REPORTS PERSIST THAT Showcase's Trailer Park Boys won't be returning. It makes sense, considering the fact that the show's run several years, they've done a movie and supposedly are considering a second film.
But the exit of the lo-fi sitcom, if indeed it's going, comes at an interesting time for Canadian TV. TPB has been the cable example of the show that Canadians love -- complete with personal appearances mobbed by fans. With Brent Butt's recent announcement that there will be no new tales from Dog River after the current season, Canada faces the prospect of losing two of its most popular comedies at the same time, with no obvious successors waiting in the wings.
So just because navel gazing's what we do here, sometimes, let's throw open a question to the peanut gallery -- a question that might provide a little free R&D for anyone looking to try and craft a new comedy to take these show's place in Canadian hearts.
What made Trailer Park Boys and Corner Gas so successful? On the surface they seemingly couldn't be more different. But are there any qualities they share that made them connect with the audience, where so many other homegrown shows have failed?
This is, by the way, the question I've privately been pushing inside people to consider for years. I've sadly seen not a lot of evidence that anyone's done so.
Discuss.
7 comments:
Authentic Voice.
the both celebrate the false myth of the sweetness and decency of the canadian small town where eccentrics are "lovable" and the locals are much wiser than their learned big city cousins.
They're successful because every character is rooted in truth. The situations are ridiculous, the brylcreem is often overused, but the characters are true to themselves.
And in the case of TPB, it is proven that nothing is more Canadian than sparking up a big fat cone in a time of stress.
Why did they work?
Well, even though my better instincts know that it's a mug's game to try and analyze why certain shows work but in the interest of pet theories- I'll have a go.
First, I don't believe there needs to be
the boxed in definition of low-brow or
high-brow. Funny is Funny - period.
Second, I don't think you can ever
discount luck or timing or universal
providence - from whatever presence lurks
over your shoulder.
That said, for my money the key elements that help Corner Gas, TPB and including Rent-A-Goalie successful are as follows:
1. They really know their Worlds, i.e. Small town SASK, Trailer Parks in NS
2. The Comedy is specific that can be recognized as universal
3. The characters are well defined Archetypes NOT Stereotypes.
4. The creators/writers never take themselves too seriously or get scholarly or employ too many cooks. Most importantly, they leave it up to cohesive, inventive writing teams to simply say - we think this is funny, we hope you do too.
I agree that these shows are more about character than story. These shows don't pander. They present lovable losers, douchebags and jackasses with a permissiveness that doesn't try to sweeten the pot for prime time.
Check out Cock'd Guns on IFC (Wed/Sat 9:30). Friggin hilarious. Maybe it's time to bring Reggie and the boys down the dial to the main stage.
Besides what the first two commenters have said, each of these shows could carry on, for an interim, without either their lead character or primary location set. That is, that they are collectively well-structured.
Let me try a more serious answer to your question. 1. First things first (the similarities between the two shows are obvious. Both are set in a similar locale – a mythical small town community populated by lovable misfits. Both are founded on the premise that people are inherently decent and the characters, at the end of the day, love each other and are happy in each others company).
Both are somewhat “hokey” in the Andy of Mayberry way – Julian with his ever present rye and coke, Ricky with his aspirations of getting his Grade 12, the lovable Oscar the grouch etc, etc. Both shows have at the core a good natured Canadianess not seen on the screen in a very long time as networks chase the young urban viewer. I remember telling one of the network types (when I was still able to talk to them) that the stroke of genius in Corner Gas was making a show that aspired to please the Royal Canadian Air Farce crowd and not the 22 minutes crowd.
The other similarity is that both shows have talented writing staffs that were able, in large part, because of head office network disinterest (which they will all deny now) allowed to develop a template in their first season that they were able – because of audience reaction – allowed to hold onto through each season of the show.
The success of theses shows, and this is the answer the writers want to hear, was in part a result of the writers being given their head. That is not to say that talented people at both networks did not have a say in the development of the project but because they were both low profile shows they were not subjected to the cluster fuck a lot of us are facing today as networks in this country try and tailor make a show into a hit without any awareness of the alchemy such a beast is brought to life by.
Where I will quibble with the blogger is that both shows are not “popular” hits to the same degree. Corner Gas draws many more viewers the TPB and TPB gets ink to a disproportionate degree considering the number of viewers it draws. This is, IMHO, a result of pencil necked TV critics who want to hang out with the cool kids and have a romantic view of the heroism and nobility of the common Canadian working stiff.
Post a Comment