MovieChat Forums > Second City TV (1977) Discussion > Canadian content?

Canadian content?

posted 20 years ago by padams33
10 replies | jump to latest

I have read that the reason the "Great White North" sketch came into being was at the request that some specifically Canadian content be added to the show for when it was aired in Canada.

I assume this was because the show would have alittle more time to fill when shown on non-commercial networks like the CBC while when shown in syndication in America there would be commercials intercut throughout the show so they would be shorter.

So since they needed to fill those additional 2 minutes or so that's why Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis came up with the McKenzie Brothers.

My question is: If this is true then what material got cut out so that they could include the McKenzie Brothers stuff when the shows air here in America? Cause we still have the commercials yet they include the Great White North skits also.

So something else had to be jettisoned for the show to fit, right eh?

[–] ApeDosMil 20 years ago

The CBC has commercials.

[–] whiterose1947 20 years ago

I vaguely recall reading that Canada passed some sort of weird law that if a TV pprogram was produced in Canada, there had to be some "canadian content" , whatever that was. So Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas came up with the MacKenzies as a spoof. SCTV was absolutely one of the funniest programs ever on.

[–] burtgummer 20 years ago

It wasnt a weird law it was just that AMERICAN TV was taking over the Canadian Culture and to protect our Culture(something Americans dont understand because America is a Melting Pot) we made this law. But please remember alot of the cast members of SCTV are CANADIAN.

[–] slspbwebmaster 19 years ago

Here here...right on.

[–] normfromga1 19 years ago

I think that was the purpose, but didn't the Canadian government have the clout to enforce the rule because tax money was used to produce CBC programs?

Had this, or nearly any other, US administration financed SNL, Smothers Brothers, Laugh-In, etc, there probably been some changes made...

[–] MaGuFu_Day 20 years ago

And a few Kanadian Korner/GWN eps' were cut out cause Thomas and Moranis felt that they were'nt good enough. Did you know that all the Kanadian Korner/Great White North was all improvised? I'm still impressed. "I'm callin' mom and dad and telling them to get me a new brother" Bob McKenzie

"my grandmamma gave me this chain" DJ Pooh as Red
Friday 1995

[–] sgweedles 19 years ago

In an interview Dave Thomas said that they created these characters based on some really bad stereotypes, what ever it was it was genius!

I'm not trying to be annoying...it just always works out that way.

[–] munroe15 18 years ago

I just watched a documentary on SCTV on CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for those of you not from Canada) which stated that the extra two minutes were simply added on. Nothing was cut. This aired last night (01 Sept 2006).

[–] SecretHeart86 18 years ago

They do the same thing with canadian radio. They must play a certain percent of Canadian music. Of course a lot of stations insist on playing Nickleback every 2 songs
I'd prefer they fill that time with Broken Social Scene or Death from Above, but tasteless crap always wins.

"Love's boat has smashed against the daily grind"

[–] DearJohnny 16 years ago

If I understand right, the rule was that the show needed to have some 'Canadian content.' The SCTV folks pointed out the show was filmed in Canada and virtually all the cast and crew were Canadian. No dice. So, in frustration, they came up with The McKensie Brothers, an exaggerated spoof of every negative Canadian stereotype imaginable.

Thing was, the characters ended up being HUGELY popular, so they became a regular feature. Even got spun off into a record album ("On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me... Beer....") and a feature film, STRANGE BREW.