Top 100 Canadian TV Series

[AndyC]

I always enjoyed Wayne and Shuster. I could never understand why they weren't better known outside of Canada. They were on the Ed Sullivan Show more than anybody, and I've read that Benny Hill was a huge fan. Not to mention Frank Shuster being first cousin to Joe Shuster.

Here's another CBC show that stuck around for many years:

25. Mr. Dressup (1967-1996, continuing in reruns until 2006)

My favourite show when I was very little. Mr. Dressup did art, he did crafts, dressed up in costumes and put on little plays, sang songs and occasionally had interesting guests. Ernie Coombs was understudy to Fred Rogers, and participated in the early development of Mr Rogers' Neighborhood in Canada. When Rogers headed back to the states to do his show for PBS, Coombs stayed with the CBC, first appearing as Mr. Dressup on the show Butternut Square from 1964 to 1967, before the character was given his own show. Looking back at old episodes of Mr. Dressup, I'm amazed at the simplicity, and how cheap it must have been to produce. Most of the time, it was just Coombs and puppeteer Judith Lawrence on a couple of small studio sets - the patio and inside the house. Looks like they could have shot several episodes in a day, and I get the impression Coombs and Lawrence worked more from an outline than a script, improvising much of the dialogue on the fly. It's very enlightening to look back at the show through adult eyes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk89rGy_E3s&feature=related
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And of course, the relationship between Casey and Mr. Dressup remains a mystery. Mr. Dressup acts very much as a father, or at least a guardian, but Casey calls him Mr. Dressup. Casey also seems to live in a treehouse in the back yard. And if that doesn't raise enough questions, Casey speaks with the same Australian accent as his puppeteer.

[Nightowl]

26.)The Tom Green Show (1994-1996)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN4eQNppCos
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[JaseSF]

27) Codco (1986-1992): Featuring a number of great Newfoundland talented comedians and entertainers including Greg Malone, the great late Tommy Sexton, Cathy Jones, Mary Walsh and Andy Jones, this show features great comedy parody sketches quite unlike anything else on TV since well probably the Wonderful Grand Band (which featured many of the same stars), although that show was unique in itself as well. This was frequently paired with the Kids in the Hall on Canadian TV at the time. Practically nothing was off hands for parody with this bunch. And some of these parodies were surprisingly true to life too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWZPVDYNDCE
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wR5FGIwAjzA
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmTHzgpMqx8
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tBW_MONYNM
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[JaseSF]

28) Seeing Things (1981-1987): It's surprising how much this once popular Canadian mystery/comedy TV series now seems to be all but forgotten. It features a journalist named Louis Ciccone (played by Louis Del Grande) who has the gift of seeing visions of the past (postcognitive) which helps him work towards solving crimes. In many ways, this was arguably ahead of its time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ymyjMiJDQ4
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69-1ir1AavQ
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[AndyC]

Seeing Things was one of those shows I didn't care for when it was on, but wouldn't mind checking out now. I wonder if it's been released on DVD.

And Louis Del Grande will also likely be familiar to board members who haven't seen Seeing Things.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FTXCqxtwo8
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[JaseSF]

29) Forever Knight (1992-1996): this Canadian/West German vampire series starring Geraint Wyn-Davies as detective/vampire Nick Knight was in reality more a cop-buddy series with vampires thrown in for good measure. It was really quite good in its fashion featuring interesting crime stories/mysteries the detectives had to unravel week after week, Nick benefitted and gifted in his work with his powers while they also curse him in other ways. As viewers, week after week we also got to see an entertaining underground world of vampires. It often also interjects scenes from Knight's extra-long life which often tied in with the current plot. Catherine Disher played his main aid/love interest Natalie while Nigel Bennett played the often villainous vampire LaCroix who had a storied history with Nick. Also important were John Kapelos as Nick's partner Schanke and Deborah Duchêne as Janette, a vampiress with also long ties to Nick's history.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPhIEG3JYtg
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[AndyC]

Forever Knight used to make me laugh, because Nigel Bennett was doing Oatmeal Crisp commercials around the same time. I couldn't see the villainous vampire LaCroix without thinking of him as an angry, oatmeal-loving Scotsman.

