the watch of time

This is the first of a mini-series devoted to the notion that, despite what passes increasingly today as ‘reality show’ entertainment, there is always room for marketing a less meaningful or evocative concept.  

• EXPIRED COUPON COLLECTORS: While just about anyone can achieve some savings by the judicious use of coupons, what about the fate of the millions which fall by the wayside unused?  This show captures the excitement of those for whom the pursuit of couponing never expires.  Collectors showcase their catalogues of favourites, displaying a vast range of categories, and share enthralling tales of attempts to cash in coupons which have passed their due dates.
• PUBLIC WASHROOMS – THE SCOOP: The whole range of emotions from discomfort to relief are etched on the expressions of citizens of all ages, captured in real time.  The landscape of facilities, from those in the poshest establishment to the seediest dive, are fodder for this investigation of one of life’s necessary functions, typically skipped over by other TV shows. The politics and economics of where and when they should be installed or replaced, plus the challenges of maintaining safe, modern equipment, make this an ongoing search not easily flushed from view.
• BIRD vs. SQUIRREL: Nature’s assisted battle for food takes centre stage in this look at the ongoing tussle for the spoils of bird feeders, and the lengths to which squirrels (and chipmunks) act as regular interlopers.  Attempts made by humans to set up feeders designed to encourage visits only by our feathered friends, viewpoints on the loss of seeds to the long-tailed critters, the impact on the potential bond between humans and birds – these stories serve as continuous food for thought, as man and nature continue their collision course.