Boys Costumes Depicted in Television Shows: Canada


Figure 1.--Skits set around ballet were one of the comic premises used in You Can' Do That on Television". As is often the case in such lampoons, the boys were dressed in tutus. Of course boys actually doing ballet never wear tutus. Another favorite garment often used in skits was the sailor suit which of curse boys once actually did wear.

Canada has a Government-owned network rather like the BBC in Britain. There is also CTV Inc. which bills itself as Canada's pre-eminent broadcast communications company with conventional television operations across Canada and a leading position in the specialty television sector. Canada is not well known for its television. As in other media sectors, Canadian broadcasters faced difficult competition from the huge American media giants outh of the border. Canadian television not only has a relatively small national market, but that market is divided into two language groups, English and French. There are probably regulkations govrning language content as well as national content. An additional problem faced by Canadians is that quite a number of Canadian actors work in America (Mike Myers, John Candy and Jim Carrey). While we have realtively little information on Canadian television. We do know of a few programs which provide insights into children's clothing. One of the best known children's produced in Canada was the 1980s show, You can't do that on television. It proved popular on American cable networks. A Canadian reader suggests that Pit Pony an Wind At My Back provide useful glimpses of period Canadian clothes.

Television Industry

Canada has a Government-owned network rather like the BBC in Britain. This is the CBC - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Most government organizations in Canada are modelled on their British counterparts. There is also CTV Inc. which bills itself as Canada's pre-eminent broadcast communications company with conventional television operations across Canada and a leading position in the specialty television sector. CTV focuses primarily on English-spaeking Canadians. Through some of CTV's owned and operated television stations across the country and affiliation agreements with four stations, CTV offers a wide range of quality news, sports, information and entertainment programming. CTV Inc. also owns six CBC affiliate stations along with ASN, a satellite television service in the Maritimes. CTV in April 2001, CTV acquired CFCF Montreal and CKY Winnipeg. CTV has one of Canada's strongest stables of specialty and pay channels. CTV operates CTV Newsnet, Canada's 24-hour headline news channel; talktv, a new all-talk specialty channel; The Comedy Network, Canada's first 24-hour network dedicated to comedy; TSN, the highest-rated Canadian specialty channel; RDS, the world's first 24-hour French-language all-sports channel; the award-winning Discovery Channel; ROBTv, Canada's all-business news network; and the Outdoor Life Network, Canada's adventure destination for outdoor enthusiasts. CTV also maintains a minority interest in Viewer's Choice Canada. CTV in Fall 2001 launched six new digital specialty channels: WTSN, CTV Travel, Animal Planet, Discovery Civilization, ESPN Classic Canada and the NHL Network. A Canadian reader tells us, "We have more than just two television networks; in reality, there is one publicly-owned (CBC), and 3 privately-held national stations (CTV, Global & CHUM). All three are subsidiaries of major newspaper and/or radio and/or telecom conglomerates), as well as the affiliate stations run by Alliance Atlantis in Canada.

Canadian Programing

Canada is not especially well known for its television, although Candian television has produced some enchanting programs for children. As in other media sectors, Canadian broadcasters faced difficult competition from the huge American media giants outh of the border. Canadian television not only has a relatively small national market, but that market is divided into two language groups, English and French. There are probably regulkations govrning language content as well as national content. The Canadian Government has set up the Candian Television Fund which helps finance programs with Canadian content. The fund is financed by contributions from major Canadian corporations. An additional problem faced by Canadians is that quite a number of Canadian actors work in America (Mike Myers, John Candy and Jim Carrey). A Canadian reader takes issue with the assertion that Canada is not well known forits television. She writes, "Canadians are actually quite well known for our quality children's programming, contrary to the commentaries on your site. Road to Avonlea is just one of many examples of programming that should be taken into account." Our reader goes on to explain, "Most problems in Canadian broadcasting competition occur in the prime-time slots, when American television becomes the most-favoured source of entertainment (that is, when Hockey Night in Canada isn't on)." Here HBC does not disagree. Several of the still limited number of Canadian TV programs with which we are familiar are indeed excellent productions, as our Candian readers says--especially when considering children's television. Our guess is, however, that if American or other foreign TV viewers were asked to prepare a list of popular TV programs that few Canadian programs would appear on that list. We do not say this to denegrate Candian culture because many of the American programs that probably would emerge do not speak highly of American culture.

