ZeD
Encyclopedia
ZeD is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 variety
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...

 television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...

 and website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...

. The series premiered on CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...

 in March 2002
2002 in television
The year 2002 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2002.For the American TV schedule, see: 2002–03 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:...

 and ran to 2006
2006 in television
2006 in television may refer to:*2006 in American television*2006 in Australian television*2006 in British television*2006 in Canadian television*2006 in Japanese television...

. Hosted primarily by Sharon Lewis
Sharon Lewis
For the voice actress, go to Sharon Lewis Sharon Lewis is a Canadian television personality from Toronto. She studied political science at the University of Toronto. She was an actress and author before being the host of counterSpin on CBC Television in 2001, and then hosted ZeD, also for the...

 and Ziya Tong
Ziya Tong
Ziya Tong is a television personality and producer based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She is of Chinese and Macedonian descent, and was born in London, England and later lived in Hong Kong.Tong moved from Hong Kong to Canada when she was 11....

, ZeD publicized creative works from Canada and other countries, including a substantial portion of material created by viewers and new artists
User-generated TV
User-Generated Television or UGTV refers to TV footage that was originally created by a member of the public and then uploaded to the internet. Often the process of selecting such footage for broadcast includes the input of web users...

. ZeD thus considered itself to be "open-source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...

 television."

The website claimed thousands of users, and the series, while somewhat obscure, was nominated for several awards and influenced some US television
Television in the United States
Television is one of the major mass media of the United States. Ninety-nine percent of American households have at least one television and the majority of households have more than one...

. A music album, ZeD: Live Off The Floor, was also spun off the series.

Concept and creation

The concept of ZeD was originally developed by Rae Hull
Rae Hull
Rae Hull is a Canadian New Media and Television Content Creator who began her career as a journalist and producer. She was born in Edmonton, Alberta and was later based in Vancouver, British Columbia....

, who was the regional director for CBC in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...

, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

. and new media pioneer McLean Greaves. It was initially imagined as being "free-form, hip and fast moving, with no segment longer than a few minutes," but beyond this contributors would influence the content.

In November 2001, CBC invited Canadians to come up with cheap but intelligent creative ideas in connection with the anticipated series "zed," and received 1,000 efforts. When ZeD premiered on March 18, 2002, it was still considered to be in development, and its first four weeks from March to April were experimental. It was not advertised, except for CBC informing the press, since ZeD was meant to be discovered among viewers who would then inform other viewers. CBC was still hoping to attract contributors, and Hull added, "I'd be happy if people discovered ZeD and made their own decisions about it."

In March 2002, the series was called ZeD beta v 0.1. The name ZeD appears to have been chosen to suggest the series was uniquely Canadian, since zed is how Canadians pronounce the letter "Z
Z
Z is the twenty-sixth and final letter of the basic modern Latin alphabet.-Name and pronunciation:In most dialects of English, the letter's name is zed , reflecting its derivation from the Greek zeta but in American English, its name is zee , deriving from a late 17th century English dialectal...

." The ZeD website was also launched at the time. Both the series and website were based in Vancouver.

Format

The program, which aired every weeknight on the CBC, aired music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...

, short films, animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...

, visual art and spoken word
Spoken word
Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....

 pieces from around the world. The subject matter, which ranged from comedy to drama, was mature and could include nudity
Nudity
Nudity is the state of wearing no clothing. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic. The amount of clothing worn depends on functional considerations and social considerations...

 and profanity
Profanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...

, and thus episodes began with a humorously-worded call for viewer's discretion. Each episode was 40 minutes long, with no advertisements
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...

 during the show.

Interactive website

Its website allowed people to view certain works, and also upload their creations onto the website, which might then appear on television. The press stated that 20% of the material on television had been uploaded from the website. Altogether, in 2002 the website claimed 5,000 members. In 2005, this had increased to 45,962 members. Although some films are not available on the website, viewers of the television show could e-mail ZeD and request replays on Fridays, which were named "Feedback Fridays".

Movies aired

Films seen on ZeD include Cannibalism and Your Teen, which is a humorous parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...

 of the father-knows-best ideology, and Ryan
Ryan (film)
Ryan is a 2004 animated documentary by Chris Landreth about the Canadian animator Ryan Larkin, who in later years lived on skid row in Montreal following a history of drug and alcohol abuse....

. The anti-racism
Anti-racism
Anti-racism includes beliefs, actions, movements, and policies adopted or developed to oppose racism. In general, anti-racism is intended to promote an egalitarian society in which people do not face discrimination on the basis of their race, however defined...

 comedy Cowboys and Indians was also aired more than once. Other popular short films include the animated comedy Strange Invaders
Strange Invaders (animated short film)
Strange Invaders is a 2002 short animated film by animator Cordell Barker. It tells the story of Roger and Doris, a couple who lead a quiet life. When a child crashes into their living room, the couple are initially enthralled. However, the child becomes increasingly destructive and proceeds to...

