# Five Canadian kids' shows worth revisiting

> Five forgotten Canadian children's TV shows that shaped Canadian pop culture.
- Title: Five Canadian kids' shows worth revisiting · Nationalpost
- Summary: Five forgotten Canadian children's TV shows that shaped Canadian pop culture. Five Canadian children's TV shows from the 1970s-1990s had lasting cultural…
- Keywords: the friendly giant, you can't do that on television, the raccoons, under the umbrella tree, cbc, canada, kids shows, children's television, news, politics, Five, Canadian
- Source: Nationalpost — https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/rewind-canadian-kids-shows
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: the friendly giant, you can't do that on television, the raccoons, under the umbrella tree, cbc, canada, kids shows, children's television, news, politics
## The Friendly Giant
The Friendly Giant aired from 1958 to 1985 on CBC after host Bob Homme moved his castle from Madison, Wis.

> Yes, The Friendly Giant did get its start on a radio station in Madison, Wis., followed by its sister television station WHA-TV.
## You Can’t Do That on Television
This Ottawa-based show ran from 1979 to 1990 and became popular for its slime prank on contestants who said 'I don’t know'.

> Any time a contestant on the show would say, 'I don’t know,' a goopy helping of green slop would fall on them
## The Raccoons
The Raccoons aired from 1985 to 1992 and featured Bert Raccoon battling greedy aardvark millionaire Cyril Sneer.

> The lively environmentalism-themed series saw Bert Raccoon (voiced by Len Carlson) and his married BFFs Melissa Raccoon (Linda Feige/Susan Roman) and Ralph Raccoon (Bob Dermer) battle greedy aardvark millionaire Cyril Sneer (Michael Magee).
## Under the Umbrella Tree
This CBC show ran from 1986 to 1993 and featured puppet characters singing and dancing in a living room on Ottawa's Spring Street.

> There was something special about this understated CBC show that ran before hits like Mr. Dressup and Sesame Street.
## The shows' cultural impact
All five shows became popular in Canada and had international reach, with some syndicated on Disney Channel until 1997.

> When production wrapped in 1993, the show was syndicated on The Disney Channel and Canal Famille until 1997.
## Legacy
The shows influenced Canadian pop culture and were celebrated with awards, including the 1988 Gemini Award for best animated series.

> The Raccoons’ accolades include the 1988 Gemini Award for best animated series
## Key takeaway

Five Canadian children's TV shows from the 1970s-1990s had lasting cultural impact despite being overlooked.