Because I was desperate for something to watch while grading papers, and wanting to use our Amazon Prime membership, I decided to give the show a try.
Glad I did.
First of all, this is NOT going to be an "I'm so enlightened because I'm watching a Canadian TV program and they're SO much better than what we produce in the United States" kind of post. Because maybe the rest of Canadian TV is just as bad as what I'm familiar with here, and maybe there are great American TV shows out there that I haven't watched.
I don't watch a lot of TV. I am richer with TV from the '70s and '80s than I am anything more modern.
Anyhoo, "Corner Gas" is a hoot.
I won't go into a synopsis or introduction to the show, as that's what the Internet is for.
And while it's tempting to say "Corner Gas" is what "Napoleon Dynamite" could be if it were a TV show, the comparison is only apt in that both the show and the movie have a small-town setting. Okay, and quirky characters. But the goals of each are different.
Corner Gas feels more like a "slice of life" TV show with a refreshing rural setting. I say refreshing because the vast majority of TV shows I see now -- and again, I don't watch many of them -- have an urban setting, because that appears to be what appeals to the audience and what the algorithms tell producers and writers are where they should be to pursue those coveted eyeballs/advertising dollars.
That Corner Gas has wide appeal in Canada shows that character-driven stories can thrive in even unexpected settings. And maybe there's a Canadian paen to small-town life, similar to the American longing for the 1950s, that I'm not aware of that adds to this show's popularity.
That doesn't matter. This show is fun.
I probably connect the most with Brent Leroy, owner of Corner Gas, who appears to have a job only because it helps him fuel his comic book and chili cheese dog habits. He appears to have no competition and would probably fare well enough even if he had competition, because his laid-back amiability appeals to those around him.
Next is Hank Yarbo, Brent's life-long friend, whose work ambitions are even less defined than Brent's. AGAIN, I HAVE THIS ATTRACTION TO LAZY MEN WHO GET BY BUT HAVE NO REAL AMBITIONS OUTSIDE OF THE SIMPLE DRIVES OF CHILDHOOD. This probably tells you a lot more about me than I'd ever want known.
Anyway, if you have Amazon Prime, give Corner Gas a chance. Unless you're still a strict believer in the Rural Purge.
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