Editing Canadian content (section)

===Examples===

Early Canadian programming was often produced merely to fill content requirements, and featured exceedingly low budgets, rushed production schedules, poor writing and little in the way of production values, and as a result did not attract much of an audience. One Canadian series, ''[[The Trouble with Tracy]]'', is sometimes claimed as one of the worst television shows ever produced.<ref name="CCF">{{Cite web |last=Wedge |first=Pip |date=July 2002 |title=The Trouble With Tracy |url=http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/networks/CTV_Television_Program_Details/TheTroubleWithTracy.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030528224221/http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/networks/CTV_Television_Program_Details/TheTroubleWithTracy.html |archive-date=May 28, 2003 |access-date=July 8, 2007 |publisher=Canadian Communications Foundation |df=mdy-all}}</ref> However, even given these limitations, some productions managed to rise above the mediocre – both ''[[Second City Television|SCTV]]'' (originally on [[Global Television Network|Global]]) and ''[[Smith & Smith]]'' ([[CHCH-TV|CHCH]]) grew from local low-budget productions with a limited audience to large production companies with a North American audience. ''SCTV'' notably lampooned the Cancon rules, as well a request by the CBC for a filler segment featuring distinctively Canadian content, by developing the characters of [[Bob and Doug McKenzie]]—a caricature of stereotypical Canadians played by cast members [[Rick Moranis]] and [[Dave Thomas (actor)|Dave Thomas]], and their recurring sketch "The Great White North". Bob and Doug would become the program's most popular characters, and spawned spin-offs such as comedy albums, commercials, the feature film ''[[Strange Brew]]'', and the animated series ''[[Bob & Doug (TV series)|Bob & Doug]]''.<ref name="AskMenSCTV">{{Cite web |last=Murphy |first=Ryan |title=Top 10 SCTV Skits: Great White North: Beer Nog |url=http://ca.askmen.com/top_10/entertainment_300/308c_top_10_list.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928223334/http://ca.askmen.com/top_10/entertainment_300/308c_top_10_list.html |archive-date=September 28, 2011 |access-date=September 30, 2011 |website=Askmen Canada}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Durkee |first=Cutler |title=With Beer, Back Bacon and Banter, SCTV's Bob & Doug Mine Comedy Gold in the 'great White North' |url=https://people.com/archive/with-beer-back-bacon-and-banter-sctvs-bob-doug-mine-comedy-gold-in-the-great-white-north-vol-17-no-4/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191002191648/https://people.com/archive/with-beer-back-bacon-and-banter-sctvs-bob-doug-mine-comedy-gold-in-the-great-white-north-vol-17-no-4/ |archive-date=October 2, 2019 |access-date=2019-10-02 |magazine=People |language=en |volume=17 |issue=4}}</ref>

In the 1980s and early 1990s, distinctly Canadian drama series such as CBC's ''[[Street Legal (Canadian TV series)|Street Legal]]'' or [[CTV Television Network|CTV]]'s ''[[E.N.G.]]'' consistently drew hundreds of thousands of viewers each week. In the latter part of the 1990s and the early 2000s, [[Global Television Network|Global]]'s ''[[Traders (TV series)|Traders]]'' and the CBC dramas ''[[Da Vinci's Inquest]]'' and ''[[Republic of Doyle]]'' completed long runs, buoyed by critical approval if not overwhelming viewer success (though they have since became mainstays of both Canadian and American syndication). As for CTV, after short-lived runs of planned "flagship" drama series such as ''[[The City (1999 TV series)|The City]]'', ''[[The Associates (Canadian TV series)|The Associates]]'' and ''[[The Eleventh Hour (Canadian TV series)|The Eleventh Hour]]'', the network later found ratings success with series such as ''[[Corner Gas]]'' (a sitcom set at an eponymous [[Filling station|gas station]] in rural [[Saskatchewan]], filmed in the town of [[Rouleau, Saskatchewan|Rouleau]]), ''[[Flashpoint (TV series)|Flashpoint]]'', and ''[[Motive (TV series)|Motive]]''. The CBC [[dramedy]] ''[[This Is Wonderland]]'' was a moderate success with a loyal fan base, but was nonetheless cancelled in 2006 after three seasons. [[Specialty channel]]s also naturally produce Canadian content, some of which, most notably [[Showcase (Canadian TV channel)|Showcase]]'s [[mockumentary]] series ''[[Trailer Park Boys]]'',  have been able to generate a strong mass appeal.

To complement their airings of American or British versions, Canadian networks have also produced local versions of unscripted [[television format]]s, including [[reality television]] series such as ''[[The Amazing Race Canada]]'', ''[[Canadian Idol]]'', ''[[MasterChef Canada]]'', and ''[[The Traitors Canada]]'' (CTV), ''[[The Great Canadian Baking Show]]'' (CBC), ''[[Big Brother Canada]]'' (Global), ''[[The Bachelor Canada]]'' and ''[[Canada's Got Talent]]'' (Citytv), and ''[[Canada's Drag Race]]'' ([[Crave (streaming service)|Crave]]).