Television Programs

We have realtively little information on Canadian television programs at this time. We do know of only a few programs which provide insights into children's clothing. We have noted in particular several excellent Canadian children's programs. In facr all of the Candian orograms with which we are familiar are children's programs. One of the best known children's produced in Canada was the 1980s show, You can't do that on television. It proved popular on American cable networks. A Canadian reader suggests that Pit Pony an Wind At My Back provide useful glimpses of period Canadian clothes. Hopefully our Canadian readers will provide information on other prgrams of interest.

Bouscotte (1998-2001)

This series was on TV for 3 years (1998-2001). It is not specifically a child story.In fact, it is a war between two families in the Lower St-Lawrence. Bouscotte at the beginning is around 7 years old. He his extremely clever and uses an adult logic to dismantle any lying behavior in adult. In other words, he is authentic . He is selfish like any kid his age. As you can see in the album, he is dressed like any American boy.

(The) Forrest Rangers (1963-65)

One popular television programme depicting children's clothing in Canada during the mid 1960s was The Forest Rangers about a group of children living in northern Canada and having outdoor adventures. This show has a web site. It was a CBC production made jointly with English broacasters. It was shot in southern Ontario. The show was about the adventures of a group of children living in an old frontier fort in Canadian wilderness country. It had both summer and winter scenes. The children were dressed in typical 1960s North American styles. The show also aired in Britain and had its own fan club.

Passepartout

Most Canadian TV programs we know of are English-language programs. A Quebec reader tells us, "When my girl was young (1979-1984) she could never miss the TV series called 'Passepartout' which was definitly better than 'Sesame Street'. I remember that she looked that at such a point that she memorized all the sections. They are now sold and the miracle is still the same with younger children. The main chracters are three adults, but children are represented by puppets. A boy called Pruneau and a girl called Cannelle.

Pit Pony

A Canadian reader suggests that Pit Pony with its period setting has useful depictions of period clothing. The title refers to the ponies use to pull coal out of pits (mines). The plot is about a boy growing up in a mining town Glace Bay, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. All of his family and some of his friends worked in the mine.

Road to Avonlea

The Canadian series Road to Avonlea was inspired by the sucess of Anne of Green Gables. The series is set in the world of Avonlea where Anne Shirley grew up. It has drawn millions of devoted viewers. Road to Avonlea has become the highest-rated Canadian series of all time. It hason over 50 international awards including 2 Emmy Awards (Best Children's Program & Best Actor in a Series for Christopher Lloyd), 8 Emmy nominations and 4 Cable Ace awards including Best Series. The series as of 2002 has been broadcasted over 7 seasons and there has been 92 episodes. Quite a number of well known actores and actresses have made guest appearances. This was another show roduced by Sullivan Entertainment. It was made after the "Anne of Green Gables" movie by the same company. There have since been more made for TV movies about Anne during her later years. "Road To Avonlea" ran for quite a few years and the actors and actresses virtually grew up with the show, not unlike the cast of "Little House On The Prairie" did in the United States.

Wind At My Back

Wind At My Back also provides useful glimpses of period Canadian clothes. It was based on Max Braitwaith's novel which was turned into the TV series (Sullivan Production). It was about growing up in a town on the Canadian Prairies.

You Can't Do That on Television (1980s)

You Can't Do That on Television was a realitively low budget series. It proved very popular with kids on the American cable network Nikolodian. You Can't Do That On Television was a kid's answer to Monty Python. It was a saving grace for television at the time. This Canadian TV program produced in the 1980s was picked up by American cable networks, especially Nickolonian. Many episodes included clothing. Often skits were built around the boys being dresses in dresses, kiklts, sailor suits, Fauntleroy suits, diappers, and other outfits boys might find enbarassing. I think some of the skits were thought up by the boys themselves. Interestingly the skits involving the girls rarely touched upon clothing. Sometimes the boys appeared in tights and tu-tus. I'm not sure just why other than for comic relief.

Reader Comment

A Candian reader tells us, "The greatest television memories from my childhood come solely from Canadian programming, by which I was continuously enthralled."






HBC





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Created: September 13, 2002
Last updated: 12:23 AM 5/28/2008