, which combines the themes of extraterrestrials and parenthood and notably appeared on ZeD on March 22, 2002, as well as George Lucas in Love
George Lucas in Love
George Lucas in Love is an independent, live action, parodical short film that started attracting notice in June 1999 when it was passed around Hollywood offices as a filmmaker's "calling card"...

. Since works by viewers ranged in quality, ZeD required rigorous editing, especially to avoid copyright violations. Artists generally received $200 for each minute of work published by ZeD.

Music

Music on ZeD was sometimes presented in the form of music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

s, but musical guests also appeared. Among such guests were William Clarke Brown, who was also known as Lyrical
Lyrical
The term lyrical may mean:*Lyrics, or words in songs*Lyrical dance, a style of dancing*Emotional, expressing strong feelings*Lyric poetry, poetry that expresses a subjective, personal point of view...

 claimed #1 spot for most voted musician, Sam Roberts
Sam Roberts
Sam Roberts is a Juno Award-winning Canadian rock singer-songwriter, whose 2001 debut release, The Inhuman Condition, became one of the bestselling independent releases in Quebec and Canadian music history.-Life and career:...

, who performed "Brother Down" and "This Is How I Live" on October 15, 2002. On December 2, 2003, an album was produced by music producer Jon Siddall and Mashingaidze-Greaves, titled ZeD: Live Off The Floor which featured music taken live off ZeD. Eye Weekly
Eye Weekly
Eye Weekly was a free weekly newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was owned by Torstar, the parent company of the Toronto Star, and was published by their Star Media Group until its final issue on May 5, 2011. The following week, Torstar launched a successor publication, The Grid.-...

 critic Kevin Hainey said the music generally seemed "lush" and that the CD gave attention to upstart musicians such as Take 5. He especially approved of the new musicians, such as Kris Demeanor and The Floor.
Tracks included:
  • "This Is How I Live"
  • "Monday Monday Monday" by Tegan and Sara
    Tegan and Sara
    Tegan and Sara are a Canadian indie band composed of identical twin sisters Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Keirsten Quin . Both Tegan and Sara play guitar and keyboard and write songs.-History:...

  • "Evolution" by The Cinematic Orchestra
    The Cinematic Orchestra
    The Cinematic Orchestra is a British jazz and electronic outfit, created in 1997 by Jason Swinscoe. The band is signed to Ninja Tune independent record label. In addition to Swinscoe, the band includes PC former DJ Food member on turntables, Luke Flowers , Tom Chant , Nick Ramm , Stuart McCallum ...

  • "Big" by BrassMunk
    BrassMunk
    BrassMunk is a Canadian hip hop group from Scarborough, Ontario, located in east Toronto. Formed in 1997, the group consists of emcees S-Roc, Clip, Reign , and DJ/producer Agile...

  • "Left and Leaving" by The Weakerthans
    The Weakerthans
    The Weakerthans are a four-piece Canadian indie rock band.-History:The band was formed in 1997 in Winnipeg, Manitoba by John K. Samson, after he left the punk band Propagandhi to start a publishing company. Samson joined forces with bassist John P...

  • "London Still
    London Still
    "London Still" is the name of a single by the Australian folk-rock band The Waifs, coming from their album Up All Night. "London Still" was written by Donna Simpson. The single was nominated for several ARIA awards, including Breakthrough Artist - Single, and Best Independent Release...

    " by The Waifs
    The Waifs
    The Waifs are an Australian folk rock band formed in 1992 by Josh Cunningham , and sisters Vikki Thorn and Donna Simpson...

  • "The Centaur" by Buck 65
    Buck 65
    Richard Terfry , who uses the stage name Buck 65, is a Canadian experimental artist, MC and turntablist. Underpinned by an extensive background in abstract hip hop, his more recent music has extensively incorporated blues, country, rock, folk and avant garde influences.Terfry is also a radio host,...

  • "Untitled" by The Organ
    The Organ
    The Organ was a Canadian indie pop band formed in 2001 in Vancouver, British Columbia. They officially broke up on December 7, 2006, due to illness and personal conflicts in the band.-Early years:...


Halloween specials

Another feature of ZeD was its annual Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...

 episodes, which ran longer than 40 minutes. The 2004 special, "Night of the Living ZeD," was two hours long. These episodes featured some of ZeDs more disturbing short films and art, or comedies with supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...

 or gothic
Gothic fiction
Gothic fiction, sometimes referred to as Gothic horror, is a genre or mode of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance. Gothicism's origin is attributed to English author Horace Walpole, with his 1764 novel The Castle of Otranto, subtitled "A Gothic Story"...

 themes. Evelyn: The Cutest Evil Dead Girl
Evelyn: The Cutest Evil Dead Girl
Evelyn: The Cutest Evil Dead Girl is a 2002 award-winning short film and black comedy directed by Newfoundlander Brad Peyton. It stars Nadia Litz in the title role, and Joshua Close, and is narrated by Maurice Dean Wint...

 and Flying Saucer Rock'n'Roll
Flying Saucer Rock'n'Roll
Flying Saucer Rock'n'Roll, is a 12 minute spoof of a 1950s black and white science fiction B-movie. It was first released in 1997 and starred Ardal O'Hanlon. It was written by Mik Duffy and its director Enda Hughes....

 are examples of the latter. In 2004, guest musician Jorane
Jorane
Jorane is a French-Canadian singer/cellist, who is notable for her alternative music style on a typically classical instrument as well as her ability to sing while playing cello at the same time....

 performed a "witchy acid cello" and there were "several freaky faux-Victorian sideshow acts in-studio."

