by Tod Maffin
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Canada just got its TV show back.
The Littlest Hobo was a Canadian TV series that ran here from 1979 to 1985. 114 episodes. If you grew up then, you watched it. Sometimes you didn't choose to; it was just on. That's the way TV was back then.
T O D B I T
The Canadian Littlest Hobo was actually a revival. It was based on a 1963–1965 American TV series of the same name, which was inspired by a 1958 film.
A formula with four paws
The plot was basically the same each show: a German Shepherd wandered from town to town, solved everyone's problems, turned down every single offer of a warm home and a loving family, and left.
Every. Single. Time.
It shouldn't have worked. There was no recurring cast. No owner, no precocious kid sidekick. The dog was the only character that kept coming back.
Canada has always understood that the quiet thing done well is worth more than the loud thing done poorly.
The Littlest Hobo was kind of a Canadian parable, really. Our patron saint of relentless decency.
Soon, he'll be coming back in a reboot of the series.
The guys behind it are Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, whose Apple TV+ series The Studio walked away from the Emmys with 13 wins last year.
This is the perfect time.
I don't mean from a TV schedules or ad season point of view. I mean where Canada is right now, in this very specific and strange and important chapter of our history.
The world is watching us differently than it used to. Canada is being held up, cautiously, as proof that a country can still choose kindness. As a new world leader. As an antidote to fascism.
There aren't many details about how the show will look. Their news release promises that the Hobo will still be little but the adventures will be big.
Maybe tomorrow
What I do know is that these days, Canada keeps having moments like this.
And maybe one day, when the noise south of the border finally settles, and someone down there is looking for a sign that people can still be decent, someone will show up at the door. Help out. Ask for nothing. And keep walking.
Maybe not today.
But maybe tomorrow.
Correction: In last week’s newsletter, I said that redistricting of federal ridings occurs after every census. In fact, it happens after every other census (i.e., every 10 years).
My new limited-edition shirt is now available: The Emotional Support Canadian!
Hand-illustrated by Amy Pye, an artist in Nanaimo BC (i.e., not AI), these are the most comfortable shirts you’ll ever own.
And there are lots of options for all genders (the women’s cuts really are for women, not just “unisex”).
🍁 100% made in Canada (ALL of it! From sewing to shipping!)
📦 Ships to Canada, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, or anywhere
🌿 Crafted from sustainable material
💛 Partial proceeds to charity
🥖 Aussi offert en français
But only this month!
I am closing my merch store for the summer after June 30th, so don’t sleep on these. I’ll also be stopping sales on the Relentless Decency and I Stand With Canada shirts, so if you've wanted either of those shirts, now's the right time to pick one up: shop.todmaffin.com
Trivia
Which famous Canadian had one of his earliest television roles on The Littlest Hobo?
— 30 —
Join the discussion about this issue in my Discord community
The Weekly Poll
Which classic Canadian TV show should be rebooted next?
Last Week:
The Funny Bone
Trump Revisits Idea to Annex Canada and Make It the 51st State
by Greg Kearney; used under licence.
What You Missed This Week
The Good News ♥️
An increasing number of businesses, from food delivery to bike repair and landscaping, are using bikes, e-bikes, and trailers instead of vans or trucks to deliver services.
A couple in Fort St.John, BC are using their car as a mobile billboard to destigmatize mental health issues.
In 2017, a Nova Scotia man gave his mother “the gift of time.” The pair has kept their tradition going for 9 years.
A former motel near downtown Moncton, NB, is being converted into supportive housing units.
A family in Kelowna, BC, has been reunited with their dog, a three-year-old mini Australian shepherd named Dais, after she survived, escaped, and ran from a rollover crash.
SCIENCE!!!!!! 🔭
Some experts are calling AI service agents “overhyped,” and a major AI software company has noted that the agents fail to produce professionally acceptable work more often than not.
A pancreatic cancer pill that doubled survival rates may be approved for a clinical trial in Canada.
The First Peoples 🪶
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nation has created a sustainable development project set to provide 6,000 homes in Vancouver, BC.
The University of Toronto Scarborough Campus provides a culturally safe space with the newly opened Indigenous House.
20 Robert Munsch titles are being translated into Indigenous languages.
Middle school students in Saint John, NB, created a 10,000-piece mosaic to honour residential school survivor Andrea Simon of Abegweit First Nation in P.E.I.
Canadian Content 🍁
The Canadian Screen Awards were held last Sunday; find your new favourite Canadian show or movie by checking out the list of winners and nominees here.
Montreal-born Nashville-based country singer Paige Somerville has released her debut album Blue Houses.
Karin Fekko discusses living with MS while blending humour with tragedy in her new storytelling special, Multiple Neurosis.
Happy Pride Month! 🏳️🌈
Canadians who wish to celebrate Pride can find events in their regions using this website.
Governor General Mary Simon urged Canadians to “speak out against all forms of hate and discrimination” in her Pride season message.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow raised the Pride flag at city hall and presented the key to the city to faith leaders who helped to secure marriage equality.
Across Canada 📍
Post-secondary students on Prince Edward Island are gearing up to help fight wildfires on P.E.I. and across the country this summer.
Prince Edward Island is getting camera-ready for a new Netflix series based on the novel “This Summer Will be Different” by Canadian author Carley Fortune.
The National Capital Commission has announced that swimming docks will be installed on both sides of the Ottawa River.
Sports 🏒
Uzbekistan’s men’s national soccer team wrote a heartwarming message for Canada ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
Alphonso Davies is among the 26 players who will represent Canada at the FIFA World Cup this summer.
Canadian Winter Olympic medallists, short-track speedskater Courtney Sarault, and freestyle skier Mikael Kingsbury have been named Calgary Stampede parade marshals.
Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed members of the Montreal Victoire, Canada’s first PWHL champions, to his office in Ottawa on Tuesday.
The Canadian Football League (CFL) has kicked off a new season with new rules in place.
Politics 🧑⚖️
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada's economy is being "fundamentally transformed" by his government as it responds to the U.S. trade war.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford received a gag gift from Ontario Liberals intended to poke fun at Ford’s purchase of a $28.9 million private airplane.
After renewed calls to make Canada the 51st state, Prime Minister Mark Carney said he won't respond to everything U.S. President Donald Trump posts online.
In Case You Missed It
Canada’s Market This Week
Royal Bank | |
TD Bank | |
Enbridge | |
ScotiaBank | |
Bank of Montreal | |
CP Rail | |
Shopify | |
Canadian Tire | |
Loblaws | |
Tim Hortons (RBI) | |
Dollarama | |
Rogers |