Made in Canada
Encyclopedia
Made in Canada is a Canadian
television situation comedy
which aired on CBC Television
from 1998 to 2003. Rick Mercer
co-created the program and starred as mercenary TV producer Richard Strong.
In the United States
, France
, Australia
and Latin America
, the show was syndicated as The Industry. It was produced using a single camera setup.
The company's projects also provided storylines for the series, as the staff of Pyramid tried to manage the inevitable complications provided by the casts and crews of their film and television productions. The company's cash cows were two series, The Sword of Damacles
(sic), a parody of mythological
adventure series such as Xena: Warrior Princess
and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
, and Beaver Creek, a parody of Canadian period dramas such as Anne of Green Gables
and Road to Avonlea
. They also face complications with their low budget, poorly made movies, such as Vigilantes Vengeance. Many of their movies fail and end up either not being produced or going straight to video in foreign countries.
Episodes commonly both began and ended with brief asides to the camera, breaking the fourth wall
. These are usually done by Richard but are occasionally done by Veronica or Victor.
and Island Edge Inc
, and Pyramid's logo is very similar to that of Salter Street parent company Alliance Atlantis
.
The program used The Tragically Hip
's "Blow at High Dough
" as its theme song.
In 1998, two real-life Canadian film and television studios, Alliance Communications and Atlantis Communications, merged into the modern Alliance Atlantis
. This merger was parodied on Made in Canada, when Pyramid merged with a company called Prodigy and became known as Pyramid Prodigy. (Ironically, Alliance Atlantis later purchased Salter Street Films
, the producers of Made in Canada.)
The show's third and fourth seasons won the Gemini Award for Best Comedy Series. Its final episode also received a Gemini for Best Ensemble Performance in a Comedy Program or Series in 2004.
The first season and many of the subsequent episodes were directed by Henry Sarwer-Foner for which he received two Gemini awards for Best Direction in a Comedy Program or Series.
on CBC. Prior to creating Made in Canada, Mercer was a popular fixture on another Salter Street series, This Hour Has 22 Minutes
. (He juggled both series until 2001, when he left 22 Minutes permanently.)
Keleghan can also be seen in The Newsroom
, another CBC production as well as having a long running recurring role on The Red Green Show
as the eccentric Ranger Gord. Alex Carter (Michael Rushton/Damacles) can now be seen as a detective on the popular CBS
drama CSI
.
Though rarely shown on television it is currently running on the Canadian channel Bite.
released the first season on DVD in Region 1 in 2002. This release has been discontinued and is now out of print.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
television situation comedy
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
which aired on CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
from 1998 to 2003. Rick Mercer
Rick Mercer
Richard Vincent "Rick" Mercer is a Canadian comedian, television personality, political satirist, and blogger.Mercer first came to national attention in 1990, when he premiered his one man show Show Me the Button, I'll Push It, or Charles Lynch Must Die at the Great Canadian Theatre Company in...
co-created the program and starred as mercenary TV producer Richard Strong.
In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, the show was syndicated as The Industry. It was produced using a single camera setup.
Plot
A satire of film and television production, the series revolved around Pyramid Productions, a viper's nest of creative incompetence, savage greed and hysterical backbiting. Alan Roy, the head of the company, usually follows whatever is trendy in the production world, whether it be owning his own cable channel or having a designer office. His decisions are usually idiotic and occasionally impossible to fulfill. They constantly lead to extra work for his employees, who must either fulfill his wishes, or deal with the consequences of them. The employees, Richard, Victor, Veronica and Wanda, each manipulate each other and sabotage each others projects in order to earn more money, get promotions or work on better projects. None of the employees appear to have issues with breaking the law and seem to have no sense of morals. They usually only work together when they have an opportunity to destroy another company. Each episode usually deals with one major problem or event. The events do not usually carry over to the next episode.The company's projects also provided storylines for the series, as the staff of Pyramid tried to manage the inevitable complications provided by the casts and crews of their film and television productions. The company's cash cows were two series, The Sword of Damacles
Damocles
Damocles is a figure featured in a single moral anecdote commonly referred to as "the Sword of Damocles," which was a late addition to classical Greek culture. The figure belongs properly to legend rather than Greek myth. The anecdote apparently figured in the lost history of Sicily by Timaeus of...
(sic), a parody of mythological
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
adventure series such as Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess is an American–New Zealand supernatural fantasy adventure series that aired in syndication from September 4, 1995 until June 18, 2001....
and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys is a television series, filmed in New Zealand and the United States. It was produced from 1995, and was very loosely based on the tales of the classical Greek culture hero Heracles...
