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CTV News
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
‘It's innately ridiculous': New documentary recalls story of former CTV broadcaster turned bank robber
In 2017, a very odd string of bank robberies swept through the prairies. 'It's comedic, whether you're laughing with Steve or I think a fair amount of the time, we're actually laughing at Steve. What's going on here is funny,' Charlie Siskel, co-director of 'The Sexiest Man in Winnipeg,' said. The crimes were odd for a number of reasons, but most notably because the perpetrator was Steve Vogelsang, a well-known CTV sports broadcaster who at one time was named 'the Sexiest Man in Winnipeg.' 'The more that we looked into it, the more intrigued we were because we couldn't quite figure him that was sort of our challenge is like how to make a why-done-it, you know, instead of a whodunit,' Ben Daughtrey, the other half of the film's directing team, said. The Saskatoon-born reporter attempted to rob six banks, including branches in Regina, Saskatoon, and Medicine Hat, where he was quickly apprehended due to the poorly executed nature of his crimes. 'We were fascinated by the story, reading it and then looking at the footage, seeing the guy who Steve presents himself as and sort of looking for clues about who he might really be. Underneath the facade of a guy who had a taste of fame, lost it, and went to what seemed like really extreme lengths to get it back. Robbing a bunch of banks is a really questionable way to get famous again,' Siskel said. new documentary recalls story of former CTV broadcaster turned bank robber (Source: YouTube/Prime Video Canada) This twist on true crime features the real Steve Vogelsang, returning to the scenes of his crimes and sharing his experiences. He goes into detail about his personal struggles, which he claimed to be the driving factors behind the crimes. 'It's innately ridiculous. I mean, one of the things that didn't even strike Charlie and I until about a quarter of the way through cutting it, was that he was reenacting his own crimes. And I was like, who does that?' Daughtrey said. Vogelsang's participation proved to be both an asset and a challenge for the directors. The eccentric ex-broadcaster recalls his version of events, which are often criticized by the other interview subjects in the film who don't buy all of Vogelsang's story. 'That was a huge challenge for us was, we have to take the reins from Steve a do we insert our voice into this in a way that allows us to be almost like, Steve's Jiminy Cricket, his conscious,' Daughtrey said. 'Steve is a natural storyteller. He made his living doing this as a journalist, as a person in front of the camera. I think in so many ways, Steve knows exactly what he's doing and knew exactly what he was doing, not only as a medium for criminal, but as an all too willing, documentary subject,' Siskel said. Given all of the time spent creating the film with Vogelsang, the directors certainly came up with their own personal opinions regarding the broadcaster turned criminal's motivations. Siskel says, this was something that made the editing process challenging at times. 'When you have a subject like Steve who's trying to assert control, there's a dance there. And I think you see that in the filmmaking. And we were interested in exposing that and exploring that and asking the audience, what do you make of this story? What do you make of the motivations of the filmmakers? What do you make of your own motivations? And then ultimately, what do you think of Steve?' Siskel said. While the film tells a ridiculous story in it's intended nature, the directors said there was real harm caused by Vogelsang's actions, which they wanted to showcase. 'These were not victimless crimes, as we point out in the film and try to take stock of the fact that there were people who are traumatized by these crimes. The tellers in the banks, they didn't know that Steve wasn't carrying a real gun,' Siskel said. The documentary itself eventually breaks the fourth wall, highlighting the fact that many people believe Vogelsang carried out his crimes with the intention of gaining attention like documentaries and news articles. The directors said this was something they tried to keep in mind throughout the filmmaking process. new documentary recalls story of former CTV broadcaster turned bank robber (Source: YouTube/Prime Video Canada) 'Steve likes attention. He likes to be on camera. He likes to be the guy in front of the camera, the star. He's not interested in cleaning up his messes. And he made a lot of messes,' Siskel said. 'Steve's story that he's created not only in his mind, but self-actualized and created and had the guts to go out and rob banks in this ridiculous way. So in a way, ironically, we're honouring Steve's narrative while simultaneously deconstructing it,' Daughtrey said. It was also noted by the filmmakers, that the story is a complex one. It is a character study about a man's rise and fall from grace, and the emotions that accompany that. 'It's easy for us to throw him under the bus. We could've easily just show the worst side of Steve. And I think it was really important for us to show him in every dimension that we could that was recorded, and Steve didn't hold back in any way. So I felt like we were as fair to him as we could be,' Daughtrey said. The directors both shared hope that the film will spark conversation about complex human nature. Regardless of Vogelsang's intent, the story is undeniably an entertaining one. 'To say that he has his flaws is like the understatement of the century. But he also is just sort of an all too human character. He's not a monster with bodies buried in his backyard. He's not that kind of true crime subject. He's a guy who committed these bank robberies in a sort of comically ridiculous fashion,' Siskel said. 'We hope that the audience will go on the same journey we went on, which is to make up your own mind about Steve. We definitely left our perspective in there, but it's ambiguous. The audience has to see how they feel about Steve and how they feel about the art of documentary in general,' Daughtrey said.
