An American in Canada

I stumbled across this one as a surprise on my local PBS station; and fell in love with it immediately.

Jake's embittered by his situation and not the most likable person as a result. He falls in with a bunch of folks who, in his view, might well be escapees from the Twilight Zone. Conversely, his new co-workers regard his as a stereotype come to life...and an escapee from the Twilight Zone.

Watching the Yank and the Canucks learn first to tolerate than take a positive delight in one another is a riot. Judy, the news producer who is Jake's boss and foil, is a delight: Mary Richards as woman of (mostly) steel. Bill, the station manager is a continual laugh as a man who really believes he knows all about Americans but who really needs to get a clue or three.

This show is always fun for what is says about Canada and Canadians as much as what it says about us. Ultimately, no one escapes unscathed.

Sad to see this series cancelled since it had a roaring start with a Gemini winning pilot episode followed by some very good episodes in the first season. Starring the very talented Rick Roberts best known from the Traders series as a displaced Arizona resident sent up to Alberta to work at a television station where he finds his co-workers a bit too "Canadian" for him. Having to adjust to the harsh climate and the dollar exchange rate, the American tries to find ways to go home. Though a network casualty, hopefully the series will find its way to a lesser network such as The Comedy Network or Showcase Television in Canada. Should be given a chance on a US network. American audiences embraced Due South a few years ago. They'd probably enjoy this one too.

I was sorry to see that this series didn't get renewed, as it was really just starting to find its feet. I'm an American living in Canada, and I really enjoyed it even though it was about a guy who wasn't here by his own choice and was constantly looking for ways to get "back home". At the end of the season (in what now seems to have been the final episode) we saw that Jake was finally getting past the stage of looking at Canada as a temporary annoyance, and was starting to think of it more as his new home and was finding many things about it that he enjoyed; now he's not even sure he'll take the job back in the States that he thought he wanted so badly. A highlight was Jake's frequent conversations with the wise, inscrutable middle-eastern owner of the doughnut shop; rather a more sophisticated version of the relationship between Tim the Tool Man Taylor and his over-the-fence neighbor Wilson, it also allowed us to watch our hapless American grow from selfishly considering him just someone to dispense his coffee and listen to his whining, into realization that he (and everyone else he knew in Canada) was a real person with life experience, and had something to teach him if he would shut up and listen.

It's really a shame that so many clever satiric Canadian programs don't have the big budget that American cookie-cutter schlock has. The writing is better and the ideas are fresher because they aren't simply trying to copy what worked on another show. If they ever got a chance, American audiences would probably enjoy "Made in Canada" or "An American in Canada"; instead they keep getting force-fed the same stuff over & over (whether it's called "Friends", "Will and Grace", or whatever) and they'll never know what they're missing.

...but, I think this show has a great potential. In fact, Ms. Joy does a nice job, as do most of the cast. I think the writers have to do away with some of the hokey lines--and stop making the American the knit-wit and the Canadians the Slick ones! Usually Americans do play a "heavy-hand" when it comes to Canada; but not in this interpersonal way. In fact, it has been my experience Canadians have a bit more of a insecurity regarding Identity than Americans do. And Canadians and Americans are really great to one another. There are great Canadians comedians, and fine writers that can draw some niceties that exist between our two GREAT countries, without the silly, churlish put-downs. We Americans have ENOUGH of this on our Primetime; it is not necessary that CANADA follow that trend. In fact, NOW is the time for Canada to show it's INDEPENDENCE- from

Silly, Dumb, putdown American Sit-Coms!

Don't give it up. It has potential. And the actors are pretty good.

Francesco Domenico Lisanti Hollywood, Florida

It's hard for me to admit, but, because of lack of technology and equipment, Canadian produced shows are less good then (Uhhh!) American shows. But it had a good message and the concept was funny but it moved too slow.

Being Canadian, I have a bias which makes the bottom line, it's speed was it's only fault because Canada rocks!

P.S Not for some Americans.