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Ramona

Ramona is a Canadian children's television series which followed the life of eight-year-old title character Ramona Quimby. It was based on the Ramona book series by Beverly Cleary. The television series debuted on September 10, 1988, and its ten episodes spanned four months. The TV series was released on video by Lorimar Home Video, but when Lorimar Home Video was acquired by Warner Communications, video releases were now released by Warner Home Video. It was distributed by Ramona Productions and Atlantis Films, but when Atlantis Films was acquired by Alliance Films, Alliance Atlantis was the owner and was then by Alliance Films in 2008 airings because of the Alliance Atlantis collapse. Eight-year-old Ramona Quimby feels that no one really understands her. She's bright, imaginative, and according to her older sister, Beezus, a "pest". Every day she tries to find out more about herself and her world, with an optimism that only children possess. The series follows Ramona's adventures in school and at home as her family struggles with financial woes and the coming of a new baby.

Ramona

6.0 N/A
CODCO

CODCO was a Canadian comedy troupe from Newfoundland, best known for a sketch comedy series which aired on CBC Television from 1987 to 1992. Founded as a theatrical revue in 1973, CODCO drew on the province's cultural history of self-deprecating "Newfie" humour, frequently focusing on the cod fishing industry. The troupe's name was an abbreviation of "Cod Company". Following the end of CODCO, two of the troupe's core members and an occasional guest collaborator, as well as some of their sketch characters, moved on to the new series This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

CODCO

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The Little Vampire

The Little Vampire is a 13-episode children’s television series based on Angela Sommer-Bodenburg’s books The Little Vampire and The Little Vampire Moves In. The series was produced in 1985 as a Canadian-German-British co-production by Norflicks Productions Ltd. (Canada), Polyphon Film- und Fernsehgesellschaft (Germany), and TVS (United Kingdom), and first aired in 1986. It follows a young boy whose ordinary life changes after befriending a young vampire and becoming involved in a secret nocturnal world of adventure, friendship, and light-hearted supernatural escapades.

The Little Vampire

8.3 N/A
Ovide and the Gang

La Bande à Ovide, a.k.a. Ovide and the Gang, is a 1980s animated TV show produced by the Canadian animation studio CinéGroupe in association with Belgium's Odec Kid Cartoons. It ran from 1987 to 1988 and also goes by the names "Ovide Video" and "Ovide's Video Show", and in the US, it was aired on Nick Jr in 1992. The characters were created and designed by Bernard Godi in cooperation with Belgian comics artist and animator Nic Broca, who had previously designed the Snorks for SEPP.

Ovide and the Gang

6.5 N/A
Dick Spanner, P.I.

Dick Spanner, P.I. is a 1986 British stop-motion animated comedy series which parodied Chandleresque detective shows. The title character and main protagonist was Dick Spanner, voiced by Shane Rimmer, a robotic private detective who works cases in a futuristic urban setting. The show made frequent use of puns and visual gags. The series consisted of 22 six-minute episodes, covering two story arcs of equal length: "The Case Of The Human Cannonball" and "The Case Of The Maltese Parrot". The programme was originally broadcast in the United Kingdom as a segment of the Sunday morning show Network 7 on Channel 4, and was later repeated on the same channel in a late night spot. Produced by Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson, the series was created and written by Terry Adlam, who had previously worked on effects for Anderson's Terrahawks. It was also the basis for the Anderson-created Tennants Pilsner advertising campaign using the Lou Tennant character.

Dick Spanner, P.I.

6.5 N/A
War

This series of seven one-hour films examines the nature, evolution and consequences of modern warfare. Filmed in ten countries, on two oceans, and with the co-operation of the armed forces of six nations, War features interviews with top-level NATO and Soviet military leaders and strategists, eminent historians and other professional observers of combat. Drawing as well on film and picture archives worldwide, with footage of important battlefields on three continents, this documentary series argues that war, an institution invented to settle disputes between nations, no longer serves its purpose. It concludes that nations must find other ways to resolve their differences. The on-camera host for the War series is Gwynne Dyer, Canadian international affairs analyst and military historian.

War

8.0 N/A
Téléfrançais

Téléfrançais was a French language children's television show, produced by TVOntario from 1984 until 1986. The series of 30 ten-minute episodes has become a popular teaching tool, and is used by many educators to teach French as a second language to elementary and middle school children. The show's name is a portmanteau for télévision and français. The show follows the adventures of two children named Jacques and Sophie, and Ananas, a talking pineapple who resides in a junkyard. Other recurring characters are Pilote, Ginette, the Annonceur, Monsieur Pourquoi, Louis Questionneur, Brigitte Banane, and the comic skeletal musical group Les Squelettes. The programs were produced by Jennifer Harvey and directed by David Moore. The catchy theme and all of Les Squelettes' songs were written by the team of Bruce Ley and Jed MacKay. All the characters and scripts were created by Ken Sobol.

