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{{Short description|Canadian television sitcom created by Brent Butt}}
{{Infobox Television
{{Use Canadian English|date=December 2024}}
| show_name = Corner Gas
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}
| image = ]
{{Infobox television
| caption = The Intro Screen to the Season 1 DVD.
| format = ] | image = Cornergas logo.png
| runtime = 21–23 minutes
| picture_format = ] (])<br>] (])
| camera = | genre = ]
| runtime = 22 minutes
| creator = ] | creator = ]
| executive_producer = {{Unbulleted list| Brent Butt | David Storey | Virginia Thompson }}
| developer =
| producer =
| executive_producer = ]<br>David Storey<br>Virginia Thompson
| starring = ]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>] | starring = {{Plainlist|
* Brent Butt
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
}}
| narrated =
| country = Canada
| language = English
| network = ]
| first_aired = {{start date|2004|1|22}}
| last_aired = {{end date|2009|4|13}}
| opentheme = "Not a Lot Goin' On" by ] and ] | opentheme = "Not a Lot Goin' On" by ] and ]
| endtheme = "My Happy Place" by ] | endtheme = "My Happy Place" by ]
| country = {{flagicon|Canada}}] | num_seasons = 6
| network = ] | num_episodes = 107
| first_aired = ], ] | list_episodes = List of Corner Gas episodes
| last_aired = present | related = {{Plainlist|
* '']''
| num_episodes = ] (as of ], ])
}}
| list_episodes =
| website = http://www.cornergas.com Corner Gas
| imdb_id =
| tv_com_id =
}} }}


'''''Corner Gas''''' is a Canadian television ] created by ]. The series ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009. Reruns still air on ], ], ], ], ], ] and are streaming on ] and ]. The series was followed by a feature film titled '']'', with the entire cast reprising their roles. The film was released for a limited theatrical run in December 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hopper |first=Tristin |date=May 22, 2014 |title=Corner Gas movie's $8.5M budget is 75% from government funding despite success of the original TV series |url=http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/05/21/corner-gas-movies-8-5m-budget-is-75-from-government-funding-despite-success-of-the-original-tv-series/ |access-date=August 13, 2015 |website=National Post}}</ref><ref name="CBC.ca">{{Cite press release |title=Corner Gas movie starts shooting in Saskatchewan next month |date=May 20, 2014 |publisher=CBC |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/corner-gas-movie-starts-shooting-in-saskatchewan-next-month-1.2647932 |access-date=May 20, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Thompson |first=Virginia |title=Corner Gas: The Movie |url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1776228079/corner-gas-the-movie |access-date=May 27, 2014 |website=Corner Gas |publisher=Kickstarter}}</ref>
'''''Corner Gas''''' is an award-winning ] ] which has aired on ] and ] since 2004. Deriving its name from the roadside gas station located in the fictional town of ], the series revolves around life in small-town ].
==Overview==
Corner Gas is the only ] for 60 kilometres in any direction (according to the first season episode "Ruby Reborn"). Brent Leroy (]) is the proprietor of the station and Wanda works at the station's convenience store as a retail assistant. An adjoining ] (The Ruby) is owned by Lacey Burrows (]), who inherited it from her aunt.


Deriving its name from the roadside ] in the fictional town of ], ], Corner Gas is the only gas station for {{convert|60|km|mi}} in any direction. Brent Leroy (Butt) is the proprietor of the station, which was formerly owned by his father, Oscar (]). Wanda Dollard (]) works at the station's convenience store as a retail assistant. An adjoining ], The Ruby, is owned by Lacey Burrows (]), who inherited it from her Aunt Ruby.
The series was created by Canadian comedian Brent Butt who came up with the idea for the series after wondering what his life would be like if he hadn't pursued stand-up comedy (he would still be in a small town in Saskatchewan pumping ]). With the exception of the first season finale and second season premiere episodes, which are linked, most other ''Corner Gas'' episodes are standalone storylines that can be viewed in virtually any order, though occasional incidental references to previous episodes can be found, particularly in the second and subsequent seasons.


The series completed its run following broadcast of its sixth season on April 13, 2009, with a total of 107 episodes.<ref name="ends">, April 10, 2008. Accessed April 10, 2008</ref> The show averaged one million viewers per episode.<ref name="CTV Inc">{{Cite press release |title=Strong numbers mean replay of ''Corner Gas'' debut |date=January 23, 2004 |publisher=CTV Inc. |url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20040123/corner_gas_040123?s_name=&no_ads= |access-date=January 8, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071025040142/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20040123/corner_gas_040123?s_name=&no_ads= |archive-date=October 25, 2007}}</ref> ''Corner Gas'' received six ]s, and was nominated almost 70 times for various awards.<ref name="CTV Globemedia" />
The first episode of ''Corner Gas'' aired on ], ] and attracted 1.1 million viewers. It became an instant hit and has never gone below the million-viewer mark.<ref>{{cite press release | title = Strong numbers mean replay of Corner Gas debut | publisher = CTV Inc. | date = 2004-01-23 | url = http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20040123/corner_gas_040123?s_name=&no_ads= | accessdate = 2007-01-08}}</ref> The first season consisted of 13 episodes. Less than two months after the first episode aired, CTV renewed it for a second season of 18 episodes. The first season was released on DVD in Canada on ], ]. In keeping with the theme of the series, each DVD set included a coupon good for a free coffee at ] service stations.<ref>{{cite press release | title = Season One of CTV's Corner Gas Released on DVD October 19 | publisher = CTV Inc. | date = 2004-10-12 | url = http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/show/CTVShows/1097696726172_12 | accessdate = 2007-01-08}}</ref> The second season was released on DVD on ], ], and features the distinction of being one of the few regular TV series whose DVD box set includes described video for the visually impaired. The season three DVD was released on ], ]. Unlike the previous sets, the third season DVD set is presented in ].


On April 6, 2009, Saskatchewan premier ] signed a proclamation that declared April 13, 2009, "''Corner Gas'' Day" in Saskatchewan.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Premier Brad Wall Proclaims April 13, 2009 ''Corner Gas Day'' in Saskatchewan |date=April 6, 2009 |publisher=Government of Saskatchewan |url=http://www.gov.sk.ca/news?newsId=81785750-6327-4863-8611-b7f715073e99 |access-date=September 8, 2013}}</ref>
The series is filmed at ] in ], Saskatchewan, and on location in Regina and ], Saskatchewan, whose ] has been repainted to read "Dog River" instead of "Rouleau". It is produced by Prairie Pants Productions in association with CTV.


Production of an animated adaptation, '']'', was announced in December 2016,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Corner Gas Is Getting The Animated Treatment |url=http://www.thecomedynetwork.ca/blogs/2016/12/animated-corner-gas |access-date=December 29, 2016 |website=www.thecomedynetwork.ca}}</ref> and premiered on The Comedy Network on April 2, 2018, featuring the complete original cast voicing their original characters, save for ], who died in November 2016, the month prior to announcement.<ref>. '']'', December 19, 2016.</ref> The role of Emma is voiced in the animated version by actress ].<ref>. '']'', January 30, 2017.</ref>
In late September 2004, to promote the start of the second season, the cast members of ''Corner Gas'' travelled to cities across Canada where they pumped gas at local service stations for the day (the fuel being provided to motorists free of charge). By the halfway point of the promotion, more than 40,000 ] of free ] had been pumped.<ref>{{cite news | last = Anderson | first = Angela | title = 'Corner Gas' cast pumping for viewership | language = English | publisher = Canoe Network - JAM! | date = 2004-09-28 | url = http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/TV_Shows/C/Corner_Gas/2004/09/28/pf-734831.html | accessdate = 2007-01-08}}</ref>


==Production==
Brent's main co-writers are '']'' writer ], ], ] and Andrew Carr.
===Concept===
The series was created by Canadian comedian ], who imagined what his life might be like had he remained in a small ] town rather than pursuing stand-up comedy. He originally developed the storyline for ] and ].<ref name="CTV Globemedia" />


''Corner Gas'' references many tropes about ], often ironically.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Attallah |first=Paul |date=March 30, 2009 |title=Reading Television |journal=Canadian Journal of Communication |volume=34 |issue=1 |pages=163–170 |doi=10.22230/cjc.2009v34n1a1941 |doi-access=free}}</ref> The show focuses on the lifestyle of small-town folk; though set in a small town in Saskatchewan, its stories are not chiefly about Saskatchewan or Canada, but rather the day-to-day interactions of the residents of Dog River.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yanko |first=Dave |title=Funny Guy |url=http://www.virtualsk.com/current_issue/funny.html |access-date=September 29, 2008 |publisher=Virtual Saskatchewan}}</ref>
The series includes cameo appearances by a large number of Canadian celebrities, including two sitting prime ministers, ] and ], the only fictional sitcom (as opposed to sketch comedy series) in which sitting prime ministers have appeared. The sitting premier of Saskatchewan, ], has also appeared in an episode, as has former Governor-General ]. Canadian television personality ], son of former Prime Minister ] has also appeared on Corner Gas.


===Executive producers, directors, and co-producers===
The American distribution rights have been acquired by Arthur Hasson’s Multi-Platform Distribution Co. (MPDC) for syndication to US broadcast stations, and to US cable. The show is being sold on a cash-plus-barter basis to broadcast stations, while it will be offered to cable on an all-cash basis.<ref name="BandC">{{cite news | last = Benson | first = Jim | title = MPDC Fills Tank With Gas | language = English | publisher = Broadcasting & Cable Magazine | date = 2006-05-23 | url = http://broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6337398.html?display=Search+Results&text=%22corner+gas%22 | accessdate = 2006-12-21}}</ref>
''Corner Gas'' was produced by CTV and Prairie Pants Productions.<ref name="CTV Globemedia" /> Prairie Pants Productions is a company assembled by Brent Butt, Virginia Thompson and 335 Productions.<ref>{{Cite news |last=] |date=April 10, 2008 |title=''Corner Gas'' to end in 2009 |publisher=] |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/corner-gas-to-end-in-spring-2009-1.709631?ref=rss |access-date=September 29, 2008}}</ref> 335 Productions is a partnership between Brent Butt and David Storey. (The name of the production company is derived from the fact that ], Butt's hometown, lies at the junction of ] and ].) At The Comedy Network, Michelle Daly is Director of Content and Ed Robinson is the President and General Manager. At CTV Inc., ] is President, Creative, Content and Channels and again Ed Robinson is Executive Vice-president, Programming.<ref name="CTV Globemedia" /> Brent Butt was a driving force as creator, writer, showrunner, executive producer, actor and, occasionally, director of the show.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brent Butt as Brent Leroy |url=http://www.cornergas.com/whoswho |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080914032620/http://www.cornergas.com/whoswho/ |archive-date=September 14, 2008 |access-date=September 29, 2008 |website=Corner Gas Online |publisher=Pants Online Inc.}}</ref> Paul Mather, Mark Farrell, Brent Butt, Andrew Carr, Kevin White, Robert Sheridan, ], Dylan "Worts" Wertz and Gary Pearson all contributed to writing the series. David Storey, Mark Farrell, Robert de Lint, Jeff Beesley and Brent Butt provided direction in the program.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2003–2005 |title=About the TV Show Canada's Most Watched TV Series is ''Corner Gas''. |url=http://www.cornergas.com/whoswho/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080914032620/http://www.cornergas.com/whoswho/ |archive-date=September 14, 2008 |access-date=September 29, 2008 |website=Corner Gas Online |publisher=Pants Online Inc.}}</ref>


''Corner Gas'' was promoted by CTV as the network's "first original narrative comedy series."<ref>{{Cite press release |title=What A Gas!! |date=January 26, 2004 |publisher=CTV Inc. |url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/show/CTVShows/20040123/CornerGas-insider-20040126 |access-date=December 21, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071025040106/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/show/CTVShows/20040123/CornerGas-insider-20040126 |archive-date=October 25, 2007}}</ref> While it is not, in fact, the first Canadian-produced sitcom ever aired on CTV, having been preceded by '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']'', it is the first CTV sitcom in which the network itself has held a primary production role, rather than acting solely as a holder of broadcast rights, and the first to postdate the network's late-1990s corporate restructuring from a cooperative of its affiliated stations into a conventional corporation. ''Corner Gas'' can also be verifiably called the most successful of these shows.
The fourth season began airing on CTV on ], ]. On ], ] it was announced that ''Corner Gas'' will air on the American ] beginning in September 2007.<ref>{{cite news | last = MacDonald | first = Gayle | title = Corner Gas heads to America | language = English | publisher = Globe and Mail Update | date = 2006-11-26 | url = http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061124.wxgas25/BNStory/Entertainment/home | accessdate = 2006-12-21}}</ref> In an interview with the ] published on ], ], Brent Butt revealed that there has also been talk of a ] being produced based upon the series, though nothing has been decided as yet.<ref>{{cite news | last = Goodman | first = Lee-Anne | title = 'Corner Gas' secures U.S. deal | language = English | publisher = JAM! Television | date = 2006-11-24 | url = http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/2006/11/24/2474446-cp.html | accessdate = 2006-12-21}}</ref>


===Filming locations===
As broadcast of the fourth season finale approached, there was a flurry of news reports suggesting that the series was coming to an unexpected end, based upon televised promotions for the episode, leaked plot details, and wording of a CTV press release issued on ], ] that implied that the series finale would air on ], ]. Two segments of production footage with ] circulated on ] also seemed to indicate a series finale as imminent despite the show's continued success in Canada and recent US sale. On ], ], CTV clarified its press release, stating it was a season finale, and on ], ], CTV confirmed an order for a 19-episode fifth season. The fifth Season will begin airing on ], ]. The Complete Fourth Season will be released on ], ].
''Corner Gas'' was filmed entirely in Saskatchewan. The interior shots (Ruby Café interior, Police Department, Oscar and Emma's house, etc.) were filmed at ] in ]. All the outdoor scenes and all scenes that take place in the gas station were filmed on location in ], a small town on ] between ] and ]. The ] was repainted to read "Dog River" instead of "Rouleau"; however, the water tower still reads "Rouleau"{{spaced ndash}}with post production effects used to repaint it to read "Dog River" in the first-season episode "Grad 68". Regina is known as "the city" in ''Corner Gas''.<ref name="escape/">{{Cite web |title=Corner Gas Escape: Rural Escapes |url=http://ruralescapes.com/default.aspx?page=3 |access-date=September 29, 2008 |website=Tourism Regina |publisher=I Love Regina, City of Regina}}{{Dead link|date=August 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

On 28{{spaces}}September 2014, the building that was used as the FOO MART, the local grocery store, was destroyed in a fire.<ref name="Corner Gas Building Gutted in Massive Blaze">{{Cite news |title=Corner Gas Building Gutted in Massive Blaze |url=http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/corner-gas-building-gutted-in-massive-blaze-1.2029679}}</ref>

On 4{{spaces}}November 2016, the set that was used for both Corner Gas and the Ruby was demolished due to the foundations sinking. The structures, erected in 2003 as set pieces, were originally built on boggy land and were not initially built to last very long. In the intervening years, they had become a tourist attraction.<ref name="Iconic Corner Gas set in Rouleau, Sask., demolished">{{Cite news |title=Iconic Corner Gas set in Rouleau, Sask., demolished |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/corner-gas-set-dismantled-1.3836899}}</ref>

In summer 2021, the police station building collapsed, and the debris was removed. On 5{{spaces}}November 2021, the grain elevator burned to the ground.<ref name="Grain">{{Cite news |title=Fire destroys iconic grain elevator from TV show Corner Gas |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/corner-gas-grain-elevator-fire-1.6238606 |first=Theresa |last=Kliem |website=] |date=November 5, 2021 |access-date=September 16, 2024}}</ref>

===Episode format===
Each episode of ''Corner Gas'' is written following a specific formula: two or three (almost always three, once four) storylines are presented in each show. The main storyline usually opens and closes the episode and is most of the time driven by a single character. The secondary plots are sometimes slightly intertwined with the other stories.

===Opening sequence===
The ''Corner Gas'' opening sequence follows a ]. The opening ], "Not a Lot Goin' On", was written by ] of the rock band ] and ] of the rock band ], while the closing theme, "My Happy Place" was written by Northey and performed by Odds.<ref>. '']'', January 7, 2015.</ref>

==Overview==
{{main|List of Corner Gas episodes}}
{{:List of Corner Gas episodes}}
Corner Gas is the only ] for {{convert|60|km|mi}} in any direction (according to the first two episodes of season one, "Ruby Reborn" and "Tax Man"). Brent Leroy (]) is the proprietor of the station and Wanda Dollard (]) works at the station's convenience store as a retail assistant. An adjoining diner, The Ruby, is owned by Lacey Burrows (]), who inherited it from her Aunt Ruby and moved to Dog River from ]. Brent's parents, Oscar Leroy (]) and Emma Leroy (]), are lifetime residents of Dog River. Dog River's police force, consisting entirely of veteran Davis Quinton (]) and rookie Karen Pelly (]), keep the peace in the small town—a very simple task—and the officers have an overabundance of free time. Finally, Brent's best friend Richard Henry "Hank" Yarbo (]), who is constantly unemployed, spends his time hanging out with Dog River's residents and drinking coffee, for which he rarely pays, at The Ruby.