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
From prime time to prime suspect: the rise and fall of Winnipeg's 'Sexiest Man'
Steve Vogelsang, once known as Winnipeg's "Sexiest Man," faced a shocking turn. He transitioned from a popular sportscaster to a bank robber. A new documentary explores his life. It reveals the personal and financial struggles he encountered. These challenges led to his arrest and conviction. The film examines media's role in shaping public image. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads A star on the rise The unraveling A story of complexity Reflections on media and identity In a tale that seems scripted for the silver screen, Steve Vogelsang , once celebrated as Winnipeg's "Sexiest Man," has experienced a dramatic descent from esteemed broadcaster to convicted bank robber . A new documentary, The Sexiest Man in Winnipeg , now streaming on Amazon Prime, delves into the complexities of his life, exploring the factors that led to his unexpected career began with promise. As a charismatic sportscaster, he became a household name in Winnipeg, earning accolades and a loyal following. His transition to academia as a college instructor further solidified his reputation as a respected figure in the beneath the surface, challenges loomed. The documentary reveals a series of personal and financial struggles that Vogelsang faced, culminating in a series of bank robberies across Alberta and Saskatchewan. These actions led to his arrest and conviction, shocking those who once admired Sexiest Man in Winnipeg doesn't offer easy answers. Instead, it presents a nuanced portrait of a man grappling with internal demons and external pressures. Through interviews and archival footage, viewers are invited to consider the multifaceted nature of Vogelsang's documentary also prompts broader discussions about the media's role in constructing public personas and the challenges individuals face when their private realities diverge from public expectations. Vogelsang's story serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities inherent in human lives and the importance of empathy in understanding Sexiest Man in Winnipeg is now available for streaming on Amazon Prime.
Winnipeg Free Press
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Hero or villain? Documentary can't decide
Centring on the stranger-than-fiction saga of former Winnipegger Steve Vogelsang, this alternately intriguing and exasperating hybrid documentary tracks his trajectory from onetime local TV personality to convicted bank robber. As many Winnipeggers know, Vogelsang found fame and fortune here in the 1990s as a sportscaster for CKY (later CTV). In 2017, he became the talk of the town — in a very different way — when he was charged with committing a string of robberies across western Canada. In one sense, this crime story is as Winnipeggy as honey-dill sauce. In another sense, it's not that Peg-specific at all. Basically, the film uses Vogelsang's bizarre, breaking-bad bio as a pretext to raise questions about what documentaries can and cannot do. American filmmakers Charlie Siskel (Finding Vivian Maier) and first-timer Ben Daughtrey want to examine the nature of truth, the lure of narrative and the complicated relationship between filmmaker and subject. Documentarians such as Joshua Oppenheimer, Alex Gibney and Errol Morris regularly and seriously raise these issues in their works. Unfortunately, The Sexiest Man in Winnipeg never makes good on its premise. This is the lite version of cinematic introspection. To start off, there's that cute, come-hither title, which derives from the results of an Uptown magazine readers' poll. There's the misplaced determination — especially at first — to frame Vogelsang's crime spree as a jaunty, comical caper, even though his actions did real harm to real people. And there's the voiceover narration. Comedian and actor Will Arnett, the Arrested Development alumnus who has Winnipeg family connections, relates Vogelsang's story, which makes sense. But the decision to present Arnett as a slightly snarky talking bison? That's just bad. Putting all this strained, gimmicky stuff to one side, Vogelsang can be a compelling subject. At one point, he says there are people who judge you on the worst thing you've ever done and people who judge you on the best thing you've ever done. As the filmmakers speak with Vogelsang's colleagues, students, family and friends, the doc aims to span that spectrum. One can immediately see why Vogelsang succeeded as a TV personality. He's a natural performer, with an onscreen persona that comes across as affable, relatable and funny, and he was good at connecting with viewers. Back in the day, he had a wardrobe supplied by Harry Rosen. He MC'd local charity dinners and events. He was 'Winnipeg famous.' Steve Vogelsang was a TV sportscaster in the 1990s. Steve Vogelsang was a TV sportscaster