Perhaps the signature element of the program (and certainly the one that I first fell in love with) are the fictionalized phone conversations that Jonathan has with his friends, Howard, Gregor, and Josh - Jonathan acting the straight Jerry Seinfeld to the outlandish Cosmo Kramer antics of these likeable, if often irrational, cast of characters who populate his universe.īut although Wiretap will often leave you laughing, there are also many times at which the show puts the whimsy aside, and takes on a serious, even philosophical tone- whether through short stories, real-life interviews, or Jonathan's reflections, there are often thought-provoking meditations on the strangeness of life and existence, that will leave you thinking long after the program ends. The show (which has been referred to facetiously as liartap) blends the line between fiction and reality, and as the listener you're often left not quite sure what is real, what is the work of Goldstien's imaginative mind, and what lies somewhere in between. Wiretap, airing each Saturday at 3:30pm on CBC Radio One, is a program that eludes easy classification - it's an almost bizarre melding of different elements that somehow works, and even makes sense, though the reasons why aren't entirely clear. One of my favourite shows on all of CBC radio is also one of the hardest to describe, and if you've ever found yourself in the difficult position (as I have) of trying to sum up to a friend the eclectic, even eccentric world that is Jonathan Goldstein's Wiretap, you'll know what I mean.
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