What show comes to mind when you think of Canadian TV?
For me it's Corner Gas. I still think it's pretty funny and there's a decent amount of references to Canadian stuff but not enough to be off-putting. I feel like an American wouldn't be confused watching it even if some of the references get a bit dated overtime.
I have only seen a bit of the animated version in waiting rooms.
King of Kensington, Adventures in Rainbow Country, Smith and Smith, All Around the Circle, The Irish Rovers Show, The Wolfman Jack Show, Front Page Challenge, This Is the Law, The Beachcombers, The Friendly Giant, The Littlest Hobo, Mr. Dressup
The Tommy Hunter Show.
The Red Green show. Used to watch it on PBS with my dad when I was a kid.
Loved that show.
Every episode is on their YouTube channel ;)
Letterkenney
I had to scroll way too far to see this.
Don't forget the Jim's are real beauties.
Kids in the Hall 100%, I know it was popular stateside and if corner gas has dated references, it absolutely does, but it's an absolute classic and some of the recurring bits still pop into my head from time to time.
Littlest Hobo - https://imdb.com/title/tt0078644/
Raymond Somer, is that you?
SCTV, specifically Bob & Doug. SCTV was asked to add two minutes of explicitly Canadian content to an already very Canadian show and the result was the Great White North and the Mackenzie brothers.
Along with SCTV, Bizarre and Kid in the Hall were god damned hilarious! They were like a maple flavoured Monty Python.
I forgot about Bizarre. God I miss Super Dave.
I think I'm showing my exact age with a few of these
Great list, i will also add
Ack! How'd I forget that one!? I even have it on DVD
I've been rewatching that one recently.
I suspect we're of similar ages, since I had to scroll down this far to find Due South.
"You know we just took out seven guys? One more and you qualify for American citizenship."
Agreed. Sad I had to scroll that far. Most of the others are obvious.
Also, how come I'm not seeing "North of 60"!
Jonovision was great! I also watched Street Cents regularly. I think it was on around the same time
All those but not Switchback?
Can't talk now, watching Switchback!
I'll never forgive Switchback for sending me Boggle when I specifically won Jenga, and calling me Paula instead of Paulo.
Come to think of it, that's probably when I subconsciously decided that someday I would drop the "o" when I was old enough.
Oldest: Kids in the Hall (You want something to drink? You want a beer, or do you want to drink out of the toilet like I do?)
Older: Red Green Show (Remember, you may have to grow old, but you don't have to mature.)
Recent: Trailer Park Boys (I’m not the kind of person to say atoadaso, but you know what? Atoadaso. A fuckin atoadaso.)
Newest: Shoresy (Your mum’s twat’s so swampy not even Duck’s Unlimited will touch ‘er.)
If the women don't find you handsome they should at least find you handy
Trailer park boys. I think it's the only Canadian show that has really exploded outside of Canada all the way to Europe. It's also so revolutionary. I always hear about how original the UK office was with their mockumentary style, yet trailer park boys did it first.
Anyways, I would rather shove hot needles up my urethra then watch a full episode of corner gas.
Anyways, I would rather shove hot needles up my urethra then watch a full episode of corner gas.
You're saying you've never tried thermalgesiaphilic sounding?
Ahhh, Kids in the Hall is it.
I probably have seen some of the other stuff on TV at some point, but that and SCTV are all that come to mind, and SCTV I never saw back then, it was only after the internet that I finally saw some, so I don't know if it counts for what you're asking.
Kinda strange considering how many of the SCTV cast are on my list of favorite comedic actors.
Kim’s Convenience, $chitt’s Creek.
This Hour Has 22 Minutes. Started in 1993 and still airs today.
Anyone remember Kenny vs Spenny??
Someone below reminded me of Letterkenny, it is definitely full of Canadian culture. There's Murdoch Mysteries which has lots of historic Canadian sites. There's Trailer Park Boys, and lesser known was Psy-Factor (?) which was a Canadian X-Files.
As a USA person: Degrassi, when Drake was in a wheelchair.
"Started from the bottom"
S.C.T.V. for sure.
And when I was younger, The Friendly Giant.
Kim's Convenience. I miss that show 🥲
So so many from my childhood.
Edited: Removed Romper Room, I could have sworn it was Canadian, but apparently not. Replaced it with Circle Square (it's creepy Canadian Cousin)
Corner Gas, Trailer Park Boys, Red Green Show, Schitt's Creek, Mr. D
More recently I started watching 19-2 and it's a really good one as well.
Are You Afraid of the Dark? / Fais-moi peur
The raccoons / Les amis ratons
For stuff only from Québec
La petite vie
Le cœur a ses raisons
Stargate.
Beachcombers
As an Aussie of a certain age: Degrassi
The Beachcombers was big in the 70s.
The order that they popped into my head
Todd and the book of pure evil
Letterkenny (Dan Petronijevic was amazing in this as well as in Todd as the metal dude)
Trailer park boys
Reboot
Todd and the book of pure evil is fucking awesome, and I know of no one else who has watched it.
Same here. My wife and I bought the dvds
Le maître du jeu (aka Taskmaster Canada), if game shows count.
I know it's Quebecois and not really full Canadian, but it's awesome. English subtitles are also available.
In the order they popped into my head:
Letterkenny, Canada’s Worst Driver, The Red Green Show, Degrassi
Canada's Worst Driver was so good! A perfect mix of educational, hilarious, and reality! Seeing people improve over time is very satisfying for some reason. It kinda died off after season 13 or so when they cranked up the reality TV aspects.
Also Canada's Worst Handyman! Just as dangerous, with contestants who are just as flagrant about safety.
Trailer Park Boys, and I totally forgot Kids in the Hall was Canadian until I saw it in other posts.
I would say picnicface. Yes, the powerthirst people. They had one glorious season of sketch comedy. Also a book.
I don't know if anyone's mentioned Dudley the dragon. I'll always remember you Mr. Crabby tree.
I'm probably showing my age but I can't believe no-one has mentioned Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High. I grew up with Joey, Wheels, Snake, Spike, Stephanie etc. Looking back, that was a pretty hard-hitting show aimed at teenagers.
Not a single "Traders"?
Continuum.
You Can’t Do That On Television (with Alanis!)
The Hilarious House of Frightenstein (with the Amazing Billy Van, Vincent Price)
I just started rewatching This Is Wonderland on Tubi.
Other than that, mostly ones that have already been mentioned plenty, but I'll call out Due South and Murdoch Mysteries as big ones.
Love Corner Gas
Definitely all the stuff people already mentioned, but have to mention Workin’ Moms since nobody else has.
Great show, very underrated.
Not a show, but the first thing that came to mind when I read the question is that Canadian ad... the Log Driver's Waltz.
Barely Cooking
Wayne & Schuster.
They were fun!
The Galloping Gourmet!
( reading this page is hilarious, btw.. : )
Another vote for Kids in the Hall, the sharpest humour I recall from all of TV-era..
National Film Board stuff, that is one of the deepest treasure-wells we've got, in Canada..
_ /\ _
Stargate SG1. Supernatural.
I had a girlfriend who worked in the Vancouver film and TV industry (mostly as just a low level P.A. But eventually getting some Accounting work on tv series, etc...)
So when I think of Canadian TV I automatically think of the CW DC shows (Arrow, Flash, etc...) as well as a crazy amount of mid-budget sci-fi (Andromeda, Continuum, etc...). most of which was all filmed in Vancouver sharing the same pool of Canadian "that guy" actors.
Red green