''Jimmy MacDonald's Canada: The Lost Episodes'' is an eight-episode

Canadian Canadians () 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 their being ''C ...

television series that aired on

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...

in the summer of 2005. The show is a

mockumentary A mockumentary (a portmanteau of ''mock'' and ''documentary'') is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events, but presented as a Documentary film, documentary. Mockumentaries are often used to analyze or comment on current event ...

, set partially to real news clips from the

CBC News CBC News is the division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on the corporation's English-language operations, namely CBC Television, CBC Radio, CBC News Network, and CBC ...

archives, purporting to be a lost Canadian public affairs series of the mid-1960s hosted by the fictional Jimmy MacDonald ( Richard Waugh) with additional commentary from a woman's point of view by Marg Margison (

Teresa Pavlinek Teresa Pavlinek (born August 11, 1970) is a Canadian actress, writer, and television producer best known as the creator and star of '' The Jane Show''. Career Pavlinek studied at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and became part of Seco ...

). The premise is that MacDonald had a breakdown while on the air and fled to northern Canada, taking all of the filmed episodes with him. His plane crashed and he was presumed dead, and the premise is these films have recently been found. The character of Jimmy MacDonald was created as a combination of several real-life Canadian television figures of the 1960s, including Norman DePoe, Larry Henderson and J. Frank Willis.

Format

The humour of the show is derived from the differences in social values between the 1960s and today. This humour also extends to now-taboo, then-common cigarette advertisements being included in the show, and even the opening credits, which lampoon the similar style of manic, partially animated credits that were common in the era. Incorporating scripted retrospective commentary from actual public figures (including then-current Prime Minister

Paul Martin Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and retired politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006. Th ...

and the then-current Governor General), the series never breaks character. In his series, ultra-conservative MacDonald rails against various innovations and the rise of youth culture. Although fictional in nature, the series incorporates actual news and human interest footage from the CBC archives. Commentaries were provided by: * Then-current

Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada () is the federal representative of the . The monarch of Canada is also sovereign and head of state of 14 other Commonwealth realms and resides in the United Kingdom. The monarch, on the Advice (constitutional la ...

Adrienne Clarkson Adrienne Louise Clarkson ( zh, c=伍冰枝; ; born February 10, 1939) is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as the 26th governor general of Canada from 1999 to 2005. Clarkson arrived in Canada with her family in 1941, as a refuge ...

* Then-current

Prime Minister of Canada The prime minister of Canada () is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the Confidence and supply, confidence of a majority of the elected House of Commons of Canada, House of Commons ...

* former Prime Minister (1979–80)

Joe Clark Charles Joseph Clark (born June 5, 1939) is a Canadian businessman, writer, and retired politician who served as the 16th prime minister of Canada from 1979 to 1980. He also served as Leader of the Official Opposition (Canada), leader of the ...

* CTV news anchor

Lloyd Robertson Lloyd Robertson (born January 19, 1934) is a Canadian journalist and former news anchor who is special correspondent on CTV's weekly magazine series, '' W5''. Robertson served as the chief anchor and senior editor of CTV's national evening ne ...

(who is also featured in one of the archival clips featured in the series as he used to work for the CBC) * journalist, TV personality and historian

Pierre Berton Pierre Francis de Marigny Berton, CC, O.Ont. (July 12, 1920 – November 30, 2004) was a Canadian historian, writer, journalist and broadcaster. Berton wrote 50 best-selling books, mainly about Canadiana, Canadian history and popular cultur ...

, known for his work on the CBC's ''

Front Page Challenge ''Front Page Challenge'' was a Canadian panel game about current events and history. Created by comedy writer/performer John Aylesworth (of the comedy team of Frank Peppiatt and John Aylesworth) and produced and aired by CBC Television, the s ...

'' (who died before the show was broadcast) *

Paul Henderson Paul Garnet Henderson (born January 28, 1943) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. A left winger, Henderson played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Atlanta Flame ...

