In the coming weeks, I’m going to be doing a retrospective on a variety of movies, TV shows, and whatnot. Depending on how bored I am, I may or may not do this on a frequent basis. If I’m so inclined, this could be done for different wrestling DVDs at my wrestling blog, located here!
For now, I’m going to start with a Canadian television show, Corner Gas. Based in Saskatchewan, Corner Gas is about the daily lives & activities of the people who lives in the fictional town of Dog River. Anything filmed indoors was done in Canada/Saskatchewan Production Studios in Regina. Exterior shots were done in Rouleau.
Corner Gas was created by Brent Butt, who also was a writer, showrunner executive producer, actor and occasionally directed the show.
Each episode typically revolves around 2-3 story lines, with the primary story line opening & closing each episode. Story lines do intertwine at times.
Regina is often referred to as “The City”.
The Howler is the local paper, which is known for frequently getting stories wrong, sensationalizing headlines, inaccuracies, and idiotic misspellings.
The police department has two squad cars. In most episodes, only one is actually used.
Dog River residents have a hatred for the people of neighboring town, Wullerton. Whenever Wullerton is mentioned, people have an unconscious habit of spitting. Their hatred is never discussed during the TV show, though is brought up on the 2014 movie.
Corner Gas is a good show for those looking for a family friendly programming. There’s plenty of dry humor The worst you’ll hear for language is “jackass” from Oscar Leroy. In the Pilates Twist, Paul (bartender) mentions how Wanda was “pissed” at Lacey.
Outside of that, I can’t think of anything that would be viewed as bad language.
Outside of that, I can’t think of anything that would be viewed as bad language.
The regular cast members are as follows:
Brent Leroy (Brent Butt):
Owner of Corner Gas, having inherited it from his father, Oscar Leroy.
Sarcastic & fun loving.
Participates in curling, softball, and baseball.
Reads comics.
Loves chili cheese dogs.
Fans of the Saskatchewan Roughriders & Minnesota Vikings.
Best friends with Hank.
Implied that Brent & Lacey have feelings for each other. Not acted on during the series.
Lacey Burrows (Gabrielle Miller):
Inherits the coffee shop from her Aunt Ruby, which was previously unnamed.
Names the coffee shop after her aunt.
From Toronto.
Constantly trying to fit in with the small town life, typically with bad results.
Terrible liar.
Jumps to conclusions quickly.
Poor winner.
Thinks everyone has a crush on her.
Thinks of herself as a sweetheart.
Knowledgeable about hockey.
Insecure.
Has regrets about where her life has gone.
Frustrated she can’t find a stable man in town.
Implied that Lacey & Brent have feelings for each other. Not acted on during the series.
Best friends with Brent.
Chronically unemployed.
Enjoys hanging out at Corner Gas, talking to Brent.
Frequently borrowing money from others, rarely paying them back.
Works various jobs, never holding anything down long term.
Can’t focus on anything long term.
Loves the CFL, especially the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Hockey fan (Vancouver Canucks).
Jack-of-all-Trades.
Not known as being bright.
Screws up constantly.
Wonda Dollard (Nancy Robertson):
Cashier at Corner Gas.
Self-professed smartest person in town.
Has a sardonic, caustic personality.
Loves to remind everyone of how smart she is.
Single mother to 6-year-old Tanner.
Tanner is a hell-spawnish child.
It’s implied that Hank is Tanner’s father.
Has a degree in linguistics and comparative religion.
Has a mild case of agoraphobia.
Oscar Leroy (Eric Peterson):
Brent’s father.
Previous owner/operator of Corner Gas.
Previous owner/operator of Corner Gas.
Stereotypical elderly father (grouchy, irritable, signs of senility).
Uses “jackass” as an all-purpose word. Episode 1 of the first season is the only time he doesn’t say it.
Frequently wants the cops to arrest people who annoy him.
Exclaims “Holy Hell!” when dealing with something new or things that surprise him.
Brain capacity is similar to Hank’s.
Often schemes with Hank.
Like Hank, Oscar is known for making frequent mistakes.
When dealing with government employees, he exclaims “my taxes pay your salary!”
Likes to build and fix things, only for his handy work to fall apart easily.
Emma Leroy (Janet Wright):
Mother to Brent.
Wife to Oscar.
The brains of the family.
Argues with Oscar constantly.
Usually has to fix Oscar’s problems, often making things worse.
Known for being strong.
Still manages to love Oscar, despite his faults.
Reacts poorly when it looks like other people are “taking her place” in Brent’s life.
Hobbies include knitting, crocheting, and gardening.
Active in various committees in town.
Others look to her for advice.
Cunning.
Domineering personality.
Quick tempered.
Sergeant Quinton Davis (Lorne Cardinal):
Senior officer.
Overly sensitive.
Naps on the job.
Tends to misspend the budget.
Makes up laws as he goes.
Doesn’t take his job seriously.
Loves sci-fi.
Believes the original Battlestar Galactica legitimately happened.
Commonly blurts out “All Right!” enthusiastically.
Fan of the Hardy Boys books.
Obsessed with Cosmopolitan magazine.
Cree Indian.
Divorced during the series, eventually marrying at the end of the series.
Constable Karen Pelly (Tara Spencer-Nairn):
Ambitious junior officer.
Can be neurotic at times.
Ranked 5th in Canada for static apnea.
Good cook.
Doesn’t know how to ride a bike.
At least 10 years younger then most of the other characters.
Wide range of skills (martial arts, drawing, cooking, drumming, etc.).
Takes her job seriously.
Tends to have petty disputes with Davis.
Along with the regular characters, there’s a short list of recurring characters. They are:
Fitzy Fitzgerald (Cavan Cunningham):
Mayor of Dog River.
Takes his job seriously.
Thinks everyone else wants his job and will sabotage him to take his job away from him.
Personal life is largely unknown.
Has 1 child, possibly a son.
Wes Humboldt (Mike O’Brien):
Owns & operates liquor store and insurance agency.
Father died saving his platoon during Korean War. Was told he ran off to join the circus.
Paul Kinisto (Mark Dieter):
Bartender at the Dog River Hotel.
Cree.
Does speak some Cree.
Claims to have masters in History.
Replaced by Phil Kinisto (relations unknown) in season 4.
Josh the Cook (Josh Strait):
Chef at the Ruby.
Silent & reserved.
Quits temporarily so he can be a llama farmer.
Helen Jensen (Jean Freeman):
Fitzy’s grandma.
Myrtle Runciman (Gwen Seed):
Elderly neighbor of Oscar & Emma.
Batty.
Participates on Oscar & Emma’s curling team.
Vague & senile.
Corner Gas is an easy show to enjoy, as far as I’m concerned. The humor is dry and simple. There’s no complex set up just to get a cheap laugh. Anyone that gets the chance should give the show a chance. I believe the episodes are on YouTube for those who are interested.
If you’re interested in a clean cut show, Corner Gas is worth watching.
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