A few times over the years I’ve mentioned that in a perfect world, TV, eh? wouldn’t exist: Canadian series would be covered on equal footing with American in their home country. I haven’t looked but I don’t think there’s a TV, mate? for Australian TV or a TV, innit? for British television.
After I made it public that I’d be wrapping up this site by the end of the year — posting will be spotty but Anthony and I will do one final podcast on December 30 where we bestow the last TV Ehwards — some people asked for alternatives, and my quick answer is to check the sidebar. I modelled TV, eh? after a combination of The Futon Critic and TV Tattle and I don’t know of another site that aggregates information in quite the same way, but there are many sites that cover Canadian TV to various degrees.
One in particular has over the years turned into the kind of site I’m talking about, though, one that covers Canadian TV as much as American TV and unlike print columnists has the space to cover it extensively. TV Guide Canada under editor Amber Dowling does reviews and recaps and, most recently, released a poll of “Canada’s Best in Show” as voted by 16 Canadian critics (who knew we had that many?!)
Some of those critics do a stellar job of writing about the Canadian industry — I particularly admire the National Post‘s level-headed Scott Stinson, and get a kick out of the shit-disturbing John Doyle of the Globe and Mail — but unlike a web-based, television-focused publication their coverage is to some degree more limited by space and what topics will sell a newspaper.
In my rose-coloured world I think the demise of TV, eh? could benefit to the Canadian TV industry. Other sites exist and may get more attention, some may expand their coverage, maybe some others will crop up, maybe those Eye on Canada folks will do something that’s audience focused in reality and not just in their minds. But TV Guide Canada is working toward that ideal world for Canadian TV coverage now.
Wow, that`s an awesome article. Thrilled to realize how many good Canadian shows there are. We have a nation of 30 million and we are producing a great depth of shows, comparable to a lot of what`s on U.S. tv right now. I actually watch a lot of Canuck shows right now (on the below list I have asterisked the shows I actually watch or watched regularily):
My Rankings of Canadian Shows I`ve Seen
Orphan Black*
Vikings*
Continuum*
Degrassi* (yes I am still watching teenybopper drama at age 30)
Republic of Doyle*
Lost Girl*
Less Than Kind*
Defiance*
HNIC*
Heartland*
Arctic Air*
Rick Mercer Report*
Mr. D*
Rookie Blue (I watch the occasional episode)
Bomb Girls*
Murdoch Mysteries
The Listener
22 Minutes
Battle of the Blades
Amazing Race Canada*
Saving Hope*
Copper
Big Brother Canada*
Seed*
Dragon`s Den
Ice Pilots: NWT
Cracked
Played
Rogue
Canadian Pickers
Satisfaction
Package Deal
The Ron James Show
RHOV
Eh, Storage Wars Canada is better than most of the shows listed above?