Growing up 15 minutes from the Saskatchewan border in northeast Montana, I was exposed to a lot of things Canadian. Summer fallowing in the tractor went a lot better listening to rock and roll on 800 CHAB and 620 CKCK. Everything from Rush, to April Wine, to Tom Cochrane in his pre-solo days as lead singer of Red Ryder to Trooper.
I've continued my enjoyment of Canadian media and culture into my adulthood. One of my favorite talk radio programs is John Gormley Live on News Talk 980 from Regina. And my favorite sit-com, American or Canadian, is Corner Gas. For those of you who haven't seen the show, it's set in the fictional town of Dog River, Saskatchewan and chronicles life in a town 40 kilometers from nowhere. For the last six seasons, the citizens of Dog River have been making people laugh, first on the Canadian CTV network and later on WGN in Chicago, which has the US broadcast rights.
For those of you who haven't seen the show before, here's a short clip from this season. The cranky old guy in the clip is actor Eric Peterson who plays Oscar Leroy, the former owner of Corner Gas. The bald guy playing the immigration guy is a friend of mine from Saskatoon, comedian Bryan Cox.
The thing I like about Corner Gas is it makes me laugh without having to resort to humor that tears people down or makes me feel uncomfortable in some way. It's genuine humor that can be appreciated by anyone, regardless of whether they've ever lived in a small town. Comedian Brent Butt grew up in Tisdale, Saskatchewan and calls his style "Coffee Shop Humor", the type of jokes you'll hear in coffee shops across the Prairies in Canada or in the Midwestern US.
Since it's inception, the show has been filmed on a soundstage in Regina and for exterior shots, on location in Rouleau, Saskatchewan, just outside of Regina. When chatting with Canadians for the first time, I'll explain where I'm from as being about 2 hours south of Dog River and most of them get it.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. The final episode will air on CTV Monday April 13th. Luckily, thanks to my friend James in Prince Albert, I have several seasons of the show on DVD to enjoy when I want and I will be purchasing the final season when it becomes available.
I've continued my enjoyment of Canadian media and culture into my adulthood. One of my favorite talk radio programs is John Gormley Live on News Talk 980 from Regina. And my favorite sit-com, American or Canadian, is Corner Gas. For those of you who haven't seen the show, it's set in the fictional town of Dog River, Saskatchewan and chronicles life in a town 40 kilometers from nowhere. For the last six seasons, the citizens of Dog River have been making people laugh, first on the Canadian CTV network and later on WGN in Chicago, which has the US broadcast rights.
For those of you who haven't seen the show before, here's a short clip from this season. The cranky old guy in the clip is actor Eric Peterson who plays Oscar Leroy, the former owner of Corner Gas. The bald guy playing the immigration guy is a friend of mine from Saskatoon, comedian Bryan Cox.
The thing I like about Corner Gas is it makes me laugh without having to resort to humor that tears people down or makes me feel uncomfortable in some way. It's genuine humor that can be appreciated by anyone, regardless of whether they've ever lived in a small town. Comedian Brent Butt grew up in Tisdale, Saskatchewan and calls his style "Coffee Shop Humor", the type of jokes you'll hear in coffee shops across the Prairies in Canada or in the Midwestern US.
Since it's inception, the show has been filmed on a soundstage in Regina and for exterior shots, on location in Rouleau, Saskatchewan, just outside of Regina. When chatting with Canadians for the first time, I'll explain where I'm from as being about 2 hours south of Dog River and most of them get it.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. The final episode will air on CTV Monday April 13th. Luckily, thanks to my friend James in Prince Albert, I have several seasons of the show on DVD to enjoy when I want and I will be purchasing the final season when it becomes available.
To my American friends who grew up in places like New Rockford, ND; Baker, MT; Powell, WY and the many towns like them, if you haven't seen Corner Gas before, find a way to watch. You'll see your hometown up on the screen and laugh your butt off remembering life in a small town. To those of you who grew up in a major metropolitan area, find a copy of the show too and you'll see why your friends who grew up in small towns in the US and Canada have fond memories of their hometowns.
To the folks of Dog River, farewell and Woolerton (spit) still sucks!
Very interesting stuff man. I found you on Radioblogger's twitter page. I'll be following your blog now. God Bless.
ReplyDelete-RJ Moeller (the next Mark Steyn)
I thought I was the only American who watched Corner Gas! I love this show, I often watch CG, then Becker,then Bed!
ReplyDeletexoxox
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