Bill Bolt Movies

The Canadian series First Years in the Life had something in common with the famous "long-range" TV works of British filmmaker Michael Apted. Making its CBC debut on June 28, 1968, the series originally consisted of ten half-hour "first-person" documentaries on ten different Canadian families. The intention was to update the histories of these families every five years, so that ostensibly the series could have run "forever." But the program proved too successful to be delayed in this fashion; thus, the CBC offered yearly updates, with more families, of various ethnic origins, added to the mix. Telecast during the summer months for four consecutive seasons, First Years in the Life aired its final episode on September 4, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Sponsored by the Ford Motor Company, the weekly, half-hour magazine series Graphic was something of a Canadian equivalent to the American documentary weekly See It Now. Each episode offered public-interest stories, special weekly features, remote interviews, and on-the-spot coverage of unfolding news events. The cost was steep by CBC standards (20,000 dollars per week), but viewers agreed that it was worth it. Debuting March 2, 1956, Graphic was seen on Friday evenings until June 21, 1957; it might have even lasted longer had not the network and the sponsor quarrelled over a minor point of procedure. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi