High Fidelity
Top-five television shows "Made in Canada"
Josh Learn
Issue date: 11/24/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
I am sure most of you have heard about this "TV Tax" that may or may not be imposed. Well, shame on you. Even hearing about this means that you have been taking precious time away from studying to kill your brain cells watching television … Who am I kidding? I love television more than the next fat kid. In fact, most of my creative ideas (including topics in High Fidelity) come from watching television. With that in mind, I have tried to determine the top television shows made in Canada.
At first, I thought this would be relatively easy; however, I had forgotten what great shows have been produced in Canada. I have based this ranking on a number of criterions. The first is longevity, as popular shows will usually last longer on the air. The next is the amount of awards it received (usually in the form of Gemini's), the average viewership and finally the impact it has had on Canadian television. As you will see in the honourable mentions, there are a plethora of great Canadian shows. I almost wish High Fidelity went back to the "Top-10" for this topic!
5.) This Hour has 22 Minutes - Genre: Satire Comedy (Mock News) - Aired: 1993-Present
The show has been awarded 24 Gemini Awards, 11 Canadian Comedy Awards, and has launched the careers of Rick Mercer, Shawn Majumder, Mary Walsh and Cathy Jones. This Hour has 22 Minutes has had a number of specialty segments and stunts that have become engrained in Canadian popular culture.
4.) Corner Gas - Genre: Comedy - Aired From: 2004-2009
Corner Gas gave me an insight as to what it would be like living in Dog River, Saskatchewan. Reviews of the show agreed that the comedic take on this was spot on. The real problem with this show were the previews, as they often made the show seem cornier then it actually was. Regardless, the show had an average of one million viewers per episode, won six Gemini Awards and has an official "Corner Gas Day" in Saskatchewan (celebrated on the show's final episode, April 13th, 2009).
At first, I thought this would be relatively easy; however, I had forgotten what great shows have been produced in Canada. I have based this ranking on a number of criterions. The first is longevity, as popular shows will usually last longer on the air. The next is the amount of awards it received (usually in the form of Gemini's), the average viewership and finally the impact it has had on Canadian television. As you will see in the honourable mentions, there are a plethora of great Canadian shows. I almost wish High Fidelity went back to the "Top-10" for this topic!
5.) This Hour has 22 Minutes - Genre: Satire Comedy (Mock News) - Aired: 1993-Present
The show has been awarded 24 Gemini Awards, 11 Canadian Comedy Awards, and has launched the careers of Rick Mercer, Shawn Majumder, Mary Walsh and Cathy Jones. This Hour has 22 Minutes has had a number of specialty segments and stunts that have become engrained in Canadian popular culture.
4.) Corner Gas - Genre: Comedy - Aired From: 2004-2009
Corner Gas gave me an insight as to what it would be like living in Dog River, Saskatchewan. Reviews of the show agreed that the comedic take on this was spot on. The real problem with this show were the previews, as they often made the show seem cornier then it actually was. Regardless, the show had an average of one million viewers per episode, won six Gemini Awards and has an official "Corner Gas Day" in Saskatchewan (celebrated on the show's final episode, April 13th, 2009).
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