Canadian networks have sometimes fulfilled Cancon requirements by commissioning series filmed in Canada, but intended to be sold to broadcasters in larger foreign markets such as the United States and United Kingdom, such as CTV's ''[[Saving Hope]]'', ''[[Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye]]'', [[Mysterious Ways (TV series)|''Mysterious Ways'']], and''[[Twice in a Lifetime (TV series)|Twice in a Lifetime]]'', and Global's ''[[Wild Card (TV series)|Wild Card]]'' and ''[[Rookie Blue]].'' International co-productions such as ''[[Orphan Black]]'' ([[Space (Canadian TV channel)|Space]] and [[BBC America]]), ''[[Copper (TV series)|Copper]]'' (Showcase and BBC America), ''[[Killjoys (TV series)|Killjoys]]'' (Space and [[Syfy]]), ''[[The Tudors]]'' (CBC, [[Showtime (TV channel)|Showtime]], [[BBC]] and [[Virgin Media One|TV3]]), and the early seasons of the current incarnation of ''[[Doctor Who]]'' (which was partially funded by the CBC) are also common.

A few Canadian drama series, including ''[[Due South]]'', ''[[The Listener (TV series)|The Listener]]'', ''Motive'', ''[[Flashpoint (TV series)|Flashpoint]]'', and ''Saving Hope'', have also been picked up by American networks and aired in prime time, although the majority of Canadian TV series which have aired in the United States have done so either in syndication, on cable channels, or on minor networks such as [[The CW]] and [[Ion Television]]. ''SCTV'' aired in a late night slot on [[NBC]] in the early 1980s. CBS aired ''[[Crimetime After Primetime]]'', a late-night block of crime dramas in the late 1980s and early 1990s which included a number of Canadian series, including ''[[Night Heat]]'', ''[[Hot Shots (Canadian TV series)|Hot Shots]]'', ''[[Adderly]]'', ''[[Forever Knight]]'' and ''[[Diamonds (Canadian TV series)|Diamonds]]'', and later aired ''[[The Kids in the Hall (TV series)|The Kids in the Hall]]'' in a late-night slot as well. ''[[The Red Green Show]]'' was also a success, being imported into the United States via [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] member stations. That show's cast often did [[pledge drive]] specials and received strong viewer support on PBS stations in the northern part of the United States, such as [[Iowa]], [[Minnesota]], [[Wisconsin]], [[Michigan]], [[New Hampshire]] and New York.

The CBC sitcom ''[[Schitt's Creek]]'' was co-produced with U.S. cable network [[Pop (American TV channel)|Pop]] as its first original scripted series, but its later addition to the streaming service [[Netflix]] helped to bolster wider public awareness and critical acclaim of the series in the United States and worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adalian |first=Josef |date=2020-04-07 |title=The Unlikely Rise of Schitt's Creek |url=https://www.vulture.com/2020/04/schitts-creek-netflix-pop-success-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101001539/https://www.vulture.com/2020/04/schitts-creek-netflix-pop-success-story.html |archive-date=November 1, 2020 |access-date=2020-10-27 |website=Vulture |language=en-us}}</ref> This culminated at the [[72nd Primetime Emmy Awards]] in 2020 following its final season, where ''Schitt's Creek'' became the first series to sweep all seven major awards in their respective genre in the same year, and [[Dan Levy (Canadian actor)|Dan Levy]] became the first to win awards for acting, directing, producing, and writing in the same year.<ref name="WaPoLive">{{Cite news |last1=Yahr |first1=Emily |last2=Butler |first2=Bethonie |last3=Rao |first3=Sonia |last4=Andrews-Dyer |first4=Helena |title=Emmys 2020 live updates: 'Schitt's Creek' sweeps all 7 comedy categories; Regina King and Mark Ruffalo win limited series acting awards |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2020/09/20/emmys-live-updates/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118213801/https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2020/09/20/emmys-live-updates/ |archive-date=January 18, 2021 |access-date=September 21, 2020 |newspaper=Washington Post |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Desta |first=Yohana |title=Emmys 2020: Schitt's Creek Makes Emmy History With Complete Sweep |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/09/emmys-2020-schitts-creek-history |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118044918/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/09/emmys-2020-schitts-creek-history |archive-date=January 18, 2021 |access-date=September 21, 2020 |magazine=Vanity Fair}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Feinberg |first=Scott |date=September 20, 2020 |title=Emmys: 'Schitt's Creek' Sets Record for Most Wins in a Single Season for a Comedy |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/emmys-schitts-creek-sets-record-for-most-wins-in-a-single-season-for-a-comedy |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428062552/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/emmys-schitts-creek-sets-record-for-most-wins-in-a-single-season-for-a-comedy |archive-date=April 28, 2021 |access-date=September 20, 2020 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref>

