Growing up in Canada in the 90’s and 2000’s has allowed me plenty of access to Canadian television. Usually there is more bad than good, but Canadian kid shows are a different beast entirely. Sure there were some great shows such as: ReBoot, Arthur, Degrassi, and Are You Afraid of the Dark. There were some truly weird and “out there” shows too. I’m going to list ten Canadian kid shows that stuck with me over the years. Now, just because these shows may be weird, doesn’t necessarily mean they’re bad (though some definitely are).
1. Yvon of the Yukon
Yvon of the Yukon is about a French explorer, Yvon Ducharme, who embarks on a voyage to North America on behalf of “King Louis” (Louis XIV of France). He goes far off his intended course, into the frigid waters off Canada’s northern coast, and is knocked overboard when his boat rams an iceberg. Yvon is cryogenically frozen in a block of ice for 300 years, until a sled dog owned by Inuk teenager Tommy Tukyuk urinates on it and thaws him out. He settles in the town of Upyer Mukluk,Yukon (“the hottest cold town in the Arctic, midway between Shivermetimbers and Frostbottom Falls”) and attempts to adjust to life in the Yukon alongside his unusual new neighbors.
Let’s get this stinker out of the way first. This was a show I absolutely despised, but yet have probably seen every episode of. As a kid, the quality didn’t really matter, you watched whatever was on, no matter how good or bad it was (which I did a lot). The trailer and description alone should be enough of a sign to stay away. I mean, just look at the guy!
2. Katie and Orbie
A young girl, Katie, discovers an alien, Orbie, in her backyard and her family adopts him. They have adventures and learn valuable life lessons in the process.
The animation for this show was very odd. It was basically filmed like a picture book and nobody really moved in an animated way. There were no character voices (other than laughs and shouts) and was narrated by none other then Leslie Nielsen. I enjoyed the show enough as a kid but I always thought it was put together weirdly. Oh yeah, and Orbie looked ridiculous.
3. Stickin’ Around
two children named Stacy and Bradley, their hand-drawn adventures with their friends and family, and their fantasies. Stacy and Bradley, best friends, encounter many problems they must face as they continue to grow up – if it is with school, bullies, friends, and parents. They always come up with imaginative ideas to eliminate these obstacles, such as becoming a superhero, and putting themselves in a different environment where they have no trouble in defeating their enemies.
I actually loved this show, but boy was it weird. The animation is strange, the characters are even stranger (girl dragging a dead dog around??) and the dialogue, well it’s hilarious. There was a lot of fun to be had watching the show, Stacey and Bradley were fun characters. I will always remember the little messages they had between commercials.
4. Caillou
Caillou lives in a blue house on 17 Pine Street (as mentioned in the episode “Where I Live”) with his mother, father, and his 2-year-old sister, Rosie. He has many adventures with his family and friends and uses his imagination in every episode.
God this kid was insufferable. Caillou has to be one the whiniest kid characters to grace the TV screen. Why is this kid bald anyway? It is never explained and neither is his father’s terrible clothing style. Caillou was such a lame character that his funny looking cat was more interesting. Definitely another one of those shows I watched even though I really didn’t like it.
5. Uh Oh!
The game was played with three colour-based teams that would be battled against with each other in each game. The goal of the game was to have more points than the other two teams to take home the grand prize. Teams would consist of two players each and would be either Blue, Green, or Red. Audience members would also pick sides and wear clothes of the colour they supported. Each team member would either spin the wheel for half of the game or participate in whichever activity the wheel lands on. The team members would participate in games which would nearly always involve goo and would be silly. If won, games would provide points for the respective team.
I loved me a good kid’s game show as a kid, but this show was crazy. First of all, the host is named “Wink Yahoo”, think about that, Wink Yahoo?!? He looked and acted crazy but didn’t hold a candle to “The Punisher”. The Punisher literally was dressed in an S&M costume and threw kids in pools and dumped goo on them. The best moment of each episode would be when Wink would command “Punisher, controoool”. Uh Oh had to be seen to believed, I think I was in awe watching each episode.
