Ask someone to name a Canadian television series and the first one that comes to mind for many people is “Schitt’s Creek.”
That sitcom was undoubtedly a huge hit, one not just adored by audiences worldwide but that set a record for most Emmy Awards won by a comedy in a single year.
But Canadian TV is more than “Schitt’s Creek.” From legendary children’s shows like “Mr. Dressup” and “The Friendly Giant,” to well-respected dramas like “North of 60” and “19-2,” and comedies like “Corner Gas” and “Kim’s Convenience,” there’s a lot to celebrate about the television that’s been made in the True North strong and free.
The recent success of Nunavut-set comedy “North of North” is a reminder that although our output is small compared to our much larger southern neighbour, the impact can be mighty.
Here are four made-in-Canada series that are favourites of our TV team.
Slings and Arrows (2003)
The clever, cheeky tone of this comedy is established in the first episode when a self-absorbed denizen of the theatre is run over by a truck emblazoned with the words “Canada’s best hams.” “Slings and Arrows” — created by Mark McKinney, Susan Coyne and Bob Martin — parodies a Stratford-like Shakespearean theatre festival. It pokes fun at the foibles of artists — whether it’s the insecurities of an aging leading lady or the bombast of an arrogant director — as well as the eternal conflict between art and commerce. But it also wears its deep love of the theatre on its sleeve. You’ll laugh one moment, cry the next at a beautifully acted Shakespeare sonnet. The three-season show, led by Paul Gross and wife Martha Burns, featured future international stars, including Emmy winner Luke Kirby, Oscar winner Sarah Polley and Oscar nominee Rachel McAdams, and showcased Canadian theatre vets like Stephen Ouimette, Geraint Wyn Davies, Colm Feore and the late, great William Hutt. Stream it on Acorn TV
Til Debt Do Us Part (2005) and Prince$$ (2010)
Many Canadians owe their financial skills to one powerful woman: Gail Vaz-Oxlade. The guru had one personality trait that made her absolutely irresistible when it came to managing your money: she put up with exactly zero nonsense and was eager to tell you so. She made two shows that harnessed her terrifying energy to great effect: “Til Debt Do Us Part” helped couples get a handle on their finances, while “Prince$$” taught spoiled youngsters how to get their act together. Both series were packed with easy, practical tips on how to better conserve cash and featured such a commanding presence in Vaz-Oxlade that you couldn’t help but want to follow her lead, now and forever. Stream them on Tubi
Orphan Black (2013)
This sci-fi drama, a Toronto-made Canadian, British and American co-production, starts with main character Sarah Manning (Tatiana Maslany) seeing a woman who looks just like her jump in front of a train. From there we’re off to the clone races, as Sarah discovers she’s just one of a collection of genetically identical women birthed as part of an illegal experiment. I was a latecomer to the show’s charms but was hooked by its blend of action, suspense, drama and quick-witted humour. The premise is fantastical (although the show has been praised for its grounding in real science), but the characters captivating. Though all the female clones are played by Maslany (there are male ones too, portrayed by Ari Millen), you can easily forget you’re watching one person as you follow the antics of streetwise Sarah, fussy soccer mom Alison, big-hearted scientist Cosima or disturbed (but very funny) erstwhile assassin Helena, just to name a few. When Maslany won an Emmy Award for the series’ fourth and penultimate season, it was a case of Canadian pride but also a feeling of “What took them so long?” Stream it on Crave
Cardinal (2017)
This crime series set in northern Ontario isn’t just one of the best Canadian dramas ever made but one of the finest detective dramas, period. Based on the John Cardinal novels by Giles Blunt, who grew up in its North Bay shooting location, the show follows Cardinal (American actor Billy Campbell) and partner Lise Delorme (Quebec’s Karine Vanasse) as they solve murders in the fictional town of Algonquin Bay, Ont. Theirs is a layered world, in which it’s not just the criminals who are fallible, and the work of catching them is complicated and never glamorous. There’s a reason that Campbell and Vanasse won Canadian Screen Award acting trophies two years running (with a third win for Campbell in 2018 and the best drama prize in 2020). The evolving relationship between Cardinal and Delorme is the beating heart of the series and one of the all-time great TV detective pairings, with backing from an excellent cast of supporting actors and guest stars. And there’s one more character that deserves its due: the North itself, which lends the series a distinctive atmosphere. Stream it on Crave
