‘Corner Gas’ pumped for finale
Corner Gas has only two finales left, and one of them is tonight.
The popular Canadian sitcom will air its fifth-season finale this evening on CTV. This comes on the heels of the announcement that season No. 6 will be the last for the show.
Fans can expect something special tonight, as regularly has been the case with the previous season-finales of Corner Gas.
Remember last year when we all were set up to believe that massive changes had occurred? And then, well, nothing actually changed. It was all a dream, and life went on as usual in Dog River.
As things begin tonight, it’s 30 minutes before midnight, at which point Brent — played by series creator Brent Butt — will turn 40.
As you would expect, the other seven main characters — Lacey, Wanda, Hank, Oscar, Emma, Davis and Karen — are planning a big bash. But as you equally would expect, those party plans go awry.
With the final season set to begin shooting next month in Saskatchewan, Butt said he has taken the time to appreciate what a unique endeavour Corner Gas has been. After all, Canadian sitcoms usually stink; and even when they’re good, usually nobody watches; so to have one that doesn’t stink and people actually watch it, too? Well, sound the trumpets.
“It was an anomaly and the likelihood of having a million and a half people watch whatever I do next is pretty slim,” admitted Butt, who presumably will continue to develop other projects for CTV.
‘SMELL THE AUTHENTICITY’
“So I am kind of intellectually aware of that aspect. But the idea isn’t to create Corner Gas again. The idea is to do the same thing I did with Corner Gas, which is, not worry about what the response is or how many people watch. Just worry about doing a funny show, and then no matter what happens, you can walk away with your head held high.”
Corner Gas also has benefited from the fact that it isn’t directed at any specific portion of the TV audience.
“One of the things I was most appreciative of was that CTV never gave me a demographic to write to, or any type of agenda,” Butt said. “And I think people smell the authenticity of that, or felt it, you know?
“They knew we weren’t trying to be something we weren’t. A lot of shows try to be hip and edgy and adult, and generally fail, right? I always have found it kind of ironic that shows that consider themselves ‘adult’ are often the same type of show somebody in Grade 7 would write. ‘And then they jump into bed and have sex, and then they go skateboarding.’ ”
Hmmm … have you copyrighted that one, Brent?
In any event, tonight isn’t the end of Corner Gas, but merely the beginning of the end.
“It’s one of those things, kind of a no-win situation in a way,” Butt said of the decision to stamp an expiry date on his pride and joy. “But I have no doubt this was the right time.
“That’s the rock I’m hanging onto through all this. Whenever I seriously ask myself, ‘Was this the right time?’ the answer always comes back, ‘Yes.’ ”
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