Téléfrançais

7.0 N/A
Switchback

"Switchback" was an hour-long interactive show for teens and preteens, featuring viewer calls, music videos, guest artists, and cartoons. Initially hosted by Stan Johnson in Halifax, it expanded to other cities, highlighting both regional talents and international acts. Airing from 1981 to 1990, it aimed to engage young audiences. In 1985, host Shawn Thompson faced arrest for throwing a doll named Kendini over Niagara Falls, in a Kentucky Fried Chicken bucket during a show segment. (He used cole slaw to cushion the doll's fall.) This act resulted in charges by Niagara Parks Police for park dumping and attracting a crowd. Thompson intended to spotlight neglected toys in a parody titled 'Doll Aid.' By 1988, the series cut some editions and faced controversy by removing its cherished long-term host, Stan Johnson. By early 1990, all editions of the program concluded due to CBC's budget reductions.

Switchback

7.0 N/A
Four on the Floor

Four on the Floor was a sketch comedy series aired on CBC Television in 1986. Consisting of only 13 episodes, the series was a showcase for The Frantics, a comedy troupe comprised of Paul Chato, Rick Green, Dan Redican, and Peter Wildman. In the U.K., it aired in Channel 4's traditional Friday night comedy slot, 10 June-2 September 1988. The introduction was voiced by Dan and Rick alternating each line, with video clips and sound effects interspersed in the opening. Although the series was quickly cancelled due to CBC budget constraints, it was an important influence on later Canadian sketch comedy, such as The Kids in the Hall and the Red Green Show.

Four on the Floor

6.3 N/A
Test Pattern

"Test Pattern," MuchMusic's inaugural game show in the late 1980s to early 1990s, featured Bill St. Amour on music and sound, with announcer Bill Carroll. Hosted by Dan Gallagher and produced by Sidney M. Cohen, it included Canadian musicians and used foam bricks to select topics in a points-based contest. Season one had four five-time champions who won trips, later competing for a home stereo in a "Tournament of Champions." Notably, winning a 2-slice toaster became an iconic prize. The show concluded after two seasons.

Test Pattern

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The Dini Petty Show

"The Dini Petty Show," a Canadian daytime TV talk show aired from 1989 to 1999 on Baton Broadcasting System-affiliated stations, originating from Toronto's CFTO-TV, the BBS flagship station. Hosted by Dini Petty, it combined lifestyle features and interviews with celebrities. Petty, a Toronto-based host, moved from CITY-TV's CityLine to lead the show. Directed by Randy Gulliver, it captured 1990s Canadian pop culture with diverse interviews, undergoing redevelopment in late 1994. By 1999, Petty opted to film only intro/outro segments, airing repackaged retrospective content instead of new material. In 2000, Dini Petty's contract with CTV concluded, prompting a legal resolution that granted her ownership of the original broadcast tapes from The Dini Petty Show. Her decision to donate these tapes to the Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections at York University occurred in 2010.

The Dini Petty Show

NR N/A
Airwaves

Airwaves is a Canadian television dramedy which aired on CBC from 1986 to 1987. The Toronto-filmed show starred Roberta Maxwell as Jean Lipton, a radio talk show host and widowed mother, who lived with her daughter Zoe, played by Ingrid Veninger, and her father Bob, played by Roland Hewgill. Maxwell has indicated that Canadian journalist-activist June Callwood was a basis for her portrayal of Jean. The show's cast also included Taborah Johnson, Alec Willows and Kimble Hall. Writers for the series included Judith Thompson, John Frizzell, Susan Martin, Rob Forsythe and Paul Gross. The series was repeated on Vision TV from 1989 to 1991.

Airwaves

8.0 N/A
Hot Shots

Hot Shots was a short-lived Canadian television drama series, which aired on CBS in the United States in 1986, and CTV in Canada in 1987. The series, produced by CTV for the CBS Late Night block of crime drama series, starred Dorothy Parke and Booth Savage as Amanda Reed and Jake West, crime journalists for the tabloid magazine Crime World. The cast also included Paul Burke, Clark Johnson, Heather Smith and Mung Ling. Only twelve episodes of the show were produced. Its producers went on to create Diamonds the following year.

