William Shatner at the summer TV writers tour, July 28, 2010, Beverly Hills, Calif.; Cory Monteith in West Hollywood, Jan. 5, 2011.
The Geminis had a homegrown Glee star to give them a boost last year. When the Genies are broadcast from Ottawa on Thursday (CBC, 8 p.m.), they're counting on the Shat for a little razzle-dazzle. Still, can these domestic awards shows really jolt viewers out of their apathy? A look at how our version of the Emmys and the Oscars stack up so far.
WHO'S WATCHING
GENIES: Last year, our attempt at the Oscars - an awards show honouring Canadian film - drew only 150,000 viewers. Worse: The median age of those who tuned in was 55-plus (hardly the stuff of advertisers' dreams).
GEMINIS: Global reported a 23-per-cent jump in viewership for this TV awards show last year: That meant 383,000 eyeballs, including a bump (precise numbers were not available) in the 18-to-34 age bracket.
Click on the interactive text gallery for more detailed comparisons.
Gayle MacDonald