You Can't Do That on Television

You Can't Do That on Television

1979
You Can't Do That on Television
You Can't Do That on Television

You Can't Do That on Television

8.1 | en | Comedy

You Can't Do That on Television is a Canadian television program that first aired locally in 1979 before airing internationally in 1981. It featured pre-teen and teenaged actors in a sketch comedy format. Each episode had a theme. The show was notable for launching the careers of many performers, including Alanis Morissette, and writer Bill Prady, who would write and produce shows like The Big Bang Theory, Gilmore Girls and Dharma and Greg. The show was produced by and aired on Ottawa's CTV station CJOH-TV. After production ended in 1990, the show continued in reruns on Nickelodeon through 1994, when it was replaced with the similar All That. The show is synonymous with Nick, and was at that time extremely popular, with the highest ratings overall on the channel. The show is also well known for introducing the network's iconic slime. The program is the subject of the 2004 feature-length documentary, You Can't Do That on Film, directed by David Dillehunt.

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Seasons & Episodes

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EP1  Changes aka Project 131
Jul. 21,2004
Changes aka Project 131

Because of the 25 year anniversary, the cast (having been doing the show all these years, but is so bad that no one will air it) are given one final aired episode. Ross is retiring, Brodie is given the new Chez Barth's, Vanessa (who is with child) and Marjorie are up to no good, and Alasdair and Justin are mad because they weren't in enough scenes. Things are changing...but, is change good? Will the kids finally be relieved of their duties at the show as the ultimate change? This is the official reunion episode of the series.

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8.1 | en | Comedy | More Info
Released: 1979-02-03 | Released Producted By: Carleton Productions , Country: Canada Budget: 0 Revenue: 0 Official Website: http://www.ycdtotv.com/
Synopsis

You Can't Do That on Television is a Canadian television program that first aired locally in 1979 before airing internationally in 1981. It featured pre-teen and teenaged actors in a sketch comedy format. Each episode had a theme. The show was notable for launching the careers of many performers, including Alanis Morissette, and writer Bill Prady, who would write and produce shows like The Big Bang Theory, Gilmore Girls and Dharma and Greg. The show was produced by and aired on Ottawa's CTV station CJOH-TV. After production ended in 1990, the show continued in reruns on Nickelodeon through 1994, when it was replaced with the similar All That. The show is synonymous with Nick, and was at that time extremely popular, with the highest ratings overall on the channel. The show is also well known for introducing the network's iconic slime. The program is the subject of the 2004 feature-length documentary, You Can't Do That on Film, directed by David Dillehunt.