Hot Shots

6.0 N/A
Starcom: The U.S. Space Force

Starcom: The U.S. Space Force is an animated syndicated series in the 1980s that spawned a successful motorized toy line franchise in Europe and Asia for Mattel, despite its failures to succeed in its U.S. domestic market. The plot was based on the adventures of an American astronaut brigade as they fought off attempted invasions by Shadow Force, a nasty collection of aliens and robots led by the nefarious Emperor Dark. The show was developed with the help of the Young Astronauts’ Council with the original intention of sparking young viewers’ interest in the U.S. NASA Space Program. However, Starcom did not get much of a chance to make kids want to join the space program as it was cancelled off the air after one brief season. It was revived for a short run in the early 1990s, but no new episodes were aired. It was produced by DiC Enterprises and distributed by Access Syndication. The plot was classic Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers fare. The evil members of Shadow Force, led by Emperor Dark, were trying to take over the cosmos, and it was up to Starcom to stop them. Young hero Col. James “Dash” Derringer, an ace Starcom pilot, was the star of the series, and several of his teammates were family members. He was also backed up by the resourceful ace pilot John “Slim” Griffin, whose niece was yet another Starcom pilot. Other heroes on the Starcom side included Col. Paul “Crowbar” Corbin and Admiral Franklin Brinkley. The show had very high quality production, with top notch animation and relatively mature subject matter and dialog.

Starcom: The U.S. Space Force

7.4 N/A
The Alan Thicke Show

The Alan Thicke Show was a Canadian talk show hosted by Alan Thicke. It aired on CTV between 1980 and 1983. The show aired in different versions also re-titled as Prime Cuts and as Fast Company. After the departure of the Alan Hamel Show from CTV's daytime lineup in 1980, Alan Thicke stepped in with his own successful one-hour talk show. Airing from September 1980 to fall of 1983, Thicke's show also birthed Prime Cuts, a prime-time half-hour series, using segments from the show. Produced at BCTV Vancouver, it facilitated easier access for U.S. guests. Thicke's Canadian run lasted three years before he moved to the U.S. for a similar but less successful syndicated show, Thicke of the Night.

The Alan Thicke Show

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The Phoenix Team

The Phoenix Team was a Canadian drama series that aired on CBC Television in 1980. Starring Don Francks and Elizabeth Shepherd, the show featured eight one-hour adventure dramas centered on former spies drawn back into action by circumstance. Shepherd portrayed Valerie Koester, a British secret service agent who enlists the unofficial help of her ex-lover, David Brook, played by Francks. Once a top Canadian agent during the Cold War, Brook became disillusioned with high-tech espionage and was relegated to a desk job. Both Brook and Koester, known for their nonconformist attitudes, opposed the overly bureaucratic Graydon, played by Brian Linehan, and partnered with the sympathetic General, portrayed by Mavor Moore, head of the Canadian secret service.

The Phoenix Team

NR N/A
Bits and Bytes

Bits and Bytes was the name for two Canadian television series, starring Billy Van, who teaches people the basics of how to use a computer. The first series debuted in 1983 and the second series, called Bits and Bytes 2, in 1991. The first series also included popular comedian Luba Goy as the instructor to Van. The intro sequence featured a montage of common computer terms such as "ERROR", "LOGO" and "ROM", as well as various snippets of simple computer graphics and video effects, accompanied by a theme song that very heavily borrows from the 1978 song Neon Lights by Kraftwerk. The series were produced by TVOntario. The Writer-Producers of Both Bits and Bytes and Bits and Bytes 2 were Denise Boiteau & David Stansfield. The original series featured an unusual presentation format whereby Luba Goy as the instructor would address Billy Van through a remote video link. The video link would appear to Luba who was seated in an office on a projection screen in front of her. She was then able to direct Billy who appeared on a soundstage with various desktop computer setups of the era. Popular systems emphasized included the Atari 800, Commodore PET, Tandy TRS-80, and Apple II. Each episode also included short animated vignettes to explain key concepts, as well as videotaped segments on various developments in computing. In the new 1991 series, Billy Van assumed the role of instructor and taught a new female student. As a decade had passed, the new series focused primarily on IBM PC compatibles running DOS and earlier versions of Windows, as well as the newer and updated technologies of that era.

Bits and Bytes

9.0 N/A
Wok with Yan

Wok with Yan was a Chinese cuisine cooking show starring Stephen Yan. The show was first produced in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada by the CBC at CBUT from 1980 to 1982. A second edition of the show was also produced in the early 1990s. The popular series was syndicated internationally in United States, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore for years. The humorous aprons also complemented his humour that consisted of spontaneous one-liners spoken with his trademark Cantonese accent or him playing with his food or cookware. That, combined with his energetic personality, endeared him to Canadian viewers. Prior to him preparing his stir fry cuisine, the show usually featured a vignette of Yan travelling to different vacation spots from around the world. He always invited an audience member to come up and eat with him near the end of each episode, and had a fortune cookie reading before the meal.

Wok with Yan

8.0 N/A