[JaseSF]

30) RoboCop: The Series (1994-1995): Sure it's a bit toned down from the films as one might well expect for a television series. Sure here RoboCop (here played by Richard Eden) is much more superhero than an unstoppable avenger against corruption. This lacks that edge the original film had but truthfully it was still a surprisingly clever, thoughful series that questioned a whole lot of things TV shows rarely question. It parodied and examined the potential of corporate corruption..the show was often quite good at satire, especially in terms of its commercial parodies. Honestly I personally like the series, as goofy as it was at times, a bit better than the RoboCop sequels but that's just me. To me, this show is just plain fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DGPNHHR4_0
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[Newt]

31) Due South (1994-1999) A police 'dramedy' featuring the contrast between an archetypal Mountie and a hardened Chicago detective.  Starring Paul Gross, David Marciano and latterly Callum Keith Rennie.  And a wolf-dog.  Leslie Nielsen had a recurring role.  Often cartoonish-funny but endearing.

[JaseSF]

32) E.N.G. (1989-1994): Popular late 80s, early 90s Canadian drama/soap opera series about  a group of reporters each one trying to get ahead and succeed. Also of particular interest were the many romantic entanglements featuring our lead cast starring Sara Botsford, Art Hindle, Mark Humphrey, Andrea Roth, Victor Garber, Maria del Mar and more familiar Canadian faces. It was extremely popular in its heyday but it's barely remembered now it seems. Still it was well done, well acted, well written and consistently entertaining.

[JaseSF]

Due South is a great addition. Very fun show in its day, recall Leslie Nielsen guest starring in a two-part episode.

I grew up watching this one (honestly I'm not sure it would hold up so much nowadays) and loved it as a kid:

33) The Edison Twins (1982-1986): The show featured fraternal twins Tom and Annie Edison (played by Andrew Sabiston and Marnie McPhail). They'd always get themselves into trouble and adventure and would then used their smarts and scientific wit to work their way out of things in this kids adventure show. "...if you used your head, you'll always win..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CMAK0N3U8k
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[Newt]

34) Prisoners of Gravity (1989 to 1994) was a Canadian public broadcasting television news magazine program that explored speculative fiction — science fiction, fantasy, horror, comic books — and its relation to various thematic and social issues.  Hosted by Rick Green (of The Frantics comedy troupe fame). The series aired 139 episodes over 5 seasons.  It was done with considerable humour and a style all its own.  The amount and quality of information packed in and the list of 'names' interviewed was impressive for such a 'small' show.  

[AndyC]

34) Prisoners of Gravity (1989 to 1994) was a Canadian public broadcasting television news magazine program that explored speculative fiction — science fiction, fantasy, horror, comic books — and its relation to various thematic and social issues.  Hosted by Rick Green (of The Frantics comedy troupe fame). The series aired 139 episodes over 5 seasons.  It was done with considerable humour and a style all its own.  The amount and quality of information packed in and the list of 'names' interviewed was impressive for such a 'small' show.  

That was an interesting show. Very simple, very cheap, but some great content. I actually met Rick Green in 94 or 95, when I was helping out with a small sci-fi convention some friends were trying to launch as an annual fundraiser for their arts group. Green was among the guests, along with a couple of authors, a theatre troupe, some costumed Klingons, etc. Really nice guy. He basically did it for gas money and meals. It was a big help, considering what even a relatively minor TV personality would normally cost. They had almost booked Nigel Bennett at one point, but that didn't work out. I was the one who suggested Rick Green, and what was really cool was that my friend was able to just call up TVO and ask to speak to Rick Green and they put her through. Great speaker too. Not only had he been doing Prisoners of Gravity, but he was also doing the Adventures with Bill segments on the Red Green Show at that time, and he talked quite a bit about that as well.

[JaseSF]

34) Prisoners of Gravity (1989 to 1994) was a Canadian public broadcasting television news magazine program that explored speculative fiction — science fiction, fantasy, horror, comic books — and its relation to various thematic and social issues.  Hosted by Rick Green (of The Frantics comedy troupe fame). The series aired 139 episodes over 5 seasons.  It was done with considerable humour and a style all its own.  The amount and quality of information packed in and the list of 'names' interviewed was impressive for such a 'small' show.   

  I loved that show and watched it in reruns for years. Sad it's no longer on.

[JaseSF]

35. The Kids of Degrassi Street (1979-1986): yeah the original Degrassi series featuring little kids is fascinating to watch in terms of its surprising realism. A lot of the same actors and actresses, mostly just kid amateurs here, would go on to star as other recurring characters on the later Degrassi Jr. High series.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbE3qDTi9tc
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