The first episode of ''Corner Gas'' aired on January 22, 2004, and attracted 1.5 million viewers.<ref name="CTV Globemedia">{{Cite web |year=2008 |title='Corner Gas' gives thanks with premiere on Monday, Oct. 13 |url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/show/CTVShows/20080922/gas_premiere_080922 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080930141954/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/show/CTVShows/20080922/gas_premiere_080922 |archive-date=September 30, 2008 |access-date=September 30, 2008 |publisher=CTV Globemedia}}</ref> The first season consisted of 13 episodes. Less than two months after the first episode aired, CTV renewed it for a second season of 18 episodes.

Butt's main co-writers were '']'' writers ], ], Kevin White, and Andrew Carr.

As broadcast of the fourth-season finale approached, there was a flurry of news reports suggesting that the series was coming to an unexpected end, based upon televised promotions for the episode, leaked plot details, and wording of a CTV press release issued on March 6, 2007,<ref name="finale">{{Cite press release |title=Harper to appear in 'Corner Gas' season finale |date=March 7, 2007 |publisher=CTV Inc. |url=http://www.ctvnews.ca/harper-to-appear-in-corner-gas-season-finale-1.232309 |access-date=September 4, 2007}}</ref> that implied that the series finale would air on March 12, 2007. Two segments of production footage with ] circulated on ] also seemed to indicate a series finale as imminent despite the show's continued success in Canada and recent U.S. sale. On March 7, 2007,<ref name="finale" /> CTV clarified its press release, stating it was a season finale, and on March 13, 2007, CTV confirmed an order for a 19-episode fifth season, which premiered on September 24, 2007.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=''Corner Gas'' Draws 2 Million in Record Setting Season Finale |date=March 13, 2007 |publisher=CTV Inc. |url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/show/CTVShows/20070313/ctv_release_20070313/20070313/ |access-date=September 4, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070826230520/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/show/CTVShows/20070313/ctv_release_20070313/20070313 |archive-date=August 26, 2007}}</ref>

On April 10, 2008, as production of the sixth season began, Butt announced via a press release that he and his production company, Prairie Pants, had decided to conclude production of the series after the sixth season, with the final episodes airing in the spring of 2009. Butt said the decision to end the series while still a popular offering on CTV was "a very difficult decision ... and one I felt I had to make. (CTV) made it clear that they were keen to do more seasons ... I wanted to exit gracefully, on top of our game."<ref name="ends" />

The show's final episode aired on April 13, 2009, airing in simulcast on CTV, The Comedy Network, and ]. The episode attracted 2,914,000 viewers on terrestrial television and an additional 235,000 on The Comedy Network, for a total viewership of 3,114,000.<ref>Bill Brioux, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723173744/http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2009/04/let-games-begin-to-make-money.html |date=July 23, 2011 }}. tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com.</ref>


==Characters== ==Characters==
The surnames of all of the main characters and some recurring characters on the show (except for Mayor 'Fitzy' Fitzgerald) are names of small towns in Saskatchewan; ], ], ], ] (Jensen), ], ], ], ], Runciman and ].
=== Main cast ===

===Main cast===
*Brent Herbert Leroy (]) is the ]-reading, sarcastic proprietor of Corner Gas. He is almost always good-natured, but has a tendency to fixate on minor details. He is a fan of adventure fiction such as '']'' and '']''. His favourite food is chili cheese dogs, to the point where he can identify the individual ingredients by taste. Brent is 'adept' at many sports, such as ], ], and ]. His favourite football teams are the ] and ]. He and Hank have been best friends since childhood, and Brent often makes fun of him and name multiple instances of Hank's stupidity. As of the Season 5 finale, Brent is 40 years old, and was born on November 6 (thus, his date of birth can be assumed to be November 6, 1967, since Brent graduated high school in 1986). Brent is said to be the hottest guy in Dog River, although other characters on the show acknowledge this is faint praise. He is also the Dog River Table Hockey Champion using a "dump it into the corners" style of play. It is implied that he and Lacey Burrows have feelings for each other, although neither will admit or act upon them. After the end of the series he went on to fulfill his dream of fly-fishing in the ], while looking to wrestle a bear (he didn't find any bears, but he did see either a ] or an oddly shaped stump). It was revealed in '']'' that he and Lacey entered into a romantic relationship three years after the end of the series.
*Lacey Burrows (]) took over the previously unnamed coffee shop in Dog River after her aunt's death and renamed it The Ruby in her honour. Originally from ], she is perpetually trying to fit into small-town life, with mixed, often disastrous, results. She is a terrible liar, quick to jump to conclusions, a poor winner, and thinks everybody has a crush on her, and frequently exhibits insecurity and regret about the path her life has taken. She has also expressed frustration at being unable to find "a stable guy" to date in Dog River. She considers herself a sweetheart and secretly believes that she alone of the town's women deserves the "Woman of Distinction" award (which she eventually wins). She is also very knowledgeable when it comes to hockey, coaching Dog River's hockey team, the Dog River Riverdogs. It is implied that she and Brent Leroy have feelings for each other, although neither will admit or act upon them. In season five Karen describes Lacey as "too upbeat, overly fastidious, a little needy{{spaced ndash}}same old Lacey!". Her fashion sense trends toward the revealing. This was mocked in the episode "Doc Small", in which she welcomes to Dog River Dr. Chris Garner, a doctor from an even smaller town, and she's shocked by Lacey's "slutty" top, which is actually one of her more conservative tops. After the series' end she opened a second Ruby in Wullerton, but the local health inspectors quickly shut it down. It was revealed in '']'' that she and Brent entered into a romantic relationship three years after the end of the series.
*Richard Henry "Hank" Yarbo (]) is Brent's perpetually unemployed best friend. He often hangs out at Corner Gas talking to Brent and constantly borrows money from other characters and rarely pays them back. He has worked at a range of jobs, from census worker to ] to city ], never being able to hold down or stay focused in one for long. He expressed a goal of working as a ]. His mother lives in ], and his favourite foods are grape ] and ] (despite accidentally choking on the same pickle two times). Hank is quite childish, doing such things as going to see an adventure movie designed for six-year-olds four times in one week. He is shown to have a lot of interest in the ], most notably the ], Saskatchewan's football team. In a Christmas-themed episode, it is revealed that as a hockey fan, he likes the ]. Despite his village-idiot routine, Hank actually has experience in many physical and maintenance activities, including auto mechanics, ], knitting, ], and ], making him something of a ]. After the series, he continued to remain "awesomely" unemployed.
*Wanda Dollard (]) is a quirky cashier at Corner Gas, and the self-professed smartest person in town. She was born on April 16, 1968 (as shown on her driver's license in the episode "The Accidental Cleanist"). Wanda has a sardonic, caustic personality and enjoys lording her knowledge over others. She is the single mother of a six-year-old son, Tanner Vincent Dollard, who is seen on-screen only briefly in the episode "Oh Baby." (It's implied that Hank is Tanner's father; when Wanda is approached about this, she tries to laugh it off, but doesn't deny it outright.) Tanner is portrayed as a living nightmare for prospective babysitters (Season 1, Episode 4) and is a handful for his own mother, doing things like putting peanut butter up her nose while she sleeps. Accused of being a know-it-all, Wanda is also one of very few Dog River residents who has gone to university; she holds a degree in ] with a minor in ] but took classes in many other subjects. Despite her extensive education, she considers her job at Corner Gas a privilege. She is shown as having a case of mild ] in one episode. Like Brent and Hank, Wanda grew up in Dog River. After the end of the series, she pursued a PhD in ] though she still works at Corner Gas, albeit with a pay raise.
*Oscar Leroy (]) is Brent's grouchy, stubborn, elderly-stereotype father, the retired former owner and founder of Corner Gas. His all-purpose word is "jackass"; during the course of the live-action series, he says it ninety times. (It is also the series's final spoken word.) He often demands that the Dog River police arrest everyone who annoys him. He frequently, belligerently, points out to government workers: "My taxes pay your salary!" He tends to exclaim "Holy hell!" on encountering new or surprising things. He rivals Hank in his brain capacity and ability to make mistakes and the two are often shown scheming together. Oscar likes to show his handiwork around the house, but usually makes things worse when he tries to fix things. When Brent suggested selling Corner Gas to a huge company, Oscar replied "How dare you – how dare you keep the Pump and Go people waiting, sell it, sell it now!", showing he didn't love his old job. This, however, was only part of Hank's fantasy sequence, and may not accurately reflect Oscar's actual sentiment.
*Emma Leroy (]) is Brent's mother, the brains and muscle of the family. She and Oscar squabble constantly and she usually ends up having to deal with the fallout from his actions, which she usually makes worse. Though he embarrasses and annoys her, she does truly love him. She has also found "letting go" of Brent difficult and reacts badly when someone else appears to replace her in some aspect of his life. Her main hobbies are knitting, crocheting, and gardening and she is active in many of the town's committees. She has also been shown to possess great strength (being able to hurl a ] at a ] across the yard with little effort), and other characters often seek her advice. She has a quick-tempered, cunning, domineering personality. After the end of the series she remained married to Oscar, despite doctor's orders.
*Sergeant Davis Quinton (]) is Dog River's overly sensitive ] ] senior police officer. He has a habit of misspending the police budget, napping on the job, and making up the laws as he goes along, having never actually read the police manual. Due to the low crime rate in Dog River, he does not take his job very seriously. He is obsessed with ] magazine, retro-TV and classic cartoon shows; and is a ] aficionado. He believes that the ] may have really happened. His catchphrase is an enthusiastic "All right!" He is a fan of the ] (he is often seen wearing their gear while off duty). Davis once competed in ]; he also has a collection of the original '']'' books. He is unable to make ], but is unwilling to tell anyone. When he was a baby his mother left him to join a band; for a long time he thought their cleaning lady was his mom. At the end of season 5, Davis is said to be 46 years old, which would make 1961 his year of birth. He was also seen as a police officer in Dog River in 1986 (the "Grad '68" episode in season 1). He lost his sense of smell after being hit on the head as a child, and regains it after falling from a ladder trying to rescue a cat from the Leroys' tree. Davis is divorced but after the end of the series he eventually remarried.
*Constable Karen Pelly (]) is Dog River's ambitious, stickler for the rules junior police officer. Before becoming a police officer, she ranked fifth in Canada in the sport of ], with a personal best of more than six minutes. She's a very good cook, but does not like to bring it up for fear it will stereotype her. She does not want to admit that she does not know how to ride a bike. She is also at least 10 years younger than most of the other characters, turning 30 in the sixth season. Karen possesses a variety of skills including cooking, martial arts, drums, drawing, and table hockey; but when she wins a raffle in the sixth season, she says it's the first time she ever won anything. She tends to take her police position very seriously, unlike her partner Davis, and treats even the most minor problem officially. On one occasion, when she mentions to Davis that she feels she has a good lead on a cold case, he stares at her dumbfounded and asks "Why?" Karen frequently becomes annoyed with Davis' willingness to obey the mayor in everything and bend rules. They differ greatly on their views of what a police officer should portray; on one occasion, Karen states that "a police officer should be respected by the community", to which Davis casually replies "Who said that?" Many episodes see them engaged in petty disputes and going to great lengths to one-up each other. Despite their differences, Karen and Davis get along well although they don't spend much time together outside of work. In the episode "Hook, Line and Sinker" Karen goes fishing with Hank and is seduced by his "sexy fish talk". After the end of the series, she falls in love and marries; in '']'', Karen's husband is said to be a soldier stationed off the ] coast, and they are expecting their first child.

===Recurring characters===
*Fitzy Fitzgerald (Cavan Cunningham) is the mayor of Dog River. He tends to take his position very seriously. He is quite paranoid about losing his job and thinks that anyone will do anything for the position of mayor, although no one really wants it. Little is revealed about his personal life; however, several episodes imply that he may have a son.
*Wes Humboldt (Mike O'Brien) owns and operates the liquor and insurance store in town. His father died saving his entire ] in the ], although everyone told him that he ran off to join the circus. Wes later learns the truth when Brent reads out a passage from a book detailing the history of Dog River, not knowing that Wes was not supposed to hear it.
*Paul Kinistino (Mark Dieter) is the bartender at the Dog River Hotel. He is a ] man, and speaks a little bit of the ]. He went to high school with Brent, Wanda and Hank. In the episode "Cell Phone", he replaces the ] game in the bar with a claw game, to which Oscar becomes addicted. In "Friend of a Friend", he claims to have a master's degree in history. In season four, Paul is replaced by a new bartender, Phil Kinistino (Erroll Kinistino), though it's never revealed how they are related.
*Josh the Cook (Josh Strait) is the reserved chef at The Ruby. In "Safety First", he temporarily quits his job and first speaks, telling Lacey he wants to become a ] farmer. When Lacey asked Brent if he was aware Josh wanted to work with llamas, Brent replied, "I didn't even know he could talk." Josh Strait also hosted the tours of the Corner Gas set in ].
*Helen Jensen (Jean Freeman), the mayor's grandmother, is also known as "Fitzy's Grandma". In the episode "World's Biggest Thing", she is the one who innocently suggests Dog River build the "World's Biggest Hoe" to honour Dog River's farming heritage. Brent disagrees but can't bear to tell her about the inappropriate connotations of that phrase.
*Myrtle Runciman (Gwen Seed) is a batty elderly neighbour of Oscar and Emma's who appears many times over the course of the show. She is a member of their curling team and in one episode is seen driving a large pickup truck. Often she is vague and senile, but she has been known to make pointed remarks about the other characters.

===Notable guest stars===
Several notable Canadian celebrities and politicians appeared as guest stars or in cameo roles on ''Corner Gas''. Some celebrities made the trip to the Rouleau or Regina sets to film their appearances, others were filmed in the applicable locations (e.g., scenes involving cast members of '']'' and '']'' were filmed at the respective programs' studios).

Two successive sitting ], ] and ], made cameo appearances; ''Corner Gas'' is the only fictional sitcom (as opposed to sketch comedy series) in which sitting prime ministers have appeared.<ref name="Kiefer" /> Two successive sitting ], ] and ], also appeared in episodes.<ref name="Kiefer" /> "Demolition" features former ] ], taking a sledgehammer to an old barn.<ref name="Kiefer" /> ], host of TV shows '']'' and '']'' and the son of former Prime Minister ], parodies himself during the third-season episode "Dog River Vice".<ref name="Third" />

] of '']'' played Marvin Drey, a disliked ] agent, in "Tax Man", the second episode of the series. In the same episode ], a news anchor for CTV, appeared as himself. ] played a paint store clerk (parodying her role in '']'') in "Grad 68". Comedian ] played Carl Vaughn, Brent's snobby cousin. ], a prolific Canadian comedy actor best known for his work in the British and American versions of '']'', made a cameo appearance in the episode "Comedy Night" as part of a joke about how he seems to turn up on every Canadian TV show. ], former CBC newscaster, later Canadian Consul General and ], a native of ], played herself. '']'' judges ], ], ], and ] appeared as themselves rating Brent's rendition of "It would never rain in Dog River ... If I Could Squeegee the Sky" in the episode "Hook, Line and Sinker". ] sportscaster (and '']'' alumnus) ] and her '']'' colleague ] appeared as themselves in the episode "Face Off".

