Canada Reads

The day-to-day life of two unwilling partners of the Montreal Police Department, Officers Nick Barron and Ben Chartier. These two beat cops patrol the urban sprawl of downtown's 19th district, in cruiser No. 2. 19-2 is about the tensions and bonds that develop between two incompatible men of very different temperaments and life experiences. Over time, Nick and Ben's mistrust and antagonism for each other give way to moments of mutual respect and a wavering chance at a true partnership.

The funny, heartfelt story of The Kims, a Korean-Canadian family, running a convenience store in downtown Toronto. Mr. and Mrs. Kim ('Appa' and 'Umma') immigrated to Toronto in the '80s to set up shop near Regent Park and had two kids, Jung and Janet who are now young adults. However, when Jung was 16, he and Appa had a major falling out involving a physical fight, stolen money and Jung leaving home. Father and son have been estranged since.

A coming-of-age story about an outsider who, against all odds and numerous challenges, fights for love and acceptance and for her place in the world. The series centers on a young orphaned girl in the late 1890s, who, after an abusive childhood spent in orphanages and the homes of strangers, is mistakenly sent to live with an elderly woman and her aging brother. Over time, 13-year-old Anne will transform their lives and eventually the small town in which they live with her unique spirit, fierce intellect and brilliant imagination.

The Red Green Show is a Canadian television comedy that aired on various channels in Canada, with its ultimate home at CBC Television, and on Public Broadcasting Service stations in the United States, from 1991 until the series finale April 7, 2006, on CBC. The Red Green Show is essentially a cross between a sitcom and a sketch comedy series, and is a parody of home improvement, do-it-yourself, fishing, and other outdoors shows.

Two families compete against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey question posed to 100 people.

Constable Benton Fraser, an officer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, is attached to the Canadian consulate but works with Chicago Police Department to solve crimes.

Rod Serling narrates an anthology of fantasy, horror and sci-fi stories from a set resembling a macabre museum. A chilling work of art serves as the connective link between the stories.

R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour is a Canadian/American original anthology horror-fantasy series, with episodes each half an hour long. The series is based on The Haunting Hour: Don't Think About It Movie, and the books The Haunting Hour and Nightmare Hour anthology by R. L. Stine.

The Storyteller, aided by his cynical dog, narrates classic folk tales, fables, and legends.

A Canadian-produced fantastic anthology series scripted by famed science-fiction author Ray Bradbury. Many of the teleplays were based upon Bradbury's novels and short stories.

Conan O'Brien visits new friends he met through his podcast, "Conan O'Brien Needs a Fan," where he dives deep with listeners from across the country and the world.

France, 1815. Jean Valjean, a common thief, is released from prison after having lived a hell in life for 19 years, but a small mistake puts the law again on his trail. Ruthless Inspector Javert pursues him thorough years, driven by a twisted sense of justice, while Valjean reforms himself, thrives and dedicates his life to good deeds. In 1832, while the revolution ravages the streets of Paris, Valjean and Javert cross their paths for the last time.

Each week Bill Maher surrounds himself with a panel of guests which include politicians, actors, comedians, musicians and the like to discuss what's going on in the world.

Letterkenny follows Wayne, a good-ol’ country boy in Letterkenny, Ontario trying to protect his homegrown way of life on the farm, against a world that is constantly evolving around him. The residents of Letterkenny belong to one of three groups: Hicks, Skids, and Hockey Players. The three groups are constantly feuding with each other over seemingly trivial matters; often ending with someone getting their ass kicked.

Follow a group of high school freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors from Degrassi Community School, a fictional school in Toronto, Ontario, as they encounter some of the typical issues and challenges common to a teenager's life.

Dr. Bashir Hamed, a Syrian doctor with battle-tested skills in emergency medicine, makes the difficult decision to flee his country and build a new life in Canada with his younger sister Amira. Bash works to navigate a new environment after earning a coveted residency in the Emergency Department of one of the best hospitals in Toronto, York Memorial.

Based on the stories of Stephen King, the series intertwines characters and themes from the fictional town of Castle Rock.

A British television anthology of stories, often with sinister and wryly comedic undertones, and a twist at the end. With early episodes written and presented by Roald Dahl, the series featured a plethora of big name guest stars.

Eight pairs of Brick heads are pitted against each other in a quest to impress with their creativity, design and flair, driven by their unparalleled passion for the possibilities that will start with a single LEGO brick.

