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Page 8. Whitby Fee Proe, Wodnesday, January 5. 1994 Whitby-based show on TVnatîonwîde. WHITBY ACTOR/PRODUCER Jer Jonk- tieer's 'EH JJ Show,' a haif-hour Christian variety show featuring music videos, skits, stonies, jokes and interviews, has been get- ting high ratings on Vision TV and Buffalo's Channel 49. His next production, which features black gospel music, airs Saturday, Jan. 29 at 9:30 pm on Vision TV. pihot by Mark Rleesor, WhItthy Free Prese By Mark Roéesor Instead of complaining about how bad telovision in, Whitby actor/producer Jerry JonUkeer decidod to do somothing about it. Mter working in telovision and films for three and a haif yoars, he'd haed onouh. «Meophil:ooh o f somo of the shows I was on were so much against what I:*ove rd come home with a hoadacho, - and I nover get headachos. 1 didn't ovon keepaspirinh my house,» ho says. A soarch -for Canadian producers with boliefs similar to his own wasn't vory succe s,8 Jonkheer decided. to start hie own show -- thoe'Eh JJ Sow.' «My whole purpofe in this was to provido good ontertain- ment for tho 30 to 40 per cent of Canaies who go to church," ho Beys. «Some of the productions are varioty shows... (with) music 'vidoos, ekits, storios, jokos (and) interesting studios that promoto the Christian way of life... others have a story going through them.» Tho 'story shows' follow a young man "on a search for reality and various entertainmont. Along the way ho hopos to devolop a world philosophy of li (based on God).» Jonkheer found throe companios who ageed to sponsor hirm with advortising «becauso I didret wnt thave one of these TV shows where you beg for funde." Thon ho began éin on doors, trying to interest TV stations.' «Looking back, I don't know whore I got tho norve,» ho admits. «Basically I walkod into (four TV) stations and said 'P like you to tako something off tho air and put my show in its place!»m CHEX-TV ini Peterborough offered tho best deal, and the 'Eh JJ Show'was on the air. Initially Jonkheer had ta buy the airtime but got to koop al the monoy from commerciale. «Thon it started doing well and they moyed it into btter and botter tinios and reduced tho cost to, me." It took nine months of convincing bofore another station, Channel 49 in Buffalo, picked up the show. The big break came when, after two years of lobbying, Vision TV agroed to pick up his show and run it nationwide. Again ho started in a poor time siot - e p.m. Saturday -- but despite that, tho program did well, ho says. "Tho Nielson ratinga showed that more people wero watch- ing my show at 6 p.m. than shows that wero on mrm time... the first two episodes ranked 21 and 31 out oftortp 100.» A TV station in Michigan in now expresing intereet and videotapes of the show have been sold as far away as Nigeria. They're available locally at Testament Book Store, 1121 Dundas St. E. Jonkheer has produced 12 episodes of the Eh JJ Show so far. His next prograin, which in on black gospel music is schoduled te air at 9:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 29 on Vision TyýI. Ho plans to keep the show based in Whitby, although ho's dono segments in a numbor of locations. Theatre group to hold pub night fundraiser The Whitby Courthouse Theatre will ho Id a 'Pub Night' on Saturday, Jan* 15 i the Centennialuilding on Centre Street South i Whitby. "This event is deslined te, pro- vide sure-firo relief for the post- New Year blues," says Court- house publicist Bort Heaver. Toble held in the Regal Room, the setting will be that of a typical English pub, complote withi dart boards and games and pub refreshmnents. A highlight will be a cabaret segment presentod by Jim Ren- shaw and The Entertainers, a popular group that has been a big hit at aong other events, Oshawa's kiesta festival. Volunteers from the audience will be invited toestrut thoir stuif alonguide The Entertainers. The event is a fundraiser for the theatro group. ickets are available, at $10 each, from Lafontaine rading Post at the four corners in down- town Whitby. For more informa- tion call 430-3774.