It’s a mailbag episode of Entertainment Is Broken! Sarah Hanlon and I are answering listener questions about the Canadian entertainment industry, reality TV, celebrity behaviour, and whether Canada is finally building its own star system.
We discuss the growing momentum around Canadian film and television, from North of North and Heated Rivalry to Don McKellar’s Last Night, and why Canadian stories may finally be getting the attention they deserve.
Plus, Sarah pulls back the curtain on her time inside Big Brother Canada… including what didn’t make it to air, what reality TV production is really like, and why 70 days with microphones, limited bathrooms, and questionable housemate hygiene is basically a social experiment with snacks.
I share stories from decades of celebrity interviews, including who shows up with an entourage, who doesn’t, and why bigger stars are often more relaxed than the people orbiting them.
In this episode: Canadian film and TV The Canadian star system Big Brother Canada behind the scenes Reality TV production secrets Celebrity interviews and entourages Last Night, Power Ballad, Rocky Horror, and more Listen, subscribe, and send us your questions for the next mailbag.
After years of hearing that movie theatres were dying, Richard Crouse and Sarah Hanlon ask whether the big screen is having a real comeback… and what that means for Canadian cinema.
This week on Entertainment Is Broken, Richard and Sarah talk about younger audiences returning to theatres, the magic of indie cinemas, and why watching a film with strangers still hits differently than streaming it alone on the couch.
They also dig into the growing momentum behind Canadian films like Little Lorraine, Blue Heron, Nirvanna: The Band, The Show, The Movie, Undertone, and more… plus the importance of community theatres like The Revue, The Fox, The Plaza, and other independent spaces across the country.
Also discussed:
Canadian horror, Ginger Snaps, Black Christmas, post-pandemic moviegoing, theatre as a third space, and why some films simply need an audience.
Because maybe theatres aren’t dead after all. Maybe they were just waiting for us to remember why we loved them.
Is late night television on life support … or are we just watching it differently now?
This week on Entertainment Is Broken, Richard Crouse and Sarah Hanlon dig into the future of late night TV, sparked by renewed conversation around Stephen Colbert and the changing economics of the format. From Johnny Carson’s cultural dominance to Letterman’s chaos, Arsenio’s energy, Conan’s weirdness, Colbert’s political edge, and Canada’s own attempts with Strombo, Pop Life, Peter Gzowski, Ralph Benmergui, Mike Bullard, and more …
Richard and Sarah ask whether we still need the late night talk show. They also get into why these shows are so expensive, what gets lost when conversation moves entirely to podcasts and social clips, and why Canada still needs a proper talk/variety show that can actually help build stars.
Plus, Richard and Sarah talk about Obsessed, Indie Navarette’s freaky breakout performance, Keke Palmer, Boots Riley’s I Love Boosters, and why smaller, stranger movies might be exactly what theatres need.
In this episode: Is late night TV dying?
Why Johnny Carson still defines the format
What made David Letterman so different
Why Stephen Colbert’s future matters
How podcasts and clips changed celebrity interviews
Richard’s memories of hosting Pop Life
Why Canada needs a real talk/variety show
The economics and tax-credit problem behind Canadian talk shows
The rise of smaller, weirder theatrical movies Subscribe for more conversations about what’s broken in entertainment … and why we still love it anyway.
Sarah Hanlon and I take on comedy as an art form… and why it so often gets treated like drama’s unserious cousin.
They discuss the craft behind great comedy, from timing and rhythm to improv, physical performance, writing, surprise, and the invisible work that makes a joke land. They also dig into the Kevin Hart roast, modern roast culture, the difference between shock and surprise, and whether some comedy has become more about cruelty, grievance, and identity than actual jokes.
Along the way: Kinky Boots, Mr. Dressup, Jim Carrey, Gary Shandling, the Comedy Cellar, the Joe Rogan comedy universe, and underrated comedy favourites including After Hours and I Love You to Death.
Because if drama makes you cry, it’s art. But if comedy makes you laugh, somehow it still has to prove itself.