The second season also attracted notable personalities. "Wedding Card" featured ] star ] as himself. ], then-mayor of ], appears in the episode "Whataphobia" as Stan, the owner of Dog River's ] course. "Poor Brent" has an appearance by long-time '']'' anchor ], playing himself. Canadian and world champion ] ] and ] (both of whom curl for ]) appear as themselves providing advice during the hotly contested Dog River curling championship, the Clavet Cup in episode "Hurry Hard". The episode "An American in Saskatchewan" features ], a veteran of both ''The Kids in the Hall'' and '']'' as Bill, an American who visits Dog River by accident. Saskatchewan-born musician ] appears as a local musician (although it is implied that he's actually playing himself) who performs an audition in Brent's garage. The rock group ] appear as "local kids" who practise in Brent's garage. The Tragically Hip play a rough version of "It Can't Be Nashville Every Night" off their '']'' album. Both The Tragically Hip and Colin James are in the episode "Rock On!"<ref name="Kiefer" />

Singer ] appears as herself in "Fun Run".<ref name="Third">{{Cite web |last=MacPherson |first=Guy |date=September 1, 2005 |title=''Corner Gas'' Fills Up for a Third Season of Laughs |url=http://www.channelcanada.com/Article1047.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220061035/http://www.channelcanada.com/Article1047.html |archive-date=February 20, 2009 |access-date=September 29, 2008 |website=Vancouver Free Press |publisher=ChannelCanada.com}}</ref> Noted actress ] (mother of ], and daughter of ], former Premier of Saskatchewan) plays a woman with the hots for Oscar in "Trees a Crowd".<ref name="Third" /> Then-] ] appears as a Ruby Café customer in "Picture Perfect".<ref name="Third" /> (The episode debuted the same day Goodale filed a "mini-budget" in the ].) ], premier of Saskatchewan, appears as himself. He appears three times: twice to poke fun at ] and once to almost get hit by a thrown newspaper during the appropriately named "Ruby Newsday". ] appears as herself during a fantasy sequence in the same episode.<ref name="Third" /> Prior to the debut of ''Corner Gas'', the cast had appeared on Gabereau's CTV talk show, during which Brent Butt promised to get the talk show host a guest appearance. "Merry Gasmas" features '']'' anchor ] as a worker in the ]. He would always call cities their airport names (YYC, YEG) which confused Lacey horribly. In the same episode ] from '']'', and more recently '']'', makes an appearance as a worker in the ]. He repeatedly says "made that call." '']'' star ] makes a cameo as a passenger sitting next to Lacey on a plane from Alberta to ]. He claims to be a "cat doctor," and not a veterinarian. He manages to out-chat Lacey while talking about cats during the same episode. ], also known as "]," is a champion ] and member of the ]. During episode "Physical Credit", Read receives a browbeating from Oscar (which first aired the day after closing ceremonies of the ]).

Olympic ] medal winner ] makes a cameo appearance in the fourth season episode "Dog River Dave". ], the star of '']'', helps to fix Oscar's bathroom in the episode "Jail House"; Wanda claims to have dated the Holmes character. ] CEO ] makes a cameo appearance during the episode "Blog River". "Gopher It" featured then Prime Minister ] as himself, stating that regardless of whether Dog River plans to commemorate prairie dogs or gophers, he appreciates both.<ref name="Kiefer" /><ref>{{Cite press release |title=Stephen Harper tapes cameo for ''Corner Gas'' |date=August 29, 2006 |publisher=CTV Inc. |url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060829/harper_corner_gas_060829?s_name=&no_ads= |access-date=January 5, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070315155133/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060829/harper_corner_gas_060829?s_name=&no_ads= |archive-date=March 15, 2007}}</ref> '']'' co-anchors ] and ] appear, playing themselves. Unlike most cameos, O'Regan and Thomson appear extensively in this episode to parody their on-screen image. '']'' reporter ] appears, playing herself in a scrum with the Prime Minister at the gas station.

During the fifth season three episodes bring in notable personalities. In "Coming Distractions", ] and ] from '']'' appear to arrest Brent during a fantasy sequence.<ref name="Kiefer" /> In the episode "Bed and Brake Fast" hockey player ] makes a cameo appearance with the ]. In "Final Countdown", actor ] makes a cameo appearance. In the same episode, Shirley Douglas' voice is heard.<ref name="Kiefer">{{Cite web |last=Harris |first=Bill |year=2008 |title=Kiefer adds fuel to ''Corner Gas'' Sutherland spot pumps up ''Corner Gas'' season finale |url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/TV_Shows/C/Corner_Gas/2008/04/21/5351696-sun.html |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130115114607/http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/TV_Shows/C/Corner_Gas/2008/04/21/5351696-sun.html |archive-date=January 15, 2013 |access-date=October 1, 2008 |website=Sun Media |publisher=CANOE – JAM! Television – TV Shows}}</ref>

] appears in the sixth-season episode "TV Free Dog River". He calls in (unseen at first) to Davis's jazz radio program, requesting a song from Michael Bublé. After Davis says that "Michael Bublé isn't jazz", the camera cuts to the actual singer, who says sadly that he is "a gifted vocalist who defies genres". In episode four of the sixth season, "Meat Wave", Canadian science broadcaster and environmental activist ] also appears in a cameo.<ref name="Suzuki">{{Cite web |year=2008 |title=Corner Gas: Season 6 Episode 4 |url=https://www.cornergas.com/watch/sitcom/sitcom-season-6-4/ |access-date=September 7, 2024 |website=cornergas.com}}</ref>

==Setting==
===Dog River===
]'''Dog River''' (]) has a population of "about 500" according to "Census Sensibility". According to the ''Corner Gas'' ], it is {{convert|40|km|mi}} from nowhere, but still within a relatively short drive to "The City", where characters are often shown going to shop or attend "support meetings", in the case of Davis and Lacey. The rival town of Wullerton is "just down the road". It is stated in the episode "Tax Man" that Corner Gas is the only gas station for {{convert|60|km|mi}} in any direction. Series creator Brent Butt has said the town lies somewhere between Regina and ]; these two cities are {{convert|257|km|mi}} apart, so this fact does not contradict anything said on the series. In fact, the term "the city" has been used at various times in the series to refer to Regina. The third-season episode, "Fun Run" has one character drive to ] for a lark, suggesting Dog River is probably closer to Regina than it is to Saskatoon. In the episode "Outside Joke", when the Corner Gas station is believed to actually be outside the town limits, it is said to be in the fictional municipality of Pitt Creek. In "Kid Stuff", Wanda says it is south of the also fictional Crowley Lake.

The town's name is an '']'' to series creator Brent Butt's hometown of ], through which the Doghide River flows. However, in the show itself, the second-season episode "Rock On!" revealed that the town was named after a great-great uncle of Lacey's who drowned a dozen dogs in the river. She discovered this trivia while researching information for a history plaque. In order to play down this unsavoury branch of her ], Lacey instead used a story that Karen made up: that pioneers somehow got hold of a ], got an aerial view of the town site, and noticed that the creek formed a shape similar to that of a dog's leg. "Block Party" revealed that the town was founded in 1905, and its founder was a Mr. Harold Main after whom Main Street was named (it was later renamed Centennial Street in 2005, the origin of the name being forgotten). Main also constructed Dog River's first building, a wooden shack which Hank Yarbo would burn down a century later in order to maintain the accuracy of his Lego scale model of the town (he ran out of blocks and could not make a replica of the shack).

A real-life Regina ] regularly takes busloads of tourists to Rouleau to visit "Dog River". Visitors can tour the on-location sets of ''Corner Gas'', including the service station.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Beyond Corner Gas: Tales from Dog River |date=November 16, 2005 |publisher=CTV Inc. |url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/show/CTVShows/20051116/Beyond_Corner_Gas/20051116 |access-date=January 5, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071025040111/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/show/CTVShows/20051116/Beyond_Corner_Gas/20051116 |archive-date=October 25, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Mazey |first=Steven |date=November 14, 2005 |title=All aboard Dog River Express |work=The Ottawa Citizen |url=http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/news/arts/story.html?id=a394445a-eb14-46e6-ae0d-dd335c514e73&p=1 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 5, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071025063154/http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/news/arts/story.html?id=a394445a-eb14-46e6-ae0d-dd335c514e73&p=1 |archive-date=October 25, 2007}}</ref> Many components of Dog River are, in fact, real attributes of Rouleau, notably the combined ] and ] store.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Rouleau, Sask. has Corner Gas' most loyal fans |date=August 12, 2004 |publisher=CTV Inc. |url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20040812/corner_gas040812?s_name=&no_ads= |access-date=January 5, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071025040157/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20040812/corner_gas040812?s_name=&no_ads= |archive-date=October 25, 2007}}</ref>

On February 9, 2010, ] extended its coverage of Canada, including all streets within Rouleau. The remnants of the Corner Gas and Ruby standing sets, along with the grain elevator labelled "Dog River" are visible from ground level at the junction of Highways 39 and 714. The grain elevator, built in 1972, was destroyed by fire on November 5, 2021.

After falling into disrepair when the show ended, the Rouleau sets were purchased by businessman Sylvain Senecal and restored as a souvenir shop.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Graney |first=Emma |date=May 7, 2012 |title=Corner Gas resurrected in Rouleau |work=] |url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/TV/corner-gas-resurrected-in-rouleau-150390795.html?device=mobile |access-date=April 16, 2013}}</ref> The sets were open from May 1 until late September where Corner Gas, Saskatchewan and regular convenience store items could be purchased, and were later once again utilized for ''Corner Gas: The Movie''. However, by 2016, the Ruby and Corner Gas sets had once again fallen into disrepair and, due to being built on a bog, had begun to sink and were declared unsafe. On November 4, 2016, the buildings were demolished. Despite this, however, the town of Rouleau announced at the same time plans for a walking tour of surviving ''Corner Gas'' sets to launch in 2017, while the ] branch in ] announced plans to exhibit artifacts from the series, including the original Corner Gas sign.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 4, 2016 |title=TV's Corner Gas fuel station torn down |work=] |agency=] |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/2016/11/04/tvs-corner-gas-fuel-station-torn-down.html |access-date=November 5, 2016}}</ref>

===''The Howler''===
The town has its own newspaper, ''The Dog River Howler'' (usually just called "''The Howler''"), to which almost everybody has contributed at one point or another. Its headlines are usually rife with inaccurate, sensationalist reporting. An example of exaggeration can be seen in "Hero Sandwich," in which a proposal to install traffic lights at a four-way intersection prompts the headline "Crosswalk HELL—Mayor Insane." Another example occurs (mentioned in the same episode) when ] wander into town to eat cats, prompting the incorrectly spelled headline "Cattle Killed by {{sic|Werewolfs}}." An example of simply untrue reporting can be seen in the first episode, in which a headline reads "] Gets ] Franchise", and at an unseen time, they declared that Canada was apparently at war with Switzerland. The paper is also rife with misspellings, for example in the third season that "Hank is {{sic|PHYCIC}}" (the story was "{{sic|contunied}}" on page 30) or in the fourth season that "Cop nabs {{sic|barely}} thief" (after Karen mentions that the arraigned person was "barely a thief" for having stolen a truck loaded with ]).

===Emergency services===
The "Police Department", consisting of Davis and Karen, keeps the peace in Dog River.


In "The Littlest Yarbo," a short-lived Fire Department consisting of two firefighters, David and Carol (both showing remarkable similarities to Davis and Karen, respectively), was established by the mayor when the volunteer fire chief decided to sleep in as opposed to respond to a fire. The volunteer system was reestablished after Hank, Davis, and Oscar lit an uncontrollable leaf fire and the fire department did not respond as they were chasing a stray dog (the same one Hank thought to be "]"). Fitzy saw Davis in the aftermath as the only first responder there and gave him the new title of Chief, Volunteer Fire Department.
*'''Brent Leroy'''(]) is the comic book-reading proprietor of Corner Gas. He is almost always good-natured, but has a tendency to fixate on minor details. In the third season it is revealed that he's a talented cartoonist. He also claims that he has "shirt powers" because good shirts "just come to him." He's also a fan of adventure fiction such as '']'' and '']''.
*'''Lacey Burrows'''<ref name="surnames" /> (]) is originally from ], ]. She took over The Ruby coffee shop in Dog River after the death of her aunt, and is perpetually trying to fit into small town life, with mixed results. She's a terrible liar, and is not the best at math. Lacey also has an aptitude for executing clever schemes. This is shown in the second season episode "Hero Sandwich". The episode "Blog River" reveals that Lacey is extremely insecure and regretful about the path her life has taken.
*'''Hank Yarbo'''<ref name="surnames" /> (]) is Brent's perpetually unemployed best friend and most-likely candidate for Dog River's village idiot. He often hangs out at Corner Gas talking to Brent about whatever is on his mind. He constantly borrows money from other characters and rarely pays them back, nor does he pay his tab at The Ruby. He has worked a range of jobs, from ] to ] to City ]. His mother lives in Saskatoon, and his favourite foods are ] and pickles. He once constructed a detailed scale model of Dog River out of ].
*'''Wanda Dollard'''<ref name="surnames" /> (]) is a quirky retail assistant at Corner Gas, and possibly the smartest person in town (or at least she makes it appear that way). A single mom, she has a son named Tanner (who is six years old in the first season but has yet to be seen on screen as of the fourth) who regularly terrorizes babysitters.
*'''Oscar Leroy'''<ref name="surnames" /> (]) is Brent's stubborn and occasionally senile father and former owner of Corner Gas, now retired. His all-purpose word is "jackass", and he often demands that the Dog River police arrest everyone who annoys him. He frequently and belligerently points out that, "My taxes pay your salary!" to government workers.
*'''Emma Leroy'''<ref name="surnames" /> (]) is Brent's mother, and the brains/muscle of the family. She usually ends up having to deal with the fallout from Oscar's actions, although she does truly love him. She has also found it hard to "let go" of Brent, and reacts badly when someone else appears to replace her in some aspect of his life (for example, in the fourth season opener, she declares war on Karen when she sees Karen cutting Brent's hair, something Emma had been doing since Brent was a child).
*'''Sergeant Davis Quinton'''<ref name="surnames" /> (]) is the overly sensitive senior police officer in Dog River, who has a habit of mis-spending the police budget. He is obsessed with '']'', retro-TV and classic cartoon shows; and is a ] aficionado. He believes that the ] '''may''' have happened. The episode "Block Party" suggests he might have once competed in ]. He has a collection of the ] books. He lost his sense of smell after he got hit in the head when he was nine, but later regained it after falling off of a ladder later in life.
*'''Constable Karen Pelly'''<ref name="surnames" /> (]) is the ambitious and sometimes neurotic junior police officer in Dog River. Before becoming a police officer, she ranked fifth in Canada in the sport of ], with a personal best of more than six minutes. She is at least ten years younger than most other characters on the show.


The Dog River Police Department owns two police cars, both 1994 ]s. In every episode save series premiere "Ruby Reborn" and "Dark Circles," the police use only one of them.
=== Recurring characters ===
*'''Fitzy Fitzgerald'''<ref name="surnames" /> (Cavan Cunningham) is the mayor of Dog River. He tends to take his position very seriously. He is a bit paranoid and thinks that anyone will do anything for the position of mayor.
*'''Wes Humboldt'''<ref name="surnames" /> (Mike O'Brien) owns and operates the Liquor and Insurance store in town. His father died saving his entire ] in the ], although everyone told him that he ran off to join the circus.
*'''Paul Kinistino'''<ref name="surnames" /> (Mark Dieter) is the bartender at the Dog River Hotel. In the episode "Cell Phone", he replaced the shuffleboard game in the bar with a claw game, to which Oscar became addicted. He speaks a little bit of ] (not unusual for a ]) and went to high school with Brent, Wanda and Hank. In "Friend of a Friend", he claimed to have a Masters degree in history. In Season Four, it appears Paul has been replaced by a new bartender, Phil.


===Wullerton rivalry===
== Notable guest stars ==
The residents of Dog River have a pathological dislike of the residents of Wullerton, a neighbouring town, to the point that they spit on the ground whenever the rival town is mentioned, much to Lacey's hygienic disapproval when such action takes place within her cafe. They are so used to doing so that they sometimes do not realize it when they spit (especially within said cafe). Dog River's local newspaper, the Howler, will even print "(SPIT)" after printing the word "Wullerton". However, the people of Wullerton may not hate Dog River, as seen in the fourth season's finale. (However, this was only part of Hank's fantasy sequence, and may not accurately reflect Wullerton's actual sentiment towards Dog River). The reason for this antipathy was never explained. Publicity for the second season indicated that the season finale would reveal the reason for the spitting; however, the episode as broadcast did not actually do so. This practice of looking down on neighbouring towns is common in many prairie communities, primarily those in Saskatchewan and Alberta, such as Tisdale, Melfort, and Wilcox. Wullerton is first shown onscreen in '']'', as for the reason Dog River residents hate it so much: Wullerton is a creepy, eerily '']''-ish town where everyone is excessively nice and clean-cut, which tends to scare any visitors from Dog River.
''Corner Gas'' is known for attracting notable Canadian actors and politicians, including two ]s, to appear either as guest stars or in gag cameos.


