Canadian stuff on Telly Eireann

George White

I was just thinking about this about how unlike with Aussie telly, where seemingly every soap, cop show, kids show yet only one or two sitcoms/sketch shows crossed over to the UK, Canadian telly, despite being a prolific market in English has never quite crossed over to the UK, while in Ireland, stuff did.

Ask a Brit 'name a Canadian TV show', and you might get Due South or Degrassi, Schitt's Creek or Murdoch Mysteries, or the Raccoons, and probably some all-US shows shot in Vancouver, but chances are if they saw any Canadian show, they might think them American - the aimed at US syndication cross-breeds of Friday the 13th the Series, War of the Worlds, Highlander, Night Heat, Counterstrike, or various Nelvana/Cinar cartoons...

If Canadian shows were aired, they'd either be kids filler (from the Forest Rangers, Beachcombers, Degrassi, Adventures in Rainbow Country, Seaway, Ritter's Cove, Danger Bay, the Odyssey, and from CTV - Swiss Family Robinson and from Global - Matt and Jenny, plus Huckleberry Finn and Friends) or stuff in late night (the Collaborators, the Z Cars spinoff/remake Sidestreet, various single plays slung out to ITV regions as Fireside Theatre, and a few eps of early Global-era regional four-figure budget SCTV aired on Granada as the erroneously billed 'Second City Revue from Chicago' (sic)).

Due South was a hit, but even that was mostly set in a Chicago that looked like Toronto (when it wasn't, it was set in a Toronto that looked like Chicago).

 The BBC did air a few prestige dramas like the CBC series the National Dream (about the Pacific Railway) and Empire Inc (the story of a tyrannical Scottish business tycoon in turn of the century Quebec, that was pitched as Brideshead-meets-Dallas, if that sounds like Brass without the jokes, well, that's what the UK critics said - ironically, star Kenneth Welsh later played Truman opposite Tim West's Churchill). and US-style miniseries like Love and Hate - the Story of Colin and Joanne Thatcher and Conspiracy of Silence.

However, in Ireland, a lot of this stuff became perennials, the Den full of Degrassi (though it was taken off BBC for being too controversial, despite being the big CBBC show, so maybe RTE followed suit), the Beachcombers, Danger Bay, The Raccoons, Huckleberry Finn...

The reputation of Canadian TV as cheap old rubbish could equally apply to Australia. When Thames (for a six figure sum) bought the CBC's attempt to do a big BBC-style period epic, the Whiteoaks of Jalna (which the CBC franchise in Windsor were vetoed to show, in the fear that people in Detroit would see it, spoiling a US sale - a US sale that nevertheless never happened), it was described by Nancy Banks-Smith as Canadian Crossroads. Canada have tried a few soaps, never that successful, with Coronation Street being the most popular one out there , weirdly.

Having watched a few Canadian shows of the Eighventies which look like British shows, all on VT albeit on NTSC, and they are quite Acorn Antiques. A Gift to Last, a slushy period drama set in turn of the century Canada was picked up by RTE, always willing to buy anything from the Great White North but not by any British station, and The Great Detective, intended as a vehicle for Iain Cuthbertson until the Canadian actors' union ACTRA intervened, which is like a Canadian version of Sgt. Cork or Cribb. Like Uncanny Valley British TV. 

 By the late 70s, British TV, once commonplace on CBC and other channels was no longer thus, Canadian content no longer meaning merely stuff from the Commonwealth - and you tend to notice, runs of British shows for one or two seasons on CBC and then dropped - Secret Army, All Creatures, Man at the Top, Grange Hill, even) or shunted into late night slots for expats (Minder), and these Canadian shows feel like 'we got British TV at home'...

Any Canadian shows we remember from Telly Eireann?

odyssey06

Katts and Dog is one I recall dont think its on your list

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katts_and_Dog

I think aired here also Deke Wilson mini mysteries

https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4f4ba1acb68a4

Hangdogroad

The Edison Twins, a science based kids show which took a vaguely Hardy Boys, Famous Five mystery solving approach. RTE showed it circa 1982/83. I had a bit of a crush on the sister in it.

