eTalk

Hosts: Man about town and diehard blazer enthusiast Ben Mulroney (a chin twin of dad Brian) and feisty, diet Red Bull–loving fashion plate Tanya Kim.
Overview:Slightly hipper than the competition, thanks to a teen-targeted reporting crew (including ex–Canadian Idol finalist Anna Cyzon) and coverage of such indie music acts as Sam Roberts and Arcade Fire.
Catchphrase: “Canada’s number one source for everything entertainment.”
Back Story: After many incarnations—including eNow, a celebri-fest hosted by Cana­da’s Joan Rivers replica, Carla Collins—eTalk joined CTV’s prime-time lineup in June 2003 to coincide with the launch of Canadian Idol.
Ratings: 466,000 viewers an episode.
Edge on the competition: Web gossip guru Lainey Lui (a thinking woman’s Perez Hilton) dishes dirt on hot celebrity flings (the first to break Hayden Christensen and Sienna Miller’s Canadian romance) and bitter breakups. Plus, behind-the-scenes access to all things Idol (which may or may not be a good thing, depending on your appetite for Big Ben and off-key ballads).
Best get: Exclusive footage of the infamous Ashlee Simpson drunken diva routine at McDonald’s. Primo positioning at the recent CTV-aired Concert for Diana.

ET Canada

Hosts: Former Global news helicopter reporter Cheryl Hickey—who delivers items on Lindsay Lohan’s lack of undergarments in a tone usually reserved for coverage of global crises—eerily mimics legendary ET grand dame Mary Hart. Her sidekick: perky former MuchMusic VJ Rick “the Temp” Campanelli.
Overview: Save for its spotlight on north-of-the-border talent, this Canadian offshoot could easily pass for the American original with its glowing, logoed sets, swooshing sound effects and carbon copy hosts.
Catchphrase: “Canada’s most-watched entertainment news.”
Back Story: Rode a 2005 tidal wave of celeb mania in the Great White North. That same year, Torstar launched the now-defunct gossip rag Weekly Scoop, while Rogers secured rights to a Canadian version of Hello!
Ratings: 479,000 viewers an episode.
Edge on the competition: More than 25 years of archival footage courtesy of its parent show, and a theme song that may be better known than “O Canada.”
Best get: John Travolta’s TV tab of choice while hawking his outsized role in Hairspray this summer, and the only show to chat with erstwhile skater girl Avril Lavigne the day after her wedding to Sum 41’s Deryck Whibley.