Heritage Minutes, also known officially as Historica Minutes: History by the Minute, are a series of sixty-second short films, each illustrating an important moment in Canadian history. They appear frequently on Canadian television and in cinemas before movies and are now also sold on DVD. The Minutes were first introduced on March 31, 1991 as part of a one-off heavily-promoted history quiz show hosted by Rex Murphy.
The thirteen original short films were broken up and run between shows on CBC Television and CTV Network. The continued broadcast of the Minutes and the production of new ones was pioneered by Charles Bronfman's CRB Foundation, Canada Post Power Broadcasting, and the National Film Board. They were devised, developed and largely narrated by noted Canadian broadcaster Patrick Watson, while the producer of the series was Robert Guy Scully. In 2009 Historica merged with The Dominion Institute to become The Historica-Dominion Institute.
While the foundations have not paid networks to air Minutes, they hav
The complete landmark documentary series follows events from pre-history to 1990. Charting the country's past, this series chronicles the rise and fall of empires, the clash of great armies and epoch-making rebellions. The vibrant story is one of courage, daring and folly, told through the personal testimonies of the everyday men and women who lived it — trappers and traders, pirates and prospectors, soldiers and settlers, saints and shopkeepers.
The Rez was a first nations, Canadian television series, which aired on CBC Television from 1996 to 1998. Most of the characters were based on W.P. Kinsella's short story collection Dance Me Outside, which had been made into a film by director Bruce McDonald.
McDonald and Norman Jewison were executive producers of the series, which chronicled life in a First Nations community.
The series was filmed in the Parry Sound region at Harrison's Landing in Carling Township.
All episodes run around 23 Minutes.
Set in 1869 Alberta-Montana border country, “Strange Empire” is a Western whose heroes are women. With most of their men gone, and those who remain battling for control, the women struggle to survive, to find their independence, and to build a life in which to thrive and raise families.
Northwood is a Canadian drama television series which aired on CBC Television from 1991 to 1994 about the lives of teenagers living in North Vancouver, British Columbia. The series was created and produced by Nick Orchard.
Marketplace is a Canadian television series, broadcast on CBC Television. Launched in 1972, the series is a consumer advocacy newsmagazine, which shows investigative reports on issues such as product testing, health and safety, fraudulent business practices and other news issues of interest to product and service consumers.
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.
A workplace comedy about the hard of hearing manager of a second-hand sporting goods store, and the team of "hard-working" employees he leads. Show creator D.J. Demers confirmed the show's cancellation on his Instagram.
These Arms of Mine was a Canadian television drama series, which aired on CBC Television in the 2000-01 television season.
The show revolved around a group of professional friends in their 30s living in Vancouver, British Columbia. The cast included Alex Carter as photographer David Bishop and Shauna MacDonald as radio announcer Claire Monroe, whose long distance relationship formed the core of the series.
The cast also included Stuart Margolin as Miles Rankin, a former American draft dodger running for Vancouver city council, Conrad Coates as Steven Armstrong, a gay drama teacher grieving the recent death of his partner to AIDS, Babz Chula as magazine editor Esme Price, and Byron Lawson as her much younger restaurateur husband Amos Lee.
Based on the true story of Grace Marks, a housemaid and immigrant from Ireland who was imprisoned in 1843, perhaps wrongly, for the murder of her employer Thomas Kinnear. Grace claims to have no memory of the murder yet the facts are irrefutable. A decade after, Dr. Simon Jordan tries to help Grace recall her past.
An emotionally-driven character drama, set in the thrilling and dangerous world of WWII espionage and covert operations. It follows the stories of five highly skilled young recruits - Canadian, American and British - torn from their ordinary lives to train as agents in an ultra-secret facility on the shores of Lake Ontario. These agents parachute behind enemy lines, where they're fair game for torture and execution. From elegant hotels to hellholes in the field, it's one risky operation after another, masterminded by the brains of Camp X.
Mary Spalding, the director of the Vancouver Organized Crime Unit, offers Jimmy Reardon, one of Vancouver's top organized crime bosses, immunity from prosecution in exchange for his role as a police informant.
Battle of the Blades is a Canadian figure skating reality show and competition that airs on CBC Television. It was first broadcast before a live audience at the historic Maple Leaf Gardens. With Maple Leaf Gardens under renovation however, the show was filmed at Pinewood Toronto Studios in season two. The venue moved again in season three to MasterCard Centre located in Etobicoke, Ontario.
Inspired by Jean de Brunhoff and Laurent de Brunhoff's beloved children's books, this animated series tells Babar's life story from the elephant king's point of view, reliving his early days as a young pachyderm with important lessons to learn.
Rocket Robin Hood is a Canadian animated television series, placing the characters and conflicts of the classic Robin Hood legend in a futuristic, outer space setting, produced by Krantz Films, Inc. from 1966 to 1969.
For Canadians who grew up between 1966 and 1984, the tale of Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest may be more familiar as the Space Age version, Rocket Robin Hood of Sherwood Asteroid. This descendant of the medieval outlaw, along with his modern-day Merry Men including Little John, Friar Tuck, and Will Scarlet, carries on his ancestor's fight against heavy taxes, tyranny, and all things evil. "Three. Two. One. Blast off! Band of brothers, marching together. Heads held high in all kinds of weather. With fiery blasts, our roaring rockets rise, beyond the Earth, beyond the skies! At the side of Robin, take your stand, with the gallant leader of our band. Send a joyous shout throughout the land! For Rocket Robin Hood!"
"Adventures in Rainbow Country," aired on CBC Television from 1970 to 1971 and later ran on Nickelodeon in the early '80s. Led by Lois Maxwell as Nancy Williams, a widow caring for her children in rural Northern Ontario, the series revolved around family dynamics and featured characters like Billy, his Ojibwa friend Pete Gawa, and bush pilot Dennis McGubgub. Filming took place around Whitefish Falls, near Espanola, and scenes were shot in Birch Island and Manitoulin Island in 1969. With 26 episodes, it had successful reruns in Canada and internationally, appearing on channels like DejaView and Silver Screen Classics. Although never officially cancelled, the series didn't produce more episodes after its initial run.
Kidnapped in Africa and subsequently enslaved in South Carolina, Aminata must navigate a revolution in New York, isolation in Nova Scotia and treacherous jungles of Sierra Leone, in an attempt to secure her freedom in the 19th century.
A hybrid animated and live-action children's show about mindfulness and nature. The show features Scout, a curious mouse who leads the Gumboot Kids through a series of clues that take them outdoors to solve nature mysteries.