Corner Gas

So, we just discovered Corner Gas, a Canadian sitcom that's about 20 years old.  We're half a dozen episodes in, and it's solidly funny, but a little shy of hilarious.  Still, a great way to kill 23 minutes.  The constant sarcasm is my kind of humor.

The main character, comedian Brent Butt, grew up in a small town in the middle of nowhere Saskatchewan, just like the show.  So he has a great eye for the details of the setting.

How come I never heard of this before?  Has anyone else here (other than our Canadian friends) watched it?

Oh yeah, got the full series on DVD. It's quality stuff. Lots of great unlikely cameos, too. I think it's available to stream on Amazon.

My coworker who grew up in...Nebraska? Wisconsin?...loved it. Small towns are small towns.

20 years? really? Yikes.

Ha, my dad turned us onto Corner Gas a few years ago. 

Oscar is my spirit animal.

I moved to Saskatchewan 2 years ago.

Corner Gas is a documentary.

Everyone in any small town knows all those characters. The names might be different but they're all there.

I hope you're aware of The Red Green Show as well. It's any small town in lake country. Again, everyone knows a "Moose Thompson" and a "Stinky Peterson". Edgar Montrose is my favourite.

In reply to ShawnG :

Yes, we're aware of Red Green and watched it a lot in the late '80s.  We just rewatched the first episode a few months ago and it wasn't as funny as I remembered... but it was also the first episode, so they hadn't come up to speed yet.

My wife and I have watched it 3 times through. There's also an animated series if you need a fix after you've watched the series a few times. 

Canada has a comedian whose real name is "Butt"??

That's outstanding! 😂

Duke said:

Yes, we're aware of Red Green and watched it a lot in the late '80s.  

I don't think you did. 
 

If you're a fan of Red Green and want to see something really funny look for Smith and Smith.  He used to do a show with his wife on a local station, it was... the kind of thing only locals would watch. A few girlfriends before PW used to babysit his kids. He was a super nice guy. 
 

I worked in the city when Corner gas was current and all the city people hated it. They thought it was just bad, and when you tried to tell them it was because they didn't get it, they'd get mad like you were insulting them.  I saw him do stand up in the 80's, he put on a good show. 
PW insists the character of Oscar is patterned after me. 

Can we add some Trailer Park Boys to the conversation of landmark Canadian comedies? 

Peabody said:

Duke said:

Yes, we're aware of Red Green and watched it a lot in the late '80s.  

I don't think you did. 
 

If you're a fan of Red Green and want to see something really funny look for Smith and Smith.  He used to do a show with his wife on a local station, it was... the kind of thing only locals would watch. A few girlfriends before PW used to babysit his kids. He was a super nice guy. 
 

I worked in the city when Corner gas was current and all the city people hated it. They thought it was just bad, and when you tried to tell them it was because they didn't get it, they'd get mad like you were insulting them.  I saw him do stand up in the 80's, he put on a good show. 
PW insists the character of Oscar is patterned after me. 

I used to watch Smith and Smith in the pre-Red Green days. I think the Red Green character came out of some skits there, didn't it? I met him briefly when he did a live show at my university and my marching band played his theme song. Seemed like a pretty genuine guy.

Peabody said:

Duke said:

Yes, we're aware of Red Green and watched it a lot in the late '80s.  

I don't think you did.

OK, fine.  Early '90s?  Whenever it first hit PBS in the States.

In reply to David S. Wallens :

The Trades was pretty good too.

Do you think this brand of humor got fired up again for Letterkenny and Shorsey? Cause I feel the DNA is DEFINETLY there.

David S. Wallens said:

Can we add some Trailer Park Boys to the conversation of landmark Canadian comedies? 

I have a friend who grew up in Antigonish Nova Scotia and he said he would never watch the Trailer Park Boys after the first episode he saw because it hit too close to home.

Yes! Watched it religiously when it was first broadcast in the 90's IIRC. 

Recently started watching it again, and I've also started binge watching Northern Exposure again, even tho I watched it too when it first hit.

Can't stream Northern Exposure here or I would be.

GIRTHQUAKE said:

Do you think this brand of humor got fired up again for Letterkenny and Shorsey? Cause I feel the DNA is DEFINETLY there.

I think it's more evident in Schitt's Creek, but if you peel away the raunchiness of the Keeso projects - yes. 

bearmtnmartin (Forum Supporter) said:

David S. Wallens said:

Can we add some Trailer Park Boys to the conversation of landmark Canadian comedies? 

I have a friend who grew up in Antigonish Nova Scotia and he said he would never watch the Trailer Park Boys after the first episode he saw because it hit too close to home.

Ha. I need to thank Carl for turning us onto that one. 

And for peak Canada:

It's a funny show. 

I wanted to post this yesterday, but was tied up til late at night.

There was a show in the 90's called The Newsroom. I loved it, but I think it only lasted a year, then came back a few years later, and wasn't the same. Finkleman was brilliant.

It's definitely worth a watch