daemonluna

Encore+ YouTube Channel Hosts Decades Of Canadian TV and Film

Time for some old-school "Degrassi" and "Mr. Dressup.

For years, Canadians have been able to watch episodes of iconic American classics such as "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Batman" or "I Love Lucy." But where was Canada's TV heritage? Why was our homegrown fare always, after its initial run, locked away in a vault? Well, "The Littlest Hobo" has finally been let out of his kennel. After years of development, the Canada Media Fund and Google Canada have teamed to launch encore+, a new YouTube channel giving viewers here and around the world access to decades of Canadian film and TV gold.

I AM FLAILING A LOT. Free, on Youtube, worldwide, the Canadian Media Fund is releasing series that haven't previously been digitized. Full episodes of, among others, Due South, The Littlest Hobo, Mr Dress Up, Slings and Arrows, Little Mosque on the Prairie, Are you Afraid of the Dark?, This is Wonderland, Davinci's Inquest, Degrassi Junior High. They're going to be adding more content weekly.

Ahhhhhhhh! This is ridiculously exciting! I will be over here trying to figure out how to watch ALL THE THINGS at once.

Due South. Oh, Due South, I watched you as you first started airing when I was in high school, and then rediscovered you later on, once I knew what slash was. (I met my wife on a Due South fanfic mailing list. I am that big of a dork.)

This Is Wonderland, the Canadian courtroom comedy-drama with so much heart. We were a fandom of what, maybe eight people? For such a very empathetic, human look at the criminal justice system and all its weird glory, it deserved a bigger audience.

Slings and Arrows, a brilliant satire and commentary on theatre, with a wicked sense of timing, and a who’s who of Canadian actors. Paul Gross, Martha Burns, Don McKellar, and numerous people I’m sure I’m forgetting.

Are You Afraid of the Dark? Anthology-style spooky stories for kids. I was in high school when it started airing, but I watched them all with my youngest brother. They used to do a marathon of new episodes on Halloween.

Mr Dress Up, right up there with Sesame Street. I remember at the age of five, my childhood best friend and I agreed that we’d like to go to the moon, but our moms would have to tape Mr Dress Up and Sesame Street for us every day while we were gone.

Emily of New Moon, the lesser-known series from LM Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables. I always meant to watch it, but never got around to it.

Degrassi Junior High, The Littlest Hobo, Little Mosque on the Prairies, Davinci’s Inquest. SO MUCH CANCON. SO MUCH AWESOMENESS.

Just so you know, folks, I am fully expecting some small fandom revivals happening here...