U.S. Game Shows in Canada

[rebelwrest]

I guess with Narzo posting a lot of clips of Canadian game shows has peaked my curiosity.  We know about game shows taped in Canada to be aired in the U.S., but I am wondering about U.S. shows going to Canada.  I know about PIR being aired on Prime, Jeopardy on CTV, and thanks to search WOF being syndicated, but what about network game shows.  Did they air in Canada, if so in syndication, through the national network, cable channels, or only aired on independent stations?  It gets interesting for me because of Can-Con laws.  Can anyone help on this subject?

[dzinkin]

Having had Canadian stations on cable for a while (Ottawa's CTV here in Rochester and Toronto's CBC and CTV when I lived in Buffalo), I don't recall very many US daytime game shows airing on Canadian channels.  The only one that comes to mind is TPIR; in fact, I distinctly remember that for a long time, I could come home from school and watch TPIR on cable, because at the time CJOH (CTV Ottawa) aired it at 4 o'clock in the afternoon.

The Canadian content restrictions you mention certainly had to have something to do with it.  In her excellent book on the history of CTV, Susan Gittins frequently notes a common complaint among Canadian artists and production houses (and the CRTC, which enforces the CanCon rules): Canadian networks would load up on US programs in prime time, then meet the CanCon restrictions with game shows and talk shows because those programs were far less expensive to produce than dramas and comedies.

[Ian Wallis]

I think I can help with this:  Toronto's stations aired quite a number of US game shows.  CFTO aired the original Card Sharks, Price is Right and To Tell the Truth in the '70s, Wheel of Fortune in the '80s, and Jeopardy.  CITY later aired Price is Right, and also carried the syndie $25,000 Pyramid, Family Feud,  Match Game and Tattletales, and in the '80s carried Pyramid and Press Your Luck.  CFMT carried '80s Card Sharks, $1,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime, and Now You See It.   CHCH Hamilton carried Hollywood Squares.  There are others but that gives you a good idea.

[rebelwrest]

Thanks for the information.  I decided to do some research using Wikipedia with the television stations that aired the programs.  By what I have found, it seems that most of the stations were either at the time CTV affiliates or independent stations.  Now my question is about the programs listed is the last posts.  When it comes to CTV affiliates, was that through the network feed or was the decision to air those programs made independently by the stations.  Also, did the CBC stations ever air American game shows.

[vtown7]

Of note is that TPIR currently still is somewhat "checkerboarded" across Canada.  Yes, it airs on CH Montreal, Hamilton and Victoria, but it also airs on CKWS Kingston and CHEX Peterborough (both "independent" CBCs).  I seem to think that CITY also carried Card Sharks as well.

CH Hamilton (then CHCH) aired Fun House during its syndie run, as well as Daytime Wheel, plus Daytime and Nighttime Feud.

There are more, I'm sure...

R.

[Craig Karlberg]

Back in the late 70's & early 80's.  I use to watch TPIR at 5 PM at least one Friday a month because my stepmother at the time usually comes home from working at a bank at 4:15 PM weekdays except certain Fridays where she stays untill 6 PM.  The 5 PM airing of TPIR was on CFCF-TV channel 12 out of Montreal back then.  The hard part was getting a good signal so I had to adjust the antennua for better reception.

[mmb5]

I have a few TV guides from 1975.  Wasn't much:

Global (at that time just 6 stations) and a few others had Hollywood Squares.
A Winnipeg station had Truth or Consequences.

Plus a few stations, ever CanCon conscious, were showing Pay Cards and Beat the Clock reruns.


--Mike

[dzinkin]

[quote name=\'rebelwrest\' post=\'141642\' date=\'Dec 28 2006, 05:09 PM\']
Also, did the CBC stations ever air American game shows.
[/quote]
As Ryan pointed out, some independent CBC stations did.  They would have been far more likely to air American game shows than the stations owned and run by the CBC.  As the government's own network, the CBC has to set an example with the CanCon rules -- and the CBC's charter includes an explicit requirement to showcase Canadian talent.

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'mmb5\' post=\'141677\' date=\'Dec 29 2006, 07:18 AM\']
I have a few TV guides from 1975.  Wasn't much:

Global (at that time just 6 stations) and a few others had Hollywood Squares.
A Winnipeg station had Truth or Consequences.

Plus a few stations, ever CanCon conscious, were showing Pay Cards and Beat the Clock reruns.
[/quote]
From memories of the one trip to Canada I made in 1978, Global also showed GONG.

[Jimmy Owen]

CTV affil CKCO Channel 13 in Kitchener (also on 42 in Sarnia later in the 70's) showed LMAD (ABC version) and Hollywood Squares around 75, Match Game and Family Feud in the early '80s.

[The Ol' Guy]

You may find this interesting -

http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/program...g.php?station=1

It was interesting to see a few US formats made their way onto Canadian TV...and Jim Perry was one very busy guy up there!