Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
television sitcom which aired on CBC from 1981 to 1987. It aired briefly on
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. It ...
and in
syndication
Syndication may refer to:
* Broadcast syndication, where individual stations buy programs outside the network system
* Print syndication, where individual newspapers or magazines license news articles, columns, or comic strips
* Web syndication, ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
.
Synopsis
The show starred
Lally Cadeau
Lally Cadeau (born Alice Mary Cadeau, 10 January 1948) is a Canadian stage, television, film, and radio actress.
Life and career
Alice Mary Cadeau was born in Burlington, Ontario, the youngest child and only daughter of a once-aspiring actress ...
as Kate Brown, the attractive and charismatic director of a youth drop-in centre in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
, and blended both comedy and drama in its portrayal of genuine teen counselling problems."CBC sitcom Hangin' In deals with the issues that concern teenagers in an entertaining way", ''
Toronto Star
The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and par ...
'', November 1, 1986.David Eisner starred as Michael DiFalco, a young, affable staff counsellor, and
Ruth Springford
Margaret Ruth Springford (September 1921 November 20, 2010) was a Canadian radio, stage, television and film actress.Eric McCormack,
Keanu Reeves
Keanu Charles Reeves ( ; born September 2, 1964) is a Canadian actor. Born in Beirut and raised in Toronto, Reeves began acting in theatre productions and in television films before making his feature film debut in '' Youngblood'' (1986). ...
, Jessica Steen and Mark Humphrey, made guest appearances as teenaged clients of the youth centre.
During the show's final season, Cadeau was replaced for the final five episodes by
Fiona Reid
Fiona Reid, CM (born 24 July 1951) is an English-born Canadian television, film, and stage actress. She is best known for her roles as Cathy on the TV series ''King of Kensington'' and Harriet Miller in the film ''My Big Fat Greek Wedding''.
E ...
as Maggie. This change was planned, as the producers were setting up a new
spin-off
Spin-off may refer to:
*Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work
*Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity
* Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gov ...
series to star Reid as the director of a
halfway house
A halfway house is an institute for people with criminal backgrounds or substance use disorder problems to learn (or relearn) the necessary skills to re-integrate into society and better support and care for themselves.
As well as serving as a ...
for young offenders. However, the new series was not picked up.
Production
The show was created by the same production team, led by executive producer
Jack Humphrey
Jack Weldon Humphrey (12 January 1901 – 23 March 1967) was a Canadian landscape and figure painter, mainly in watercolour. Art historian J. Russell Harper called him the "most significant eastern Canadian painter of his generation".
Biograph ...
, with Anna Sandor and Joseph Partington, behind one of the most successful Canadian sitcoms in television history, '' King of Kensington'',"New CBC series no heir apparent". ''
The Globe and Mail
''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'', January 7, 1981. which had itself evolved in its late episodes toward a similar concept and setting.
The series premiered on January 7, 1981, the day after the final episode of the dramatic miniseries ''
You've Come a Long Way, Katie
''You've Come a Long Way, Katie'' is a Canadian television miniseries, directed by Vic Sarin and broadcast by CBC Television in 1981.Bill MacVicar"The fast way to the bottom–and the top: Lally Cadeau's four-night debut is the video version of be ...
Maclean's
''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian pers ...
'', January 5, 1981. Writing for ''
Maclean's
''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian pers ...
'', Bill MacVicar likened the streak of Cadeau's roles in two different series airing on four consecutive nights to "the video equivalent of being shot from a cannon or, at least, making a premiere entrance on a red carpet, with klieg lights and a ravenous crowd of autograph seekers".