10 Awesome Canadian TV shows from the 80’s

Lists are Awesome and so was television when in the 80’s. There were quite a few classical TV shows in Canada during the decade and here we explore some of our favourites in no particular order. Lets go….

1. The Kids in the Hall

This Canadian skit group often gave a unique twist to everyday happenings as well as the absolutely absurd. The “kids” are one of the most popular shows in Canadian history and have grown a huge “cult” following.  The recurring “crush your head” segment is still quoted by people today.

2. Today’s Special

This TV show gave a unique angle to mundane working jobs with a child friendly twist. Today’s Special was about the life of the employees who work the night shift at a departmental store. The show was really for kids but adults were known to get caught up as Jeff and friends explored many different fun topics.

3. My Secret Identity

My Secret Identity is the story is of a teen who has miraculously acquired super powers and the adventures that him and his scientist friend have.

4. Street Legal

This TV show was based in Toronto and delved into the lives of aggressive attorneys who are just starting out with their practice.

5. Degrassi High

Degrassi High, is part the highly touted Degrassi series of shows.  Each episode explores the life of students in a high school and their experience with various real world issues which children in their early teens face.

6. Under the Umbrella Tree

The puppeteer Holy aided by 3 puppets, do there best to instill different lessons in children each and every episode.

7. The Raccoons

This TV show was based around a family named of raccoons, cleverly named The Raccoons and their friends. The wide range of fun-filled experiences, where highlighted on a weekly basis and the show remains popular with nostalgia lovers.

8. E.N.G.

This Toronto based show revolved around the crew of a tv news channel and the romantic side of the director of the news show as well as the cameraman. E.N.G was filled with plenty of visuals from street level as the crew was constantly outdoors capturing the news.

9. Super Dave

This is the journey of Super Dave Osborne who was humiliated and embarrased nightly as he attempted crazy stunts while playing host of his small nighttime talk show.

10. Polka Dot Door

This was a child favourite  in the 1980s and latter. Polka Dot Door featured a couple of human hosts and a Kangaroo type character named Polkaroo. The show was educational for children and entertaining as well. The mischief of Polkaroo and his pals seemed never ending from a childs perspective.

Did you watch any of  these shows as a kid? Do let us know if you have a special memory associated with any of the above listed shows in the comments. These were some of the most popular Canadian TV shows in the 1980s but by no means were they the only ones. Did we miss your favourite? Let us know in the comments!

Today’s TV shows, might use advanced technology but they simply don’t seem to be able to capture the emotional content which was present in the TV shows of the 1980’s.