, an iconic hockey player from the 1970s known for his winning goal in the 1972

Summit Series The Summit Series, Super Series 72, Canada–USSR Series (), or Series of the Century (), was an eight-game ice hockey series between the Soviet Union and Canada, held in September 1972. It was the first competition between the Soviet nation ...

Don Cherry Donald Stewart Cherry (born February 5, 1934) is a Canadian former ice hockey player, coach, and television commentator. He played one game in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins. After concluding a playing career in the A ...

, hockey commentator (''

Hockey Night in Canada ''Hockey Night in Canada'' (often abbreviated ''Hockey Night'' or ''HNiC'') is a long-running program of broadcast ice hockey play-by-play coverage in Canada. With roots in pioneering hockey coverage on private radio stations as early as 1923, ...

'') * former senator and TV personality (''

'')

Betty Kennedy Betty Margaret Hannah Kennedy ( Styran; January 4, 1926 – March 20, 2017) was a Canadian broadcaster, journalist, author, and Senator. She is best known for her work on radio and television. Biography Born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, ...

* historian and author Charlotte Gray * TV personality

Jeanne Beker Jeanne Beker, (; born 19 March 1952) is a Canadian television personality, fashion editor, and author. Family Jeanne Beker was born in Toronto, Ontario to father Joseph Beker and mother Bronia Beker, two Jewish Holocaust survivors born in K ...

* former Prime Minister of Canada (1963-1968)

Lester B. Pearson Lester Bowles Pearson (23 April 1897 – 27 December 1972) was a Canadian politician, diplomat, statesman, and scholar who served as the 14th prime minister of Canada from 1963 to 1968. He also served as Leader of the Liberal Party of C ...

, shown in stock footage from the 1960s, apparently eulogizing MacDonald. * Although neither appears on screen, frequent mentions are also made of the CBC comedy duo

Wayne and Shuster Wayne and Shuster were a Canadian comedy duo formed by Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster. They were active professionally from the early 1940s until the late 1980s, first as a live act, then on radio, then as part of ''The Army Show'' that ente ...

and their images appear in the opening credits of each episode. MacDonald begins each episode by saying: "I'm Jimmy MacDonald, and I'm going to give it to you straight!" MacDonald provides commentary on trends in Canadian society from a reactionary viewpoint, opposing such "fads" as

physical fitness Physical fitness is a state of health and well-being and, more specifically, the ability to perform aspects of Outline of sports, sports, occupations, and daily activities. Physical fitness is generally achieved through proper nutrition, modera ...

rock music Rock is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in the United States as "rock and roll" in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of styles from the mid-1960s, primarily in the United States and the United Kingdo ...

and

fashion Fashion is a term used interchangeably to describe the creation of clothing, footwear, Fashion accessory, accessories, cosmetics, and jewellery of different cultural aesthetics and their mix and match into Clothing, outfits that depict distinct ...

, from the point of view of an ultra-

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

with

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...

sensibilities. Margison hosts a segment called "A Woman's Advice", providing advice on social issues based on personal experiences. "Let's build a ''great'' Canada!" she encourages viewers at the end of each segment.

Running joke A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are not ...

s related to this segment include Margison's expressions of veiled contempt towards her husband, and MacDonald's own attraction to her (at one point he is caught on camera asking for her phone number). All but the first and final episodes have a section called ''Outrage of the Week'' where Jimmy presents three news clips related to the week's topic and then picks the one that outrages him the most. MacDonald regularly promotes the show's (fictional) sponsor, "Provincial Brand"

cigarette A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into Rolling paper, thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhale ...

s, a parody of commercial advertisements common on television in the 1960s. Several episodes include MacDonald conducting interviews with people in archival footage, most notably iconic broadcaster

Foster Hewitt Foster William Hewitt, (November 21, 1902 – April 21, 1985) was a Canadian radio broadcaster most famous for his play-by-play calls for ''Hockey Night in Canada''. He was the son of W. A. Hewitt, and the father of Bill Hewitt. Early life ...

