Top 100 Canadian TV Series

[JaseSF]

36. Degrassi: The Next Generation/Degrassi (2001- present): Yeah another Degrassi show, this modern era series obviously has a bit more money behind it than its predecessors and arguably lacks some of the real edge the old shows had. Still it's a really good show and easily one of the most watchable modern series out there these days, one that still deals with real life issues some more serious than others, despite its many cast changes over the years.

[AndyC]

37. Parlez Moi (1978-1979) Another show that was cheap, simple and very effective. Over two seasons, TVO produced and aired 90 short episodes of this eductional program, which taught simple, practical French. In each episode, Marc Favreau introduces a number of common words and phrases related to a particular topic. This alternates with comical segments of Favreau, as Sol the Clown, using those phrases in an appropriate everyday situation, such as going to a movie or getting on a bus. Sol usually misunderstands what he's supposed to do, and requires assistance from an impatient person who grows increasingly frustrated with him. The show continued to air in reruns for several years, and with VCRs becoming standard equipment in schools at that time, I can remember teachers using taped episodes in class.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMdkzfmGtWo

[JaseSF]

37. Parlez Moi (1978-1979) Another show that was cheap, simple and very effective. Over two seasons, TVO produced and aired 90 short episodes of this eductional program, which taught simple, practical French. In each episode, Marc Favreau introduces a number of common words and phrases related to a particular topic. This alternates with comical segments of Favreau, as Sol the Clown, using those phrases in an appropriate everyday situation, such as going to a movie or getting on a bus. Sol usually misunderstands what he's supposed to do, and requires assistance from an impatient person who grows increasingly frustrated with him. The show continued to air in reruns for several years, and with VCRs becoming standard equipment in schools at that time, I can remember teachers using taped episodes in class.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMdkzfmGtWo

I recall this being used in French class back when I was in high school. Surprisingly funny stuff.

[Trevor]

38: Poltergeist: The Legacy ~ for sheer  value.

[Trevor]

39: African Skies with Catherine Bach and Robert Mitchum.

[Trevor]

40: Tropical Heat aka Sweating Bullets.

[JaseSF]

I used to watch Sweating Bullets in reruns on Showcase. An enjoyable show with some great locations. Carolyn Dunn also gives off a very exotic sexiness with those gorgeous and unusual eyes of hers. Also used to watch Poltergeist which to be honest I found particularly cheesy but it would likely appeal to folks here.

[Newt]

41) History Bites (1998-2003)  "Making the Historical Hysterical!"  Another Rick Green creation.  Green hosted, offering the  historical context of each episode.  The  cornerstone of the format was "What if TV existed throughout the last 5,000 years of human history?", presented from the view of a channel-surfing viewer: hopping from comedy sketch to comedy sketch; all parodies of various TV tropes (mock news, sports and entertainment programming, commercials etc).  Very well done and entertaining: the history was colourful and sound and the humour was often excellent.  A favourite of mine! ( I sent several episodes to a friend who homeschools her kids in Alaska: her kids were astounded when they had it verified later - from other sources - just how accurate the historical information was.  Painless learning!)

[JaseSF]

42) The Nature of Things (1960-present): This long running science show starring David Suzuki has to be on this list. It lead to much fascination for me as a child as I wanted to learn more well, about the nature of things. Suzuki has also always been a colorful and entertaining host yet he never forgot that science and learning were at the forefront of what the series was all about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqtfpu5ziok

[66Crush]

"Instant Star" (2005-8) Because Alexz Johnson is the best singer around today!

[JaseSF]

44) The Twilight Zone (1985-1989): Granted this was only partly Canadian being filmed also in the UK and the USA yet to me it definitely has a distinctive Canadian flavour to it. While not in the same league as the original series (which would have been a monumental task to accomplish), this series was still very good and perhaps is rather underrated overall. I used to watch it regularly in reruns for years and some episodes are downright amazingly good. There was even a Truman Show style story years before that film. It's certainly one of the best anthology series to come out of the 1980s during which there were actually quite a few.

WARNING: Youtube video may be NSFW due to some cursing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_NrlPfxwsE

[Trevor]

45. Traders with Sonja Smits is another good Canadian series.

[JaseSF]

46) Friday the 13th: The Series (1987-1990): Surprised this one doesn't seem to have been mentioned yet. "An old antique dealer made a pact with the Devil to sell cursed antiques. When he dies, his store is inherited by his niece Micki (the then smoking hot Louise Robey) and her cousin Ryan (John D. LeMay). With the help of Jack Marshak (Chris Wiggins) [who acts as the voice of wisdom in the series], they fight to retrieve the antiques from the people who bought them to stop them from causing [further] harm." -IMDB Storyline description written by Paul Sasse. Each item possesses some magical quality and gave something to its owner but usually only at the price of someone else dying or being murdered. Said owners hoping to reap these benefits were often unwilling to part with their new treasure sometimes not fully realizing the full scope of the curse the item will eventually put on them or just hoping to continue to reap the benefits. This was a creepy show week after week with quality characters and acting meaning it was must see TV for me back in its day. The series did go downhill a bit in its last season though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9trU9y96m0

[Trevor]

46) Friday the 13th: The Series (1987-1990): Surprised this one doesn't seem to have been mentioned yet. "An old antique dealer made a pact with the Devil to sell cursed antiques. When he dies, his store is inherited by his niece Micki (the then smoking hot Louise Robey) and her cousin Ryan (John D. LeMay). With the help of Jack Marshak (Chris Wiggins) [who acts as the voice of wisdom in the series], they fight to retrieve the antiques from the people who bought them to stop them from causing [further] harm." -IMDB Storyline description written by Paul Sasse. Each item possesses some magical quality and gave something to its owner but usually only at the price of someone else dying or being murdered. Said owners hoping to reap these benefits were often unwilling to part with their new treasure sometimes not fully realizing the full scope of the curse the item will eventually put on them or just hoping to continue to reap the benefits. This was a creepy show week after week with quality characters and acting meaning it was must see TV for me back in its day. The series did go downhill a bit in its last season though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9trU9y96m0

That was a truly creepy series: the episode I remember most is Helloween where Uncle Lewis comes back and tries to resurrect a corpse so that he can live again. 

[Trevor]

47: The Sentinel with Richard Burgi and Garrett Maggart was another good Canadian series about a military man who receives special perceptive powers and is able to use them as a policeman, all the while being appraised, praised and sometimes irritated by a university professor type who wants to analyze him. The episode I remember most is the one where the terrible twins take on a gang of meth dealing bikers who in their turn are taking on the Yakuza.