Are The Beatles and The Rolling Stones still chasing the muse… or just refusing to leave the stage?
This week on Entertainment Is Broken, Sarah Hanlon and I dig into the eternal encore of rock’s biggest legacy acts. Paul McCartney has new music. Ringo is collaborating again. The Rolling Stones are still very much The Rolling Stones. And somehow, decades later, these artists are still not just symbols of the past… they’re active participants in the present.
Richard and Sarah talk about the difference between artist and act, why audiences will still pay stadium prices for nostalgia, whether older musicians are unfairly judged in a way writers and actors aren’t, and how “relevance” may be the wrong measurement for art in the first place.
Also discussed: Wings, Billy Preston, concert ticket prices, blue dot fever, Paul Rudd’s apparent immunity to time, and Sarah’s escalating squirrel situation… which may already be a Cronenberg film.
Secret concerts. Surprise gigs. Superstars in tiny rooms.
What happens when artists like The Rolling Stones, Olivia Rodrigo, and Lady Gaga trade arenas for bars, clubs, and hidden venues?
On this episode of “Entertainment Is Broken,” my co-host Sarah Hanlon and I break down the magic of secret shows — from fake band names and pop-up performances to once-in-a-lifetime moments where global stars perform just feet away from the audience.
Why do artists do it? What do fans get that stadium shows can’t deliver? And why do these raw, unpolished performances often feel more powerful than a $400 arena ticket?
Featuring: The legendary El Mocambo show that changed live music history Intimate gigs from global superstars The creative reset that only small rooms can provide Real stories of surreal, up-close encounters Because sometimes the biggest artists… create the smallest, most unforgettable moments.
Subscribe for more on movies, music, and pop culture.
A new Michael Jackson biopic raises a familiar question… do audiences actually want the truth, or just a great show?
This week, my co-host Sarah Hanlon and I unpack the new film Michael and the growing trend of biopics that trade accuracy for spectacle. When a story as complex as Michael Jackson’s gets streamlined into a crowd-pleasing concert experience, what gets lost… and does it even matter?
They explore the art vs. artist debate, the power of nostalgia, and why some cultural icons remain untouchable—no matter how complicated their legacy becomes.
It’s a conversation about storytelling, memory, and the uncomfortable space where fact and entertainment collide.
Imagine you’re the hottest new act in the country. You’re trending on TikTok, the critics are obsessed, and the industry is banging on your door. Most people would take that moment to show the world exactly who they are. But what if you did the exact opposite? What if you wore a mask, played instruments no one else could tune, and leaned into the “jankiness” of being real in a world that’s becoming increasingly fake? In this episode of Entertainment Is Broken, Sarah Hanlon and I look at the Montreal phenomenon Angine de Poitrine—and why their refusal to “play by the rules” is the smartest move any artist can make right now. From the basement tapes of Springsteen’s Nebraska to the fringe of Orville Peck, we’re diving into the “Anti-Fame” economy. Why are we so drawn to the space left by missing information? And why is Quebec the perfect ecosystem for this kind of creative rebellion? We’re pulling back the curtain on the art of staying hidden on Entertainment Is Broken.
The Junos came and went… but where were Canada’s biggest stars?
In this episode of Entertainment Is Broken, Sarah Hanlon and I dig into the growing debate around Canadian identity in entertainment… and whether artists like Justin Bieber, Drake, and Tate McRae are still “Canadian” when it counts.
Is it about where you’re born… or where your career is built?
They break down:
Why so many major artists skipped the Juno Awards
Whether success in the U.S. changes an artist’s identity
The idea of being “Canadian when convenient”
Why artists like Joni Mitchell and Rush still feel deeply connected to Canada
And whether Canada needs to rethink how it supports its own talent
It’s a funny, sharp, and surprisingly real conversation about culture, success, and what we actually mean when we say “Canadian.”
If you’ve ever wondered why Canada’s biggest stars don’t always come home… this one’s for you.