=== First season === ===Thunderface===
Thunderface is an ] fictional band that was formed in the mid-'80s by ] Hank Yarbo, ] player Brent Leroy, and ] player Wanda Dollard. In 2005, the band was expanded to include ] Karen Pelly, the most competent musician in the group. (While filming, Fred Ewanuick did his own singing as Hank, Brent Butt played all his own guitar parts, and Nancy Robertson learned to play bass shortly before filming commenced. Only Tara Spencer-Nairn did not do her own playing for the episode.)
* ''1-02 The Taxman''
:* ] of '']'' plays Marvin Drey, a ] agent.
:* ], a news anchor for CTV, appears as himself
* ''1-05 Grad '68''
:* ] plays a paint store clerk (parodying her role in '']'').
* ''1-08 Cousin Carl''
:* Comedian ] plays Carl Vawn, Brent's snobby cousin.
:* Actor ] appears dressed as in his well known "Glad man" attire.
* ''1-10 Comedy Night''
:* ], a prolific Canadian comedy actor best known for his work in '']'', makes a cameo appearance as part of a joke about how he seems to turn up on every Canadian TV show.
* ''1-11 Hook, Line and Sinker''
:* ], former CTV newscaster and later Canadian Consul General, a native of ], Saskatchewan, plays herself.
:* '']'' judges ], ], ], and ] appear as themselves rating Brent's rendition of "(There'd Be No Rain in Dog River) If I Could Squeegee the Sky".
* ''1-12 Face Off''
:* ] sportscaster (and '']'' alumnus) ] and her '']'' colleague ] appear as themselves.


Thunderface has suffered from relative anonymity due to confusion with their name (as well as the fact that they have had only one gig since 1986). They have been referred to as "Rumblepuss," "Thunderbread," "Thunderchunks," and "Wonderface," among other names. Their sound is described as similar to "a small animal caught in some kind of machinery," and their sole gig since 1986 was booked due to the humorous nature of their poor performance. Along with their gig in 1986, they seemed to have done some school performances considering they blew the principal's eyebrows off. The only song they have been heard to play is "Capital Cash" by Fast Exit, a band that ] played guitar in before he got into comedy.
=== Second season ===
* ''2-02 Wedding Card
:* ] star ] plays himself.
* ''2-06 Poor Brent''
:* ], long-time '']'' anchor, plays himself.
* ''2-11 Hurry Hard''
:* Canadian and world champion ] ] and ] (both of whom curl for ]) appear as themselves, which is about the hotly-contested Dog River curling championship, the Clavet Cup.
* ''2-12 An American in Saskatchewan''
:* ], a veteran of both ''Kids in the Hall'' and '']'', plays Bill, an American who came to Dog River by accident.
* ''2-15 Rock On!''
:* Saskatchewan-born musician ] appears as a local musician (although it is implied that Colin James' character really is Colin James) who performs an audition in Brent's garage. The rock group '']'' appear as "local kids" who practise in Brent's garage.


=== Third season === ===The Surveillance Bush===
The Surveillance Bush is a bush that is only seen in the first episode and the last episode. Karen is seen hiding behind it in the Police Cruiser in Ruby Reborn. Davis and Karen are also seen on the last episode hiding behind it before tailing Brent in the final episode. Since there is no wind a cast member is actually lying down shaking the bush. The bush was only planted for those two scenes.
* ''3-03 Dog River Vice''
:* ], host of TV shows '']'' and '']'' and the son of former ] ], parodies himself.
* ''3-07 Fun Run''
:* Then-Prime Minister ] plays himself, the first time a sitting Prime Minister has appeared on a sitcom (although sitting Prime Ministers have appeared on sketch comedy shows like '']'', and other political satire programs like ''This Hour Has 22 Minutes'').
:* Singer ] appears as herself.
* ''3-08 Trees a Crowd''
:* Noted actress ] (mother of ], and daughter of ] former Premier of Saskatchewan) plays a woman with the hots for Oscar.
* ''3-09 Picture Perfect''
:* Then-federal finance minister ] appears as a Ruby Café customer. (The episode aired the same day Goodale filed a "mini-budget" in the ].)
* ''3-12 Ruby Newsday''
:* ], premier of Saskatchewan, appears as himself. He appears three times - twice to poke fun at ] and once to almost get hit by a thrown newspaper.
:* ] appears as herself during a fantasy sequence. Prior to the debut of ''Corner Gas'', the cast had appeared on Gabereau's CTV talk show, during which Brent Butt promised to get the talk show host a guest appearance.
* ''3-13 Merry Gasmas''
:* '']'' anchor ] appears as a worker in the ]. He would always call cities their airport names (YYC, YEG) which confused Lacey horribly.
:* ] from '']'', and more recently '']'', makes an appearance as a worker in the ]. He repeatedly says "made that call".
:* '']'' star ] makes a cameo as a passenger sitting next to Lacey on a plane from ] to ]. He claims to be a 'cat doctor', and not a veterinarian. He manages to out chat Lacey while talking about cats.
* ''3-16 Physical Credit''
:* ], also known as "]", a champion ] and member of the ], receives a browbeating from Oscar (which first aired the day after closing ceremonies of the ]).


==Broadcast and distribution==
=== Fourth season ===
===First-run broadcast===
* ''4-02 Dog River Dave''
In 2006, ''Corner Gas'' was the only Canadian-made top-20 TV show in all of Canada (other than a hockey telecast), the rest being ]. It first premiered in January 2004, outperforming all U.S. sitcoms among adults aged 25–54.<ref name="BandC">{{Cite news |last=Benson |first=Jim |date=May 23, 2006 |title=MPDC Fills Tank with Gas |publisher=Broadcasting & Cable Magazine |url=http://broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6337398.html?display=Search+Results&text=%22corner+gas%22 |url-status=dead |access-date=December 21, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071223085759/http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6337398.html?display=Search+Results&text=%22corner+gas%22 |archive-date=December 23, 2007}}</ref>
:* Olympic medal winner ] makes a cameo appearance.
* ''4-05 Demolition''
:* Former ] Adrienne Clarkson appears, taking a sledgehammer to an old barn.
* ''4-06 Jail House''
:* ], the star of '']'', helps to fix Oscar's bathroom. It is also hinted that Holmes, or at least his character, dated Wanda sometime ago.
* ''4-08 Blog River''
:* ] CEO ] makes a cameo appearance.
* ''4-19 Gopher It''
:* Current ] Stephen Harper appears playing himself.<ref>{{cite press release | title = Stephen Harper tapes cameo for Corner Gas | publisher = CTV Inc. | date = 2006-08-29 | url = http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060829/harper_corner_gas_060829?s_name=&no_ads= | accessdate = 2007-01-05}}</ref>
:* Co-anchors of ] ] and ] appear, playing themselves. Unlike most cameos, O'Regan and Thomson appear extensively in this episode to parody their on-screen image.


Since 2004, the series' production coincided with that of another ] program, '']'' in which Gabrielle Miller and Fred Ewanuick also co-starred. Miller also had a recurring role in the series '']'' in 2004, giving her the rare distinction of playing major roles in three unrelated television series during the same calendar year (although ''Robson Arms'' had never been aired until 2005). As of fall 2007, two seasons of ''Robson Arms'' featuring Miller and Ewanuick have been produced and released to DVD.
==Dog River==
'''Dog River''' has a population of "around 500" according to "Census Sensibility". According to the ''Corner Gas'' ], it is 40 kilometres from nowhere, but still within a relatively short drive to "The City", where characters are often shown going to shop or attend "support meetings" (in the case of Davis). The rival town of Wullerton is apparently "just down the road". It is stated in the episode "The Taxman" that Corner Gas is the only gas station for 60 kilometres in any direction. Series creator Brent Butt has said the town lies somewhere between Regina and ]; these two cities are 257 kilometres apart, so this fact does not contradict anything said on the series. In fact, the term "The City" has been used at various times in the series to refer to Regina. The third season episode, "Fun Run", has one character drive to ] for a lark, suggesting Dog River is probably closer to Regina than it is to Saskatoon. In the episode "Outside Joke," when the Corner Gas station is believed to actually be outside the town limits, it is said to be in the fictional municipality of "Pitt Creek." In "Kids Stuff," Wanda says it is south of the also fictional Crowley Lake.


Early in the run of ''Corner Gas'', '']'' television critic Bill Brioux reported an unconfirmed rumour that it had been unsuccessfully pitched to ], which came to be cited as evidence that the public broadcaster was out of touch with Canadian audiences.<ref>Bill Brioux, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723173708/http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2009/04/corner-gas-if-you-build-it-we-will-come.html |date=July 23, 2011 }}. April 12, 2009.</ref> This was later revealed to be untrue; The Comedy Network was in fact the first and only network to which the show was proposed.<ref>Denis McGrath, . '']'', April 12, 2009.</ref>
The town's name is an ] to series creator Brent Butt's hometown of ], Saskatchewan through which the ] flows. However, in the show itself, the second season episode "Rock On!" revealed that the town was named after a great uncle of Lacey's who drowned a dozen dogs in the river. She discovered this trivia while researching information for a history plaque. In order to play down this unsavoury branch of her ], Lacey instead used a story that Karen made up — that pioneers somehow got hold of a ], got an aerial view of the town site, and noticed that the creek formed a shape similar to that of a dog's leg. "Block Party" revealed that the town was founded in 1905, and one of its founders was a Mr. Main after whom Main Street was named (it was renamed Centennial Street in 2005, the origin of the name being forgotten); Main also constructed Dog River's first building, a wooden shack that would later be burned down by Hank Yarbo a century later in order to maintain the accuracy of his Lego scale model of the town (he ran out of blocks and could not make a replica of the shack).


Fred Ewanuick appeared as Hank on the '']''{{'}}s 300th episode in a spoof of ''Corner Gas'', in which Yasir (]) and Sarah (]) from CBC's '']'' bought the gas station and fired Brent. Hank then debated with them the location of Mercy (the Saskatchewan town where ''Little Mosque'' takes place) in relation to Dog River.
A Regina ] regularly takes busloads of tourists to Rouleau to visit "Dog River". Visitors can tour the on-location sets of Corner Gas, including the service station.<ref>{{cite press release | title = Beyond Corner Gas: Tales from Dog River | publisher = CTV Inc. | date = 2005-11-16 | url = http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/show/CTVShows/20051116/Beyond_Corner_Gas/20051116 | accessdate = 2007-01-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Mazey | first = Steven | title = All aboard Dog River Express | language = English | publisher = The Ottawa Citizen | date = 2005-11-14 | url = http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/news/arts/story.html?id=a394445a-eb14-46e6-ae0d-dd335c514e73&p=1 | accessdate = 2007-01-05}}</ref> Many components of Dog River are, in fact, real attributes of Rouleau, notably the combined ] and ] store.<ref>{{cite press release | title = Rouleau, Sask. has Corner Gas' most loyal fans | publisher = CTV Inc. | date = 2004-08-12 | url = http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20040812/corner_gas040812?s_name=&no_ads= | accessdate = 2007-01-05}}</ref>


=== ''The Howler'' === ===Live episode===
In summer 2006, the cast of ''Corner Gas'' presented a fund-raising benefit event for Regina's ] called ''Corner Gas...Live'', in which the cast presented a live episode of the TV series. The popularity of the sitcom caused such a rush for tickets that the Globe Theatre's online ticket sales system briefly went down as a result.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Smilie |first=Ruth |date=April 27, 2006 |title=Celebration to feature ''Corner Gas'' |publisher=The Leader-Post (Regina) |url=http://www.globetheatrelive.com/Artistic%20Directions/corner%20gas%20article.html |url-status=dead |access-date=May 4, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070112054707/http://www.globetheatrelive.com/Artistic%20Directions/corner%20gas%20article.html |archive-date=January 12, 2007}}</ref> Another benefit was held during the summer of 2007.
The town has its own newspaper, ''The Dog River Howler'' (usually just called the ''Howler''), which almost everybody has contributed to at one point or another. It's headlines are usually rife with inaccurate, sensationalist reporting. An example of exaggeration can be seen ''Hero Sandwich'', in which a proposal to install traffic lights at a 4-way intersection prompts the headline "Crosswalk HELL - Mayor Insane". An example of simply untrue reporting can be seen in the first episode, in which a headline reads "] Gets ] Franchise". The paper is also rife with misspellings citing in the 3rd season that "Hank is phycic".


=== Emergency services === ===U.S. broadcast===
On November 24, 2006, it was announced that ''Corner Gas'' would air on the U.S. ] beginning September 17, 2007.<ref>{{Cite news |last=MacDonald |first=Gayle |date=November 26, 2006 |title=''Corner Gas'' heads to America |publisher=Globe and Mail Update |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061124.wxgas25/BNStory/Entertainment/home |url-status=dead |access-date=December 21, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604075800/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061124.wxgas25/BNStory/Entertainment/home |archive-date=June 4, 2008}}</ref> ''Corner Gas'' was ] to WGN America by Multi-Platform Distribution Company (MPDC), which acquired the U.S. distribution rights for broadcast stations and cable channels. The show was offered to cable networks such as WGN America on an all-cash basis; the show was also offered to local stations on cash-plus-barter basis,<ref name="BandC" /> though it was unknown if any channels other than WGN America carried the series. The series was carried by WGN America during the 2008–2009 television season; it was not broadcast in ] on ].
The '''Police Department''' consisting of two officers keeps the peace in Dog River, though most of the time their duties consist of chasing vermin away from farms and using their radar guns to clock the flying speed of sparrows (which can apparently do 40 km/h).


In an unusual case, WGN America picked up the fifth season's episodes while they were airing contemporaneously on the show's original network CTV. In most cases, new episodes normally take a year or more to air in another country.{{Citation needed|date=December 2011}}
In "The Littlest Yarbo", a short-lived '''Fire Department''' consisting of two firefighters, David and Carol, was established by the mayor when the volunteer fire chief decided to sleep in as opposed to respond to a fire. The volunteer system was reestablished after Hank, Davis and Oscar lit an uncontrollable leaf fire and the fire department did not respond as they were chasing a stray dog (the same one Hank thought to be "The Littlest Hobo"). Fitzy saw Davis in the aftermath as the only first responder there and gave him the new title of Chief, Volunteer Fire Department.


On October 3, 2019, Amazon-owned IMDb announced that it would be exclusively streaming the entire ''Corner Gas'' franchise on their platform for free to US viewers beginning on October 15.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 3, 2019 |title=IMDb Original Series Corner Gas Animated to Premiere on IMDb TV in the U.S. on October 15 |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191003005246/en/IMDb-%20Original-Series-Corner-Gas-Animated-Premiere |website=Business Wire}}</ref>
=== Wullerton rivalry ===
The residents of Dog River have a pathological dislike of the residents of Wullerton, a neighbouring town, to the point that they spit on the ground whenever the rival town is mentioned (they are so used to it they sometimes do not realize it when they spit). The ironic part is that the people in Wullerton don't hate Dog River, as seen in the fourth season's finale (However, this was only part of Hank's fantasy sequence, and may not accurately reflect Wullerton's actual sentiment towards Dog River). The reason for this has yet to be explained. Publicity for the second season indicated that the season finale would reveal the reason for the spitting; however, the episode as broadcast did not actually do so. It should be noted that this practice of looking down on neighbouring towns is common in many prairie communities, including those in Saskatchewan. There is a real existing rivalry between Tisdale, Saskatchewan and Melfort, Saskatchewan, on which Wullerton has been modelled. Another example is the rivalry between ], Saskatchewan and ], Saskatchewan.


=== Thunderface === ===DVD releases===
The first season was released on DVD in Canada on October 19, 2004.<ref name="release dates">{{Cite press release |title=Corner Gas DVD Information |date=March 13, 2007 |publisher=TVShowsOnDVD.com |url=http://tvshowsondvd.com/showinfo.cfm?showID=7588 |access-date=September 4, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061116114333/http://tvshowsondvd.com/showinfo.cfm?showID=7588 |archive-date=November 16, 2006}}</ref> In keeping with the theme of the series, each DVD set included a coupon good for a free coffee at ] service stations.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Season One of CTV's ''Corner Gas'' Released on DVD October 19 |date=October 12, 2004 |publisher=CTV Inc. |url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/show/CTVShows/1097696726172_12 |access-date=January 8, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071025040047/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/show/CTVShows/1097696726172_12 |archive-date=October 25, 2007}}</ref> At the Canadian Entertainment Network Awards, Season one DVD was honoured as "Best Canadian DVD-English".<ref name="Third" /> The second season was released on DVD on September 27, 2005,<ref name="release dates" /> and features the distinction of being one of the few regular TV series whose DVD box set includes described video for the visually impaired. The second-season set was released by CTV and Video Service Corporation and includes a peek at Season 3, bloopers, cast and crew interviews, a Thunderface music video as well as all of the season 2 episodes.<ref name="Third" /> The third-season DVD was released on October 3, 2006.<ref name="release dates" /> Unlike the past sets, the third-season DVD set is presented in widescreen (] on 4:3 televisions, ] on widescreen TVs). The fourth season was released on DVD on September 18, 2007.<ref name="release dates" /> From the fourth season forward, the episodes are presented in proper ]. This was the first time the DVD set of the past season was released before the current season started airing; the set includes a series of "Mobisodes" which were short (approximately two minutes each) skits focusing on the main characters. Season 5 was released on DVD on October 7, 2008, and is presented in a "bobblehead" theme. Besides all of the 19 season 5 episodes, the set includes ''Corner Gas'' character commentaries, "My Happy Place" in a music video format and bloopers. Season 5 DVD set has enclosed a ]10 discount coupon towards a ''Corner Gas'' mechanic shirt.<ref name="CTV Globemedia" /> Season 6 was released on June 9, 2009, two months after the series finale.
Thunderface is a band that was formed in the mid-80s by ] Hank Yarbo, ] player Brent LeRoy, and ] player Wanda Dollard. In 2005, the band was expanded to include ] Karen Pelly, inarguably the most competent musician in the group.


