J. R. Digs: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Canadian television personality}} |
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{{Infobox person |
{{Infobox person |
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| image = JR Digs.jpg |
| image = JR Digs.jpg |
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| name = |
| name = J. R. Digs |
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| occupation = |
| occupation = Television personality, writer, producer |
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| yearsactive = 2001-Present |
| yearsactive = 2001-Present |
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}} |
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'''J.R. Digs''' is a [[Canadians|Canadian]] [[television]] personality.<ref name=real>"JR Digs's show may not be 'reality' TV, but it is real". ''[[Ottawa Citizen]]'', October 4, 2006.</ref> He is best known for his [[Gemini Award]]-nominated late night show ''JR Digs: Man with a Van'',<ref name=gazillion>"Of the gazillion Gemini noms, here's a deserving one". ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'', August 20, 2011.</ref> which aired on [[Global Television Network|Global]] from 2008 to 2014.<ref name=parking>[http://www.thespec.com/whatson-story/4474358-jr-digs-is-parking-the-van/ "JR Digs is parking the van"]. ''[[Hamilton Spectator]]'', April 21, 2014.</ref> |
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<div style="float:right; padding:10px;"><!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:JRDigsonJRDIGS.png|JR Digs on "JR DIGS"]] --></div> |
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==Background== |
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'''JR DiGS''' is a [[Canada|Canadian]] [[television]] personality who currently hosts "JR DiGS Late Night Television" that is still in post-production and will be airing nationally on [[Global TV]] in the fall of 2011. JR has been on the air since June [[2001 in television|2001]]. Since then he has been the host of multiple series that have aired nationally on Global TV, E!(Formerly CHCH) MenTV and TVtropolis. |
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Digs, at the time a skateboard shop owner in [[Burlington, Ontario|Burlington]], [[Ontario]],<ref name=real/> first launched ''The JR Digs Show'' on [[CHCH-DT|CHCH]] in 2001.<ref name=real/> Originally a stunt comedy series based on ''[[Jackass (TV series)|Jackass]]'', Digs purchased the airtime himself and solicited his own advertising and sponsorships to recover his costs.<ref name=quest>"One man's quest to be a somebody: JR Digs has spent 10 years and thousands of dollars on his dream of being a talk-show host". ''[[Toronto Star]]'', September 4, 2011.</ref> In 2003, Global began airing the show, under the same production model.<ref name=quest/> |
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In 2006, Digs launched ''[[Be Real with JR Digs]]'', a comedy series in which he tried to make a compelling [[reality show]] out of ordinary people partaking in everyday activities,<ref name=real/> and ''In the Can with JR Digs'', a show in which he acted as mentor to young aspiring filmmakers, for [[TVtropolis]],<ref name=quest/> and ''Another Crappy Canadian Late Night Talk Show'' for CHCH.<ref name=parking/> In 2007, Digs launched ''What the Digs'', a mash-up style show which consisted of Digs' previous shows reedited in a surreal manner. Following this, Digs created ''Late Night Television with JR Digs'' which ran for one season. |
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''Man with a Van'', in which Digs travelled around Canada in a van, was launched in 2008. The show was cancelled by Global in 2014.<ref name=parking/> During this time, Digs also created ''Bands from a Van'', a spinoff of his Man with a Van show which focused on musicians. Digs would interview bands and have them perform - all inside his van. |
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In the summer of 2011, the "Man with a Van" series was nominated for the best talk show category in the 26th annual Gemini awards |
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Digs continues to organize an annual Christmas charity benefit show in [[Hamilton, Ontario|Hamilton]].<ref name=spenny>[http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/spenny-of-kenny-vs-spenny-announced-for-jr-digs-christmas-show-1.3357214 "Spenny of 'Kenny vs Spenny' announced for JR Digs Christmas show"]. [[CBC Hamilton]], December 9, 2015.</ref> The 2015 show included [[Spencer Rice]] of ''[[Kenny vs. Spenny]]'', Max Kerman of [[Arkells]], [[Terra Lightfoot]], [[Tom Wilson (musician)|Tom Wilson]], Mike Trebilcock from [[Killjoys (Canadian band)|Killjoys]], [[Elliott Brood]] and [[The Trews]],<ref name=spenny/> while the 2016 show included Lightfoot, Kerman, Trebilcock and [[Wayne Petti]] of [[Cuff the Duke]].<ref>[http://www.thespec.com/whatson-story/7022175-rockingham-j-r-digs-ready-to-jingle-his-bells/ "J.R. Digs ready to jingle his bells"]. ''[[Hamilton Spectator]]'', December 16, 2016.</ref> In 2017, the 9th annual Christmas charity show included appearances from Max Kerman, Tom Wilson, [[The Dirty Nil]], and [[Monster Truck (band)|Monster Truck]]. The 2018 event is taking place on December 23, 2018 at New Vision United Church in Hamilton. |