Canadian commercial television networks schedule a large percentage of their Canadian productions to air in the summer season; although traditionally a season of low viewership, this practice has actually been beneficial for Canadian television productions, influenced by widespread viewer preference for new programming over off-season repeats, as well as an increased chance of gaining a lucrative sale to one of the big four American networks—a revenue stream which is generally unavailable during the fall and winter television seasons.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Taylor |first=Kate |date=June 8, 2011 |title=For Canadian TV, summer is the new growing season |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/television/for-canadian-tv-summer-is-the-new-growing-season/article2050548/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110821013834/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/television/for-canadian-tv-summer-is-the-new-growing-season/article2050548/ |archive-date=August 21, 2011 |work=[[The Globe and Mail]]}}</ref>

The [[impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television in the United States]] provided a major exception, with NBC importing the CTV medical drama ''[[Transplant (TV series)|Transplant]]'' (which premiered at midseason in Canada) for its fall primetime lineup, filling the timeslot normally filled by its own medical drama ''[[New Amsterdam (2018 TV series)|New Amsterdam]]'' (whose premiere was deferred to 2021).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Petski |first=Denise |date=2020-05-14 |title=NBC Expands Medical Drama Series Lineup With Canada's 'Transplant' |url=https://deadline.com/2020/05/nbc-expands-medical-drama-series-lineup-acquires-canadas-transplant-1202934780/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200521103343/https://deadline.com/2020/05/nbc-expands-medical-drama-series-lineup-acquires-canadas-transplant-1202934780/ |archive-date=May 21, 2020 |access-date=2020-05-15 |website=Deadline Hollywood |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Porter |first=Rick |date=May 14, 2020 |title=NBC Snags Canadian Drama 'Transplant' to Shore Up Schedule |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/nbc-snags-canadian-drama-transplant-shore-up-schedule-1294612 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200521114020/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/nbc-snags-canadian-drama-transplant-shore-up-schedule-1294612 |archive-date=May 21, 2020 |access-date=2020-05-15 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=2020-08-12 |title=NBC Sets September Debut For Canadian Medical Drama 'Transplant' As Pandemic Impacts Fall Schedule Plans |url=https://deadline.com/2020/08/transplant-nbc-sets-premiere-date-canadian-medical-drama-covid-pandemic-impact-fall-schedule-plans-1203011550/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200823042057/https://deadline.com/2020/08/transplant-nbc-sets-premiere-date-canadian-medical-drama-covid-pandemic-impact-fall-schedule-plans-1203011550/ |archive-date=August 23, 2020 |access-date=2020-08-12 |website=Deadline |language=en}}</ref> NBC subsequently picked up another Canadian medical drama from Global, ''[[Nurses (Canadian TV series)|Nurses]]'',<ref name="TVLine">{{Cite web |last=Roots |first=Kimberly |date=November 10, 2020 |title=NBC Acquires Canadian Medical Drama Nurses, From Saving Hope and Rookie Blue EPs — Find Out When It'll Premiere |url=https://tvline.com/2020/11/10/nurses-american-premiere-date-nbc-canadian-medical-drama/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219174121/https://tvline.com/2020/11/10/nurses-american-premiere-date-nbc-canadian-medical-drama/ |archive-date=December 19, 2020 |access-date=December 12, 2020 |website=[[TVLine]]}}</ref> and ordered the second season of ''Transplant'' for a mid-season premiere in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Porter |first=Rick |date=December 11, 2020 |title='Transplant' Renewed for Second Season at NBC |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/transplant-renewed-for-second-season-at-nbc |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126040353/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/transplant-renewed-for-second-season-at-nbc |archive-date=January 26, 2021 |access-date=February 7, 2022 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=2022-01-31 |title=NBC Slots 'Transplant' & 'Weakest Link' On Sundays Post-Olympics |url=https://deadline.com/2022/01/transplant-weakest-link-sunday-schedule-premiere-date-nbc-1234923354/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209163940/https://deadline.com/2022/01/transplant-weakest-link-sunday-schedule-premiere-date-nbc-1234923354/ |archive-date=February 9, 2022 |access-date=2022-02-07 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref> The third season would also be picked up by NBC, with its U.S. premiere held back to fall due to the [[2023 Hollywood labor disputes|WGA and SAG–AFTRA strikes]].<ref name="NBC Fall premiere date">{{Cite web |last=White |first=Peter |date=July 19, 2023 |title=''Magnum P.I'' Moves To Fall On NBC; Network Stays In Scripted As ''Quantum Leap'' & New Dramas ''Found'' & ''The Irrational'' Make Up Revised Schedule |url=https://deadline.com/2023/08/nbc-fall-schedule-magnum-pi-quantum-leap-found-the-irrational-1235441741/ |access-date=August 28, 2023 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Petski |first=Denise |date=August 28, 2023 |title=''Transplant'' Gets New Season 3 Premiere Date At NBC |url=https://deadline.com/2023/08/transplant-season-3-new-premiere-date-nbc-1235529646/ |access-date=August 28, 2023 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref>

