The ‘90s and the noughties were an interesting time. The fashion was atrocious, music hit some sort of sweet spot, and movies were still (mostly) original. And Canadian TV shows, oh man, were they great. I mean, they were cheesy as all hell and often just south of sane, but they were memorable and entertaining. Which gets me wondering, what ever happened to the stars of the shows that helped us cure boredom during our childhoods while simultaneously making us all a little weird?
Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1990 – 2000)
Source: Her
Are You Afraid of the Dark? was more than just an eerie opening, it was a horror anthology series where a group of teens known as “The Midnight Society” would get together to tell each other creepy stories. Gary, the leader of the group, was played by Ross Hull. Hull went on to act in a few more things but has since become a meteorologist for Global News!
The Red Green Show (1991 – 2006)
Source: Listal
This sitcom/sketch comedy show has the titular character, played by Steve Smith, and Harold (Patrick McKenna), try to host a handyman show of sorts. Since the end of the show, Smith has starred and written a few things, mostly Red Green Show related. His last work seems to have been a comedy tour he did back in 2016. McKenna has done a fair amount of work since his time on the show, such as his new TV show Insomnia, which is set to premiere sometime this year. He’s also very charitable, helping out many organizations that work with ADHD, Lupus, and more.
The Big Comfy Couch (1992 – 2006)
Source: IMDb
The Big Comfy Couch was a popular show for the preschool and kindergarten crowd back in the day. It starred Alyson Court (and later Ramona Gilmour-Darling) as Loonette the clown. With her doll Molly, the two of them worked through educational tasks, much like any other show for the age range. Of course, like other shows of the time, it was odd, but super fun and left a lasting impression. (Seriously, will I ever forget the clock stretch? I’m hoping yes, but signs are pointing to no.) But whatever happened to Alyson Court? Well, she’s still acting! Some of her more recent credits include a guest role on Murdoch Mysteries and voice work for the new Inspector Gadget show.
Due South (1994 – 1999)
Source: Vickster51Corner
A show about a badass over-zealously Canadian Mountie (Paul Gross) helping the Chicago police solve crimes, while wearing his uniform the entire time? Sign me up! I kid, but that show changed lives; Americans now know that the RCMP is a thing! More importantly though, what happened to Paul Gross? He’s still acting (as well as directing, writing, and producing). His most recent endeavours include the CBC shows Caught and Alias Grace. He also seems to be trying to single-handedly keep big-budget Anglo-Canadian cinema alive with movies like Passchendaele and Hyena Road. Gross’ first co-star in the series, David Marciano, is also acting, having recently been in the shows Bosch and Shooter.
Relic Hunter (1999 – 2002)
Source: Hollywood.com
Probably one of the most criminally underrated shows ever, Relic Hunter was about a badass professor and archeologist Sydney Fox (Tia Carrere) and her assistant Nigel Bailey (Christien Anholt) who travel the world finding relics to make sure they didn’t end up in the wrong hands. Since appearing in the show, Carrere has accomplished a lot. She’s acted in many shows and films (including the Wayne’s World movies) and has even won a few Grammy Awards! Anholt’s career hasn’t been as active as his co-star’s, but he’s still maintaining steady work, especially in the theatre and more indie endeavours. His most recent being a commercial for Dubai Properties.
These shows (and many more) were staples in a lot of households during their runs. It’s nice to see that most of the actors that brought entertainment into our homes are still doing well for themselves. And who knows, maybe they’ll find themselves part of another memorable series for another generation!