Edit: Episode 2 will air on TSN2, not TSN; info in email below was in error.
I don't really know what the RDS series TABLE D’HÔTE is about but with TSN having aired "That's Hockey" for years, a CFL-specific show is a welcome development. I see the episode next week will air on Thursday and they're switching it up between TSN2 & TSN. I hope they get a regular weekly slot for this instead of bouncing it around the schedule. The three episodes described don't quite sound like it and while any added CFL programming on top of game broadcasts is a positive I'm hoping it focusses on fresh topics and news around the league going forward.With the 2015 Canadian Football League season about to kick off, TSN premieres the new original series CFL AROUND THE TABLE, a forum for candid discussion and debate about hot-button issues around the CFL.
Employing a format modeled on fan-favourite RDS series TABLE D’HÔTE, and hosted by the CFL ON TSN’s Rod Smith, each 30-minute episode of the series features four noteworthy CFL personalities sharing memories and personal anecdotes about their experiences in the league.
Check out this sneak peak of CFL Around the Table:
http://www.bclions.com/video/index/id/111097
“CFL AROUND THE TABLE is an exciting new way for TSN to share compelling storylines from around the CFL, and to get to know some of the league’s best personalities,” said Rod Smith, Host of CFL ON TSN. “With candid discussion on life in professional football, the series will give fans a totally new perspective on the league.”
CFL AROUND THE TABLE premieres on Friday, June 12 at 9 p.m. ET on TSN2, immediately before the B.C. Lions take on the Calgary Stampeders in CFL ON TSN pre-season action.
EPISODE ONE features Smith in conversation with four GREY CUP-winning general managers: the B.C. Lions’ Wally Buono, Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Brendan Taman, Montreal Alouettes’ Jim Popp, and Toronto Argonauts’ Jim Barker. The architects of four consecutive GREY CUP champion teams (2010-2013) compare notes on the toughest aspects of their jobs, including the development of homegrown Canadian players, and what it takes to fire a head coach.
EPISODE TWO – Smith sits down with four former Coaches of the Year: the Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ Kent Austin, Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Corey Chamblin, Toronto Argonauts’ Scott Milanovich, and Calgary Stampeders’ John Hufnagel. These master tacticians chat about their own personal connections, reveal how they prepare for each new season, and reflect on how coaches make critical play calls that determine the outcome of the game. Episode two airs Saturday, June 13 at 12:30 a.m. ET on TSN, following the conclusion of the Lions-Stampeders game.
EPISODE THREE – Four elite CFL players – Saskatchewan Roughriders’ quarterback Darian Durant, Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ quarterback Drew Willy, and two Toronto Argonauts, receiver Chad Owens and defensive end Ricky Foley – come together to discuss a wide variety of topics, including the significant rule changes coming into effect in the 2015 season. Episode three airs Thursday, June 18 at 11 p.m. ET on TSN2.
TSN will announce additional episodes of CFL AROUND THE TABLE in the coming weeks.
TSN’s entire slate of CFL AROUND THE TABLE is available for live streaming and on-demand viewing to TSN subscribers through TSN GO.