Network: CBC Television Network
Broadcast Run: 2004
Broadcast Medium: Television
Based on the BBC series, “The Great Britons” and contests in Britain, Germany and France, The Greatest Canadian sought to identify its top individuals in any field. First announced in the spring of 2004, the CBC sought nominations from Canadians. These names were submitted by mail, phone and by the internet.
Once tabulated, The Greatest Canadian debuted on September 25, 2004 as a two hour special with a list of the top 100 nominations. From this long list, the top 10 was presented as 10 short programs describing the accomplishments of each individual. Viewers were then invited to vote for their favourite Canadian.
The programs added a contemporary twist by asking a prominant Canadian to advocate on behalf of his or her, favourite, in order to solicit votes from viewers. These programs aired over a six week period in the fall of 2004, with the final winner announced November 29th. The top three: Tommy Douglas, Terry Fox and Pierre Elliot Trudeau.
The Top 10 Canadians, in alphabetical order:
Sir Frederick Banting, Alexander Graham Bell, Don Cherry, Tommy Douglas, Terry Fox, Wayne Gretzky, John A. Macdonald, Lester B. Pearson, David Suzuki and Pierre Eliot Trudeau.
Programs were produced by the CBC Documentary Unit under the guidance of Area Executive Producer, Mark Starowicz.
Written by John Corcelli – February, 2005