There won't be any crass insults, ego-driven stage invasions or embarrassing wardrobe malfunctions at this year's Gemini Awards if everything goes according to Ron James' plan.
The veteran Canadian funnyman is hosting the 24th annual Geminis Saturday night and says viewers won't have to worry about crude sexual innuendo of Russell Brand proportions.
"Russell Brand is a tool," declares James, adding that he's not surprised the two-time MTV Video Music Awards host appeals to the "punks" who watch the channel.
"I've done enough corporate speaking in my day to know you can only push the envelope so far ... The most important thing is not to lose the room. I've played the country from one end to the other and my motto has always been to embrace a sense of people and place and try to have a fun night, rather than an alienating night."
It's James first time hosting the broadcast portion of the Geminis (he has previously emceed the non-televised technical awards) and he admits he's starting to feel a few butterflies in his stomach.
"I always get nervous though," he says. "I even get nervous before my own stage shows. But it's all about preparation, preparation, preparation. I'm just going to do what I do and keep the night clipping along. I just have a simple motto -- If the ushers aren't wiping the seats down after the show, I haven't done my job."
The Nova Scotia native is enjoying his own success on Canadian television. His new Friday night CBC program, The Ron James Show, attracts upwards of 800,000 viewers a week.
"It took me 30 years to get my own show," he says.
"Now I need a nap."
The Ron James Show is the latest in a string of successful Canadian-made programs in recent years.
Heartland, Flashpoint, Degrassi: The Next Generation and Being Erica are just a few of the Gemini nominees that have found not only a large domestic audience but also success south of the border and abroad.
"It's a very positive trend that we're seeing," says Sara Morton, CEO of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.
"The quality is there and they're highly entertaining shows. I think that's something that we as an industry and we as a country should celebrate."
The 90-minute Geminis gala, which airs Saturday on Global, will feature a special tribute to three of Canada's most beloved and successful comedy programs -- Air Farce, Corner Gas and Trailer Park Boys -- all of which ended their runs in the past year.
The Glee kid!
As well, Morton promises a parade of popular presenters including George Stroumboulopoulos, Rick Mercer and Calgary-born actor Cory Monteith, who is one of the stars of Fox's hit comedy, Glee.
It's been a tough year economically for Canada's film and television industry, but Morton says the Geminis prove that great Canadian programs can still be created despite financial obstacles.
"That's why it's particularly important to have an event like the Gemini Awards where we can turn away from the economic realities and look at the content that's being produced and how great it is.
"It's very significant for the community and that's part of what the Gemini Awards are about -- providing that source of celebration and recognition."
The Geminis were founded in 1979 as a way to acknowledge the best in Canadian television. This year's event will be held in Calgary for the first time.
"The Geminis are a national celebration," says Morton. "So we really want to bring the show to the regions and have a show that reflects both the film and TV from those regions and the personality of those regions. It really keeps it fresh and we're convinced Calgary is going to give us a tremendous welcome for the Academy, the production and our guests."
PREDICTIONS
Best Comedy Program or Series
* Less Than Kind
* Rick Mercer Report
* Testees
* This Hour Has 22 Minutes
* Three Chords From the Truth
Who Should Win: Less Than Kind -- Dry humour and stellar performances by Maury Chaykin and Wendel Meldrum made this Winnipeg-set comedy worth watching.
Who will Win: Rick Mercer Report -- Mercer's jokes don't always hit the mark, but RMR is more consistently entertaining than his former stomping ground, This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
Best Dramatic Series
* Being Erica
* The Border
* Flashpoint
* The Tudors
* ZOS: Zone of Separation
Who Should Win: Being Erica
Who Will Win: Flashpoint
Best Talk Series
* The After Show
* The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos
* Steven and Chris
Who Should Win: The Hour -- Strombo is an engaging interviewer and the show always has an interesting guest or two. MTV's The After Show is shallow and irritating just like its guests, which are mainly the stars of the intellectually challenged series The Hills.
Who Will Win: The Hour -- At least it better win. If The After Show takes it the Geminis will be dead to me.
Best Actor in a Dramatic Role
* Enrico Colantoni, Flashpoint
* Hugh Dillon, Flashpoint
* Robin Dunne, Sanctuary
* Daniel Kash, The Line
* Ron White, The Line
Who Should Win: Enrico Colantoni, Flashpoint: Co-star Dillon is a magnetic presence on screen, but Colantoni has more depth and range as an actor.
Who Will Win: Enrico Colantoni, Flashpoint
Best Actress in a Dramatic Role
* Natalie Dormer, The Tudors
* Amy Jo Johnson, Flashpoint
* Erin Karpluk, Being Erica
* Andrea Menard, Rabbit Fall
* Amanda Tapping, Sanctuary
Who Should Win: Erin Karpluk -- Being Erica
Who Will Win: Erin Karpluk/Natalie Dormer -- Karpluk's portrayal of the time-travelling title character is charming and funny, but she has the acting chops to add levity to her performance. That said, Dormer is no slouch either and her role as Henry VIII's second wife Anne Boleyn on The Tudors was often startlingly good.
