Customer Reviews

Made In Canada (aka The Industry) Episodes 1-6

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I stumbled across this show as "The Industry" on PBS a few years ago. It is one of the funniest sitcoms I have ever seen. Great dark, sarcastic comedy. I was thrilled when I found this DVD a while ago and have been deeply saddened that the rest of it has not been released (it ran five seasons, I believe) and PBS is no longer running it (in my area anyway). Who hasn't seen every episode of "Fawlty Towers" twice, anyway??

I caught this show on late-night PBS in the US and immediately loved it. I've always been a fan of Rick Mercer's intelligent rants anyway, and it was great to see him playing a character with a darker side than the Quinlan Quints. If you haven't seen the show, it involves Richard, a lowly script reader at a bad Canadian TV production company whose plan to climb the corporate ladder just happens to require destroying the careers of his co-workers. But hey, to make an omelet you've got to break a few eggs. And the comeuppance he receives at the end of the season is one of the funniest cliffhangers you'll ever see.

Actually, the whole show is very funny--I would not have thought backstabbing and double-dealing could be that humorous. It's also got enough plot twists that I did not see coming, to keep you on your toes. I've read interviews in which the writers said they modeled the scheming Richard on Shakespeare's "Richard III", and he does show the same mixture of drama and dry humor. The only real drawback to the show is that it makes the all-too-numerous crappy sitcoms out there look even crappier.

The subsequent seasons of this show weren't quite as tight as the first one, but they're still really good. So when are they going to be released on DVD? The first season seems to have a pretty high sales rank considering how long it's been released, and the tapes I made are starting to wear out!

This is probably what Enron, World Com would've been like if they'd been in television. This is a great, quick witted show. It's all about sharks circling each other. Very funny.

What can you say about a guy who leads a series off by drugging his brother-in-law in order to steal his job? Funny and entertaining is the way I'd put it. From the Viagra-abusing boss through the backstabbing vice-presidents, "Pyramid Studios" and its dysfunctional personnel make for a bitterly funny black comedy. The single-camera production let's you know that you are in the hands of pros, too.

Rick Mercer wrote and starred in this series that begins with this six-episode season, and what a set of six episodes it is. His character starts as an unnoticed script reader, but his ambition is matched only by his ruthlessness as he climbs the short corporate ladder at Pyramid. A trope established here concerns how at the end of each episode someone remarks to the camera either, "I think that went well," or "This is not good." In the initial six episodes, it is Richard who delivers each, five "that went well"s and one (literally) not-safe-for-work "this is not good" to bring a close to the season. Along the way, an arrogant action star gets his comeuppance, an older actor succumbs to vanity and unsterile conditions at a Mexican hair transplant clinic, and a rival gets a brief exile to Canada's great white north -- "Four hours north -- of Edmonton?" The writing is great, and the ensemble cast does a wonderful job. The layers of intrigue may not all be appreciated on first viewing, so be sure to plan to watch it at least twice.

For those who enjoy a darkly cynical but hilarious peek into the entertainment industry, you should immediately click to put this DVD in your cart. The only problem with this DVD is that there are six more seasons that have aired in this series, and they haven't gotten around to releasing any further seasons. Here's hoping they get around to it soon.

Sharp witty comedy about self-centred people at a television show production company named Pyramid. Very smartly written, charcters you will love and love to hate as they work to stab each other in the back and to gain the approval of their boss (Alan Roy); a man who got his start in producing trashy soft porn flicks and thinks The Sting 2 was a great movie. Highly recomended

The other reviewers have summed things up nicely. If you like biting satire and comedy more subtle than setup-punchline-setup-punchline, this is the show for you. Great characters and all sorts of backstabbing make this show a classic. Too bad only the first season has made it to DVD. WAKE UP CANWEST AND RELEASE THE OTHER SEASONS ALREADY!!

A+ for show content.
D- for DVD production value and extras (basically none).

This is Canadian satire at its best. Rick Mercer's writing is brilliant as always. The back stabbing antics of these television/movie executives kept me coming back for more. It has been likened to the Gary Shandling show, but I found this to be far more biting in its humor, and more universal (even though it was called Made in Canada, it could just have easily been about the film industry almost anywhere)
I loved this show and wanted to cry last year when it was cancelled. I hope that the other seasons do make it to DVD even though Salter Street Films is no longer. If I counted right there are 4 more seasons that are currently running in syndication on Bravo here in Canada.

A brilliant television series, unfortunately currently the only season available on DVD. Anyone who has ever worked in an office will see their work place in this series.

Well, I've got egg on my face. My previous review was for the "other" intelligent comedy if there ever was one...THE NEWSROOM. (also Canadian)
I still highly recommend Made in Canada. Rick Mercer is the darling of Canada, previously of This Hour has 22 Minutes.

I eagerly have watched the episodes of this series when I can find where the local PBS affiliate has found to hide them. In the US the series is identified as "The Industry". I wanted to offer another review because I suspect if someone were to expect something like the Simpsons he might be confused or disappointed. If analogy is desired I would compare it with "Yes Minister" which offered an insider's comic view of another part of society (the interaction of elected officials with civil servants in the UK). Although willing to use slapstick humor I would suggest it provides more subtle humor in most cases. The actor who portrays the boss is just perfect. In this series it is TV production but he could be from any industry.

I was particularly pleased to see that there are now no fewer than five seasons in existence. I hope everyone who is interested buys this first season to encourage the producers to continue making them available.