At first it seemed last night like another predictable, lacklustre Gemini Awards.
But then actress Wendy Crewson pulled an Adrien Brody and french-kissed CBC anchor Ian Hanomansing.
And the mood in the place shot straight up. And stayed that way through the two-hour, black-tie gala celebrating the 18th Annual Gemini Awards.
After Ms. Crewson's name was called as best actress in a dramatic TV movie, The Many Trials of One Jane Doe, she climbed on stage and gave Mr. Hanomansing a liplock reminiscent of the one Mr. Brody planted on actress Halle Berry when he won best actor at the Oscars last April.
Dumbstruck, Mr. Hanomansing (the baritone voice behind CBC's Canada Now) merely gawked at Ms. Crewson, who is a diehard supporter of Canadian dramatic television.
The actress, who recently landed a leading role on the hit Fox series, 24, then gave a rousing speech asking audiences to stay tuned to homegrown TV.
"Canadian drama's in a rough spot right now, and I want to thank everyone who watches it," said Ms. Crewson, who moved back to Toronto from Los Angeles a couple of years ago.
"I tell you we have a sea of talent out here. And I'm looking at it," she roared at the crowd.
Immediately after Ms. Crewson's stunt, awards host Sean Cullen launched into a bawdy song-and-dance routine commemorating the Geminis' 18th birthday, "You're barely legal," he sang into the microphone, all the while rubbing up against a storey-high Gemini statuette.
Mr. Cullen also confessed to hidden feelings for Mr. Hanomansing. "Everyone wants Ian," the standup comedian said. "Even I kind of want him."
It was that kind of night.
CTV's drama The Eleventh Hour, took home best drama, a prize that its makers clearly hope will turn it from a critics' favourite into a ratings-winner.
Jeff Seymour, of The Eleventh Hour, won best actor in a continuing dramatic role, while Marina Orsini won best actress in the same category for The Last Chapter II: The War Continues.
When he accepted his Gemini, Mr. Seymour said he was blown away, but added he was "more excited that The Eleventh Hour got 14 nominations so maybe now the television audience will watch our show!"
This Hour Has 22 Minutes won for best ensemble performance in a comedy program or series, beating out the crowd favourite, The Trailer Park Boys.
However, Mike Smith, who is a mainstay of Showcase's Trailer Park series, took home favourite comedian under the Viewers Choice Award. To accept that honour, Mr. Smith and his buddies loped onto the stage at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in full hockey gear, including pads, helmets and sticks. "Oh my God, I don't know what . . . to say," Mr. Smith said as he accepted the Gemini. Asked later if they might consider hosting the 19th Geminis next year, the lads quipped that might not happen since the CBC has an issue with their swearing.
Cheeky to the end, Mr. Cullen threw out a gazillion one-liners denigrating U.S. television, including "Screw you Cold Case [referring to a new CBS cop show] I love Cold Squad [a CTV drama]"
Janet Wright won best supporting actress in a dramatic program or miniseries for Betrayed, while Ted Whittall won the best supporting actor category for Agent of Influence.
Michael Riley won best actor in a leading role in a drama or miniseries in for The Interrogation of Michael Crowe. The winners are:
Best TV movie or dramatic miniseries:
100 Days in the Jungle
(Imagination Film & Television
Productions); Nicolette Saina,
Sean O'Byrne, Matthew O'Connor,
Tom Rowe, Mary Anne Waterhouse.
Best dramatic series: The Eleventh
Hour (Alliance Atlantis in association
with CTV); Semi Chellas,
Brian Dennis, Ilana Frank,
Anne Marie LaTraverse.
Best direction in a dramatic program
or miniseries: Jerry Ciccoritti,
The Many Trials of One Jane
Doe.
Best writing in a dramatic program
or miniseries: Karen Walton,
The Many Trials of One Jane
Doe.
Best performance by an actor in
a leading role in a dramatic program
or miniseries: Michael Riley,
The Interrogation of Michael
Crowe.
Best performance by an actress
in a leading role in a dramatic
program or miniseries: Wendy
Crewson, The Many Trials of One
Jane Doe.
Best performance by an actor in
a continuing leading dramatic
role: Jeff Seymour, The Eleventh
Hour.
Best performance by an actress
in a continuing leading dramatic
role: Marina Orsini, The Last
Chapter II: The War Continues.
Best performance by an actor in
a featured supporting role in a
dramatic program or miniseries:
Ted Whittall, Agent of Influence.
Best performance by an actress
in a featured supporting role in a
dramatic program or miniseries:
Janet Wright, Betrayed.
Best ensemble performance in a
comedy program or series: Cathy
Jones, Colin Mochrie, Greg Thomey,
Mary Walsh; This Hour Has
22 Minutes - Season X Episode 14.
Best news anchor: Peter Mansbridge,
CBC News: The National,
Ultimatum Iraq/Tariq Aziz/Town
Hall Special.
Best host or interviewer in a
sports program or sportscast:
Scott Oake, Hockey Night in Canada
Presents - Brett Hull.
Viewers' choice award for comedy:
Mike Smith, Trailer Park Boys.
Donald Brittain Award for best
social/political documentary:
Return to Kandahar
Gayle MacDonald