, and Beaver Creek, a parody of Canadian period dramas such as Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Green Gables (1985 film)
Anne of Green Gables is a 1985 television movie based on the novel of the same name by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. The film was produced and directed by Kevin Sullivan for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It was released theatrically in Israel, Europe and Japan.The film aired on...
and Road to Avonlea
Road to Avonlea
Road to Avonlea was a television series which was first broadcast in Canada and the United States between 1990 and 1996. It was created by Kevin Sullivan and produced by Sullivan Films in association with CBC and the Disney Channel, with additional funding from Telefilm Canada.It was adapted from...
. They also face complications with their low budget, poorly made movies, such as Vigilantes Vengeance. Many of their movies fail and end up either not being produced or going straight to video in foreign countries.
Episodes commonly both began and ended with brief asides to the camera, breaking the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
. These are usually done by Richard but are occasionally done by Veronica or Victor.
Characters
- Richard Strong (Rick MercerRick MercerRichard Vincent "Rick" Mercer is a Canadian comedian, television personality, political satirist, and blogger.Mercer first came to national attention in 1990, when he premiered his one man show Show Me the Button, I'll Push It, or Charles Lynch Must Die at the Great Canadian Theatre Company in...
) is an ambitiously Machiavellian producer trying to navigate and scheme and backstab his way to the CEO's chair. Although ruthless and amoral, he's also better at his job than most of his colleagues. Richard will stop at nothing to get promoted. He managed to get his brother-in-law fired in order to take his job, ordered a violent attack on an actor and used insider-trading to make a fortune on the stock market. He is not against breaking the law. Richard has had relationships with Veronica Miller, Lisa Sutton and Siobhan Roy. He often uses the relationships to manipulate. He most frequently breaks the fourth wall. - Alan Roy (Peter KeleghanPeter KeleghanPeter Keleghan is a Canadian television actor, who has played roles in several popular Canadian comedy series.Keleghan's best-known roles have been film industry CEO Alan Roy on Made in Canada, low-IQ news anchor Jim Walcott on The Newsroom, and Ranger Gord on The Red Green Show...
), the firm's CEO, is a charismatic but intellectually questionable womanizer who often succeeds more by accident than skill, and much more often fails miserably. He is frequently mystified that his management style — a combination of bad production ideas, offbeat health fads and slogans he picked up from management books but largely fails to understand or to apply correctly — fails to rouse office morale. His first film was entitled Prom Night at Horny High. While it appears to be a very lowbrow and racy film, it was very popular and made Alan famous. (This plot point is apparently a reference to Keleghan's early starring role in the 1983 sex comedy Screwballs.) Alan is fired in the series finale by the studio's new owner, a dairy farmer. - Veronica Miller (Leah PinsentLeah PinsentLeah Pinsent is a Canadian television and film actress.She was born in Toronto, Ontario, the daughter of Canadian actors Gordon Pinsent and Charmion King....
) is a production accountant. She is generally overworked, doing the jobs of several other employees but is still forced to do idiotic and degrading tasks for Alan. She occasionally becomes fed up with her poor treatment and sabotages a project or event. This usually leads to Alan improving her working conditions and meeting her demands. She often acts as the problem solver of the office. She is generally an ally of Richard's, but isn't above double-crossing him too when necessary. She and Richard marry in the final episode, and start their own company after being fired from Pyramid. They have a son named Victor. It seems that Veronica once had relationships with both Alan and Victor, which she intensely regrets. - Victor Sela (Dan LettDan LettDaniel Frederick Lett is a Canadian actor. He attended White Oaks Secondary School in nearby Oakville, Ontario. He has acted in films, theatre and television. His principal roles have been in the series F/X, The X-Files, E.N.G., Street Legal, and Wind at My Back.He has a brother and a sister...
) is a producer and general office sycophant, willing to do almost anything Alan asks of him no matter how demeaning it is. He is usually very positive about Alan's schemes, almost acting like Sancho Panza to Don Quixote. However, in a test of loyalty, Victor is proven to be the least loyal. He extorts money from Alan with the help of Alan's old business partner. In the final episode, Victor becomes the head of the studio after the firing of Alan. - Wanda Mattice (Jackie TorrensJackie TorrensJackie Torrens is a Canadian writer, actor, and journalist, best known for her CBC radio and television appearances, and for acting roles in the television series Made in Canada and Robson Arms...
