The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / American Site Chooses The 20 Greatest Canadian TV Shows

**Posted by RadioActive** April 10, 2025 8:59 am

It doesn't appear they're in any particular order, but there's a few classics understandably missing, because they were never seen south of the border.

No Mr. Dressup? Casey closed.

No Reach For The Top? Not smart.

And where's The Littlest Hobo? (Maybe we can put Rex on the case to find him.)

Anyway, for whatever it's worth, here's one site's list of the best shows from north of the border, tariff-free.

American Site Chooses The 20 Greatest Canadian TV Shows

**Posted by mace** April 10, 2025 9:24 am

Only show I watched regularly was Degrassi. Eight of them I have never heard of. Where is Street Legal and Friendly Giant? Maybe they consider Giant American because it began in Wisconsin in 1953.

**Posted by paterson1** April 10, 2025 10:30 am

With no SCTV the list has no credibility. A major error IMO.

**Posted by RadioActive** April 10, 2025 10:33 am

Didn't even notice, but I could not agree more. SCTV is perhaps the greatest Canadian TV show ever.

**Posted by Jody Thornton** April 10, 2025 11:21 am

paterson1 wrote:
With no SCTV the list has no credibility. A major error IMO.

Especially since it aired late nights on NBC over the weekend.

**Posted by Binson Echorec** April 10, 2025 12:20 pm

List is meh at best and feels more like a list of "shows that I (as an American author) know are Canadian" rather than the "twenty greatest Canadian" shows.

Omitting SCTV shows incredible ignorance.

**Posted by Easily Amused** April 10, 2025 12:29 pm

Binson Echorec wrote:
List is meh at best and feels more like a list of "shows that I (as an American author) know are Canadian" rather than the "twenty greatest Canadian" shows.

Omitting SCTV shows incredible ignorance.

Agreed. These online 'experts' would have been relegated to backwater weekly newspapers and letters to the editor columns, in the good old days. Now every clown has an opinion, and by god, we're going to hear or read about it. 🙄🤨

**Posted by pinto** April 10, 2025 2:29 pm

No Forest Rangers, Hobo or House of Frightenstein!!!

**Posted by Dale Patterson** April 10, 2025 2:41 pm

"Mayday", now in its 22nd season, should be on the list. And how did "Corner Gas" not make the list? For shame!

**Posted by tdotwriter** April 10, 2025 3:44 pm

Dale Patterson wrote:
"Mayday", now in its 22nd season, should be on the list. And how did "Corner Gas" not make the list? For shame!

I was going to mention Trailer Park Boys, but Mayday, known as Air Crash Investigation in the U.S is another homegrown series that is well regarded internationally and both are favorites of mine. Corner Gas is another obvious example. They should have just expanded the list beyond 20 if they had to IMHO.

**Posted by Radio Bob** April 10, 2025 7:51 pm

All of our comments here prove the uselessness of lists like these. They are too subjective.
If they were fair, they would be titled "The ten best Canadian TV shows to (insert name here)."

**Posted by RayDeeOh** April 11, 2025 9:44 am

I'd add Murdoch Mysteries to the list.

**Posted by mace** April 11, 2025 10:03 am

Back in 2007, Ken Bloom released a book entitled SITCOMS:The 101 Greatest TV Comedies of All Time. Instead of ranking them, they were simply listed in alphabetical order. There is also a section of honourable mentions. Book has lots of cast photos including colour shots of shows that were filmed in glorious B&W. Mary Tyler Moore was hot on the Dick Van Dyke Show. Photos of her in colour from that era, simply outstanding.