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In the fall of 2006 "Be Real with JR DIGS" aired and ran for 13 episodes on TVTropolis. The series earned JR his very first [[Gemini Award]] nomination in the category of "Best Host in a Lifestyle Series" |
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== List of aired Series created by JR DIGS == |
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Digs received a [[Gemini Award]] nomination for Best Host in a Lifestyle Series in 2006 for ''Be Real'', and ''Man with a Van'' was nominated for Best Talk Show in 2011.<ref name=gazillion/> |
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==References== |
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"Man with a Van" (3 seasons) |
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{{Reflist|2}} |
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"The JR DIGS Show" (5 Seasons) |
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{{Authority control}} |
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"In the Can with JR DIGS" - Showcasing aspiring and unknown filmmakers (2 seasons) |
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"Another Crappy Canadian Latenight Talkshow (1 Season) |
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== History Of JR DiGS == |
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JR's grandfather made his living as a professional photographer and at some point, he got his hands on one of his 8mm movie cameras. It was very expensive to get the two minute reels of film developed and it still is to this day; however, the late 80s brought along video cameras, which, JR quickly began to utilize. One of his first recordings can be viewed [http://www.jrdigs.com/showhistoryvids/backin89.html here]. Back then, he lacked proper audio equipment and mics, but he compensated by holding a plush toy penis to peoples' faces and telling them to talk loudly. This type of visual comedy on a shoestring budget became JR's special signature. |
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In the summer of 1999, JR had not only finished university, but he also owned and operated a very successful skateboard shop. Aside from shaping, manufacturing and distributing his own JR DiGS branded skim boards, he was also busy designing and manufacturing his own clothing line called "Shags Clothing Co." After reaching his goal of selling more than 10,000 pairs of pants, he expanded the clothing line to include shorts, hats, hoody's, t-shirts and a variety of other items. |
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The venture proved to be very successful and profitable. All of his profits would later be used to finance another dream of his - the dream to have his own TV show on network television. He used some of his profits to hire a production team from Burlington, ON, in order to create a pilot episode for the JR DiGS show. This venture cost him $4,000. The problem was that JR Digs had no ties to people in the television networks and neither did his production team. The following winter JR was connected to the right people in "The Comedy Network"; however, his submission was rejected. |
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The following spring came around, yet despite his discouragement of not getting his show on national television, he still pursued his dream. He contacted a local television network in Burlington, ON where he met with a program manager. The Program manager commented that the pilot episode was very well-polished and entertaining, but did not fit the venue which was currently offered. This put a complete halt to his career. |
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Everything changed when one night while watching infomercials on TV, JR decided the best thing would be to gain popularity by airing his show during purchased airtime. Eventually, he expected his show to be picked up by network stations once a fan-base was established. This came at a great cost; $30,000 to be exact. JR hit a financial wall as his show became more popular and yet no network station seemed to take any interest in it. |
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JR was faced with a dilemma, which was how to keep producing a show with no money. What had started with the relentless pursuing of a dream, turned into a financial nightmare from which there was no turning back. His debt had risen to $70,000 and still with no network deals, JR's confidence in his dream of having a late night television talk show was obliterated. The only thing on his mind now was surviving. |