) is the office secretary, who shrewdly uses her role in the day-to-day workings of the office to attain more power than her role in the corporate structure officially holds. She also knows when it's to her advantage to act dumber than she really is — in one episode, Alan promotes her to more senior positions several times without ever actually giving her a raise or a change in her real job duties, and she consequently decides to take the fall for a costly mistake she had nothing to do with so that he'll "demote" her back to her existing job as office manager. In the series finale, she succeeds Victor as head of Pyramid. She has a teenage son and a pet cat. She frequently dresses strangely and appears frumpy. Despite this, Alan is still attracted to her, frequently having relations with her in the office. At the end of one episode, she is seen being arrested at the border after attempting to smuggle Viagra for Alan. - Lisa Sutton (Janet KidderJanet KidderJanet Kidder is a Canadian actress.Janet Kidder is the niece of actress Margot Kidder, who played Lois Lane in the Superman movies. They both appeared in Walk on By, an episode of La Femme Nikita, as the younger and older Roberta, Nikita's mother. Janet's participation was in brief flashback...
) is a producer, and Victor Sela's girlfriend. Richard considers her a threat to his power. Alan dislikes her as she ignores and/or refuses his attempts to seduce her. - Raymond Drodge (Ron JamesRon James (comedian)Ron James is a Canadian stand-up comedian.James was born in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia; his family later moved to Halifax during his youth. He attended Acadia University, studying history and political science with the intention of becoming a history teacher...
) is a producer. Formerly the head of television development, he is fired in the pilot after Richard and Siobhan set him up to appear as if he sexually harassed Siobhan. He is later rehired in a much more junior position after Richard gets his old job. Due to Richard's manipulation, Raymond's marriage falls apart and he begins to believe he is an alcoholic. - Michael Rushton (Alex Carter) is the dimwitted but egotistical star of The Sword of Damacles. He also plays Hamacles, Damacles' evil twin brother.
- Siobhan Roy (Emily HampshireEmily HampshireEmily Hampshire is a Canadian film and television actress.She is most widely known to international audiences for her role as Angelina to Sean Astin's Michael in the 1998 romantic comedy Boy Meets Girl, and Vivienne in the 2006 film Snow Cake, in which she starred opposite Sigourney Weaver and...
) is Alan Roy's daughter, and one of the stars of Beaver Creek. Fully aware that being the boss' daughter gives her job security, she freely schemes and manipulates people to get whatever she wants. - Brian (Chas LawtherChas LawtherCharles "Chas" Lawther is a British-born Canadian actor, comedian and writer.Lawther came to local prominence in Toronto when in the 1980s he created the character of Chuck The Security Guard for CFMT-TV's The All-Night Show, on the ostensible premise that as the station's night security he would...
), nicknamed "Network Brian", is an executive with the television network that airs Beaver Creek, who acts as the network's main liaison with Pyramid.
Notable guest stars
- Megan FollowsMegan FollowsMegan Elizabeth Laura Diana Follows is a Canadian/American actress. She is most known to international audiences for her role as Anne Shirley in the acclaimed 1985 Canadian television miniseries Anne of Green Gables and its two sequels.-Biography:Follows was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as the...
, the real-life star of Anne of Green Gables, appeared in one episode as Mandy Forward, the former "Adele of Beaver Creek", who returned for a reunion movie and discovered that after her previous Beaver Creek reunion movie, Alan had kept the sets up for two more weeks to produce an Adele of Beaver Creek pornPornographyPornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
knockoff. - Shirley DouglasShirley DouglasShirley Jean Douglas, OC is a Canadian television, film and stage actress and activist. Her acting career combined with her family name has made her recognisable in Canadian film, television and politics.-Personal life:...
and Margot KidderMargot KidderMargaret Ruth "Margot" Kidder is a Canadian-born American actress. She is perhaps best known for playing Lois Lane in the four Superman movies opposite Christopher Reeve, a role that brought her to widespread recognition....
both appeared as fading Hollywood actresses making guest appearances on Beaver Creek. - Colin MochrieColin MochrieColin Andrew Mochrie is a Scottish Canadian actor and improvisational comedian, most famous for his appearances on the British and US versions of television improvisation show Whose Line Is It Anyway?.-Early life:...
appeared in one episode as Alan Roy's mentally hadicapped brother who, as part of an elaborate tax dodge orchestrated by Alan, was revealed to be the true CEO.
