As much as I myself have benefitted from the funding of Canadian Television, I have to agree, a vast majority of it is crap. Do they produce crap in the USA, probably, but we don’t see as much of it because that is the stuff that is not bought by our CANADIAN networks to show us. I think the real problem here is not that Canadians produce crap, but that the afformentioned “shit” is what the networks buy. When the networks start putting real money into producing Canadian work and take chances on scripts that are not trite, formulaic garbage that tries not to offend anyone, then we have a chance of producing things that can stand up to criticism here and abroad. Also, as consumers we need to start demanding better quality from the networks. Maybe if we let them know what we really want to see (I am not referring to Republic of Doyle or 18 to Life…whatever it’s called) they will respond by delivering.

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If the U.S. produces 100 units of T.V. 70 of them are absolute crap. The remaining 30 either look good or are good or both.
By comparison Canada produces 10 units of T.V. total! 3 of which are crap.
On a per capita production basis we are waaaaay ahead. No one ever takes this into account.
There is also a big difference between a show that looks good and is good. The very tax incentive programs (NOT Funding dollars) that the Alberta government cut helps keeps our film crews from moving away so they are available and experienced enough to make OUR shows look good as well. Thus the answer to the Ministers question is, Your policies contribute to why some of our T.V. looks like crap.
Also we produce so little people still after 20 years reference The Littlest Hobo and the Beachcombers in these arguments.
This stigma will never go away if we don’t keep producing new shows.
We’ve produce things like Being Erica here now. You may not personally like it but these shows are sold around the world including the U.S. It’s also highly downloaded which is way more accurate than the Nielson ratings ever have been.
Finally our crews (now that they’ve mostly moved to Vancouver)make some of the best most technically complicated movies in the world for example Battlestar Galactica and the upcoming Tron.

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Tbinns Reply:
June 18th, 2010 at 9:49 am

I’m gonna go ahead and disagree with you 3 out of ten are crap ratio. I see what you are getting at, but I think the ratio is the same as the states, 7 crap 3 good which makes it even harder to find a good Canadian show.

It’s the same argument I have against people who say women comedians aren’t funny. The ratio of good to bad female comedians is the same as the male comedians, but because there are fewer of them, the really good ones are hard to find

That said, my main problems with the average Canadian TV show is a) it’s obsessed with the rural and by extension b) self consciously Canadian. It has to be to get funding, which in some ways, actually stifles creativity instead of encouraging it.

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I’m an Ohioian and have only heard of 2 and watched only Kids in the Hall (not my cup of tea but understand why people like it)(I’m crushing your head).
Though if you think 3 out of 10 US shows are good your nuts, its closer to 1 out of 10. The only difference is that those 1 get to be on for years other than the other 9 that get 7 episodes. AND half of the 1 “good (crap) shows” we steal from England.

Curious is there a good RCMP show? They are some bad ass guys that a well run show would be sweet? Oh not talking Reality show where a guy follows monties with a camera I’m talking scripted.

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Tbinns Reply:
June 18th, 2010 at 1:12 pm

There was a quasi comedic series called Due South which played up the cliche’s but was also a cop show and made it’s star Paul Gross the closest thing to a household name as you get in this country.

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