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All seemed like it would end in the fall of 2001. Fortunately, his show's good ratings roused the attention of a large sponsor; that sponsor was Molson Canadian. JR re-aired season one of his series and generated revenue from advertisements. The revenue; however, was swallowed up by the fees associated with purchasing airtime, so no profit was being generated. Molson may have been providing the funding to re-air episodes, but there was no budget to have new episodes made. JR put his attention toward getting more sponsorship so that the series would not fizzle out. The following summer JR landed a deal with Sony PlayStation, and Molson had returned. With his new sponsorship, he now had to deliver the new episodes he had been promising. |
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With the help of a government grant, JR was able to hire a student employee. The employee came with his own computer and editing software. On a weekly basis JR and his crew of one taped, ingested, cut, and delivered a new episode of the JR digs show weekly. The limited crew size and the etched-in-stone deadlines showed in production quality and content. JR has admitted to not being entirely proud of this season as it did not meet his standards, as he was busier playing the role of producer than he was entertainer. |
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Still in debt even after a good run, JR turned to an investor that was interested in financing the production of a new season. Unfortunately, the investor pulled out and left JR to pay for booked airtime debts alone. This put him well over 100 thousand dollars in debt. In the spring of 2003, JR produced, by himself a new season of his show by himself. His studio was a couch in his apartment and the camera was set on a tripod. He eventually found a new student editor to aid him in cutting footage on a weekly basis. Again the budget constraints, small crew and tight schedule limited the success of the series. That fall, global began to air his show after Saturday Night Live in every province except for Ontario where it would continue to air after mad TV. The problem was that he still owed a lot of money to Global for overdue airtime, and unless he paid this debt soon, his series would be pulled entirely from the air. So that winter, JR digs sold the only asset he had left; his skateboard shops. The gave him enough money to negotiate a new term with Global and to start making monthly payments on his outstanding debts. |
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A financial turn of events occurred in the spring of 2004, when JR landed a very large sponsorship deal with Labatt. Finally he was able to pay off his overdue airtime with Global, and with the extra buy his own editing suite. Labatt opted to extend their sponsorship through to the end of the summer, which allowed JR to completely clear his credit card debts and lines of credit. Now that all financial pressure had been alleviated, JR could focus on production value and content. |
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In the fall of 2004, JR Digs rented a studio, a crew and an audience. The show contained music, special interviews, and the clips to which JR's fans had become accustomed. He invited a drama class to participate on one of his episodes; however, the episode had to be temporarily pulled due to one parent not wanting her child to be on TV. The show had already been cut and the delivery date was too close for a recut to be possible. The episode was replaced with a rerun from a previous season. This upset not only JR and his team but the drama class that was expecting to see themselves of national TV. In fact he received a lot of push to air the episode and he did which turned out to be a terrible mistake as the parent contacted Global and threatened them with legal action. In response to the threats by the parent, the JR digs show was taken off the air entirely. eventually the show was put back onto the air for another season. |
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During his downtime when his show was taken off the air. JR had the time to act in a student film which ended up making it into a screening at the Toronto International Film Festival. He met many talented film makers there and became inspired to make a series showcasing the behind the scenes of small productions, this series was called "In the Can". |
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JR was later taken into a project called "Be Real" which ran for 13 episodes. The project had a large budget, crew, and equipment. This project went on to win him his first Gemini award. |
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On his way to the Gemini Awards, JR purchased and old ford van. This trip eventually culminated into a new series called "Man with a Van", where the van became a portable studio. He would drive around the city of Hamilton, ON interviewing passersby, he would have short entertaining clips, and finish off the show with a celebrity interview. During the credits he would play old footage of himself pranking telemarketers. This project landed him a Gemini nomination and the winner of the award is still to be determined. |
