Nova Scotia Buzz
Canadian TV growing up in the 80s and 90s was great. It gave rise to Alanis Morissette, the series that launched the series which launched Drake and most of all, Nova Scotia transplant, but we like to call him our own, Jonathan Torrens.
When we were putting this together we noticed something! Jonathan Torrens has been a big part of our TV lives from the late 1980s and 90s on Street Cents, Jonovision in the 1990’s and today, on Trailer Park Boys, Mr. D and others.
You can thank your parents for raising you, but you can also thank YTV and CBC. So what did we watch in the 80s and 90s after coming home from school in Nova Scotia?
#1 Degrassi Junior High & Degrassi High
Degrassi Junior High and High tackled the tough subjects kids needed to hear about. Bullying, dating, death, sex, AIDS, racism, homophobia and many more. The two series recorded from 1987 until 1991
#2 You Can’t Do That On Television
If you think Nickelodeon invented getting slimed, you are slightly misinformed. It's Canadian and was invented on You Can't Do That On Television. If you timed it perfectly, you would be getting home just in time to watch. You heard the locker jokes, Barth's Burgers and the firing squad for ten seasons.
Alanis Morrisette appeared in five episodes recorded in 1986 and was slimmed three times.
#3 Jonovision
Jonovision was recorded in front of a live TV audience of teenagers in Toronto for the CBC and starred you guessed it, Jonathan Torrens as host. It was a talk show aimed at teens and featured comedy and many guests we could relate to. It aired from 1996 through 2001 with it's most popular episode probably being the Degrassi Reunion.
#4 Camp Cariboo
We apologize because you're about to get the theme song, I've Got A Head Like A Ping Pong Ball stuck in your head all over again. Camp Cariboo, that's right, not Caribou recorded from 1986 through 1989. Episodes took place at a fictional summer camp and featured, kids, riddles and short skits.
Viewers could mail in their own jokes and riddles that were shared during mail call time.
#5 Street Cents
Street Cents was taped in Halifax and recorded for CBC from 1989 until 2006 but it was the classic 90s episodes that we remember with Jonathan Torrens and Ken.
It taught us the value of a dollar with segments about being a conscious consumer and if products were great or... fit for the pit!
#6 Live at 5
After all our programs were done, it was time for our parents to take over the television and Live at 5 is what aired in most homes!
#7 Don’t You Put It In Your Mouth Commercial
We had to add this one at the end. You probably remember this commercial. "If you don't know just what it is, remember boys and girls... don't put it in your mouth!"
