When it comes to the entertainment industry, it’s all very international these days, and Canada is definitely part of the whole ‘North American’ business.  Entertainment as a whole is huge in Canada and you will never have a dull moment!  But despite the global influences, Canada manages to retain its character and is even a major force in its own right.  There will be lots that will be familiar in Canadian entertainment but you will have fun discovering the world-class talent that originates from there too.

TV – what Canadians are watching

A lot of the TV shows will be known to you: Big Bang Theory for example is the most watched TV show in Canada, and has been for the last five years, and you will also see Big Brother and Game of Thrones.   Netflix Canada also has content that you will you know – House of Cards and True Detective and you may spot some familiar faces – Colin and Justin are big in Canada, with their show ‘Cabin Pressure’.    However, there are lots of original shows too, and this list from the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, details the current top award-winning shows.

1.  Orphan Black

2.  Call Me Fitz

3.  The Amazing Race Canada

4.  Rocket Monkeys

5.  UNSUNG: Behind the Glee

6.  Bomb Girls: Facing the Enemy

7.  Vikings

8.  Income Property

9.  Degrassi

10. Our Man in Tehran

 

Music – what Canadians are listening to?

As with TV, there is a lot of international common ground.  There will be many singers and bands that you will have heard of – Taylor Swift is huge in Canada, as is Mark Ronson (with his hit Uptown Funk) and Justin Bieber.   But don’t worry if the mainstream isn’t your thing – the music scene is very vibrant in Canada with rock and jazz being popular.  If you are particularly interested in checking out Canadian artists, this is a good place to start, but these are the Top Selling Albums in Canada in 2014 from all artists.

1 1989 – Taylor Swift
2 Frozen – Soundtrack
3 In The Lonely Hour – Sam Smith
4 X – Ed Sheeran
5 Ghost Stories – Coldplay
6 Pure Heroine – Lorde
7 Where I Belong – Bobby Bazini
8 Serge Fiori – Serge Fiori
9 Four – One Direction
10 The Endless River – Pink Floyd

 

Books – what Canadians are reading?

Canadian literature is going through an extremely buoyant patch (creatively if not financially!) and many prominent Canadian authors published new work last year: Margaret Atwood, Joseph Boyden, Lisa Moore, Lynn Coady, Eleanor Catton and Andrew Pyper to name but a few.  The chances are you have already read work by their home-grown authors but once you are there, you will be pleasantly surprised by just how vibrant the scene is.  Here is a Top Ten list of current acclaimed work to get started with:

1. All My Puny Sorrows – Miriam Toews

2. Sweetland – Michael Crummey

3. This One Summer – Mariko and Jillian Tamak

4.  Will Starling – Ian Weir

5.  For Tamara – Sarah Lang

6. The Unspeakable: And Other Subjects of Discussion – Meg han Daum

7. 10:04 – Ben Lerner

8.  Men: Notes from an Ongoing Investigation – Laura Kipnis

9.  Can’t and Won’t  – Lydia Davis

10. Every Day is for the Thief – Teju Cole

Here is an extract from this list where you can find another ninety books that should grace your bedside table at some point.

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