Best Canadian TV Shows of Ever

On Tuesday November 2nd, I attended one of the Industry Galas that made up the 25th Annual Gemini Awards. If you don't already know, the Geminis are the Canadian equivalent of the Emmy's, honouring achievement in television broadcasting from best visual effects to best documentary series.

And besides giving me a chance to creep around minor Canadian celebrities (are there any other kind!?), it got me thinking about what Canadian TV stands out for me. And I realized quickly, that the shows I think of as my favourites have a few things in common: (1) they're off the air (2) they're mostly comedic (3) they're mostly "for kids".

But without further rationalizing the subjectivity of this subjective list, here are the best Canadian television shows ever...

10) Reboot
This is more of a representative pick because there's just so many great cartoons to pick from. And of course, I couldn't bear giving a shout-out to The Raccoons or The Smoggies. Plus, being the first completely computer animated TV series has to got to count for something.




9) Kenny Vs Spenny
Brilliant both in its simplicity and stupidity, KVP is almost always entertaining. No genre? No problem.




8) The Newsroom
Consistently funny and smart (without being smug) the Newsroom is probably the most pleasantly surprising comedy CBC ever aired.




7) You Can't Do That On Television
This kids sketch comedy show not only gave little Alanis Morissette her first big break, but it was so irreverent and fun that it later bolstered the ratings of the then fledgling Nickelodeon network in the US.




6) The New Music
Canadian TV's answer to Rolling Stone Magazine, the show was ground breaking when it started in 1979 and managed to stay relevant until its cancellation in 2008.


5) The Kids in the Hall
Canadians have this comedy shit on lock. The Brits have punk rock, we have sketch shows.





4) Mr. Dressup
Next to the Simpsons and Seinfeld, I've probably watched more hours of Mr. Dressup than anything else. Please don't confuse it with the creepier, American Mr. Rogers.





3) Degrassi Jr. High
I think being a teenager was a lot easier for me since I got to see it all go down when I was still just a little kid. Teen melodrama never looked this ugly (that's a good thing).




2) Fraggle Rock
Who doesn't love the Fraggles? The music, the characters, the concept - they're all "rock" solid. Add in the fact that the left-field Canadian poet bpNichol wrote on several episodes, and you get an idea of the homespun brilliance that was FR.




1) SCTV
Second City Television was unendingly hilarious and innovative. Crap, what else can I say? Pound for pound, funnier than Saturday Night Live.





Honorable Mentions:
Today's Special, Dear Aunt Agnes, The Rick Mercer Report, My Secret Identity, Mantracker, Nanalan, Fashion Television, Kidstreet, The Wedge, Wok with Yan!, King of Kensington, Catwalk

And if I was looking to make a list of dramatic series, I'd probably include stuff like:
Intelligence, Slings & Arrows, Street Legal, Traders, DaVinci's Inquest

What I miss?

Yo Gabba Gabba!

You guys hip to this show?

Biz Markie is:


And so is Phoenix Suns Bball monsta Amare Stoudemire:

Amare
by bsap11

The show is so popular, the film rights have already been sold.

Other people/musicians featured on the show include: Jack Black, Tony Hawk, Of Montreal, The Shins, and Rahzel.

Farewell Conan, Love the White Stripes

Last week (Feb 21) the last episode of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" aired (now that he'll be moving to Leno's time slot come June).

Always known for having interesting musical acts on his show, Conan ended things off nicely with The White Stripes offering a stark version of "We're Going to Be Friends". Watch until the end, and you'll catch Conan saying to Jack White, "that meant the world to me."


You can watch the whole episode hosting at GreenGoldFilm, but if you're in Canada you'll need to activate Hotspot Shield.

Number Six: R.I.P.

I missed this yesterday, but Patrick McGoohan died. He was 80yrs old.

McGoohan created and starred in one of the best television series of all time - "The Prisoner". Weird, stylish, and smart, it puts more recent sci-fi mind-benders like "Lost" to shame.

