediately hooked. The show brings together guests who might well be described as involved in the process of telling stories, in different forms, in different guises. They are screenwriters, authors, actors, journalists, lawyers -- all of whom know that there are many and varied ways to tell a story as there are stories themselves.

This is a show for people who love literature -- who love to read, who aren't afraid of a challenge, and who actually like to think about what they read. I think one of the reasons I love it is that it reminds me of the book shows I used to watch in France, where it's just taken as a given that people read. Of course people read -- it is inconceivable to think that it could be otherwise.

It's also a place where people set out their ideas and opinions, and are prepared to back them up.

There are only two problems with the show, one minor, one less so.

The first, minor problem: the time slot. It's buried on Sunday nights at 11 p.m. This is solved by taping it and watching it at a better time.

The second is beyond my control: advertising. The show is artificially and annoyingly chopped up with advertising -- we're just getting into the discussion, then whammo, break time.

This show needs to be on TVO -- give it a clear 20 to 30 minute time slot without advertising to break it up, and then you have a funny, intimate, thoughtful block of programming -- a moment when you can just sit down and enjoy thinking about books.

But watch it anyway -- Sunday nights, 11 p.m. (EST), CBC Television.

And if I could be anyone when I grow up, I would like to be Mary Walsh. Man, that woman is sharp, and she's funny.

And she wears great shoes...