in the 1990s. Sensing that his time in front of the camera was coming to an end, Vogelsang became an instructor in broadcast journalism at what was then Red River College (now RRC Polytech). There he performed for his students, many of whom talk of him as an inspiring and supportive teacher. But even at the peak of Vogelsang's good times, there are hints about how things might go wrong. There's his seemingly bottomless need for external attention and validation and his tricky combo of arrogance and insecurity. Add in depression, debt and divorce, plus some plot twists involving family history and personal relationships, and Vogelsang's life takes a sudden, drastic turn. Through archival news footage and extensive talking-head interviews, including with all-round sports guy Peter Young and Free Press reporter Melissa Martin, the film offers different, even conflicting takes on Vogelsang. Then there's Vogelsang's own take, which brings up Daughtrey and Siskel's decision to put the man himself at the centre of the documentary process. As our talking-bison friend suggests, this is a 'true-crime documentary in which the criminal does his own reenactments.' Vogelsang collaborates with the filmmakers to act out his crimes, sometimes driving around in an imaginary invisible car, sometimes dressing up to replicate grainy security videos. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Vogelsang at first tries to downplay what he did. He didn't make that much money. He didn't consider himself violent because he didn't use actual weapons. At one point, he held up a bank with a disguised glue gun. 'I was more a danger to bedazzle someone's jeans than shoot them,' he says, a joke that tries to paper over the fact that even if the 'guns' were fake, the tellers experienced the threat as real. As Vogelsang attempts to come to terms with the trauma he caused, the film becomes a more complex and serious exploration of identity. It also raises some knotty issues about documentary ethics. If, as some interview subjects suggest, Vogelsang's crimes came from a need to get back into the spotlight, could the film itself be a continuation of what one interview subject calls Vogelsang's 'celebretization of himself?' As Martin suggests, 'I think one of the tricky things in this story is to remember that in some way Steve is always going to be trying to control the narrative.' At several points, Vogelsang says he co-operated with the film because he hopes people can learn from his mistakes. But what have we learned by the end of this project? Viewers might be looking for closure, for a satisfying character arc, for a journey of self-knowledge, self-improvement or maybe even redemption. The film seems to resist. By the end, The Sexiest Man in Winnipeg feels like a warning about the limits of documentary storytelling. As the bison ruefully tells us: 'The filmmakers wanted to tell a good story, but they couldn't decide whether Steve was a hero or a villain, sympathetic or insincere, an unfeeling monster or a remorseful, complicated soul.' So, you'll have to decide about Steve Vogelsang for yourself. You'll also have to decide whether this open-ended documentary approach is refreshingly honest or just frustrating. Alison GillmorWriter Studying at the University of Winnipeg and later Toronto's York University, Alison Gillmor planned to become an art historian. She ended up catching the journalism bug when she started as visual arts reviewer at the Winnipeg Free Press in 1992. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
CBC
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
The Sexiest Man in Winnipeg documents a broadcaster-turned-bank robber. That doesn't make it interesting
Social Sharing Stop me if you've heard this one. A Canadian sports broadcaster walks into a bank. He's cradling a bleeding hand, wearing a bomb and smiling a crooked smile. "Hi," he says. "I'm TV's Steve Vogelsang. Hand over everything in the till." OK, maybe he didn't use those exact words. But according to The Sexiest Man in Winnipeg, Vogelsang's real-life robberies did, more or less, follow those beats. And the documentary — premiering Friday on Prime and made with Vogelsang's co-operation — markets itself as following that bizarre spree; a descent from CKY Winnipeg's supposedly fan-favourite 1990s onscreen jokester, to a 2010s convicted felon with six bank robberies spanning two provinces. Astoundingly, we learn much of this from Vogelsang himself — a few years after his six-and-a-half year prison sentence, and seemingly more than game to re-enact the various crimes he orchestrated at banks between Alberta and Saskatchewan. WATCH | The Sexiest Man in Winnipeg trailer: But as he narrates how he built the fake bomb in a nearby motel room and even why he once went for a facial immediately after a stickup, the question, of course, becomes "Why?" Why would a successful, well-liked