| Read All About It & Today's Special |
Growing up in the late '70s and early '80s, a lot of us American kids were exposed to Canadian television via PBS and Nickelodeon. One of the most memorable Canadian shows from my childhood is "Read All About!," which ran frequently on PBS from the late '70s to mid '90s (during which time it was also used in classrooms), and then it vanished from the face of the Earth. A bunch of episodes later resurfaced online, but the quality's so low that they're barely watchable.
The show centered on a group of kids who wound up making a newspaper... but that was merely a cover for their investigation into the disappearance of one of their uncles and his connections with an outer space ruler named Duneedon. Clever mix of sci-fi, mystery and education that was engaging and didn't come off preachy. The effects are pretty dated today, but the show holds up surprisingly well. I'd love to see the entire series out on DVD... and Shout Factory has a good track record with beloved but quasi-obscure shot-on-video shows.
And since I'm mentioning one TV Ontario show, I probably should mention another that seems to be fondly remembered: "Today's Special," which aired for many years on Nickelodeon. At night in a department store, when the magic words are said, a mannequin named Jeff comes to life to hang out with the store's staff staff member, security guard and the resident mouse. This show is a constant topic of conversation on childhood nostalgia sites like RetroJunk. |