. A running joke with this segment is, since the original interviews were done with someone else, MacDonald is always having to correct his interviewees when they get his name wrong. MacDonald's "collapse" is given a slow buildup throughout the series as the ultra-conservative, traditionalist host becomes increasingly more frustrated with the modern innovations he's forced to cover (this is often played to comic effect, such as when he rails against the advent of the

zamboni An ice resurfacer is a vehicle or hand-pushed device for cleaning and smoothing the surface of a sheet of ice, usually in an ice rink. The first ice resurfacer was developed by American inventor and engineer Frank Zamboni in 1949 in Paramount, ...

during one of his "Outrage of the Week" segments), but accelerates when he loses his temper on the penultimate episode dealing with the

hippie A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, counterculture of the mid-1960s to early 1970s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States and spread to dif ...

movement—he is particularly frustrated with (vintage) news footage of a group of young people draping themselves over the statue of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

in Queen's Park in Toronto. The final episode of the show, about the

sexual revolution The sexual revolution, also known as the sexual liberation, was a social movement that challenged traditional codes of behavior related to sexuality and interpersonal relationships throughout the Western world from the late 1950s to the early 1 ...

, is the one in which MacDonald suffers his breakdown on the air because of his outrage over how the show was turning out with what he believed was

taboo A taboo is a social group's ban, prohibition or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, offensive, sacred or allowed only for certain people.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...

material. He finally snaps after viewing a segment on elderly nudists and has to be physically restrained after he lunges at the cameraman while Marg looks on in horror.

Time frame

The series never specifically identifies the year in which it is supposed to take place. This allows it to cover topics from the course of several years, ranging from the

Twist Twist may refer to: In arts and entertainment Film, television, and stage * ''Twist'' (2003 film), a 2003 independent film loosely based on Charles Dickens's novel ''Oliver Twist'' * ''Twist'' (2021 film), a 2021 modern rendition of ''Olive ...

craze of circa 1962, up to the

Summer of Love The Summer of Love was a major social phenomenon that occurred in San Francisco during the summer of 1967. As many as 100,000 people, mostly young people, hippies, beatniks, and 1960s counterculture figures, converged in San Francisco's Haig ...

of 1967, although the lack of references to Canada's Centennial that year suggest the series itself is not meant to be seen as taking place in 1967. On the other hand, a segment refers to

Pierre Trudeau Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau (October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000) was a Canadian politician, statesman, and lawyer who served as the 15th prime minister of Canada from 1968 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1984. Between his no ...

being the new justice minister, which happened in 1967. The final episode of the series is set in 1966. After MacDonald storms off the set, on-screen titles indicate that "MacDonald died 72 hours later," followed by "Jimmy MacDonald, 1921-1966." The time frame of the other episodes is not given; the previous episodes of the series are not assumed to be set in consecutive weeks, though there is progression with relation to MacDonald's deteriorating state of mind, his relationship with Marg, and his physical reaction to smoking the sponsor's brand of cigarettes.

Response

Waugh received a

Gemini Award The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's English-language television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in t ...

nomination for Best Individual Performance in a Comedy Program or Series at the

21st Gemini Awards The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television's 21st Gemini Awards were held on November 4, 2006, to honour achievements in Canadian television. The awards show, which was co-hosted by several celebrities, took place at the River Rock Casino Resor ...

."Cancelled CBC drama gets 12 Gemini nods". ''

Waterloo Region Record The ''Waterloo Region Record'' (formerly ''The Record'') is the daily newspaper covering Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada, including the cities of Kitchener, Ontario, Kitchener, Waterloo, Ontario, Water ...

'', August 30, 2006.

References

External links

* {{imdb title, 0764491 2005 Canadian television series debuts 2005 Canadian television series endings 2000s Canadian satirical television series 2000s Canadian sketch comedy television series Canadian mockumentary television series CBC Television original programming Television series about television Canadian historical television series