Canada's one-channel universe
TORONTO (CUP) — Imagine turning on your television today to find that you only have one channel to watch and for some reason, it's in black and white. Not so long ago Canadian viewers had very few channels to watch—three in most cities—and cable was not yet popular, as it offered no better choice.
50 Years of Canadian Television
The first Canadian television broadcast began with a news item hosted by Lorne Green—before he left Canada to star in the American western drama Bonanza. Television in Canada started in 1952 with one network broadcasting in English and French, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)/ Société Radio-Canada (SRC). Only Canadians in Toronto and Montreal could watch CBC the first year, but by 1955 the CBC/Radio-Canada had expanded to reach 66 per cent of the Canadian population.
The CBC/ Radio-Canada enjoyed nine years dominating the Canadian airwaves, although there had always been American broadcast signals sneaking across the border. In 1961, the CTV Network began broadcasting, with the permission of the CBC—which meant they created their own competition. The CBC controlled broadcasting in Canada until the Canadian Radio-Television Commission (CRTC) was established in 1968.
In the early days of the CRTC, the rules governing Canadian television were established, including granting licenses and controlling amounts of Canadian content. 1970 brought the first content regulations making sure that all TV broadcasters in Canada had to fill their schedules with at least 60 per cent Canadian content.
Television grew slightly in the 1970s with the first private French-language network, TVA in 1971 and Global in 1974—as well as educational channels TV Ontario, Access Alberta and B.C.'s Knowledge network. In 1972, Toronto saw the launch of City-TV, which has served as the base for many more channels.
Moses Znaimer, considered a guru of Canadian television, started at the CBC as an interviewer for the program Take 30 (with former Governor General Adrianne Clarkson). Moses helped give birth to City and it's many offspring. When City started broadcasting, it was from the former Electric Circus Nightclub on Queen East.
The explosion on cable did not begin until the mid-1980s when the CRTC allowed pay-TV and speciality channels to open. Canadians finally had more choice as CBC Newsworld, YTV, Vision TV, Muchmusic, pay TV channel Family Channel and many more were all broadcasting by 1987. Since the 80s Canadian cable had grown into the hundreds of channels.
The Programs
Any look at retro decades needs a look at Canadian television over the last 50 years. Speciality networks rerun Canadian classics that many Canadians grew up with. Remember Danger Bay, The Odyssey, Polka Dot Door, Today's Special, The Racoons, Fraggle Rock (yes this Jim Henson Muppet classic was made in Canada), The Forest Rangers, Adventures in Rainbow Country, King of Kensington, Seeing Things, Street Legal, Smith and Smith, Fred Penner's Place, The Elephant Show and the Romper Room, just to name a few Canadian classics?
The CBC has embraced their television history with a “retro line” of t-shirts with past CBC logos—from the early days of colour to the evolving familiar logo of today. Currently, a number of items from CBC's children's programming are on display at the CBC Museum at the CBC Broadcast Centre in Toronto. Mr. Dressup's Tickle-trunk and drawing easel and the set from The Friendly Giant can be seen there.
Sitting in CBC's Museum are a few icons of Canadian television, a trunk and a few puppets. These simple items entertained and delighted several generations of children in English Canada.
There are many unique shows that were produced in Canada over the past fifty years. Here are just a few not mentioned above that were aimed mostly at viewers under 20.
The Friendly Giant
Over 3000 15-minute episodes were produced between 1958 and 1985 featuring the massive Friendly Giant, played by Bob Homme. Friendly would welcome children at the beginning of each show and then let them into his castle through the drawbridge. Once inside, you were invited to “look up, look w-a-a-a-y up” as the camera panned up to Friendly standing by a window with Jerome the Giraffe and Rusty the Rooster. For over 30 years, Friendly's patient smile welcomed children to enjoy stories, music and humour each weekday morning on CBC.
Mr. Dressup
Before we had the Tickle-trunk, there was Butternut Square, a show that after 3 years on air led to Mr. Dressup in 1967. Until 1996, the show aired weekday mornings from Toronto with the familiar Mr. Dressup (Ernie Coombs), and two puppets from Butternut Square: Casey, a 4-year old boy and Finnegan (both of whom left in 1990 with their puppeteer Judith Lawrence).
Coombs came to Canada with his friend Fred Rogers and stayed when Rogers returned to his new American show, Mr. Rogers Neighbourhood. Before leaving, Rogers took a few ideas with him, including the trolley, developed by CBC.
Degrassi
This teen classic recently entered its 25th year, though it has not been on the air for this entire time. A new generation is growing up on the current group in this realistic teen drama, and like the generation before them, these teens tackle the real life events teens battle everyday: drug use, alcoholism, peer-pressure, popularity, AIDS, homophobia, gun violence and suicide. Yeah, that's what my high school was like.
The Edison Twins
This show was based on a brother-sister team made up of Tom and Annie Edison, two teenaged twins who used science to solve mysteries without being overly educational. Each show ended with an explanation of the experiment in that episode that solved the case—and the lesson was still entertaining. Corey Haim got his start on the Edison Twins and over its six season run on the CBC, the twins' parents were played by two different sets of actor—but then again, the parents were hardly ever involved in the story lines.
