Canada or America's Next Top Model? hmmm

We are all feeling the pains of the Writers Guild of America strike.  Alas, in Canada we have new programming on a regular basis.  We have our own sort of version of Jon Stewart called the Rick Mercer Report (he has a blog).  He is a bit edgier, and more “in the field” than Stewart.  This week Rick going dogsleding in Haliburton Ontario and trains with track and field coach and Olympic gold medalist Glenroy Gilbert. He is also the man behind Talking to Americans, which is well worth the download, not that I would EVER condone that sort of thing.  YouTube version

More Canadian goodness after the jump....

By FAR the best thing coming out of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) this season is MVP: The Secret Lives Hockey Wives.  No doubt inspired by the BBC’s Footballer’s Wives.  http://www.footballerswives.tv/.  Think Posh and Becks but skankier.  Well, ok, just as skanky.  In the preview of Hockey Wives I saw, some well done up, hotpant wearing wive is trying to take the virginity of “the rookie”.  Weeeee.  CBC isn’t as conservative as regular American networks, so we can expect some T&A and some excellent four letter words. 

The other show I dearly want to pimp is Little Mosque On The Prairie.  From the CBC website:

Little Mosque On The Prairie is an unabashedly comedic look at a small Muslim community interacting with the denizens of a little prairie town. The sitcom reveals that although different, we are all surprisingly similar when it comes to family, love, the generation gaps and our attempts to balance our secular and religious lives while trying to understand those of others in the community.

It is a wacky cavalcade of characters, as is imaginable, and funny.  I think TBS or some other American network has purchased it to show in syndication at some point.  It is hard to imagine CBS or someone coming up with such a premise. 

The other show I am going to plug is Corner Gas.  In is in its fourth season and I also hear rumours about American networks picking it up in syndication.  It is about a bunch of nobodies living in a nobody town in rural prairie Saskatchewan.  The show is centered about a gas station, a diner, and many other Canadian classics like curling rinks.  Everyone knows everyone, the two RCMPs in the town ride bikes.  It is funny without hitting you over the head. 

Comments

[nadine]

I think that Corner Gas is available on WGN or one of the other superstations - I saw the listing when I was in Florida in November. It gave a Saskatchewan girl quite a thrill to see a local show on a big fancy American network!

[Kirsten]

*nods* I've picked up a few eps of Corner Gas, I think on WGN Chicago. It's been funny in a uniquely Canadian kind of way. For this transplant, who has had her Canadian culture sadly cut, this, Degrassi and DaVinci's Inquest bring a little bit of happiness.

DaVinci is so incredibly CBCish in it's nature... it reminds me of the dialogue I used to hear in The Beachcombers

[Her Bad Mother]

Dude, when I saw the title of this post and Rick Mercer's pic, I was all, like IS RICK MERCER GONNA HOST CANADA'S TOP MODEL OH MY HELL?!?!!?

Thankfully, I read past the jump before running, pajama-clad, into the streets to shout my glee. Because that would have been embarassing.

[emily]

Oh I love Corner Gas! I caught it on WGN late one night when I couldn't sleep, and have tivo'd it ever since!

[kobri]

Rick Mercer should totally host CNTM, that would be hilarious! Did anyone see his interview with David Suzuki a few weeks ago, hilarious! I never thought I would hear Suzuki use the term "freeze my nuts off"

[Lori]

1. THANK YOU for the Rick Mercer reminder! Talking to Americans will make for excellent short break watching while tied to my desk at work. Plus, what Canadian doesn't love it?

2. Corner Gas=Excellent. So much funny... Definately makes this Saskatchewan girl feel better about all the crap we take about Saskatchewan!!

[Grammar Geek]

I believe a bunch more shows have been or are about to be picked up in the US. A lot of CBC shows - The Border, Sophie, The Listener... and apparently a CTV show that hasn't aired yet - Flashpoint.

Tho, I confess, I probably would have tuned in to watch Rick Mercer host Canada's Next Top Model. Or Canadian Idol. Imagine... no more orange host!