In Australia, only the first three series have been released. The cover art for the seasons differ from the Region 1 releases. The first two seasons having the group of the cast in front of the gas station which is in the distant background, while the third season has them in front of the grain silo.{{Citation needed|date=December 2011}} Unlike the Canadian release, the Australian version of Season 3 contains ] versions of the episodes. Curiously, though, almost all of these episodes have never add any on-screen actor credits nor captions (such as the show's writers/directors) over any of the live action, suggesting that perhaps the DVD company had to go back to the original film elements in order to get an anamorphic picture.
Thunderface has suffered from relative anonymity due to confusion with their name (as well as the fact that they've only had one gig since 1986). They have been referred to as Rumblepuss, Thunderbread, Thunderchunks, and Wonderface, among other names. Their sound is described as similar to "a small animal caught in some kind of machinery," and their sole gig since 1986 was booked due to the humorous nature of their poor performance. The only song they've been heard to play is "Capital Cash" by Fast Exit, a band that ] played guitar in before he got into comedy.
*Corner Gas – Series 1 (2 Disc Set) – April 13, 2007
*Corner Gas – Series 2 (3 Disc Set) – July 14, 2009
*Corner Gas – Series 3 (3 Disc Set) – July 14, 2010{{Citation needed|date=December 2011}}


==Complementary media==
==Episodes==
===Comedy tour===
:''Main article: ].''
Brent Butt offered the eight-city "Gassed Up" tour beginning March 21, 2004. The ]70,000 "Great Canadian Gas Giveaway Tour" began September 27, 2004.<ref name="Milestones">{{Cite web |date=2003–2005 |title=TV, eh? » Corner Gas Milestones |url=http://www.tv-eh.com/2008/04/11/corner-gas-milestones/ |access-date=September 29, 2008 |website=Corner Gas Online |publisher=Pants Online Inc.}}</ref> In late September 2004, to promote the start of the second season, the cast members of ''Corner Gas'' travelled to cities across Canada where they pumped gas at local service stations for the day (the fuel being provided to motorists free of charge). By the halfway point of the promotion, more than 40,000 ] of free ] had been pumped.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Anderson |first=Angela |date=September 28, 2004 |title='Corner Gas' cast pumping for viewership |publisher=Canoe Network—JAM! |url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/TV_Shows/C/Corner_Gas/2004/09/28/pf-734831.html |url-status=usurped |access-date=January 8, 2007 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709121543/http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/TV_Shows/C/Corner_Gas/2004/09/28/pf-734831.html |archive-date=July 9, 2012}}</ref> The cast of ''Corner Gas'' crossed Canada visiting six cities in a comedy tour called ''CTV Presents Corner Gas Live!'' which began September 21, 2005.<ref name="Third" /> Eight Canadian radio stations broadcast the show live at the start of the fourth season.<ref name="Milestones" />


== Notes == ===''Comic Genius''===
In 2005, ''Corner Gas'' partnered with The Comedy Network to host a contest called ''Comic Genius''. The majority of episodes were broadcast online, with the one-hour finale broadcast live on The Comedy Network in February 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Corner Gas Milestones |url=https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/corner-gas-milestones-535902621.html |access-date=December 4, 2018 |website=Newswire.ca}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=$10,000 Corner Gas Comic Genius Showdown Goes LIVE Feb. 11 on The Comedy Network |url=http://www.bce.ca/news-and-media/releases/show/10000-corner-gas-comic-genius-showdown-goes-live-feb-11-on-the-comedy-network |access-date=December 4, 2018 |website=BCE.ca}}</ref> The winner, John Beuhler, won $10,000 and a guest appearance on the show.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Comedy Camp ramps up the laughs |url=https://www.whistlerquestion.com/entertainment/arts-entertainment/comedy-camp-ramps-up-the-laughs-1.962107 |access-date=December 4, 2018 |website=Whistler Question}}</ref>
=== First season ===
* The series premier, ''Ruby Reborn'' was the fourth episode to be shot.
* ''The Tax Man'', the second episode to air was the first to be shot. The first scene of the series filmed was of Oscar rooting in the closet for his tax forms.


=== Second season === ===''Corner Gas Online''===
"Corner Gas Online" provides cast biographies, episode synopsis, bloopers, and a visit to Virtual Dog River. The Virtual Dog River features The Howler providing the latest news about the television series. There are online games available such as prairie scramble, combine racing and the perfect pump when visiting various locations in virtual Dog River. Oscar and Emma Leroy's virtual home features ''Corner Gas'' bloopers. Visiting the Ruby will provide an online chat room. The virtual gas station is an online shop for licensed merchandise.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2003–2005 |title=Town |url=http://www.cornergas.com/dogriver/main_town/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080822213531/http://www.cornergas.com/dogriver/main_town/ |archive-date=August 22, 2008 |access-date=September 29, 2008 |website=Corner Gas Online |publisher=Pants Online Inc.}}</ref>
*The second season episode ''Hero Sandwich'' establishes that the events of the first season and the first half of the second season take place over the course of 10 months.
''Corner Gas'' episodes can now be watched on demand on The CTV Video Player at CTV.ca and thecomedynetwork.ca.<ref>{{Cite web |last=BBM Nielsen Media Research |year=2005 |title=CTV Gives Thanks to ''Corner Gas'' with Season 6 Premiere on Thanksgiving Monday, October 13 |url=http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2008/22/c7126.html |access-date=September 29, 2008 |website=CTV INC. |publisher=CNW Group}}</ref>
*Midway through the second season, CTV moved the series from Tuesday to Monday when '']'' returned on ] (which CTV rebroadcasts), ending up competing with '']'', on ]. The third season episode ''Dog River Vice'' includes a joke that pokes fun at CTV's rescheduling of the show.
*In the ''Rock On!'' episode, from season two, "Capital Cash", the song performed by Thunderface, was written by Brent Butt. Butt was in a band called Fast Exit as a guitarist before he got into comedy, and they are mentioned in the episode as the band that originally did the song.


=== Third season === ===Licensed merchandise===
''Corner Gas'' has spawned a ] business, with hundreds of retail items, sold-out live touring productions, and best-selling ]s. A companion book to the show, called ''Tales from Dog River: The Complete Corner Gas Guide'', was published on November 4, 2006. It was written by Toronto journalist Michele Sponagle and was produced in conjunction with CTV, Penguin Canada, and Prairie Pants Productions.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sponagle |first=Michele |title=Tales from Dog River: The Complete Corner Gas Guide |date=November 3, 2006 |publisher=Penguin Canada (APB) |isbn=978-0-14-305031-5 |location=Toronto, Ontario |page=224}}</ref> The book debuted in the number two spot among new releases, behind only ]'s ]-winning book '']''. On December 12, 2006, it was the top-selling non-fiction paperback in Canada, according to BookMarket data. It includes cast interviews, an episode guide, insider jokes, bloopers, best lines, a look at the real Dog River (Rouleau, Saskatchewan), and a chronology on how the show was created from inception to debut episode.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=''Corner Gas'' book, Christmas special |date=November 23, 2006 |publisher=TV, Eh? |url=http://tv-eh.com/2006/11/23/corner-gas-book-christmas-special/trackback/ |access-date=January 5, 2007}}</ref> Author Michele Sponagle went on a book tour to cities across Canada, including Ottawa, Halifax, Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver to promote the book, alongside various cast members.<ref name="book">{{Cite web |last=armstrong |first=DENIS |year=2008 |title=Peterson having a 'Gas' playing Oscar |url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/TV_Shows/C/Corner_Gas/2006/12/04/2621356.html |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130115070037/http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/TV_Shows/C/Corner_Gas/2006/12/04/2621356.html |archive-date=January 15, 2013 |access-date=September 29, 2008 |website=Ottawa Sun |publisher=Canoe Inc}}</ref>
*The series occasionally breaks the ]. For example, in ''Physical Credit'' Wanda and Brent are talking about films with poor production values when a ] (apparently the one recording the scene) intentionally drops into the shot and hits Wanda on the head.
A follow-up to the book called ''Dog River Confidential: The Super, Even More Complete Corner Gas Guide,'' also by author Michele Sponagle, was released by Penguin Canada on November 10, 2009.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Toronto Star |date=April 12, 2009 |title=The Corner Gas gang's most magic moments |work=The Star |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/Television/article/616858 |access-date=April 13, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Dog River Confidential – Michele Sponagle – Penguin Books |url=http://www.penguin.ca/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780143172567,00.html?DOG_RIVER_CONFIDENTIAL_Michele_Sponagle |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727142618/http://www.penguin.ca/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780143172567,00.html?DOG_RIVER_CONFIDENTIAL_Michele_Sponagle |archive-date=July 27, 2011 |access-date=November 13, 2009}}</ref>
*To promote the ''Merry Gasmas'' episode in 2005, Brent Butt recorded "" with Craig Northey.
*In the third season episode ''Mail Fraud'' Brent created the term "staycation" to explain the act of taking a vacation without actually leaving home. This term is now in use on many pages on the internet.<ref>{{cite news | last = Diamond | first = Janelle Erlichman | title = SHOPPER - Stick Around for The Lazy, Hazy Days of August | pages = C-2 | language = English | publisher = Washington Post | date = 2005-08-04 | url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/03/AR2005080301977.html?nav=rss_print/style | accessdate = 2006-12-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Draut | first = Tamara | coauthor = Jose Garcia | title = The Summer of the Staycation | language = English | publisher = AScribe Newswire | date = 2006-09-13 | url = http://newswire.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/behold.pl?ascribeid=20060913.102737&time=10+39+PDT&year=2006&public=0 | accessdate = 2006-12-21}}</ref>


=== Fourth season === ===Corner Gas: The Movie===
'']'' premiered on December 3, 2014, for a limited five-day release in select Canadian theaters. All of the major cast members returned for the film. A Kickstarter campaign for ''Corner Gas: The Movie'' was successfully funded on June 19, 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Corner Gas: The Movie |url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1776228079/corner-gas-the-movie |access-date=August 13, 2015 |website=Kickstarter}}</ref> ]'s ] and ] are in the film (formerly of ]),<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 20, 2014 |title=Jay and Dan take over Corner Gas |url=http://www.cbc.ca/player/Radio/Local+Shows/Saskatchewan/ID/2470180450/ |access-date=August 13, 2015 |website=CBC.ca Player}}</ref> as well as TSN anchor ] and Olympic ] ].
*In the ''Dog River Dave'' episode, a fictional radio station from Regina, CJKL "The Jackal", was featured. An actual ] exists in ], Ontario. The name "jackal" is most likely a reference to the real Regina station ].
*In the ''The Good Old Table Hockey Game'' episode, homage is paid to the 1972 ] between ] and the then ]. The title of the episode is an homage to lyrics in '']'' by ].


The movie made its broadcast premiere on CTV on December 17, 2014, and has been released on both Blu-ray and DVD.
=== Miscellaneous ===
*The first season finale ''I Love Lacey'' takes place during the ] in November, while the third season episode ''Merry Gasmas'' takes place at Christmas time. These are the only two episodes (to date) to clearly indicate a timeframe for when they take place, although the season 2 finale ''Harvest Dance'' presumably takes place in the fall, and ''The Brent Effect'' takes place soon after ''I Love Lacey''. Neither ''I Love Lacey'' nor ''Brent Effect'' show any signs of it being early winter, despite taking place in November. ''Block Party'' explicitly takes place sometime in 2005 as it makes references to Saskatchewan's centennial celebrations that year, although the episode itself wasn't broadcast until February 2006.
*''Corner Gas'' is promoted by CTV as the network's "first original narrative comedy series".<ref>{{cite press release | title = What A Gas!! | publisher = CTV Inc. | date = 2004-01-26 | url = http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/show/CTVShows/20040123/CornerGas-insider-20040126 | accessdate = 2006-12-21}}</ref> While it is not, in fact, the first Canadian-produced sitcom ever aired on CTV, having been preceded by '']'', '']'', '']'' and '']'', it is the first CTV sitcom in which the network itself has held a primary production role, rather than acting solely as a holder of broadcast rights. ''Corner Gas'' can also be verifiably called the most successful of these shows.
*The Dog River Police have two police cars, both 1994 ]s. With the exception of the first episode, the police only use one of them. (In actual production, only one police car is on the Corner Gas set, and represents both cars)
*Co-stars Brent Butt and Nancy Robertson married on ], ] following production of the third season.<ref>{{cite press release | title = Canadian Actors Brent Butt and Nancy Robertson Wed | publisher = Lovetripper.com | date = 2005-11-20 | url = http://www.lovetripper.com/newswire/11855-butt-robertson.html | accessdate = 2007-01-05}}</ref>
*The only current top-20 Canadian show in all of Canada (other than hockey)—the rest being ], ''Corner Gas'' debuted in January 2004, outperforming all U.S. sitcoms in the territory among adults 25-54.<ref name="BandC"> </ref>
*''Corner Gas'' has spawned a ] business, with hundreds of retail items, sold-out live touring productions, and best-selling ]s.
*A companion book to the show, called ''Tales From Dog River: The Complete Corner Gas Guide'', was published on ], ]. It was written by Toronto journalist Michele Sponagle and was produced in conjunction with CTV, Penguin Canada and Prairie Pants Productions.<ref>
{{cite book | last = Sponagle | first = Michele | title = Tales from Dog River: The Complete Corner Gas Guide | publisher = Penguin Canada (APB) | date = 2006-11-03 | location = Toronto, Ontario | pages = 224 | id = ISBN-10 0143050311 ISBN-13 978-0143050315}}</ref> The book debuted in the no. 2 spot among new releases, behind only ]'s ]-winning book '']''. On ], ], it was the top-selling non-fiction paperback in Canada, according to BookMarket data. It includes cast interviews, an episode guide, insider jokes, bloopers, best lines, a look at the real Dog River (Rouleau, Saskatchewan), and a chronology on how the show was created from inception to debut episode.<ref>{{cite press release | title = Corner Gas book, Christmas special | publisher = TV, Eh? | date = 2006-11-23 | url = http://tv-eh.com/2006/11/23/corner-gas-book-christmas-special/trackback/ | accessdate = 2007-01-05}}</ref>
*In 2004, production of this series coincided with that of another CTV program, '']'' in which Gabrielle Miller and Fred Ewanuick also co-starred. Miller also had a recurring role in the series '']'' in 2004, giving her the rare distinction of playing major roles in three unrelated television series during the same calendar year (although ''Robson Arms'' wasn't broadcast until 2005).
*In the summer of 2006, the cast of ''Corner Gas'' performed a fundraising benefit event for Regina's ] called ''Corner Gas... Live,'' in which the cast performed a live episode of the TV series. The popularity of the hit sitcom caused such a rush for tickets that the Globe Theatre's online ticket sales system briefly went down as a result.<ref>{{cite news | last = Smilie | first = Ruth | title = Celebration to feature ''Corner Gas'' | language = English | publisher = The Leader-Post (Regina) | date = 2006-04-27 | url = http://www.globetheatrelive.com/Artistic%20Directions/corner%20gas%20article.html | accessdate = 2007-05-04}}</ref>
* Fred Ewanuick appeared as Hank on the ]'s 300th episode in a spoof of ''Corner Gas'', in which Yasir (]) and Sarah (]) from ]'s '']'' bought the gas station and fired Brent. Hank then debated with them the location of ] (the Saskatchewan town where ''Little Mosque'' takes place) in relation to Dog River.
* <ref name="surnames">The surnames of all Dog River residents (with the exception of Fitzy) are names of small towns in Saskatchewan.</ref>


== Awards == ===Animated series===
A 13-episode animated series, titled '']'' was announced on December 19, 2016. The series features the voices of many original cast members (] provided the voice of Emma Leroy, replacing the late Janet Wright). It debuted in April 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Canadian sitcom smash 'Corner Gas' to be rebooted as animated series |url=http://globalnews.ca/news/3136435/canadian-sitcom-smash-corner-gas-to-be-rebooted-as-animated-series |access-date=December 19, 2016 |website=CTV}}</ref> In October 2019, it was announced that it was renewed for a third season to air on ] in 2020.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Corner Gas Animated is Coming Back for Season 3 |date=October 3, 2019 |publisher=] |url=https://www.ctvcomedy.ca/blogs/2019/10/corner-gas-animated-season-3 |access-date=October 3, 2019}}</ref> In October 2019, after a third season renewal, during the second season broadcast, it was announced that Amazon's IMDb TV (now ]), starting October 20. The fourth and final season premiered in July 2021 on CTV. ] announced in April 2022, as part of their rebrand from IMDb TV to Freevee, that the final season would release on June 20, 2022.


