Beyond the superficial

In her 16 years as Cityline’ host Tracy Moore focused on the nitty gritty real-life issues’

- LEANNE DELAP

Former host Marilyn Denis joined Tracy Moore during the final week of ‘Cityline

It had been an emotional week for “Cityline” host Tracy Moore, who announced the cancellation of the show on her social media accounts last Tuesday. “Do I love Cityline? Always and forever. Am I a little heartbroken? Absolutely,” she said.

Moore was the show’s third host in 40 years. Its original host was Dini Petty, from 1984 through 1989, then Marilyn Denis picked up the mantle until 2008, when Moore began her run.

Last week’s cancellation, added to the loss of Denis’s afternoon show on CTV a year ago, will change the Canadian television landscape, especially for women, its predominant audience.

Poignantly, the news coincided with “Cityline’s” 40th anniversary. The show’s final week comprised daily celebratory tributes, culminating in a special farewell episode last Friday.

“It’s been a lot of ups and downs,” Moore told me about the final week. “The connection with viewers goes beyond the hosts.”

“Cityline” hit screens well before the internet, which has of course splintered viewership and made it difficult for generalized lifestyle shows to continue. It also preceded specialty TV channels that focus purely on food or homes.

“This show was where you could learn about what paint to choose, about what to wear as the mother of the bride. Figuring out what to make for dinner is what drives most people batty; you could find that here on Mondays and Wednesdays,” Moore said. The poor guest chefs, she added. “I don’t cook and Marilyn didn’t either.” There is no better ingredient than relatability.