==== Children's programming ====
Canadian studios have had a significant presence in the [[Children's television series|children's television]] market, the domestic studio [[Nelvana]] has had interests in both children's television and publishing, and was acquired by Canadian broadcaster [[Corus Entertainment]] in 2000.<ref name="gandm-nelvanabuy">{{Cite news |last=Damsell |first=Keith |date=2000-09-18 |title=Corus to buy Nelvana for $540-million |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/corus-to-buy-nelvana-for-540-million/article1190841/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312134444/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/corus-to-buy-nelvana-for-540-million/article1190841/ |archive-date=March 12, 2016 |access-date=March 12, 2016 |work=The Globe and Mail}}</ref> In the 1990s, Nelvana made several major deals for educational programming with U.S. broadcasters such as [[CBS]] and [[PBS Kids]] (taking advantage of [[E/I|new U.S. mandates]] for educational programming), with many of them being adaptations of children's books.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Collins |first=Geneva |date=August 16, 1999 |title=Public TV again turns to Canada for kidvid |url=http://www.current.org/ch/ch915c.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060301170408/http://www.current.org/ch/ch915c.html |archive-date=March 1, 2006 |access-date=June 23, 2006 |website=[[Current.org]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Virginia |date=September 1, 1998 |title=The CBS Kidshow |url=http://www.kidscreen.com/articles/magazine/19980901/22601.html |access-date=November 21, 2010 |website=KidScreen}}</ref>

The Montreal-based studio [[Cinar|CINAR]] was well known for producing and distributing animated series with tie-ins for the educational market, such as ''[[Arthur (TV series)|Arthur]]—''which was distributed on U.S. [[public television]] by Boston's PBS station [[WGBH-TV|WGBH]]. The company collapsed in 2001 following an [[CINAR scandal|accounting scandal]], and had also faced allegations that it paid American writers to [[Ghostwriter|write for its shows under the names of Canadian citizens]], while continuing to accept Canadian federal tax credits.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 15, 2004 |title=Cinar co-founder Micheline Charest dies |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/cinar-co-founder-micheline-charest-dies-1.492549 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117015711/https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/cinar-co-founder-micheline-charest-dies-1.492549 |archive-date=January 17, 2023 |access-date=2021-05-19 |work=CBC News}}</ref> The company was later purchased in 2004 by former Nelvana executives, and renamed Cookie Jar Group. The company was in turn acquired by Halifax-based [[WildBrain|DHX Media]] (now WildBrain) in 2012,<ref name="variety-rename">{{Cite news |last=Kelly |first=Brendan |date=March 28, 2004 |title=CINAR turns into Cookie Jar |url=https://variety.com/2004/scene/markets-festivals/cinar-turns-into-cookie-jar-1117902396/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314152642/http://variety.com/2004/scene/markets-festivals/cinar-turns-into-cookie-jar-1117902396/ |archive-date=March 14, 2017 |access-date=March 14, 2017 |work=Variety}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Sylvain, Matthew |date=October 23, 2012 |title=DHX purchase of Cookie Jar completed |url=https://kidscreen.com/2012/10/23/dhx-purchase-of-cookie-jar-completed/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170713115052/http://kidscreen.com/2012/10/23/dhx-purchase-of-cookie-jar-completed/ |archive-date=July 13, 2017 |access-date=December 26, 2012 |work=KidScreen}}</ref> which made it the largest independent owner of children's television content in the world.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wong |first=Jessica |date=2017-05-11 |title=When it comes to kids' TV, Canada is king |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/kids-tv-canadian-1.4108354 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170511100309/http://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/kids-tv-canadian-1.4108354 |archive-date=May 11, 2017 |access-date=2021-05-19 |work=CBC News}}</ref><ref name="kidscreen-cjg">{{Cite news |last=Sylvain |first=Matthew |date=October 23, 2012 |title=DHX purchase of Cookie Jar completed |url=http://kidscreen.com/2012/10/23/dhx-purchase-of-cookie-jar-completed/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170713115052/http://kidscreen.com/2012/10/23/dhx-purchase-of-cookie-jar-completed/ |archive-date=July 13, 2017 |access-date=December 29, 2012 |work=KidScreen}}</ref><ref name=":2" />