50 Years of Canadian Television
The first Canadian television broadcast began with a news item hosted by Lorne Green—before he left Canada to star in the American western drama Bonanza. Television in Canada started in 1952 with one network broadcasting in English and French, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)/ Société Radio-Canada (SRC). Only Canadians in Toronto and Montreal could watch CBC the first year, but by 1955 the CBC/Radio-Canada had expanded to reach 66 per cent of the Canadian population.
The CBC/ Radio-Canada enjoyed nine years dominating the Canadian airwaves, although there had always been American broadcast signals sneaking across the border. In 1961, the CTV Network began broadcasting, with the permission of the CBC—which meant they created their own competition. The CBC controlled broadcasting in Canada until the Canadian Radio-Television Commission (CRTC) was established in 1968.
In the early days of the CRTC, the rules governing Canadian television were established, including granting licenses and controlling amounts of Canadian content. 1970 brought the first content regulations making sure that all TV broadcasters in Canada had to fill their schedules with at least 60 per cent Canadian content.
Television grew slightly in the 1970s with the first private French-language network, TVA in 1971 and Global in 1974—as well as educational channels TV Ontario, Access Alberta and B.C.'s Knowledge network. In 1972, Toronto saw the launch of City-TV, which has served as the base for many more channels.
Moses Znaimer, considered a guru of Canadian television, started at the CBC as an interviewer for the program Take 30 (with former Governor General Adrianne Clarkson). Moses helped give birth to City and it's many offspring. When City started broadcasting, it was from the former Electric Circus Nightclub on Queen East.
The explosion on cable did not begin until the mid-1980s when the CRTC allowed pay-TV and speciality channels to open. Canadians finally had more choice as CBC Newsworld, YTV, Vision TV, Muchmusic, pay TV channel Family Channel and many more were all broadcasting by 1987. Since the 80s Canadian cable had grown into the hundreds of channels.
The Programs
Any look at retro decades needs a look at Canadian television over the last 50 years. Speciality networks rerun Canadian classics that many Canadians grew up with. Remember Danger Bay, The Odyssey, Polka Dot Door, Today's Special, The Racoons, Fraggle Rock (yes this Jim Henson Muppet classic was made in Canada), The Forest Rangers, Adventures in Rainbow Country, King of Kensington, Seeing Things, Street Legal, Smith and Smith, Fred Penner's Place, The Elephant Show and the Romper Room, just to name a few Canadian classics?
The CBC has embraced their television history with a “retro line” of t-shirts with past CBC logos—from the early days of colour to the evolving familiar logo of today. Currently, a number of items from CBC's children's programming are on display at the CBC Museum at the CBC Broadcast Centre in Toronto. Mr. Dressup's Tickle-trunk and drawing easel and the set from The Friendly Giant can be seen there.
Sitting in CBC's Museum are a few icons of Canadian television, a trunk and a few puppets. These simple items entertained and delighted several generations of children in English Canada.
There are many unique shows that were produced in Canada over the past fifty years. Here are just a few not mentioned above that were aimed mostly at viewers under 20.
The Friendly Giant
Over 3000 15-minute episodes were produced between 1958 and 1985 featuring the massive Friendly Giant, played by Bob Homme. Friendly would welcome children at the beginning of each show and then let them into his castle through the drawbridge. Once inside, you were invited to “look up, look w-a-a-a-y up” as the camera panned up to Friendly standing by a window with Jerome the Giraffe and Rusty the Rooster. For over 30 years, Friendly's patient smile welcomed children to enjoy stories, music and humour each weekday morning on CBC.
Mr. Dressup
Before we had the Tickle-trunk, there was Butternut Square, a show that after 3 years on air led to Mr. Dressup in 1967. Until 1996, the show aired weekday mornings from Toronto with the familiar Mr. Dressup (Ernie Coombs), and two puppets from Butternut Square: Casey, a 4-year old boy and Finnegan (both of whom left in 1990 with their puppeteer Judith Lawrence).
Coombs came to Canada with his friend Fred Rogers and stayed when Rogers returned to his new American show, Mr. Rogers Neighbourhood. Before leaving, Rogers took a few ideas with him, including the trolley, developed by CBC.
Degrassi
This teen classic recently entered its 25th year, though it has not been on the air for this entire time. A new generation is growing up on the current group in this realistic teen drama, and like the generation before them, these teens tackle the real life events teens battle everyday: drug use, alcoholism, peer-pressure, popularity, AIDS, homophobia, gun violence and suicide. Yeah, that's what my high school was like.
The Edison Twins
This show was based on a brother-sister team made up of Tom and Annie Edison, two teenaged twins who used science to solve mysteries without being overly educational. Each show ended with an explanation of the experiment in that episode that solved the case—and the lesson was still entertaining. Corey Haim got his start on the Edison Twins and over its six season run on the CBC, the twins' parents were played by two different sets of actor—but then again, the parents were hardly ever involved in the story lines.