The show is actually getting updated and will debut on AMC in 2009. Bad news: Jim "Jesus" Caviezel plays the McGoohan character #6. Good news: Ian McKellan will play #2. Hopefully it will do some justice to McGoohan's vision, or will at least shine some light on his amazing work in the '67 series.

Glenn Kenny has an interesting celebration of his legacy on his blog:

Much, I dare say most, of McGoohan's film work is in "genre" stuff, but in every performance, he's got a rough, almost (if you will) kitchen-sinkish presence; he is always somehow naked. It could make for some weird but bracing contrasts.

Check out this clip:

Patrick also guest starred on "The Simpsons". A great honour. A great synthesis of two great shows.

Who Wants to Watch a Game Show Movie?

I do. I did.

Caught Slumdog Millionaire last night and it's definitely gotta be one of the best films of the year. Director Danny Boyle's slowly becoming one of my favorite filmmakers, with such other gems as 28 Days Later and Sunshine.

But it got me thinking, what are some of the best movies that involve/revolve around game shows?

Well here's my Top 7 Game Show Movies:

1. Magnolia - finds in the game show the perfect breeding ground for utter misery and disappointment
2. Slumdog Millionaire - uses the game show as an entertaining framing device in highlighting the deep scars cut through wealth-based class divisions
3. The Gladiators - a docu-style satire of the military-industrial complex where future wars are fought in a choreographed game show between individual combatants/contestants
4. The Running Man - anticipating the reality TV phenomenon, the Arnold kicks major ass in this action-spoof of voyeuristic blood lust
5. Quiz Show - based on the true events of the 1950s American quiz show scandals
6. European Vacation - Clark and the Griswald gang win a trip to Europe on "A Pig in a Poke"
7. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind - based on the memoir of a former game show host / secret agent

Here's a quiz for you... what movies am I forgetting? I can't think of any more my self, but one thing's for sure. It seems like all these movies have a satirical/critical bent to them. I guess the game show stands for something... nothing?

PS. Let's not forget the amazing South Park episode, "With Apologies To Jesse Jackson". Watch the awe-ful clip here.

Style Over Substance: Mad Men Wins an Emmy

So yeah, Mad Men won Emmys for Best Drama Series and Best Writing for a Drama Series last night. Not that these kind of awards necessarily signify any measure of actual 'bestness', but it confirms that Mad Men is becoming one of those shows that "you have to watch". I don't know about that.

Yes, it's okay not to like this show.

Sure, Mad Men has a place in this new golden age of TV drama, but I think the praise the show is receiving of late is a bit confused.

There is a definite allure to the show, but the more I watch, the more it seems like all gesture and posture, but no significance. Maybe that's what happens when set and costume design take the forefront ahead of characters and story.

Don't get me wrong, there are some great characters in the show (Don Draper and Peggy Olson for example). But the show relies on suggestion and subtelty to the point where ambiguity becomes meaninglessness. Sometimes haunting stares and vague (a/imm)moralisms aren't enough to forge characters and stories that an audience can connect with or get lost in - rather than just admire or pity.

Worsening this effect, the sheer number of characters further dilutes storylines and creates another (unintended) layer of ambiguity - and that much ambiguity, that's not narrative tension, that's surplus.

There's a lot of other flaws to Mad Men, but I'll let you revel in the rest. Just remember though, you don't "have to watch." It's not that we're not "getting it" - sometimes there's just nothing to get.

Plus, Revolutionary Road is coming out soon and it looks like it might better satisfy our hunger for some mid-20thC soul crushing blues. Directed by Jarhead's Sam Mendes (his other movie doesn't exist in my world). Starring Kate and Leo. Yes, that Kate and Leo!

A Golden Age in Television Drama?

Honoring the season premiere of "Mad Men" that aired last night, I put together a little timeline using dipity.

See the big picture over here.