The Campbells, that was a sort of Canadian Little House On The Prarie, which meant I hated it. RTE started airing it in 1986. Was an international co production so might have been shown in the UK.

Edit: looking it up I see ITV were involved.

Then there were those National Film Board Of Canada animated shorts that RTE would show as filler. Hot Stuff etc.

kitsy13

Trailer Park Boys !

odyssey06

I remember some documentaries usualy about Inuit or polar bears or Arctic / glacier research. Ice and snow.

Was E.N.G. shown here or was that via C4?

Hangdogroad

There was a mini series RTE showed in the early 90s, at a really odd time slot, maybe Sunday morning, that I've yet to identify and that I'm almost certain was Canadian. It started off in the 18th century with a white fur trapper marrying a native woman, they have a load of kids then they're nearly all wiped out by smallpox except for one young girl who's sent into the wild by the dying mother.

The only other episode I remember seeing was set in the present day (or circa mid to late 1980s) and focused on racial tensions between native and white teenagers in this small town. Group of native teens get drunk and drive a car onto a frozen lake, they all drown when it goes through the ice. I can remember this particular episode having some swearing, including the F bomb which was surprising considering the fact it was shown early in the day (I think)

George White

The second one isn't Conspiracy of Silence, by any chance?

RTE showed the HTV/CBC anthology Classics Dark and Dangerous, including the two Canadian made eps the Mannikin and the Ugly Little Boy that ITV never carried.

George White

TG4 showed Wind at my Back, one of the later CBC Family Hour series in the mould of the 80s Anne of Green Gables/Avonlea. RTE showed By Way of the Stars (shown in UK on Family Channel alongside Avonlea), ANOTHER CBC/Sullivan series though coproduced with ZDF, who showed it as one of their Weihnachtsserie, like such dubbed BBC filler as Silas, Timm Thaler, Patrik Pacard.

George White

Nickelodeon showed the CBC Max Glick series.

Hangdogroad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121136856#Comment_121136856

No, I've seen Conspiracy Of Silence and it definetly wasn't that. The two episodes were part of the same mini series, I think I must have missed an episode or two in between which chronologically linked the 18th century and 1980s storylines.

One of the native teens in the latter one was called Donna. There was a liberal young white cop and cynical older sargent as well. Younger cop tries to go to the funeral but his path is blocked by a group of native men.

Its possible it wasn't Canadian and could have been set in Alaska but the whole feel of it was a Canadian production.

cml387

Don't forget Mr Piper. He was certainly on RTE in the late 60's and I believe also on ITV.

Fr Tod Umptious

When I was a kid in two channel land in the 70s and 80s there would regularly be some nature program from "The National Film Board of Canada" used as filler, when something went wrong.

God we hated them.

ciaran76

The Littlest Hobo,Danger Bay and The Hitchiker stands out to me.

ciaran76

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121136793#Comment_121136793

Was the called Spirit Bay ?

Hangdogroad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121137161#Comment_121137161

No, I've previously checked that and it doesn't match what I remember.

Pawwed Rig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121137128#Comment_121137128

Used to love the Hitchiker as there would be the odd bit of nudity in it.

Ahh life before the internet. 🤣

It got syndicated subsequently and all the good stuff was cut out 😡

There was one episode where a guy picked up a female hitchhiker at the same time as there was a murderer on the loose. One thing lead to another etc.

Can anyone identify that episode?

odyssey06

This is a Canadiana 1991 Christmas short featuring an early appearance by Sarah Polley.