and seemingly normal journalist suddenly — to steal a Vince Gilligan-ism — break bad? In keeping with that AMC show, part of the reason may be that he was never all that normal. The by-then divorced, twice-retired (from journalism and then teaching) enigma at the centre of our story is perhaps not all that difficult to unravel. He's prickly; he's self-assured to a fault and impulsive. He received a no-contact order for a student he dated; he once told his ex-wife — while they were still married — he would forever remain the smartest person she'd ever met. But that's about where the twists and turns end. We get an intriguing opening, detailing Vogelsang's often cinematic robbery plans, and we hear from more than a few people who actually knew him. There are his students, ex-wife and the cops and prosecutors tasked with catching him. There's even the slick narration of Will Arnett, perpetually dwelling on the strangeness of both the case, and Vogelsang's participation in the documentary. Though, perhaps somewhat confusingly, Arnett is cast as a bison, telling the story in a tongue-in-cheek voiceover that frequently cuts to images of the animal as if it's the one telling the story. It's a frustratingly artificial conceit, seemingly chosen to both tie in to the general tone of the documentary and, as Vogelsang explains in a pointedly unexamined remark, because the misunderstood brutes are his "spirit animal." In short, neither our star or story are, as Shrek would say, like an onion: The Sexiest Man in Winnipeg is critically short when it comes to layers. There's even a depressing lack of novelty. Like how band Flight of the Conchords often jokingly described themselves as New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-gangsta-rap-funk-folk comedy duo, Vogelsang is a runner-up even in the incredibly niche genre he's created for himself. When it comes to the most famous Canadian late '80s/early '90s ex-performer-turned-bank-robber, subsequently starring in a streamer-released documentary about their time in prison and subsequent rehabilitation, Vogelsang is, at best, number two. The winner would probably be actor Deleriyes (Joey) Cramer (Flight of the Navigator). But where his documentary, Life After the Navigator, effectively mines his pathos and self-reflection, The Sexiest Man in Winnipeg is seemingly more interested in the story's elevator pitch than its substance. Lack of depth This is particularly disappointing given who's behind the project. Co-director Charlie Siskel (who worked with first-timer Ben Daughtrey) is perhaps best known for the Oscar-nominated documentary Finding Vivian Maier, about the curiously dark life of a prolific and previously unknown street photographer. And like his followup doc American Anarchist — about the somewhat regretful author of bomb-making manual The Anarchist Cookbook — his work succeeded by the depth he found in his subjects. Maier first appeared to be a normal nanny, then an outsider artist, and then a deeply unwell victim of unmanaged mental health issues. American Anarchists 's William Powell was first a countercultural iconoclast, then a reluctant apologist — alternatively lamenting his book's association with violent crimes, and sparring with Siskel as he pushes him to declare his own guilt. But deprived of the incredible complexity of Maier, and perhaps wary of criticism he received for the combative tone of American Anarchist, any interest The Sexiest Man in Winnipeg might offer expires about 20 minutes in. Why did Vogelsang rob those banks? Because he needed money. Isn't there a deeper, more intriguing motivation? To be honest, not really. This was years after his journalism career — during which he was a hyper-local sort of celebrity, cannibalized by an industry shrinking fast enough you'd be harder pressed to find people therein without financial problems than with them. This is why the premise of the documentary — that Vogelsang is somehow an absurdly odd "type" of bank robber — soon falls flat. He was an aging, out-of-work man whose talents lay in a dying field. Any assumption about what the typical criminal looks like, and Vogelsang's apparent distance from it, springs from potentially harmful stereotypes. After those aspects are dealt with, The Sexiest Man in Winnipeg becomes a long apology video — a tenuous excuse to exist, especially given Prime already told one niche, offbeat Canadiana crime story with its recent maple-syrup heist miniseries, The Sticky. And even still, whether Vogelsang has earned any redemption is irrelevant. The true feelings in his soul are beyond the scope of a documentary, let alone a review. But aside from a late and tenuous revelation around an old family friend's possibly negative influence on Vogelsang, there are few depths to plumb. And without them, the majority of this documentary amounts to a platform for Vogelsang to make the case that he's sorry.
