Contrary to what FOX News may have led you to believe, there is more to Canada than socialized medicine and poutine (Poutine being a bizarre concoction of french fries, cheese curds and gravy that — trust us — tastes a helluva lot better than it looks). Which is why in celebration of Canada’s 145th birthday today, we thought we’d take the opportunity to remind our friends across the globe as to some of the very important contributions the Great White North has made to the world of television.
First and foremost on our list of reasons why the entire world should be taking a moment today to acknowledge Canada on its national day of birth is our ever-expanding roster of talent taking Hollywood by storm. Suffice it to say, what Canadians lack in terms of sexy British and/or Australian accents, they more than make up for with acting chops (GREY’S ANATOMY’s Sandra Oh, FRINGE’s Josh Jackson, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES Nina Dobrev, among many, many others), or, in the case of ARROW star Stephen Amell, abs!
Whether we’re being invaded by aliens, or gearing up for an attack on Gogol, Canada’s chameleon like ability to transform into virtually any part of the world (Russia! Washington! Caprica!) is one of the Country’s greatest assets. Which is why, along with some favorable tax credits and slightly weaker dollar — you can thank the true north strong and free for providing many of your favorite shows with a comfortable home base. Shows such as Vancouver’s ONCE UPON A TIME, FRINGE, EUREKA, WAREHOUSE 13, ARROW, SUPERNATURAL, FALLING SKIES, PSYCH; Calgary’s HELL ON WHEELS; Toronto’s NIKITA, COVERT AFFAIRS, SUITS, WAREHOUSE 13, THE FIRM; And Nova Scotia’s HAVEN.
Love 90210, MELROSE PLACE, DAWSON’S CREEK, GOSSIP GIRL and a plethora of other television shows revolving around twenty-something actors attempting to pass themselves off as high schoolers? Well, you have the original DEGRASSI JUNIOR HIGH to thank. A show that according to Hollywood lore served as the impetus for Producer Aaron Spelling to develop BEVERLY HILLS 90210 after his overtures to bring the series to the United States were summarily rejected by creator Linda Schuyler.
What’s the only thing standing in the way of the not-so-perfect storm that is each of the five major Broadcast Networks’ penchant for scheduling a summer primetime lineup of reality and reruns? You guessed it, Canada! Or to be more specific, the Canadian produced dramas ROOKIE BLUE, SAVING HOPE, and THE L.A. COMPLEX. The latter of which kicks off its scandalous second season on The CW (and MuchMusic in Canada) on Tuesday July 19, 2012. at 9PM
Just ask the creators of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, who have mined Cobie Smulders’ real-life Canadian heritage for laughs for the better part of seven seasons now. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! 