England in the 1520s is a heartbeat from disaster. If the King dies without a male heir, the country could be destroyed by civil war. Henry VIII wants to annul his marriage of twenty years and marry Anne Boleyn. The Pope and most of Europe oppose him. Into this impasse steps Thomas Cromwell: a wholly original man, a charmer, and a bully, both idealist and opportunist, astute in reading people, and implacable in his ambition. But Henry is volatile: one day tender, one day murderous. Cromwell helps him break the opposition, but what will be the price of his triumph?

People talking about books.

Clare, a neurotic American, moves to Glasgow and starts a book group to meet new, interesting people. But Kenny, Dirka, Rab, Fist and Janice are more interesting than she bargained for...

Ghostwriter is an American television program created by Liz Nealon and produced by the Children's Television Workshop and BBC One. It began airing on PBS on October 4, 1992, and the final episode aired on February 13, 1995. The series revolves around a close knit circle of friends from Brooklyn who solve neighborhood crimes and mysteries as a team of young detectives with the help of an invisible ghost named Ghostwriter. Ghostwriter can communicate with the kids only by manipulating whatever text and letters he can find and using them to form words and sentences. The series was filmed on location in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

The Book Quiz is a literary panel show. The first series, broadcast in 2007, was hosted by David Baddiel with a second 2008 series was hosted by Kirsty Wark.

La Grande Librairie is a 90-minute literary program, launched by François Busnel in September 2008 and presented by Augustin Trapenard since 2022, broadcast live every Wednesday on France 5. A direct successor to Bernard Pivot's Apostrophes, it is the only literary program scheduled in prime time and is considered the most influential program on book sales, thanks to its connection with small bookstores, which attest to the return of readers in many French cities.

Best-selling author Sebastian Faulks presents a major four part series on the brilliance of the British novel and its characters.

Series combining human stories, expert interviews, book illustrations and historic archive to reveal the beauty of books.

Touma Kamiyama is a novelist and the owner of the Fantastic Kamiyama Bookstore. Passionate about books, he can't stop talking about it once he gets started. He also has a heated side and values a promise above all else. He becomes Kamen Rider Saber, the flame swordsman, and joins the Sword of Logos after having a fateful encounter with the Sword of Flames, Rekka.

Six months ago, Lord Hugh Disward (Huey), lost his eccentric grandfather, Wes. To inherit Wes's estate, Huey must take guardianship over the 'Mystic Archives of Dantalian' that contains forbidden knowledge and a mysterious girl called Dalian. Dalian and Huey begin an unlikely partnership as they solve mysteries caused by Phantom Books.

Readalong was an educational, Canadian television program for young children, first produced in 1976 for TVOntario. The program taught fundamentals of reading with the help of live child actors and puppets, including a comically dressed grandmother figure named Granny and anthropomorphic footwear: a brown, male boot and pink, female shoe named, appropriately, Boot and Pretty. Other characters were Mister Bones, the Explorer, House, and the Thing. The Granny, Boot, and Pretty puppets are now housed at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. Noreen Young, who designed the puppets, also created puppets for other programs, including Under the Umbrella Tree. The characters were developed by Ken Sobol, who also wrote all the scripts for the series. The show's music was composed by Eric Robertson.

Read All About It! was a Canadian educational television series that was produced from 1979 to 1983 by TVOntario that aired during the early to mid-1980s; It also aired in repeats in the 1990s. It starred David Craig Collard as Chris, Lydia Zajc as Lynne, Stacey Arnold as Samantha, and Sean Hewitt as Duneedon, ruler of the galaxy Trialviron. In the second season Michael Dwyer joined the cast as Alex. The main goal of the show was to educate viewers in reading, writing and history. Each episode ran for approximately 15 minutes. Eric Robertson composed the music for the show.

Three people -- generally authors but also agents and publishers -- talk about their work as well as the hot topics of the day.

Biblia Second-hand Bookstore has been quietly open for business in some corner of Kamakura. Its owner is Shinokawa Shioriko, a young, pretty but introverted girl who is extremely shy around strangers and cannot interact well with people she meets for the first time. However, when it comes to knowledge of old books, no one can to compare to her. Talking about books makes Shioriko forget her shyness. In fact, she becomes eloquent and passionate. She unravels the mysteries and secrets associated with many old books with her vast knowledge and keen eye.