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Cast

Adam Greydon Reid , Ruth Buzzi , Klea Scott

Director

Roger Damon Price

Producted By

Carleton Productions ,

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Reviews

robodrolet You Can't Do That On Television is an all time Canadian TV classic. If you have never seen it you missed out because it was funny, it was groundbreaking, it was hilarious and it had real people in it with real comedy talent, even though most of the people who appeared over the years were kids they were funny and relatable and just plain fun. I wish it had never ended or would come back. 10/10.
hellraiser7 One of the things I always loved about he Nickalodion channel back then was the fact that kids always had the ability to participate in a television show of their own, have their own set of rules to abide by and creative freedom.It was one of the first TV shows I saw when I first watched Nick, two things went through my mind when I saw it for the first time. One, what in the hell did I just watch and two, this is the most bizarre, funny, creative, innovative show ever. And of course I couldn't help but watch it more and more, laughing all the way through. I remember participating a little while watching, I really wished I had a chance to be one of the cast members.The show had strengths which have made them memorable. For one thing, the stars in the show all of them were real ordinary kids, they weren't any typical comedian, professional actor, had plastic surgery, or chiseled features. We saw kids with an honest eye, some physically attractive or not so attractive, their acting wasn't always polished (in fact most of them never acted before), however they all won us over with their bright honest personalities and were actually funny.Also there were no special guest stars, that was a good thing because I always thought it was a hit or miss affair when it comes to comedy. Just like both "Monty Python" and "Almost Live" they carried themselves out on their own with whatever they had, it's true they were operating on a low budget but the limitations it had proved to be it's greatest strengths, and stayed true to their direction in comedy.The show was a parody on the kids counterculture of the 80's. The skits, though not smoothly written all of them in a strange way sort of acknowledged this with honesty and tied it in with cartoon lunacy every kids common fears, experiences and anxieties within that decade some still exist today. These were things I could easily emphasize with, who hasn't felt that fear of putting a quarter into an out of order arcade game, disappointment over spending money over a bad movie, sickness over bad fast food, simple fear of death, getting tricked in some way, just anything else you can think of. All this made the comedy all the more funny because it was true.There are a lot of favorites of mine like this one where it takes place in a movie theater. The kids see a trailer for the new Rambo film called "Rambo Kills Everyone". This kids wonder why it's called that until the character points his gun at them, and suddenly their fired on. Some actually get killed in either the shots or explosions. Being a Rambo fan it was comic gold.Blip, a manager of a video arcade who is always scheming to steel away his customers quarters by either bad arcade cabinets which eat our quarters without giving them back or even bad video games.Barth, my favorite comic character in the show is a burger joint cook, dirty, gruff, funny, and just plain disgusting. Like a satellite he's able to catch a crack comment about himself and say toward the kids my favorite line in a varied vocal volume, "IIIIIIIII heard that." Or even makes a strange comment that makes the kids puke out their burgers and he wears a face of glee as if he's hearing music. Just remembering this makes me glad not to eat fast food so much.Kids about to be executed in a firing squad by some third world country (Cuba or Iran?). But the general never finishes his order, he simply always stops at "Ready, AIMMM..." because he gets caught up in a ridiculous conversation the kid is suing to trick him. And the general would accidentally say "Fire" and he would get shot. I couldn't help but pretend to be one of the firing squad every time it happened it shouldn't be funny but it is, sometimes the kid would accidentally get killed but I didn't mind because it was comedy not real.Or how about that simple build up sketch, where in a live stage one of the characters would have a ridiculous conversation with someone and would just be leading them into a trap by tricking them into mentioning the deadly secret words "I don't know" and they would dump this load of slime, or even just mentioning another deadly word "water" and then a load of water would be dumped on them. It was always a joy to see, there is always something about making someone messy that's funny, but also made me wish that I could get slimed because it really looked fun.By today's standards this show can be seen as a time capsule of the 80's, it's a shame it didn't have the same immortal life span of "SNL' we could have seen the counterculture of the 90's, 00's, now and beyond. Along with whole new generations of kids but after ten years the show ran out of slime and ended. "You Can't Do that on Television" is literally a part of my childhood memories, it may be gone but not forgotten, like that slime that splashes on kids it has left a mark that can't be washed away.Rating: 3 and a half stars
WrathChld This was truly one of the classic shows from my youth. This show stepped outside of the box separating itself from the ordinary shows on television. It really paved the way for many Nickelodeon shows that would come to follow. Take the slime for instance. Slime is one of the major trademarks of Nickelodeon and slime had its debut on YCDTOT. In my opinion this was a cross between "Married with Children" and a sketch show. The show wasn't timid like many shows found on Nick today. Probably because it's 2005 and not the 1980's, but still YCDTOT was allot more racy and edgy than any show I can think of that is now on Nick. Forget about the animated shows when thinking about my previous statement. I know animated entertainment seems to get away with things that other "real people" shows don't.I have good memories of this show and I wish it found its way back to the airwaves or at least DVD. I know. I have heard the reasons why it may never see the light of day again. I feel bad that I won't get to relive some off the wall humor, but more than that to think many generations won't know the joy of YCDTOT is a shame. Hopefully somehow it will be worked out and the show in some format will be seen again. Maybe just maybe someone will bring the show back with a new cast. It's about time we said,"I don't know" and got slimed.
Angel Meiru I cannot believe that Nickelodeon has taken off "You Can't Do That on Television" (due to PC reasons of course *gags*), in fact, it was THIS show that defined the classic slime gags on the Nickelodeon from the late 70's. through the 80's and the early 90's.My favorite stetches were the "Barfy Burgers", a satire on unkept restraunts, the part where the kid gets sludged for saying "I don't know?" and anything mocking strict municipalities.Too bad this got replaced with more PC CRAP like "As Told By Ginger", "Wild Thornberries" and "Rocket Power. Shame on you Nick!