Winnipeg Free Press
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Former city sports anchor-turned-bank robber hopes documentary on his downfall helps others
Steve Vogelsang — the disgraced former local sportscaster turned bank robber — hasn't yet seen the upcoming documentary about his life airing on Amazon Prime Video next month, but he is hoping it will change the rest of his life. Vogelsang said he hopes the documentary helps springboard him into a new career of advocacy for middle-aged men with mental illnesses. 'Nobody wants to be remembered as I would be remembered (now),' he told the Free Press Thursday from his home in British Columbia. 'If I did nothing to earn redemption, then I would just be remembered as this asshole, idiot, weirdo who had it all, so to speak, in Winnipeg, and frittered it all away. And the last we heard of him he was the world's worst bank robber. 'I would instead want to be remembered as a guy who learned from his mistakes and then devoted the rest of his life to helping other people avoid similar mistakes. Everyone likes a comeback story, as long as your coming back has something worthwhile.' Titled The Sexiest Man in Winnipeg — referring to an award he received from a now defunct local publication — the documentary premieres on Amazon May 9. The film is co-directed by Charlie Siskel and Ben Daughtrey. Siskel, nephew of the late film critic Gene Siskel, also co-directed Finding Vivian Maier, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2014. The Vogelsang documentary is narrated by Canadian-born comedian and actor Will Arnett, who is also one of its producers. The 61-year-old Vogelsang's story is well known to Winnipeggers. He was a former CTV Winnipeg sports anchor and sports director who later became a journalism instructor at Red River College Polytechnic before he turned to crime when his personal and professional lives fell apart due to his depression. Divorced and broke, Vogelsang robbed banks in Saskatchewan and Alberta. After his arrest, he was convicted of bank robbery in 2017 and sentenced to a total of 6 1/2 years in prison. He was released on Feb. 17, 2022. A suspect — later identified as Steve Vogelsang — is shown in a screengrab from video from the Medicine Hat Police Service Facebook page. (Medicine Hat Police Service) A suspect — later identified as Steve Vogelsang — is shown in a screengrab from video from the Medicine Hat Police Service Facebook page. (Medicine Hat Police Service) Former CTV sportscaster Lisa Bowes, who worked with Vogelsang in Winnipeg and is interviewed in the documentary, said she recalls when she heard he had been arrested. 'I was dumbfounded,' she said. 'I just couldn't reconcile that this was a same person I worked with… it made no sense whatsoever.' Vogelsang said he hasn't met Arnett and he didn't receive any remuneration for his participation in the documentary. 'I could not receive any money or the implication could be I'm saying things I was paid to say,' he said. Johnny Galvin, another producer of the documentary, said he is excited to tell the story. 'We initially touched base with Steve when he was still incarcerated,' he said. 'It has been quite the journey… we have a unique approach to how we tell it.' The official trailer shows Vogelsang re-enacting the robberies, dressed in clothes similar to what he was wearing at the time. It also shows him, with his hands on a steering wheel, driving an imaginary car with street scenes playing behind him. 'This is kind of an odd story, a unique caper if you will; there is an element of true crime to it,' Galvin said from Los Angeles. 'We have Steve doing his own recreations of the crimes, the bank robberies, and that is a way of going through that process… it meant, that in itself, was a journey, and not that traditional in filmmaking, especially documentaries. It was a way to deeper explore and have him retrace the steps through his journey, emotionally as well as physically. 'Objects, places, clothing all carry memories. In doing this documentary, a lot of it is about Steve looking and examining his own past — just as much as we get to examine it with him.' MELISSA MARTIN / FREE PRESS FILES Steve Vogelsang said he hopes the documentary helps springboard him into a new career of advocacy for middle-aged men with mental illnesses. MELISSA MARTIN / FREE PRESS FILES Steve Vogelsang said he hopes the documentary helps springboard him into a new career of advocacy for middle-aged men with mental illnesses. Vogelsang said the re-enactments 'were jarring and unpleasant' for him to go through. 'At the time, I had no empathy or sympathy, I didn't even consider the bank tellers. That came later… revisiting this is coming face to face with the most unpleasant parts of this, that being, I'm a person who terrified someone… likely permanently.' He said it's why he doesn't expect sympathy from anyone. 'Although I would have rather left (the bank robbery re-enactments) out of the documentary, it serves me right (that) I had to relive the pain — other people had to… but it also helps me to put those memories in the proper place, and I don't revisit them now.' Vogelsang said expects the film will accurately tell the whole story. 'I trusted the producers that this would be used properly to both entertain people on the story and educate people on what was behind the story,' he said. Vogelsang says he is currently working as a part-time waiter. 'I basically live as a retired person with a part-time job to keep me busy,' he said. 'Do I hope to get back into media? No, that's not top of mind. 'I'm going to create a job for myself, as an advocate for men's mental health, particularly middle-aged men. You may be aware it is a really underserved part of our community. Suicide rates for middle-aged men are very high because we do not address our mental-health issues. 'I'm hoping… that I can become a voice that de-stigmatizes mental-health struggles for men and encourages men to just tell someone. 'If I had, my life would be different today.' Kevin RollasonReporter Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press's city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin. Every piece of reporting Kevin produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
