CORNER GAS - THE FINAL EPISODE

A NEW LEARNING
I'm retired. So is this show. Final Episode. That was yesterday, Monday April 13th. In fact, On April 6, 2009, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall signed a proclamation that declared April 13, 2009 (and the same day every year after) "Corner Gas Day" in Saskatchewan. Is that a success or what!

You know how we tend to compartmentalize major events among the trivialities of life? Where were you when man first walked on the moon, or President JFK was assassinated, or when the Challenger shuttle blew up shortly after launch? Okay, my examples demonstrate my seniority. Something more current might be the 9/11 twin towers disaster. Where you and what were were you doing? You get my point. Corner Gas has been such a successful Canadian TV sitcom production that some of us will recall where we were when the final episode aired last night.

We were with friends who didn’t want to miss seeing the last episode. They recently vacationed in Australia and New Zealand, and the show is highly popular there. In fact it is shown in 26 countries. It’s a big success. What an enjoyable half hour of humour Corner Gas has been for the past six seasons. Like Cheers, Seinfeld and Friends, all of which garnered huge audiences at the end of a successful series Corner Gas was celebrated last night. The difference is Corner Gas is an all Canadian achievement. During the six seasons, it averaged one million viewers per episode and it won six Gemini awards. Creator Brent Butt wanted to conclude the series at its peak of popularity and he did.

Saskatchewan born and resident comic Brent Butt created the fictional town of Dog River, Saskatchewan where the only gas station for 60 kilometres in any direction is located. He wrote the concept while reflecting on what his life might have been like had he stayed in his hometown of Tisdale or some other prairie town to pump gas for a living. Brent has starred in the lead role as Brent Leroy, the station proprietor. The station is called Corner Gas and was first owned by Brent’s father Oscar. The station’s convenience store retail assistant is Wanda Dollard performed by actress Nancy Robertson who as a matter of fact, became Brent’s real-life wife on November 19, 2005 following production of the third season. The coffee shop called Ruby’s is owned by Lacy Burrows, played by Gabrielle Miller, and Lacy inherited Ruby’s from her aunt Ruby. Fred Ewaniuk plays Hank Yarbo, Brent’s best friend who is chronically unemployed and in fact finishes the series with a comment made about him never ever having a job. Genuine characters, easily likeable, and understood in any culture and with a gentle pace to dialogue and fun, Brent’s own production company, Prairie Pants scored a big one with this series. Can’t wait for his next venture.

Corner Gas Website