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As of recent, JR has been creating a new series called "Hell Ya Hamilton" which is still in production. It will be JR's first scripted series with a proper budget. This new series will be part of a new show called "JR DiGS Late Night Television". The new show will be first showcasing a series created by Nocturnal Emissions (a small up and coming production team) entitled "In the Key of Z" in which JR DiGS plays the part of Len. This series is to air in the fall. |
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* [http://www.facebook.com/JRDIGS JR Digs on Facebook] - Official Facebook |
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* [http://www.berealtv.ca/ BeRealTV.ca] - official site of BeReal with JR DIGS |
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* [http://www.viewmag.com/viewstory.php?storyid=1641 JR DIGS: Flying Under The Radar... For Now] - article from [[Hamilton, Ontario]]'s ''View Magazine''. |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Digs, JR}} |
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[[Category:Canadian television talk |
[[Category:Canadian television talk show hosts]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Canadian male comedians]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Mass media people from Hamilton, Ontario]] |
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[[Category:Living people]] |
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[[Category:21st-century Canadian comedians]] |
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[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] |
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[[Category:Comedians from Ontario]] |
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Latest revision as of 23:48, 27 December 2023
J. R. Digs | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Occupation(s) | Television personality, writer, producer |
| Years active | 2001-Present |
J.R. Digs is a Canadian television personality.[1] He is best known for his Gemini Award-nominated late night show JR Digs: Man with a Van,[2] which aired on Global from 2008 to 2014.[3]
Background
[edit]Digs, at the time a skateboard shop owner in Burlington, Ontario,[1] first launched The JR Digs Show on CHCH in 2001.[1] Originally a stunt comedy series based on Jackass, Digs purchased the airtime himself and solicited his own advertising and sponsorships to recover his costs.[4] In 2003, Global began airing the show, under the same production model.[4]
In 2006, Digs launched Be Real with JR Digs, a comedy series in which he tried to make a compelling reality show out of ordinary people partaking in everyday activities,[1] and In the Can with JR Digs, a show in which he acted as mentor to young aspiring filmmakers, for TVtropolis,[4] and Another Crappy Canadian Late Night Talk Show for CHCH.[3] In 2007, Digs launched What the Digs, a mash-up style show which consisted of Digs' previous shows reedited in a surreal manner. Following this, Digs created Late Night Television with JR Digs which ran for one season.
Man with a Van, in which Digs travelled around Canada in a van, was launched in 2008. The show was cancelled by Global in 2014.[3] During this time, Digs also created Bands from a Van, a spinoff of his Man with a Van show which focused on musicians. Digs would interview bands and have them perform - all inside his van.
Digs continues to organize an annual Christmas charity benefit show in Hamilton.[5] The 2015 show included Spencer Rice of Kenny vs. Spenny, Max Kerman of Arkells, Terra Lightfoot, Tom Wilson, Mike Trebilcock from Killjoys, Elliott Brood and The Trews,[5] while the 2016 show included Lightfoot, Kerman, Trebilcock and Wayne Petti of Cuff the Duke.[6] In 2017, the 9th annual Christmas charity show included appearances from Max Kerman, Tom Wilson, The Dirty Nil, and Monster Truck. The 2018 event is taking place on December 23, 2018 at New Vision United Church in Hamilton.
Awards and nominations
[edit]Digs received a Gemini Award nomination for Best Host in a Lifestyle Series in 2006 for Be Real, and Man with a Van was nominated for Best Talk Show in 2011.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "JR Digs's show may not be 'reality' TV, but it is real". Ottawa Citizen, October 4, 2006.
- ^ a b "Of the gazillion Gemini noms, here's a deserving one". The Globe and Mail, August 20, 2011.
- ^ a b c "JR Digs is parking the van". Hamilton Spectator, April 21, 2014.
- ^ a b c "One man's quest to be a somebody: JR Digs has spent 10 years and thousands of dollars on his dream of being a talk-show host". Toronto Star, September 4, 2011.
- ^ a b "Spenny of 'Kenny vs Spenny' announced for JR Digs Christmas show". CBC Hamilton, December 9, 2015.
- ^ "J.R. Digs ready to jingle his bells". Hamilton Spectator, December 16, 2016.