Twitch City (1998 - 2000)

On the surface, Curtis (Don McKellar) and Nathan (Daniel MacIvor) are like an extreme Gen-X version of The Odd Couple. Curtis is a lazy slob who never gets off the couch or washes a dish, and Nathan is uptight and fussy and clearly hates living with Curtis. However, once you dig into Twitch City — one of the most innovative sitcoms in the history of Canadian television — you’ll discover that’s just the start of the story.

First, Curtis isn’t just lazy, he’s agoraphobic and addicted to television. In many ways, through Curtis, this is a TV show about TV. Our anti-hero tapes every episode of The Rex Reilly Show (a Jerry Springer-esque talk show) and knows the TV Guide by heart. One episode sees him in a TV-knowledge competition where he must get the remote control to work at weird angles and long distances. Aspects of his life even play out on The Rex Reilly Show while he’s watching.

After Nathan goes to jail for killing someone in the first episode, the rest of the series follows Curtis and Nathan’s girlfriend Hope (Molly Parker) as their relationship grows and their rotating array of roommates spirals. Set in Toronto’s Kensington Market neighbourhood, Twitch City manages to pay homage to its location even while Curtis never leaves his apartment.