I remember seeing it relatively recently i.e. it is listed here for Christmas Day 2002 , but fair chance it was shown back in the 90s too.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0139393/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_41_act

https://tvlistingsarchive.blogspot.com/2017/12/ireland-wed-dec-25-2002.html?view=flipcard

George White

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121136793#Comment_121136793

The opening sounds a lot like Centennial (1978), which was American but the early bits centred on Robert Conrad's Quebecois trapper Pasquinel and Richard Chamberlain as Scottish trapper McKeag and Barbara Carrera as his wife Clay Basket.

Hangdogroad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121149773#Comment_121149773

Thats one of the shows that come up when I've tried to identify it. It seems to be very similar and I think the show I remember must definetly have been influenced by it. I've ruled it out for a number of reasons though. The unidentified show was definetly from either 1986/87, I can remember the year from the end credits and the fashions of the teenage high school characters in the modern day section firmly placed it in that period.

The earlier episode set in the 18th century ended with the fur trapper dead from smallpox and his wife near death. I cant remember what her characters tribal name was but he renamed her Mary and called her that throughout. All the native characters in this episode spoke their own language via subtitles. Fur trapper guy had long blond hair and I'm certain he wasn't Richard Chamberlain.

George White

I found a series, 9B about Native teens, features characters called Donna and Mary, but doesn't seem to have an 18th century flashback.

Tales of the Klondike I thought, but that didn't have a present link.

Where the Spirit Lives (1989) I thought but that was about an Indian industrial school in the 60s.

George White

The Newcomers (1977) sounds similar but too early.

Back on topic, Gordon Pinsent Sings . . . Those Hollywood Songs (1987) | BFI - RTE showed this musical special for Newfoundland's greatest actor (best known over here for playing Fraser's dad in Due South and voicing Babar, but a true Canadian star who despite a brief stay in Hollywood in the early 70s, hence appearances in The Thomas Crown Affair, the Forbin Project and Blacula, made his name and career almost entirely from Canadian projects including the aforementioned A Gift to Last).

Hangdogroad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121152704#Comment_121152704

Thanks. Yeah can rule all those out, there's an episode of 9B on Youtube and its not that. Has me completely stumped at this stage.

George White

Me too.

I've looked through the imdbs of various Canadian First Nations actors (Michelle St John, Tantoo Cardinal, Graham Greene, Tom Jackson, Gary Farmer, August Schellenberg), and nothing comes up.

I'm curious if it was a few eps of an anthology show like For the Record that sometimes got sold abroad on their own.

Hangdogroad

Anyway, moving on.

I remember RTE showed this circa 1986/87. The World According To Matthew: Fraidy Cats. It was part of a series with this Matthew character but RTE seemed to have shown this as a standalone. ITV showed it as well as I recall a thread where someone said it scared the bejaysus out of them as a kid. Its on the theme of childhood fears and there's one creepy scene involving kids nightime fears of monsters.

https://youtu.be/thAP1xR1rk8?feature=shared

Oscar_Madison

Great post OP- have to confess the Beachcombers was the only one that came to mind- until the mention of Huckleberry Finn and friends- I guess I had long thought that was a US production but on mature recollection as they say, I remember now it was Canadian . That was a great kids show in fairness - as others have said, once you saw “Canada” you tended to switch over to something else (sorry Canada 😀)-

Baseball72

Showing my age now, but I remember "Wojack" which was a great detective show in the late 60's. Also, "RCMP", and "The Munroes". There was a legal drama in the late '80's / early '90's which was quite good. I certainly prefer some of the Canadian programs to productions from Australia.

In more recent times (2012 - 2022) I have enjoyed Rookie Blue and The Coroner. As I now visit Canada every couple of years due to having relatives there, I keep an eye out for good Canadian productions.

George White

Yes, was Wojeck shown on Telly Eireann? I know the BBC did.

Do you mean the Monroes? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monroes_(1966_TV_series) American, but Michael Anderson Jr later took Canadian nationality.

Hangdogroad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121153337#Comment_121153337

Just realised I posted the wrong title for this.

It was the World According To Nicholas.