==Impact==
* Seven '']'' wins:
{{wikinews|New words added to Webster's dictionary|Canadian province declares April 13 "Corner Gas Day" to honour retiring TV sitcom}}
** Best Direction (TV Series) - 2004-2006
In 2006, ''Corner Gas'' aired in 26 countries.<ref name="book" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Corner Gas to air in U.S., Iraq, Finland, 24 other countries |url=https://www.sootoday.com/local-entertainment/corner-gas-to-air-in-us-iraq-finland-24-other-countries-147980 |access-date=February 5, 2016}}</ref> Free land was awarded through the ''Corner Gas'' website which enabled a Quebec couple to move to ]. In ], a local resident started a "Ruby" café.<ref name="Third" />
** Best Male Performance (TV) - 2004 & 2005 (Brent Butt)
** Best Female Performance (TV) - 2006 (Janet Wright)
** Best Writing (TV Series) - 2004


===Awards===
* Three '']'' wins:
''Corner Gas'' has won a variety of awards since it debuted as a series January 2004 including nine ] and six ]s. The ] include Best Direction (TV Series)—2004–2006, Best Male Performance (TV)—2004 and 2005 (Brent Butt), 2007 (Eric Peterson), Best Female Performance (TV)—2006 (Janet Wright) and Best Writing (TV Series)—2004 and 2007.
** Best Comedy Program or Series - 2005 & 2006
** Best Interactive - 2005
The show also has seven other Gemini Award nominations.


The six ]s include Best Comedy Program or Series—2005, 2006, and 2007; Best Ensemble Performance in a Comedy Program or Series—for the episode "Gopher It", 2007; Best Writing in a Comedy or Variety Program or Series—Mark Ferrell for the episode "Gopher It", 2007; and Best Interactive—2005. 2007 was the third consecutive year that ''Corner Gas'' won the best comedy award.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 29, 2007 |title='Corner Gas' wins big at Gemini Awards |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/corner-gas-wins-big-at-gemini-awards-1.262033 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120045153/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071029/corner_gas_071029/20071029?hub=Entertainment |archive-date=November 20, 2008 |access-date=September 29, 2008 |website=The Canadian Press |publisher=CTVglobemedia}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Strachan |first=Alex |date=October 29, 2007 |title=Corner Gas fills up at Gemini Awards |url=http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=b02ac371-51a7-4649-838b-d38304d6d7ce&k=6360 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080603073853/http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=b02ac371-51a7-4649-838b-d38304d6d7ce&k=6360 |archive-date=June 3, 2008 |access-date=September 29, 2008 |website=CanWest News Service |publisher=Canwest Publishing Inc.}}</ref>
* Nominated for an '']'' in 2004.


The show also has eight other Gemini Award nominations. It was nominated for an ] in 2004.
* 2004 '']'' win for Outstanding Team Achievement in a TV Series - Comedy.
Also nominated in 2005.


In 2004, the show was honoured with the DGC Award win for Outstanding Team Achievement in a TV Series—Comedy. They were also nominated in 2005. ''Corner Gas'' received the ''WGC Award'' win in 2005 for Best Comedy & Variety Program. ''Corner Gas'' also lays claim to seven ] wins.<ref name="CTV Globemedia" />
* 2005 '']'' win for Best Comedy & Variety Program.


''Corner Gas'' received two awards at the 7th Canadian Comedy Awards. The awards were given for best direction and to Janet Wright achieved the award for top female performer.<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 28, 2006 |title=Mark McKinney, Corner Gas winners at comedy awards |work=CBC Arts |publisher=] |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/mark-mckinney-corner-gas-winners-at-comedy-awards-1.569968 |access-date=September 29, 2008}}</ref> ''Corner Gas'' writers received an award for the episode "Comedy Night" at the 9th annual ] on April 18, 2005.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 2005 |title=Saskatchewan congratulates Corner Gas |url=http://www.gov.sk.ca/news?newsId=5fbeb146-54f6-429a-b700-0b6583ab6069 |access-date=September 29, 2008 |website=News Releases |publisher=Government of Saskatchewan}}</ref> Writers Mark Farrell and Robert Sheridan received the 2008 Canadian Screenwriting Award for best half-hour drama series on April 14, 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2008 |title='Corner Gas' snags screenwriting award |url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/show/CTVShows/20080415/gas_award_080415/20080415/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220060137/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/show/CTVShows/20080415/gas_award_080415/20080415/ |archive-date=February 20, 2009 |access-date=September 29, 2008 |website=CTV online |publisher=CTVglobemedia}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Vlessing |first=Etan |date=April 28, 2008 |title=Writers hand awards to Corner Gas, Motor City |url=http://www.playbackonline.ca/articles/magazine/20080428/wgc.html |access-date=September 29, 2008 |publisher=Playback Online}}</ref>
* Seven '']'' wins.


== References == ==References==
{{reflist}}
<references/>


==External links== ==External links==
{{Wikinewspar|Canadian Prime Minister Harper plays small role in television show Corner Gas}}
{{wikiquote}} {{wikiquote}}
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* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130812091146/http://www.bruzer.com/cornergas/ |date=August 12, 2013 }}
* {{IMDb title|0397138}}


{{ACCT Best Comedy Series}}
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Latest revision as of 19:55, 18 December 2024

Canadian television sitcom created by Brent Butt

Corner Gas
GenreComedy
Created byBrent Butt
Starring
Opening theme"Not a Lot Goin' On" by Craig Northey and Jesse Valenzuela
Ending theme"My Happy Place" by Odds
Country of originCanada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons6
No. of episodes107 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Brent Butt
  • David Storey
  • Virginia Thompson
Running time21–23 minutes
Original release
NetworkCTV
ReleaseJanuary 22, 2004 (2004-01-22) –
April 13, 2009 (2009-04-13)
Related

Corner Gas is a Canadian television sitcom created by Brent Butt. The series ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009. Reruns still air on CTV, CTV2, CTV Comedy Channel, Much, MTV, E! and are streaming on Crave and Amazon Prime. The series was followed by a feature film titled Corner Gas: The Movie, with the entire cast reprising their roles. The film was released for a limited theatrical run in December 2014.

Deriving its name from the roadside gas station in the fictional town of Dog River, Saskatchewan, Corner Gas is the only gas station for 60 kilometres (37 mi) in any direction. Brent Leroy (Butt) is the proprietor of the station, which was formerly owned by his father, Oscar (Eric Peterson). Wanda Dollard (Nancy Robertson) works at the station's convenience store as a retail assistant. An adjoining coffee shop, The Ruby, is owned by Lacey Burrows (Gabrielle Miller), who inherited it from her Aunt Ruby.

The series completed its run following broadcast of its sixth season on April 13, 2009, with a total of 107 episodes. The show averaged one million viewers per episode. Corner Gas received six Gemini Awards, and was nominated almost 70 times for various awards.

On April 6, 2009, Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall signed a proclamation that declared April 13, 2009, "Corner Gas Day" in Saskatchewan.

Production of an animated adaptation, Corner Gas Animated, was announced in December 2016, and premiered on The Comedy Network on April 2, 2018, featuring the complete original cast voicing their original characters, save for Janet Wright, who died in November 2016, the month prior to announcement. The role of Emma is voiced in the animated version by actress Corrine Koslo.

Production

Concept

The series was created by Canadian comedian Brent Butt, who imagined what his life might be like had he remained in a small Saskatchewan town rather than pursuing stand-up comedy. He originally developed the storyline for CTV and The Comedy Network.

Corner Gas references many tropes about Canadian identity, often ironically. The show focuses on the lifestyle of small-town folk; though set in a small town in Saskatchewan, its stories are not chiefly about Saskatchewan or Canada, but rather the day-to-day interactions of the residents of Dog River.

Executive producers, directors, and co-producers

Corner Gas was produced by CTV and Prairie Pants Productions. Prairie Pants Productions is a company assembled by Brent Butt, Virginia Thompson and 335 Productions. 335 Productions is a partnership between Brent Butt and David Storey. (The name of the production company is derived from the fact that Tisdale, Saskatchewan, Butt's hometown, lies at the junction of Saskatchewan Highways 3 and 35.) At The Comedy Network, Michelle Daly is Director of Content and Ed Robinson is the President and General Manager. At CTV Inc., Susanne Boyce is President, Creative, Content and Channels and again Ed Robinson is Executive Vice-president, Programming. Brent Butt was a driving force as creator, writer, showrunner, executive producer, actor and, occasionally, director of the show. Paul Mather, Mark Farrell, Brent Butt, Andrew Carr, Kevin White, Robert Sheridan, Norm Hiscock, Dylan "Worts" Wertz and Gary Pearson all contributed to writing the series. David Storey, Mark Farrell, Robert de Lint, Jeff Beesley and Brent Butt provided direction in the program.

Corner Gas was promoted by CTV as the network's "first original narrative comedy series." While it is not, in fact, the first Canadian-produced sitcom ever aired on CTV, having been preceded by The Trouble with Tracy, George, Snow Job, Excuse My French, and Check It Out!, it is the first CTV sitcom in which the network itself has held a primary production role, rather than acting solely as a holder of broadcast rights, and the first to postdate the network's late-1990s corporate restructuring from a cooperative of its affiliated stations into a conventional corporation. Corner Gas can also be verifiably called the most successful of these shows.

Filming locations

Corner Gas was filmed entirely in Saskatchewan. The interior shots (Ruby Café interior, Police Department, Oscar and Emma's house, etc.) were filmed at Canada Saskatchewan Production Studios in Regina. All the outdoor scenes and all scenes that take place in the gas station were filmed on location in Rouleau, a small town on Highway 39 between Moose Jaw and Weyburn. The grain elevator was repainted to read "Dog River" instead of "Rouleau"; however, the water tower still reads "Rouleau" – with post production effects used to repaint it to read "Dog River" in the first-season episode "Grad 68". Regina is known as "the city" in Corner Gas.

On 28 September 2014, the building that was used as the FOO MART, the local grocery store, was destroyed in a fire.

On 4 November 2016, the set that was used for both Corner Gas and the Ruby was demolished due to the foundations sinking. The structures, erected in 2003 as set pieces, were originally built on boggy land and were not initially built to last very long. In the intervening years, they had become a tourist attraction.

In summer 2021, the police station building collapsed, and the debris was removed. On 5 November 2021, the grain elevator burned to the ground.

Episode format

Each episode of Corner Gas is written following a specific formula: two or three (almost always three, once four) storylines are presented in each show. The main storyline usually opens and closes the episode and is most of the time driven by a single character. The secondary plots are sometimes slightly intertwined with the other stories.

Opening sequence

The Corner Gas opening sequence follows a cold open. The opening theme music, "Not a Lot Goin' On", was written by Craig Northey of the rock band Odds and Jesse Valenzuela of the rock band Gin Blossoms, while the closing theme, "My Happy Place" was written by Northey and performed by Odds.

Overview

Main article: List of Corner Gas episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
113January 22, 2004 (2004-01-22)April 28, 2004 (2004-04-28)
218October 5, 2004 (2004-10-05)March 28, 2005 (2005-03-28)
319September 19, 2005 (2005-09-19)March 20, 2006 (2006-03-20)
419September 18, 2006 (2006-09-18)March 12, 2007 (2007-03-12)
519September 24, 2007 (2007-09-24)April 21, 2008 (2008-04-21)
619October 13, 2008 (2008-10-13)April 13, 2009 (2009-04-13)
FilmNovember 25, 2014 (2014-11-25)

Corner Gas is the only gas station for 60 kilometres (37 mi) in any direction (according to the first two episodes of season one, "Ruby Reborn" and "Tax Man"). Brent Leroy (Brent Butt) is the proprietor of the station and Wanda Dollard (Nancy Robertson) works at the station's convenience store as a retail assistant. An adjoining diner, The Ruby, is owned by Lacey Burrows (Gabrielle Miller), who inherited it from her Aunt Ruby and moved to Dog River from Toronto. Brent's parents, Oscar Leroy (Eric Peterson) and Emma Leroy (Janet Wright), are lifetime residents of Dog River. Dog River's police force, consisting entirely of veteran Davis Quinton (Lorne Cardinal) and rookie Karen Pelly (Tara Spencer-Nairn), keep the peace in the small town—a very simple task—and the officers have an overabundance of free time. Finally, Brent's best friend Richard Henry "Hank" Yarbo (Fred Ewanuick), who is constantly unemployed, spends his time hanging out with Dog River's residents and drinking coffee, for which he rarely pays, at The Ruby.

The first episode of Corner Gas aired on January 22, 2004, and attracted 1.5 million viewers. The first season consisted of 13 episodes. Less than two months after the first episode aired, CTV renewed it for a second season of 18 episodes.

Butt's main co-writers were This Hour Has 22 Minutes writers Mark Farrell, Paul Mather, Kevin White, and Andrew Carr.

As broadcast of the fourth-season finale approached, there was a flurry of news reports suggesting that the series was coming to an unexpected end, based upon televised promotions for the episode, leaked plot details, and wording of a CTV press release issued on March 6, 2007, that implied that the series finale would air on March 12, 2007. Two segments of production footage with time code circulated on YouTube also seemed to indicate a series finale as imminent despite the show's continued success in Canada and recent U.S. sale. On March 7, 2007, CTV clarified its press release, stating it was a season finale, and on March 13, 2007, CTV confirmed an order for a 19-episode fifth season, which premiered on September 24, 2007.

On April 10, 2008, as production of the sixth season began, Butt announced via a press release that he and his production company, Prairie Pants, had decided to conclude production of the series after the sixth season, with the final episodes airing in the spring of 2009. Butt said the decision to end the series while still a popular offering on CTV was "a very difficult decision ... and one I felt I had to make. (CTV) made it clear that they were keen to do more seasons ... I wanted to exit gracefully, on top of our game."

The show's final episode aired on April 13, 2009, airing in simulcast on CTV, The Comedy Network, and A. The episode attracted 2,914,000 viewers on terrestrial television and an additional 235,000 on The Comedy Network, for a total viewership of 3,114,000.

Characters

The surnames of all of the main characters and some recurring characters on the show (except for Mayor 'Fitzy' Fitzgerald) are names of small towns in Saskatchewan; Burrows, Dollard, Humboldt, Jansen (Jensen), Kinistino, Leroy, Pelly, Quinton, Runciman and Yarbo.