Hosts

ZeD was originally hosted by several hosts including Bif Naked
Bif Naked
Bif Naked is a Juno Award-winning, Indian-born American-Canadian multi-platinum record selling, rock singer, writer, poet, motivational speaker and actress.-Personal life:...

 and Nobu and Mio Adilman
Nobu and Mio Adilman
Nobu Adilman and Mio Adilman are Canadian television personalities and brothers. They were born to entertainment writer Sid Adilman.They are of Jewish background on their father's side. Adilmans were writers and were involved in the film industry...

. The program was subsequently hosted by Sharon Lewis
Sharon Lewis
For the voice actress, go to Sharon Lewis Sharon Lewis is a Canadian television personality from Toronto. She studied political science at the University of Toronto. She was an actress and author before being the host of counterSpin on CBC Television in 2001, and then hosted ZeD, also for the...

 until the 2004-2005 season, when she was replaced by Ziya Tong
Ziya Tong
Ziya Tong is a television personality and producer based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She is of Chinese and Macedonian descent, and was born in London, England and later lived in Hong Kong.Tong moved from Hong Kong to Canada when she was 11....

. Lewis also took time off to have a baby during her hosting, necessitating guest hosts such as the brothers Adilman. During this time, in March 2004, the Adilmans hosted Zed Uncut, which was a five-hour episode shot live.

Re-formatting and cancellation

On January 3, 2006, ZeD was revived as three television series to air weekly. Zed Real was the first, playing on Tuesdays, hosted by Jarrett Martineau and featuring documentaries. Zed Candid, airing on Wednesdays, featured short films and was hosted by Trish Williams, Suzanne Bastien and Zorana Sadiq. Finally, Zed Tunes aired on Thursdays, with a focus on music. It was hosted by Jenna Chow. All three continued to be aired on the CBC and ran for one hour, starting around 11:30 p.m. on their respective nights.

On May 7, 2006, the CBC announced the cancellation of the series. However, CBC said its website would still be available, and that "we're not letting go of some of the innovative ideas that the production crew have brought." Lise Lareau of the Canadian Media Guild
Canadian Media Guild
The Canadian Media Guild is a trade union representing employees at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation , the Canadian Press, Thomson Reuters, Agence France-Presse, S-Vox, the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, CW Television, CJRC Radio in Gatineau, Que., and TVOntario.It is a local of The...

 replied that CBC was "abandoning the things that make public television special."

Reception

ZeD was nominated for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...

. The series was nominated for Gemini Award
Gemini Award
The Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...

s, including for Best Music, Best Variety Program or Series and Best Cross Platform Project. Tong was also nominated for a 2005 Gemini Award for Viewer's Choice for Lifestyle Host. In 2002, television critic Alex Strachan wrote that "Almost everything about ZeD is exactly right, from its sense of timing... to the lack of commercials" and that Sharon Lewis' style was nicely easygoing. That year, 70,000 watched the show, which was aimed at people in their twenties and thirties who were comfortable with technology. Still, the executive producer Mashingaidze-Greaves admitted that "millions of Canadians" did not know what ZeD was during its run.

The sexual content of the website and series was sometimes controversial. In 2002, some of CBC's critics on the website CBC Watch preferred to see the sexual content unaired, and CBC quoted them as predicting that "ZeD will mostly be remembered for taking the 'L' out of public broadcasting." ZeD also received letters from viewers who thought one short film featuring a sexual scene between brothers was unusual. ZeD explained that "ZeD isn't about gratuitous nudity or being gross just for the sake of being gross. Don't get us wrong. We're not squeamish about anything... except outright stupidity."

Current TV
Current TV
Current TV, or Current, is a media company led by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and businessman Joel Hyatt. Comcast owns a ten percent stake of Current's parent company, Current Media LLC....

, a television channel launched by politician Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....

 in 2005, was partially influenced by ZeD. This led Mashingaidze-Greaves to express ZeD had "the world leaders in interactive television, without a doubt." Mashingaidze-Greaves also said he did not fear having a larger rival in Current TV and said ZeD would continually innovate itself.

External links

  • ZeD on the Internet Movie Database
    Internet Movie Database
    Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...

  • ZeD's source code.
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