Canadian television has a checkered past.
Whether it's our shows based on a "clever" play on words or our ability to turn a successful movie franchise into a sub-par television series with a cult following, there's no clearer sign of Canadian mediocrity than the boob tube.
Actor David James Elliot is the standard bearer with his passable performance in Fly By Night. With an IMDB page that requires you to click "more" to see the guy from JAG on the cast list, Fly By Night epitomized everything about the so-so nature of original Canadian television.
Mediocre Canadian TV show checklist:
1. Francophone character
2. Trained animal and/or former adult film star
3. Recurring appearance by actor on downward slope of career peak*
4. Play on words in series title
5. Co-production with company from western European country
Although many series have met some of the above criteria (Katts and Dog, White Fang, Street Justice), Fly By Night managed to hit them all.
In a surprising lack of foresight by Gene Simmons, buxom blond Shannon Tweed played the irrepressible Sally "Slick" Monroe, owner of Fly By Night airlines. Playing the vivacious Mack Sheppard, Elliott became this country's McGyver for a complete season.
Like fellow nominee My Secret Identity, Fly By Night separated itself from the rest of the run-of-the-mill by graduating at least one star whose career was not killed by their appearance on the show. Its forgettable scripts and inexplicable trips to Nice helped put this show somewhere between Swiss Family Robinson and Danger Bay on the mediocrity scale and lead the unremarkable honour of the show being named the most mediocre Canadian television show.
*Christopher Plummer is the exception to the rule.
Whether it's our shows based on a "clever" play on words or our ability to turn a successful movie franchise into a sub-par television series with a cult following, there's no clearer sign of Canadian mediocrity than the boob tube.
Actor David James Elliot is the standard bearer with his passable performance in Fly By Night. With an IMDB page that requires you to click "more" to see the guy from JAG on the cast list, Fly By Night epitomized everything about the so-so nature of original Canadian television.
Mediocre Canadian TV show checklist:
1. Francophone character
2. Trained animal and/or former adult film star
3. Recurring appearance by actor on downward slope of career peak*
4. Play on words in series title
5. Co-production with company from western European country
Although many series have met some of the above criteria (Katts and Dog, White Fang, Street Justice), Fly By Night managed to hit them all.
In a surprising lack of foresight by Gene Simmons, buxom blond Shannon Tweed played the irrepressible Sally "Slick" Monroe, owner of Fly By Night airlines. Playing the vivacious Mack Sheppard, Elliott became this country's McGyver for a complete season.
Like fellow nominee My Secret Identity, Fly By Night separated itself from the rest of the run-of-the-mill by graduating at least one star whose career was not killed by their appearance on the show. Its forgettable scripts and inexplicable trips to Nice helped put this show somewhere between Swiss Family Robinson and Danger Bay on the mediocrity scale and lead the unremarkable honour of the show being named the most mediocre Canadian television show.
*Christopher Plummer is the exception to the rule.
1 comment:
Who was this guy, I dont remember him at all, was he famous, did he made any good film or series.
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