6. A Miss Mallard Mystery
The famous “ducktective”, Miss Mallard, from the children’s books, stars in her own TV series solving mysteries all over the world with her nephew, Willard. No matter where Miss Mallard and her nephew travel, they are inevitably caught up in the most intriguing investigations. Creative and… More endlessly resourceful, Miss Mallard’s capable wings can transform a hairpin, a parasol, or a handkerchief into the most unconventional crime-fighting tools. Uncovering clues while escaping suspicious accidents and avoiding mysterious disasters can be tough work, but Miss Mallard always catches her duck! Filled with clues and “hidden evidence”, each mystery encourages its viewers to follow the clues and solve the mystery with Miss Mallard.
Honestly, I only remember watching this show a few times and apparently it didn’t last very long. What I will never forget is how funny every character looked. Ducks are naturally funny looking animals and I just couldn’t even handle this show.
7. Nanalan’
The show’s main protagonist is a 3-year-old girl named Mona. In each episode, Mona’s mom drops her daughter off at her Nana’s house in the morning and picks her up at the end of the episode. Mona, Nana, and Nana’s pet dog Russell (aka Russer) spend the day exploring, learning, visiting Nana’s next door neighbour Mr. Wooka and playing. Mona also loves to be outside looking at things, talking to animals, and playing with Russell.
Wow, did I never understand what was going on in this show. Things in the background were always moving, the main characters I always assumed were aliens, and I Nanalan’ had the strangest voice ever. She kinda freaked me out whenever she talked, though I did like when she would bellow, “Russer!!!”.
8. The Odyssey
Following an accident, young Jay Ziegler falls into a coma. While his family and friends must continue their lives in the Real World, Jay finds himself in the magical Downworld on a quest to return home.
I found this show very fun and intriguing growing up. A kid falling into a coma and ends up living in a world with no parents and alternate versions of kids back home was very interesting. The main characters quest to find his father in this alternate world was fun to watch unfold, especially in later seasons when new characters and duel story lines are introduced. It was a bit different than your typical kids show.
9. Rocket Robin Hood
Rocket Robin Hood leads his “Merry Men“, including the strong, dimwitted, and likeable Little John, consummate overeaterFriar Tuck (who designs all the Merry Men’s weaponry), Robin’s two-fisted, red-headed cousin Will Scarlet, Robin’s plucky girlfriend Maid Marian, his sharp-witted right-hand man Alan-a-Dale, the scrawny, feisty camp cook Giles (a reformed crook and Gabby Hayes type), and other characters from the classic story of Robin Hood. They live in “the astonishing year 3000” on New Sherwood Forest Asteroid, and are determined to foil the despotic plans of Prince John and his bumbling lackey, the Sheriff of N.O.T.T. (National Outer-space Terrestrial Territories), and other villains such as Dr. Medulla, Manta, Nocturne, and the Warlord of Saturn. Rocket Robin Hood and his people fly in spaceships and use weapons such as “electro-quarterstaffs.”
Sounds pretty cool, eh? Nope, it’s beyond ridiculous and the animation looks extremely cheap (though hilarious). When I found out this show was Canadian made, I couldn’t believe it. To be fair, it was made back in the 60’s.
10. Angela Anaconda
A rambunctious girl and her friends adventures in school and in her community.
What wasn’t weird about this show? The animation was so bizarre and made most people look freaky, Angela had such a grading voice, and Anaconda is definitely her last lame for alliteration reasons only. I still dream of the weird way the character’s heads and face moved, nightmare fuel.
Believe or not, there’s plenty more shows than these. Perhaps I’ll add a few more someday, the world needs to know of these weird shows! Some of these shows were enjoyable as a kid, but their strange qualities cannot be denied.
Jarthurdoyle 