The Beachcombers

Sunday nights in Canada were never complete until "The Beachcombers" were over. Now, one can watch the show in all it's glory on TV Land Canada, Thank God for the CRTC and their Canadian Content rules or this could be a lost gem. While a graduate student in the US, I was surprised at the number of American students who were close to the border and fell in love with "The Beachcombers", I even remember the commercials that Bruno Gerussi used to do for McCain's back then. It is indeed sad that Nick, Molly, and Relic are no longer with us as that would have made for a better TV reunion movie. Thanks again to TV Land Canada, your continued support of "The Beachcombers" is graciously appreciated by the fans.

My public school days come flooding back to me all over again. Every Sunday night, I would watch this show religiously when I was a little kid. I used to call it "The Boat Show" before I ever knew what the name of it was. I thought it was so cool to see these guys ride around in their little boats and collect logs, then go drink coffee at Molly's Reach. Instead of Canadians portraying themselves as hard-drinking hosers, this show was a positive role model for our country. These life-loving vital people have a lot of humour and really share the expansive land. Man, they don't make them like this anymore. Too bad. Its simple love of life and people is totally endearing; it still towers above most of the crapola that crowds most of the tube today. Every Sunday night after I watched this, I would go take a bath, and play with my boats in the tub. Sometimes art and life are connected more closely than we think.

There is not a Canadian over the age of 25 that is not familiar with Nick and his life in Gibson's Landing as portrayed on The Beachcombers. To me, there is no CBC series that has become an icon as The Beachcombers have. The strongest was the first 5 season, 1971-1976, before the show lost Hughie and Jesse. Of course, as any long running series (Canada's longest), many original cast members left and in the end, it was only Nick and Relic. A bit hokey, but that was the CBC back then. Filmed on location on the British Columbian coast.

I grew up in the Muskoka area in Ontario and remember watching The Beachcombers every Sunday evening. It was one of the last shows of the evening we were allowed to stay up and watch before bed time. It really is hard to believe "Nick" and "Relic" are both gone. They will be forever remembered with a fondness that a lot of Canadians felt for the show. So many of our Canadian icons have fallen the last few years that it serves to remind us how quickly time passes. Nick, Relic, Mr. Dressup, Friendly Giant all legends in their own right to a generation of thankful youngsters who are quickly entering into the final leg of their own journey through life. Let the younger "Boomers" reflect on their own childhood and bring The Beachcombers back to Mollys Reach and Edmonton and Bracebridge and Halifax...

This show is dated but it's still a Canadian classic. And who would have believed it would have stayed on anywhere near as long as it did? It's like Coronation Street but just about these people gathering wood on beaches and the adventures they fall into. Crazy.