Let the solar wind embrace you.

	Premiere: Nov. 30, 2003 (CBC) April 11, 2004 (Bravo) Type: TV Series / Variety Producers: Marie Côté Vincent Gagné Martin Bolduc Episodes: 13 / 44 minutes long Time: Sundays @ 8:00pm

After the ratings success, critical acclaim, and Emmy and Gemini award wins garnered by 2002’s groundbreaking documentary series Fire Within, it was no surprise that Cirque du Soleil would aim to prove its prowess in the realm of television wasn’t just a fluke. Thus following hard on the heels of Fire Within came a new variety series looking for success.

SOLSTROM, a combination of "solar wind" (sol, which is inspired by the sun) and "strom" (from German meaning "current") is a 13-part variety series as unique an experience as Cirque is itself. The series draws inspiration from silent films, situation comedy, burlesque theatre and Cirque du Soleil's own live shows, presenting a new perspective on the circus arts on television. Each episode weaves a unique array of never-before-televised Cirque performances into a unique style of story-telling, leading viewers through a mesmerizing dream world of fantasy and reality.

The series was described as follows: “A sandbox transforms into a construction site. A high wire shimmers across a hotel lobby. Icarian aliens go slumming at a cosmic discotheque. Get ready to play games of fear, games of romance, games of chance - even extraterrestrial games - with some truly unforgettable characters as the legendary Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil comes to CBC Television, taking viewers into a world of dreaming and game-playing where they will encounter everything from romance to childhood and from the cosmic to escapism. It's all done through the magic that has made Cirque du Soleil an international sensation.”

But were audiences and fans alike ready for this cosmic wind?

The following episodic reviews were originally published as a series of four incirments in Fascination!, the Cirque du Soleil fan newsletter, starting with Issue #28 (December 2003) and ending with Issue #31 (March 2004). Each review is written by Wayne Leung, reprinted at Le Grand Chapiteau with permission. The listing at left is the official Cirque du Soleil order, which is the same order BRAVO ran the episodes. The review was based off of the Canadian run, which mixed up the episodes. As such, "Gone With the Winds", "Wind of Imagination", "Wind of Life", and "Cosmic Wind" were never reviewed.