'Da Vinci,' 'Wonderland' to be cut

CBC Television has announced it is cancelling three prime-time dramas, Da Vinci's City Hall, The Tournament and This is Wonderland.

Despite critical acclaim for the long-running Da Vinci series and slightly kooky This is Wonderland, audiences had not responded to the programs, said Ruth-Ellen Soles, a CBC spokesperson.

"These are three programs that CBC believed in and attached significant resources to," Soles said on Monday. "Unfortunately the audiences for all three have been in steady decline and did not resonate with Canadians. These decisions are always difficult but they had to be made."

Wonderland, starring Cara Pifko as a young defence lawyer struggling with the confusing, often sad, side of criminal law at the Old City Hall courts in Toronto, was in its third season.

Created by George F. Walker, Dani Romain and Bernard Zukerman and produced by Muse Entertainment and Indian Grove, it had been hailed for its insightful writing and for avoiding the stock law drama format. The final show is to air March 15.

Da Vinci's Inquest had been a highly rated prime-time drama for CBC, but when crusading coroner Dominic Da Vinci, played by Nicholas Campbell, won the election and moved to city hall to become mayor of Vancouver, viewers did not go with him.

The Gemini-winning show, created by Chris Haddock, will have its final air date Feb. 28. It is in its seventh season.

The Tournament was about a group of dysfunctional hockey moms and dads cheering on their offspring in the underdog Pee-wee team, the Farqueson Funeral Home Warriors. The second season of the show, which has been nominated for three Geminis, is already over.

Soles said Da Vinci had been averaging 394,000 viewers, Wonderland 376,000 and The Tournament 268,000. Da Vinci had lost about 40 per cent of its audience from its high point a few years ago.

There's no word yet on what programs may replace them. CBC has recently hired a new executive director of programming for the English network, Kirstine Layfield.

"We're in continuing discussions now regarding all of the arts and entertainment programming, everything," Soles said.