Production
The series was both produced by and a parody of Salter Street FilmsSalter Street Films
Salter Street Films was a Canadian television and film production company based in Halifax, Nova Scotia.- History :The company was founded by brothers Paul and Michael Donovan in 1983. Paul Donovan was trained as a director at the London Film School; Michael graduated from Dalhousie University’s...
and Island Edge Inc
Island Edge Inc
Island Edge Inc. is a Canadian television production company founded by Rick Mercer and Gerald Lunz in 1998.It has produced Talking to Americans and Made in Canada and Rick Mercer Report for CBC Television....
, and Pyramid's logo is very similar to that of Salter Street parent company Alliance Atlantis
Alliance Atlantis
Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. was a Toronto-based media company that operated primarily as a specialty service operator in Canada. Alliance Atlantis also had offices in Halifax, Los Angeles, London, Dublin, Madrid, Barcelona, Shannon and Sydney.Alliance Atlantis was acquired by Canwest...
.
The program used The Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as The Hip, is a Canadian rock band from Kingston, Ontario, consisting of Gordon Downie , Paul Langlois , Rob Baker , Gord Sinclair and Johnny Fay . Since their formation in 1983 they have released 12 studio albums, two live albums, and 46 singles...
's "Blow at High Dough
Blow at High Dough
"Blow at High Dough" is the first single by The Tragically Hip from their debut studio album, Up to Here. The song was later used in the CBC Television series Made in Canada as the opening theme song. The song reached #1 on the RPM CANCON chart....
" as its theme song.
In 1998, two real-life Canadian film and television studios, Alliance Communications and Atlantis Communications, merged into the modern Alliance Atlantis
Alliance Atlantis
Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. was a Toronto-based media company that operated primarily as a specialty service operator in Canada. Alliance Atlantis also had offices in Halifax, Los Angeles, London, Dublin, Madrid, Barcelona, Shannon and Sydney.Alliance Atlantis was acquired by Canwest...
. This merger was parodied on Made in Canada, when Pyramid merged with a company called Prodigy and became known as Pyramid Prodigy. (Ironically, Alliance Atlantis later purchased Salter Street Films
Salter Street Films
Salter Street Films was a Canadian television and film production company based in Halifax, Nova Scotia.- History :The company was founded by brothers Paul and Michael Donovan in 1983. Paul Donovan was trained as a director at the London Film School; Michael graduated from Dalhousie University’s...
, the producers of Made in Canada.)
The show's third and fourth seasons won the Gemini Award for Best Comedy Series. Its final episode also received a Gemini for Best Ensemble Performance in a Comedy Program or Series in 2004.
The first season and many of the subsequent episodes were directed by Henry Sarwer-Foner for which he received two Gemini awards for Best Direction in a Comedy Program or Series.
After Made in Canada
Mercer ended the show's planned five year run in 2003, and can now be seen hosting Rick Mercer ReportRick Mercer Report
Rick Mercer Report is a Canadian television comedy series which airs on CBC Television...
on CBC. Prior to creating Made in Canada, Mercer was a popular fixture on another Salter Street series, This Hour Has 22 Minutes
This Hour Has 22 Minutes
This Hour Has 22 Minutes is a weekly Canadian television comedy that airs on CBC Television. Launched in 1993 during Canada's 35th general election, the show focuses on Canadian politics, combining news parody, sketch comedy and satirical editorials...
. (He juggled both series until 2001, when he left 22 Minutes permanently.)
Keleghan can also be seen in The Newsroom
The Newsroom
The Newsroom is a Canadian television comedy-drama series which ran on CBC Television in the 1996-97, 2003–04 and 2004-05 seasons. A two-hour television movie, Escape from the Newsroom, was broadcast in 2002....
, another CBC production as well as having a long running recurring role on The Red Green Show
The Red Green Show
The Red Green Show is a Canadian television comedy that aired on various channels in Canada, with its ultimate home at CBC Television, and on Public Broadcasting Service stations in the United States, from 1991 until the series finale April 7, 2006 on CBC...
as the eccentric Ranger Gord. Alex Carter (Michael Rushton/Damacles) can now be seen as a detective on the popular CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
drama CSI
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
.
Though rarely shown on television it is currently running on the Canadian channel Bite.
DVD release
Entertainment OneEntertainment One
Entertainment One Ltd is a leading international entertainment business operating in the United States, Canada, the UK, Ireland, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia and New Zealand...
released the first season on DVD in Region 1 in 2002. This release has been discontinued and is now out of print.