Main cast

  • Brent Herbert Leroy (Brent Butt) is the comic book-reading, sarcastic proprietor of Corner Gas. He is almost always good-natured, but has a tendency to fixate on minor details. He is a fan of adventure fiction such as The Saint in New York and The Executioner. His favourite food is chili cheese dogs, to the point where he can identify the individual ingredients by taste. Brent is 'adept' at many sports, such as curling, hockey, and softball. His favourite football teams are the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Minnesota Vikings. He and Hank have been best friends since childhood, and Brent often makes fun of him and name multiple instances of Hank's stupidity. As of the Season 5 finale, Brent is 40 years old, and was born on November 6 (thus, his date of birth can be assumed to be November 6, 1967, since Brent graduated high school in 1986). Brent is said to be the hottest guy in Dog River, although other characters on the show acknowledge this is faint praise. He is also the Dog River Table Hockey Champion using a "dump it into the corners" style of play. It is implied that he and Lacey Burrows have feelings for each other, although neither will admit or act upon them. After the end of the series he went on to fulfill his dream of fly-fishing in the Yukon, while looking to wrestle a bear (he didn't find any bears, but he did see either a Sasquatch or an oddly shaped stump). It was revealed in Corner Gas: The Movie that he and Lacey entered into a romantic relationship three years after the end of the series.
  • Lacey Burrows (Gabrielle Miller) took over the previously unnamed coffee shop in Dog River after her aunt's death and renamed it The Ruby in her honour. Originally from Toronto, she is perpetually trying to fit into small-town life, with mixed, often disastrous, results. She is a terrible liar, quick to jump to conclusions, a poor winner, and thinks everybody has a crush on her, and frequently exhibits insecurity and regret about the path her life has taken. She has also expressed frustration at being unable to find "a stable guy" to date in Dog River. She considers herself a sweetheart and secretly believes that she alone of the town's women deserves the "Woman of Distinction" award (which she eventually wins). She is also very knowledgeable when it comes to hockey, coaching Dog River's hockey team, the Dog River Riverdogs. It is implied that she and Brent Leroy have feelings for each other, although neither will admit or act upon them. In season five Karen describes Lacey as "too upbeat, overly fastidious, a little needy – same old Lacey!". Her fashion sense trends toward the revealing. This was mocked in the episode "Doc Small", in which she welcomes to Dog River Dr. Chris Garner, a doctor from an even smaller town, and she's shocked by Lacey's "slutty" top, which is actually one of her more conservative tops. After the series' end she opened a second Ruby in Wullerton, but the local health inspectors quickly shut it down. It was revealed in Corner Gas: The Movie that she and Brent entered into a romantic relationship three years after the end of the series.
  • Richard Henry "Hank" Yarbo (Fred Ewanuick) is Brent's perpetually unemployed best friend. He often hangs out at Corner Gas talking to Brent and constantly borrows money from other characters and rarely pays them back. He has worked at a range of jobs, from census worker to crossing guard to city accountant, never being able to hold down or stay focused in one for long. He expressed a goal of working as a rodeo clown. His mother lives in Saskatoon, and his favourite foods are grape Pop Rocks and pickles (despite accidentally choking on the same pickle two times). Hank is quite childish, doing such things as going to see an adventure movie designed for six-year-olds four times in one week. He is shown to have a lot of interest in the CFL, most notably the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Saskatchewan's football team. In a Christmas-themed episode, it is revealed that as a hockey fan, he likes the Vancouver Canucks. Despite his village-idiot routine, Hank actually has experience in many physical and maintenance activities, including auto mechanics, gardening, knitting, woodworking, and plumbing, making him something of a jack-of-all-trades. After the series, he continued to remain "awesomely" unemployed.
  • Wanda Dollard (Nancy Robertson) is a quirky cashier at Corner Gas, and the self-professed smartest person in town. She was born on April 16, 1968 (as shown on her driver's license in the episode "The Accidental Cleanist"). Wanda has a sardonic, caustic personality and enjoys lording her knowledge over others. She is the single mother of a six-year-old son, Tanner Vincent Dollard, who is seen on-screen only briefly in the episode "Oh Baby." (It's implied that Hank is Tanner's father; when Wanda is approached about this, she tries to laugh it off, but doesn't deny it outright.) Tanner is portrayed as a living nightmare for prospective babysitters (Season 1, Episode 4) and is a handful for his own mother, doing things like putting peanut butter up her nose while she sleeps. Accused of being a know-it-all, Wanda is also one of very few Dog River residents who has gone to university; she holds a degree in linguistics with a minor in comparative religion but took classes in many other subjects. Despite her extensive education, she considers her job at Corner Gas a privilege. She is shown as having a case of mild agoraphobia in one episode. Like Brent and Hank, Wanda grew up in Dog River. After the end of the series, she pursued a PhD in theoretical physics though she still works at Corner Gas, albeit with a pay raise.
  • Oscar Leroy (Eric Peterson) is Brent's grouchy, stubborn, elderly-stereotype father, the retired former owner and founder of Corner Gas. His all-purpose word is "jackass"; during the course of the live-action series, he says it ninety times. (It is also the series's final spoken word.) He often demands that the Dog River police arrest everyone who annoys him. He frequently, belligerently, points out to government workers: "My taxes pay your salary!" He tends to exclaim "Holy hell!" on encountering new or surprising things. He rivals Hank in his brain capacity and ability to make mistakes and the two are often shown scheming together. Oscar likes to show his handiwork around the house, but usually makes things worse when he tries to fix things. When Brent suggested selling Corner Gas to a huge company, Oscar replied "How dare you – how dare you keep the Pump and Go people waiting, sell it, sell it now!", showing he didn't love his old job. This, however, was only part of Hank's fantasy sequence, and may not accurately reflect Oscar's actual sentiment.
  • Emma Leroy (Janet Wright) is Brent's mother, the brains and muscle of the family. She and Oscar squabble constantly and she usually ends up having to deal with the fallout from his actions, which she usually makes worse. Though he embarrasses and annoys her, she does truly love him. She has also found "letting go" of Brent difficult and reacts badly when someone else appears to replace her in some aspect of his life. Her main hobbies are knitting, crocheting, and gardening and she is active in many of the town's committees. She has also been shown to possess great strength (being able to hurl a cinder block at a skunk across the yard with little effort), and other characters often seek her advice. She has a quick-tempered, cunning, domineering personality. After the end of the series she remained married to Oscar, despite doctor's orders.
  • Sergeant Davis Quinton (Lorne Cardinal) is Dog River's overly sensitive First Nations Cree senior police officer. He has a habit of misspending the police budget, napping on the job, and making up the laws as he goes along, having never actually read the police manual. Due to the low crime rate in Dog River, he does not take his job very seriously. He is obsessed with Cosmopolitan magazine, retro-TV and classic cartoon shows; and is a science fiction aficionado. He believes that the original Battlestar Galactica may have really happened. His catchphrase is an enthusiastic "All right!" He is a fan of the Saskatchewan Prairie Fire (he is often seen wearing their gear while off duty). Davis once competed in rhythmic gymnastics; he also has a collection of the original Hardy Boys books. He is unable to make coffee, but is unwilling to tell anyone. When he was a baby his mother left him to join a band; for a long time he thought their cleaning lady was his mom. At the end of season 5, Davis is said to be 46 years old, which would make 1961 his year of birth. He was also seen as a police officer in Dog River in 1986 (the "Grad '68" episode in season 1). He lost his sense of smell after being hit on the head as a child, and regains it after falling from a ladder trying to rescue a cat from the Leroys' tree. Davis is divorced but after the end of the series he eventually remarried.
  • Constable Karen Pelly (Tara Spencer-Nairn) is Dog River's ambitious, stickler for the rules junior police officer. Before becoming a police officer, she ranked fifth in Canada in the sport of static apnea, with a personal best of more than six minutes. She's a very good cook, but does not like to bring it up for fear it will stereotype her. She does not want to admit that she does not know how to ride a bike. She is also at least 10 years younger than most of the other characters, turning 30 in the sixth season. Karen possesses a variety of skills including cooking, martial arts, drums, drawing, and table hockey; but when she wins a raffle in the sixth season, she says it's the first time she ever won anything. She tends to take her police position very seriously, unlike her partner Davis, and treats even the most minor problem officially. On one occasion, when she mentions to Davis that she feels she has a good lead on a cold case, he stares at her dumbfounded and asks "Why?" Karen frequently becomes annoyed with Davis' willingness to obey the mayor in everything and bend rules. They differ greatly on their views of what a police officer should portray; on one occasion, Karen states that "a police officer should be respected by the community", to which Davis casually replies "Who said that?" Many episodes see them engaged in petty disputes and going to great lengths to one-up each other. Despite their differences, Karen and Davis get along well although they don't spend much time together outside of work. In the episode "Hook, Line and Sinker" Karen goes fishing with Hank and is seduced by his "sexy fish talk". After the end of the series, she falls in love and marries; in Corner Gas: The Movie, Karen's husband is said to be a soldier stationed off the Mediterranean coast, and they are expecting their first child.

Recurring characters

  • Fitzy Fitzgerald (Cavan Cunningham) is the mayor of Dog River. He tends to take his position very seriously. He is quite paranoid about losing his job and thinks that anyone will do anything for the position of mayor, although no one really wants it. Little is revealed about his personal life; however, several episodes imply that he may have a son.
  • Wes Humboldt (Mike O'Brien) owns and operates the liquor and insurance store in town. His father died saving his entire platoon in the Korean War, although everyone told him that he ran off to join the circus. Wes later learns the truth when Brent reads out a passage from a book detailing the history of Dog River, not knowing that Wes was not supposed to hear it.
  • Paul Kinistino (Mark Dieter) is the bartender at the Dog River Hotel. He is a Cree man, and speaks a little bit of the Cree language. He went to high school with Brent, Wanda and Hank. In the episode "Cell Phone", he replaces the shuffleboard game in the bar with a claw game, to which Oscar becomes addicted. In "Friend of a Friend", he claims to have a master's degree in history. In season four, Paul is replaced by a new bartender, Phil Kinistino (Erroll Kinistino), though it's never revealed how they are related.
  • Josh the Cook (Josh Strait) is the reserved chef at The Ruby. In "Safety First", he temporarily quits his job and first speaks, telling Lacey he wants to become a llama farmer. When Lacey asked Brent if he was aware Josh wanted to work with llamas, Brent replied, "I didn't even know he could talk." Josh Strait also hosted the tours of the Corner Gas set in Regina, Saskatchewan.
  • Helen Jensen (Jean Freeman), the mayor's grandmother, is also known as "Fitzy's Grandma". In the episode "World's Biggest Thing", she is the one who innocently suggests Dog River build the "World's Biggest Hoe" to honour Dog River's farming heritage. Brent disagrees but can't bear to tell her about the inappropriate connotations of that phrase.
  • Myrtle Runciman (Gwen Seed) is a batty elderly neighbour of Oscar and Emma's who appears many times over the course of the show. She is a member of their curling team and in one episode is seen driving a large pickup truck. Often she is vague and senile, but she has been known to make pointed remarks about the other characters.

Notable guest stars

Several notable Canadian celebrities and politicians appeared as guest stars or in cameo roles on Corner Gas. Some celebrities made the trip to the Rouleau or Regina sets to film their appearances, others were filmed in the applicable locations (e.g., scenes involving cast members of Canadian Idol and Canada AM were filmed at the respective programs' studios).

Two successive sitting prime ministers, Paul Martin and Stephen Harper, made cameo appearances; Corner Gas is the only fictional sitcom (as opposed to sketch comedy series) in which sitting prime ministers have appeared. Two successive sitting premiers of Saskatchewan, Lorne Calvert and Brad Wall, also appeared in episodes. "Demolition" features former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, taking a sledgehammer to an old barn. Ben Mulroney, host of TV shows Canadian Idol and eTalk Daily and the son of former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, parodies himself during the third-season episode "Dog River Vice".

Kevin McDonald of The Kids in the Hall played Marvin Drey, a disliked Revenue Canada agent, in "Tax Man", the second episode of the series. In the same episode Dan Matheson, a news anchor for CTV, appeared as himself. Julie Stewart played a paint store clerk (parodying her role in Cold Squad) in "Grad 68". Comedian Mike Wilmot played Carl Vaughn, Brent's snobby cousin. Colin Mochrie, a prolific Canadian comedy actor best known for his work in the British and American versions of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, made a cameo appearance in the episode "Comedy Night" as part of a joke about how he seems to turn up on every Canadian TV show. Pamela Wallin, former CBC newscaster, later Canadian Consul General and senator, a native of Wadena, Saskatchewan, played herself. Canadian Idol judges Sass Jordan, Zack Werner, Jake Gold, and Farley Flex appeared as themselves rating Brent's rendition of "It would never rain in Dog River ... If I Could Squeegee the Sky" in the episode "Hook, Line and Sinker". TSN sportscaster (and U8TV: The Lofters alumnus) Jennifer Hedger and her SportsCentre colleague Darren Dutchyshen appeared as themselves in the episode "Face Off".

The second season also attracted notable personalities. "Wedding Card" featured hockey star Darryl Sittler as himself. Pat Fiacco, then-mayor of Regina, appears in the episode "Whataphobia" as Stan, the owner of Dog River's miniature golf course. "Poor Brent" has an appearance by long-time CTV National News anchor Lloyd Robertson, playing himself. Canadian and world champion curlers Randy Ferbey and Dave Nedohin (both of whom curl for Alberta) appear as themselves providing advice during the hotly contested Dog River curling championship, the Clavet Cup in episode "Hurry Hard". The episode "An American in Saskatchewan" features Mark McKinney, a veteran of both The Kids in the Hall and Saturday Night Live as Bill, an American who visits Dog River by accident. Saskatchewan-born musician Colin James appears as a local musician (although it is implied that he's actually playing himself) who performs an audition in Brent's garage. The rock group The Tragically Hip appear as "local kids" who practise in Brent's garage. The Tragically Hip play a rough version of "It Can't Be Nashville Every Night" off their In Between Evolution album. Both The Tragically Hip and Colin James are in the episode "Rock On!"

Singer Jann Arden appears as herself in "Fun Run". Noted actress Shirley Douglas (mother of Kiefer Sutherland, and daughter of Tommy Douglas, former Premier of Saskatchewan) plays a woman with the hots for Oscar in "Trees a Crowd". Then-federal finance minister Ralph Goodale appears as a Ruby Café customer in "Picture Perfect". (The episode debuted the same day Goodale filed a "mini-budget" in the House of Commons.) Lorne Calvert, premier of Saskatchewan, appears as himself. He appears three times: twice to poke fun at Sweden and once to almost get hit by a thrown newspaper during the appropriately named "Ruby Newsday". Vicki Gabereau appears as herself during a fantasy sequence in the same episode. Prior to the debut of Corner Gas, the cast had appeared on Gabereau's CTV talk show, during which Brent Butt promised to get the talk show host a guest appearance. "Merry Gasmas" features This Hour Has 22 Minutes anchor Gavin Crawford as a worker in the Calgary International Airport. He would always call cities their airport names (YYC, YEG) which confused Lacey horribly. In the same episode Dan Redican from The Frantics, and more recently Puppets Who Kill, makes an appearance as a worker in the Regina International Airport. He repeatedly says "made that call." Comedy Inc. star Roman Danylo makes a cameo as a passenger sitting next to Lacey on a plane from Alberta to Vancouver. He claims to be a "cat doctor," and not a veterinarian. He manages to out-chat Lacey while talking about cats during the same episode. Ken Read, also known as "The Crazy Canuck," is a champion alpine skier and member of the Canadian Olympic Committee. During episode "Physical Credit", Read receives a browbeating from Oscar (which first aired the day after closing ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics).

Olympic long-track speed skater medal winner Cindy Klassen makes a cameo appearance in the fourth season episode "Dog River Dave". Mike Holmes, the star of Holmes on Homes, helps to fix Oscar's bathroom in the episode "Jail House"; Wanda claims to have dated the Holmes character. CTV CEO Ivan Fecan makes a cameo appearance during the episode "Blog River". "Gopher It" featured then Prime Minister Stephen Harper as himself, stating that regardless of whether Dog River plans to commemorate prairie dogs or gophers, he appreciates both. Canada AM co-anchors Seamus O'Regan and Beverly Thomson appear, playing themselves. Unlike most cameos, O'Regan and Thomson appear extensively in this episode to parody their on-screen image. CTV National News reporter Rosemary Thompson appears, playing herself in a scrum with the Prime Minister at the gas station.

During the fifth season three episodes bring in notable personalities. In "Coming Distractions", Duane "Dog" Chapman and Beth Smith from Dog the Bounty Hunter appear to arrest Brent during a fantasy sequence. In the episode "Bed and Brake Fast" hockey player Travis Moen makes a cameo appearance with the Stanley Cup. In "Final Countdown", actor Kiefer Sutherland makes a cameo appearance. In the same episode, Shirley Douglas' voice is heard.

Michael Bublé appears in the sixth-season episode "TV Free Dog River". He calls in (unseen at first) to Davis's jazz radio program, requesting a song from Michael Bublé. After Davis says that "Michael Bublé isn't jazz", the camera cuts to the actual singer, who says sadly that he is "a gifted vocalist who defies genres". In episode four of the sixth season, "Meat Wave", Canadian science broadcaster and environmental activist David Suzuki also appears in a cameo.

Setting

Dog River

Principal shooting set, as of February 12, 2010

Dog River (Rouleau, Saskatchewan) has a population of "about 500" according to "Census Sensibility". According to the Corner Gas tagline, it is 40 kilometres (25 mi) from nowhere, but still within a relatively short drive to "The City", where characters are often shown going to shop or attend "support meetings", in the case of Davis and Lacey. The rival town of Wullerton is "just down the road". It is stated in the episode "Tax Man" that Corner Gas is the only gas station for 60 kilometres (37 mi) in any direction. Series creator Brent Butt has said the town lies somewhere between Regina and Saskatoon; these two cities are 257 kilometres (160 mi) apart, so this fact does not contradict anything said on the series. In fact, the term "the city" has been used at various times in the series to refer to Regina. The third-season episode, "Fun Run" has one character drive to Weyburn for a lark, suggesting Dog River is probably closer to Regina than it is to Saskatoon. In the episode "Outside Joke", when the Corner Gas station is believed to actually be outside the town limits, it is said to be in the fictional municipality of Pitt Creek. In "Kid Stuff", Wanda says it is south of the also fictional Crowley Lake.

