Hmmm, would you think I am being facetious if I said Brent Leroy is my hero?
I resigned myself some time ago to the fact that I am no longer in the prime demographic that television programming targets. I often surf back and forth through the seemingly endless number of television channels searching for something I consider worth watching.
The current programs I enjoy can be counted on the fingers of one hand. More and more I find myself defaulting to the channels that specialize in rerunning series that are out of production and have been for some time.
One series that I continue to watch whenever the opportunity arises is the quirky Canadian sitcom Corner Gas. The lighthearted look at the residents of the fictional town of Dog River, Saskatchewan ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009. Reruns continue to ride the airwaves suggesting that I am not the only one who gravitates to it.
I have always considered Corner Gas to be the kinder, gentler, Canadian version of the classic and edgy American sitcom Seinfeld. The two series share the distinction of being a show about nothing – or more accurately, about the small, mundane things that occupy the majority of our lives. Both series poke fun at our many foibles.
Nothing of any consequence ever happens in Dog River and that is part of its charm. In a world where we are forever looking over our shoulder or around the corner for the next act of shocking violence or terrorism, chuckling at the idiosyncrasies of Brent, Hank, Wanda, Emma, Oscar, Davis, Karen and the rest of the gang is a welcome reprieve.
I confess that there are days when I would very much like to be Brent Leroy. Brent is perfectly content to occupy his little corner of the universe which comprises the Corner Gas station and convenience store, the Ruby Diner and surrounding locales. Happiness for Brent is a chili cheese dog for lunch, trading barbs with know-it-all Wanda and humouring hapless Hank.
Have you noticed that, with the exception of Oscar and Emma, all the main characters on Corner Gas are single? They are mostly unencumbered by the challenges of romantic relationships. You can argue that this take on life is unrealistic and even that it sets a poor example.
But the residents of Dog River come across as one big, slightly dysfunctional family who collectively meet each other’s needs. All the news they need is what appears in the Dog RiverHowler or gets talked about over beers at the Dog River Hotel. Some days that seems like utopia to me.
Corner Gas succeeded as a sitcom, and lives on in continuous reruns, because it is a fictional metaphor for what so many of us crave these days – simplicity in its purest form and an out of the way place that leaves behind the stresses and dangers of the big, bad world.
I confess that Brent Leroy is my hero. Who else could go on vacation and travel the world without ever leaving his comfortable lawn chair in the middle of a vacant field in front of Corner Gas?
~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog.
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Tags: Brent Leroy · Corner Gas · Dog River · Dog River Howler · Hank Yarbo · metaphor · Michael Robert Dyet · Seinfeld · The RubyNo Comments