Shoresy on Crave as shown on a desktop. (Ben Kawchuk, CMRU.ca)
Introduction
With streaming services gaining pressure from the Canadian government to better promote Canadian content, giving these pieces of content a chance is now more important than ever. I watched the first episode of Shoresy to help understand this. I found this show in particular to be very Canadian per se. It was a little too dumb of a comedy style for my tastes, but I can understand why someone would like this. It does do good for Canada as it looks at many different Canadian languages and cultures throughout the episode. French Canadians and Indigenous peoples are greatly shown throughout the episode. It also takes place in Ontario and the main character talks with a very rural Ontarian accent that appears to be a little exaggerated as well.
Why it is Important
I believe shows such as this help provide Canadian streaming content with international recognition as well as within its national target audience. Canada has always struggled to get the attention from the US that shows from the US have in Canada. If people like these comedies that Canadian production companies bring out, then it overall helps the Canadian broadcasting landscape. These companies should be looking to provide more shows that have very Canadian symbols, like hockey, to give outside perspectives a sense of what makes Canadian content unique.
I also feel having shows that feel unique to what a country produces is also important. Shoresy can be seen as a very Canadian show with hockey taking centre stage and the satire of Canadian stereotypes persisting throughout. The main character is very potty-mouthed and encapsulates an over-exaggeration of rural Ontario with an overboard accent. While I again do not necessarily enjoy this show from the pilot, I find it does give Canadian culture centre stage in a way that will entertain many audiences. It is very different from other shows I have watched, and I would not say it’s a bad thing.
One opposing argument to what I am saying is this show just looks like an over-exaggeration of Canadian identity. The accents and small-town hockey vibe could very well be seen as stereotypical and take away from the fact of what the program is trying to present. This show could, to some people, be a bad example of what makes being Canadian important.
Conclusion
Overall, I find Shoresy does Canada well when it comes to the content itself as it has a very original taste to it and does not seem to stray away too much from the ridiculousness of it. It’s not for me but I do very much understand the appeal. It gives Canadian content a great sense of uniqueness and gives Canadian media content a sense of culture. If you’re into good old Canadian hockey shenanigans, then give this a shot (no pun intended).
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