The town's name is an homage to series creator Brent Butt's hometown of Tisdale, Saskatchewan, through which the Doghide River flows. However, in the show itself, the second-season episode "Rock On!" revealed that the town was named after a great-great uncle of Lacey's who drowned a dozen dogs in the river. She discovered this trivia while researching information for a history plaque. In order to play down this unsavoury branch of her family tree, Lacey instead used a story that Karen made up: that pioneers somehow got hold of a hot air balloon, got an aerial view of the town site, and noticed that the creek formed a shape similar to that of a dog's leg. "Block Party" revealed that the town was founded in 1905, and its founder was a Mr. Harold Main after whom Main Street was named (it was later renamed Centennial Street in 2005, the origin of the name being forgotten). Main also constructed Dog River's first building, a wooden shack which Hank Yarbo would burn down a century later in order to maintain the accuracy of his Lego scale model of the town (he ran out of blocks and could not make a replica of the shack).

A real-life Regina tour operator regularly takes busloads of tourists to Rouleau to visit "Dog River". Visitors can tour the on-location sets of Corner Gas, including the service station. Many components of Dog River are, in fact, real attributes of Rouleau, notably the combined liquor and insurance store.

On February 9, 2010, Google Street View extended its coverage of Canada, including all streets within Rouleau. The remnants of the Corner Gas and Ruby standing sets, along with the grain elevator labelled "Dog River" are visible from ground level at the junction of Highways 39 and 714. The grain elevator, built in 1972, was destroyed by fire on November 5, 2021.

After falling into disrepair when the show ended, the Rouleau sets were purchased by businessman Sylvain Senecal and restored as a souvenir shop. The sets were open from May 1 until late September where Corner Gas, Saskatchewan and regular convenience store items could be purchased, and were later once again utilized for Corner Gas: The Movie. However, by 2016, the Ruby and Corner Gas sets had once again fallen into disrepair and, due to being built on a bog, had begun to sink and were declared unsafe. On November 4, 2016, the buildings were demolished. Despite this, however, the town of Rouleau announced at the same time plans for a walking tour of surviving Corner Gas sets to launch in 2017, while the Western Development Museum branch in Moose Jaw announced plans to exhibit artifacts from the series, including the original Corner Gas sign.

The Howler

The town has its own newspaper, The Dog River Howler (usually just called "The Howler"), to which almost everybody has contributed at one point or another. Its headlines are usually rife with inaccurate, sensationalist reporting. An example of exaggeration can be seen in "Hero Sandwich," in which a proposal to install traffic lights at a four-way intersection prompts the headline "Crosswalk HELL—Mayor Insane." Another example occurs (mentioned in the same episode) when coyotes wander into town to eat cats, prompting the incorrectly spelled headline "Cattle Killed by Werewolfs [sic]." An example of simply untrue reporting can be seen in the first episode, in which a headline reads "Moose Jaw Gets NBA Franchise", and at an unseen time, they declared that Canada was apparently at war with Switzerland. The paper is also rife with misspellings, for example in the third season that "Hank is PHYCIC [sic]" (the story was "contunied [sic]" on page 30) or in the fourth season that "Cop nabs barely [sic] thief" (after Karen mentions that the arraigned person was "barely a thief" for having stolen a truck loaded with barley).

Emergency services

The "Police Department", consisting of Davis and Karen, keeps the peace in Dog River.

In "The Littlest Yarbo," a short-lived Fire Department consisting of two firefighters, David and Carol (both showing remarkable similarities to Davis and Karen, respectively), was established by the mayor when the volunteer fire chief decided to sleep in as opposed to respond to a fire. The volunteer system was reestablished after Hank, Davis, and Oscar lit an uncontrollable leaf fire and the fire department did not respond as they were chasing a stray dog (the same one Hank thought to be "The Littlest Hobo"). Fitzy saw Davis in the aftermath as the only first responder there and gave him the new title of Chief, Volunteer Fire Department.

The Dog River Police Department owns two police cars, both 1994 Ford Crown Victorias. In every episode save series premiere "Ruby Reborn" and "Dark Circles," the police use only one of them.

Wullerton rivalry

The residents of Dog River have a pathological dislike of the residents of Wullerton, a neighbouring town, to the point that they spit on the ground whenever the rival town is mentioned, much to Lacey's hygienic disapproval when such action takes place within her cafe. They are so used to doing so that they sometimes do not realize it when they spit (especially within said cafe). Dog River's local newspaper, the Howler, will even print "(SPIT)" after printing the word "Wullerton". However, the people of Wullerton may not hate Dog River, as seen in the fourth season's finale. (However, this was only part of Hank's fantasy sequence, and may not accurately reflect Wullerton's actual sentiment towards Dog River). The reason for this antipathy was never explained. Publicity for the second season indicated that the season finale would reveal the reason for the spitting; however, the episode as broadcast did not actually do so. This practice of looking down on neighbouring towns is common in many prairie communities, primarily those in Saskatchewan and Alberta, such as Tisdale, Melfort, and Wilcox. Wullerton is first shown onscreen in Corner Gas: The Movie, as for the reason Dog River residents hate it so much: Wullerton is a creepy, eerily Stepford Wives-ish town where everyone is excessively nice and clean-cut, which tends to scare any visitors from Dog River.

Thunderface

Thunderface is an in-universe fictional band that was formed in the mid-'80s by lead singer Hank Yarbo, lead guitar player Brent Leroy, and bass guitar player Wanda Dollard. In 2005, the band was expanded to include drummer Karen Pelly, the most competent musician in the group. (While filming, Fred Ewanuick did his own singing as Hank, Brent Butt played all his own guitar parts, and Nancy Robertson learned to play bass shortly before filming commenced. Only Tara Spencer-Nairn did not do her own playing for the episode.)

Thunderface has suffered from relative anonymity due to confusion with their name (as well as the fact that they have had only one gig since 1986). They have been referred to as "Rumblepuss," "Thunderbread," "Thunderchunks," and "Wonderface," among other names. Their sound is described as similar to "a small animal caught in some kind of machinery," and their sole gig since 1986 was booked due to the humorous nature of their poor performance. Along with their gig in 1986, they seemed to have done some school performances considering they blew the principal's eyebrows off. The only song they have been heard to play is "Capital Cash" by Fast Exit, a band that Brent Butt played guitar in before he got into comedy.

The Surveillance Bush

The Surveillance Bush is a bush that is only seen in the first episode and the last episode. Karen is seen hiding behind it in the Police Cruiser in Ruby Reborn. Davis and Karen are also seen on the last episode hiding behind it before tailing Brent in the final episode. Since there is no wind a cast member is actually lying down shaking the bush. The bush was only planted for those two scenes.

Broadcast and distribution

First-run broadcast

In 2006, Corner Gas was the only Canadian-made top-20 TV show in all of Canada (other than a hockey telecast), the rest being U.S. imports. It first premiered in January 2004, outperforming all U.S. sitcoms among adults aged 25–54.

Since 2004, the series' production coincided with that of another CTV program, Robson Arms in which Gabrielle Miller and Fred Ewanuick also co-starred. Miller also had a recurring role in the series Alienated in 2004, giving her the rare distinction of playing major roles in three unrelated television series during the same calendar year (although Robson Arms had never been aired until 2005). As of fall 2007, two seasons of Robson Arms featuring Miller and Ewanuick have been produced and released to DVD.

Early in the run of Corner Gas, Toronto Sun television critic Bill Brioux reported an unconfirmed rumour that it had been unsuccessfully pitched to CBC Television, which came to be cited as evidence that the public broadcaster was out of touch with Canadian audiences. This was later revealed to be untrue; The Comedy Network was in fact the first and only network to which the show was proposed.

Fred Ewanuick appeared as Hank on the Royal Canadian Air Farce's 300th episode in a spoof of Corner Gas, in which Yasir (Carlo Rota) and Sarah (Sheila McCarthy) from CBC's Little Mosque on the Prairie bought the gas station and fired Brent. Hank then debated with them the location of Mercy (the Saskatchewan town where Little Mosque takes place) in relation to Dog River.

Live episode

In summer 2006, the cast of Corner Gas presented a fund-raising benefit event for Regina's Globe Theatre called Corner Gas...Live, in which the cast presented a live episode of the TV series. The popularity of the sitcom caused such a rush for tickets that the Globe Theatre's online ticket sales system briefly went down as a result. Another benefit was held during the summer of 2007.

U.S. broadcast

On November 24, 2006, it was announced that Corner Gas would air on the U.S. WGN America beginning September 17, 2007. Corner Gas was syndicated to WGN America by Multi-Platform Distribution Company (MPDC), which acquired the U.S. distribution rights for broadcast stations and cable channels. The show was offered to cable networks such as WGN America on an all-cash basis; the show was also offered to local stations on cash-plus-barter basis, though it was unknown if any channels other than WGN America carried the series. The series was carried by WGN America during the 2008–2009 television season; it was not broadcast in Chicago on WGN-TV.

In an unusual case, WGN America picked up the fifth season's episodes while they were airing contemporaneously on the show's original network CTV. In most cases, new episodes normally take a year or more to air in another country.

On October 3, 2019, Amazon-owned IMDb announced that it would be exclusively streaming the entire Corner Gas franchise on their platform for free to US viewers beginning on October 15.

DVD releases

The first season was released on DVD in Canada on October 19, 2004. In keeping with the theme of the series, each DVD set included a coupon good for a free coffee at Petro-Canada service stations. At the Canadian Entertainment Network Awards, Season one DVD was honoured as "Best Canadian DVD-English". The second season was released on DVD on September 27, 2005, and features the distinction of being one of the few regular TV series whose DVD box set includes described video for the visually impaired. The second-season set was released by CTV and Video Service Corporation and includes a peek at Season 3, bloopers, cast and crew interviews, a Thunderface music video as well as all of the season 2 episodes. The third-season DVD was released on October 3, 2006. Unlike the past sets, the third-season DVD set is presented in widescreen (letterboxed on 4:3 televisions, Windowboxed on widescreen TVs). The fourth season was released on DVD on September 18, 2007. From the fourth season forward, the episodes are presented in proper anamorphic widescreen. This was the first time the DVD set of the past season was released before the current season started airing; the set includes a series of "Mobisodes" which were short (approximately two minutes each) skits focusing on the main characters. Season 5 was released on DVD on October 7, 2008, and is presented in a "bobblehead" theme. Besides all of the 19 season 5 episodes, the set includes Corner Gas character commentaries, "My Happy Place" in a music video format and bloopers. Season 5 DVD set has enclosed a $10 discount coupon towards a Corner Gas mechanic shirt. Season 6 was released on June 9, 2009, two months after the series finale.

In Australia, only the first three series have been released. The cover art for the seasons differ from the Region 1 releases. The first two seasons having the group of the cast in front of the gas station which is in the distant background, while the third season has them in front of the grain silo. Unlike the Canadian release, the Australian version of Season 3 contains anamorphic widescreen versions of the episodes. Curiously, though, almost all of these episodes have never add any on-screen actor credits nor captions (such as the show's writers/directors) over any of the live action, suggesting that perhaps the DVD company had to go back to the original film elements in order to get an anamorphic picture.

  • Corner Gas – Series 1 (2 Disc Set) – April 13, 2007
  • Corner Gas – Series 2 (3 Disc Set) – July 14, 2009
  • Corner Gas – Series 3 (3 Disc Set) – July 14, 2010

Complementary media

Comedy tour

Brent Butt offered the eight-city "Gassed Up" tour beginning March 21, 2004. The $70,000 "Great Canadian Gas Giveaway Tour" began September 27, 2004. In late September 2004, to promote the start of the second season, the cast members of Corner Gas travelled to cities across Canada where they pumped gas at local service stations for the day (the fuel being provided to motorists free of charge). By the halfway point of the promotion, more than 40,000 litres of free gasoline had been pumped. The cast of Corner Gas crossed Canada visiting six cities in a comedy tour called CTV Presents Corner Gas Live! which began September 21, 2005. Eight Canadian radio stations broadcast the show live at the start of the fourth season.

Comic Genius

In 2005, Corner Gas partnered with The Comedy Network to host a contest called Comic Genius. The majority of episodes were broadcast online, with the one-hour finale broadcast live on The Comedy Network in February 2006. The winner, John Beuhler, won $10,000 and a guest appearance on the show.

Corner Gas Online

"Corner Gas Online" provides cast biographies, episode synopsis, bloopers, and a visit to Virtual Dog River. The Virtual Dog River features The Howler providing the latest news about the television series. There are online games available such as prairie scramble, combine racing and the perfect pump when visiting various locations in virtual Dog River. Oscar and Emma Leroy's virtual home features Corner Gas bloopers. Visiting the Ruby will provide an online chat room. The virtual gas station is an online shop for licensed merchandise. Corner Gas episodes can now be watched on demand on The CTV Video Player at CTV.ca and thecomedynetwork.ca.

Licensed merchandise

Corner Gas has spawned a merchandising business, with hundreds of retail items, sold-out live touring productions, and best-selling DVDs. A companion book to the show, called Tales from Dog River: The Complete Corner Gas Guide, was published on November 4, 2006. It was written by Toronto journalist Michele Sponagle and was produced in conjunction with CTV, Penguin Canada, and Prairie Pants Productions. The book debuted in the number two spot among new releases, behind only Vincent Lam's Giller Prize-winning book Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures. On December 12, 2006, it was the top-selling non-fiction paperback in Canada, according to BookMarket data. It includes cast interviews, an episode guide, insider jokes, bloopers, best lines, a look at the real Dog River (Rouleau, Saskatchewan), and a chronology on how the show was created from inception to debut episode. Author Michele Sponagle went on a book tour to cities across Canada, including Ottawa, Halifax, Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver to promote the book, alongside various cast members. A follow-up to the book called Dog River Confidential: The Super, Even More Complete Corner Gas Guide, also by author Michele Sponagle, was released by Penguin Canada on November 10, 2009.

Corner Gas: The Movie

Corner Gas: The Movie premiered on December 3, 2014, for a limited five-day release in select Canadian theaters. All of the major cast members returned for the film. A Kickstarter campaign for Corner Gas: The Movie was successfully funded on June 19, 2014. TSN's Jay Onrait and Dan O'Toole are in the film (formerly of Fox Sports 1), as well as TSN anchor Darren Dutchyshen and Olympic Gold Medalist Jon Montgomery.

The movie made its broadcast premiere on CTV on December 17, 2014, and has been released on both Blu-ray and DVD.

Animated series

A 13-episode animated series, titled Corner Gas Animated was announced on December 19, 2016. The series features the voices of many original cast members (Corrine Koslo provided the voice of Emma Leroy, replacing the late Janet Wright). It debuted in April 2018. In October 2019, it was announced that it was renewed for a third season to air on CTV Comedy Channel in 2020. In October 2019, after a third season renewal, during the second season broadcast, it was announced that Amazon's IMDb TV (now Amazon Freevee), starting October 20. The fourth and final season premiered in July 2021 on CTV. Freevee announced in April 2022, as part of their rebrand from IMDb TV to Freevee, that the final season would release on June 20, 2022.

Impact

In 2006, Corner Gas aired in 26 countries. Free land was awarded through the Corner Gas website which enabled a Quebec couple to move to Climax. In Rouleau, a local resident started a "Ruby" café.

Awards

Corner Gas has won a variety of awards since it debuted as a series January 2004 including nine Canadian Comedy Awards and six Gemini Awards. The Canadian Comedy Awards include Best Direction (TV Series)—2004–2006, Best Male Performance (TV)—2004 and 2005 (Brent Butt), 2007 (Eric Peterson), Best Female Performance (TV)—2006 (Janet Wright) and Best Writing (TV Series)—2004 and 2007.

The six Gemini Awards include Best Comedy Program or Series—2005, 2006, and 2007; Best Ensemble Performance in a Comedy Program or Series—for the episode "Gopher It", 2007; Best Writing in a Comedy or Variety Program or Series—Mark Ferrell for the episode "Gopher It", 2007; and Best Interactive—2005. 2007 was the third consecutive year that Corner Gas won the best comedy award.

The show also has eight other Gemini Award nominations. It was nominated for an International Emmy Award in 2004.

In 2004, the show was honoured with the DGC Award win for Outstanding Team Achievement in a TV Series—Comedy. They were also nominated in 2005. Corner Gas received the WGC Award win in 2005 for Best Comedy & Variety Program. Corner Gas also lays claim to seven Leo Award wins.

Corner Gas received two awards at the 7th Canadian Comedy Awards. The awards were given for best direction and to Janet Wright achieved the award for top female performer. Corner Gas writers received an award for the episode "Comedy Night" at the 9th annual Canadian Screenwriting Awards on April 18, 2005. Writers Mark Farrell and Robert Sheridan received the 2008 Canadian Screenwriting Award for best half-hour drama series on April 14, 2008.

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External links

Canadian Screen Award for Best Comedy Series
Gemini Awards
(1986–2011)
Canadian Screen Awards
(2012–present)
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