The Sounds of Canadian Television

"Buckleys...it tastes awful, and it works." -- This is from a cough syrup commercial. Which does a fantastic job of being distinctive...and a not so terrific job of making me want to buy the cough syrup. I mean, when I have a bad enough cough to need syrup, I'm not wanting to eat something that tastes bad! It brings to mind the Evil Orphanage Woman who comes down the aisle of miserable little cots to give the sick little girl an oily green liquid.


"Make it right." -- This is the catchphrase of Mike Holmes - the most awesome contractor in Canada. His show, "Holmes on Homes" attracted me at first because of his name. I thought "Holmes, like Sherlock?" (In a complete and total side note, we live down the street from Dr. I.B. Sherlock...a dentist.) And, while Mike Holmes shares a dedication to perfection with his fictional British relative, he is otherwise nothing like. I'm not sure Scott is glad that I found this show and the other really crazy awesome Canadian home shows, he's not so fond of them. But they ARE giving me loads of ideas for our future home improvement plans.



"Does it bother you that you kill insects for a living?" is a Grissom quote from CSI. CSI is often on in our living room - both because there is so much of it on Canadian television and because I enjoy the wit of Grissom.



"Good things grow in Ontario!" This is sung...badly...by an Ontario farmer over a supermarket loudspeaker in a terrific commercial. It is terrific for its badness...and it is terrific for its unabashed, complete and total Canadian-ness.