Turkey Television is a Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 teen sketch comedy

Sketch comedy

A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...

 originally aired on Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon (TV channel)

Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...

. The show was created by Roger Price and Geraldine Laybourne

Geraldine Laybourne

Geraldine Laybourne founded Oxygen Media and served as its chairman and chief executive officer until it was sold in 2007 to NBC Universal. Oxygen was launched in 2000 to fill a void in the television landscape—creating a television network targeted to younger women...

 at the request of Nickelodeon in response to the popularity of You Can't Do That on Television

You Can't Do That on Television

You Can't Do That on Television is a Canadian television program that first aired locally in 1979 before ultimately airing internationally in 1981...

, another Canadian children's sketch comedy airing on Nick. It was originally broadcast in 1985 for one season.

The series was about an animated turkey named Thurman T. Turkey (voiced by Jim Thurman

Jim Thurman

James George Thurman , was an Emmy-winning American writer, actor, photographer, director, cartoonist, and producer...

), who traveled around the world filming television shows from other countries, then "bringin' it home to Hollywood and puttin' it on the air". The cast featured Les Lye

Les Lye

Leslie Earnest "Les" Lye was a Canadian actor. Best known for his numerous roles as one of the two adults on the children's program, You Can't Do That On Television , he enjoyed a television and radio career spanning nearly half a century.-Career:Following a stint in the armed forces after high...

, Christine McGlade

Christine McGlade

Christine "Moose" McGlade is a Canadian actress and producer, who was the longtime host of the internationally popular kids' sketch comedy TV program You Can't Do That On Television . She was with the show from its very beginning as a local attraction on Ottawa, Ontario, television station CJOH in...

, Kevin Kubusheskie, and Adam Reid, all of You Can't Do That on Television fame, as well as several newcomers from Toronto: Steven Aiken, T.J. Criscione, and Craig Warnock. McGlade was also credited as a producer and a director. The cast also included John Koensgen as "Ivan Telaly" the Russian news announcer. John also co-hosted at least one episode as himself. Some of the most notable skits include parodies of Dr. Joyce Brothers

Joyce Brothers

Joyce Brothers is an American psychologist, television personality and advice columnist, publishing a daily syndicated newspaper column since 1960.-Personal life:...

 and a parody of Hands Across America

Hands Across America

Hands Across America was a benefit event and publicity campaign staged on Sunday May 25, 1986 in which approximately 6.5 million people held hands in a human chain for fifteen minutes along a path across the continental United States...

 in which meat-waving children sing "Hams Across America."

The series also presented material from outside sources of varying vintage, from public domain footage (often re-edited and given new sound tracks, similar to Jay Ward

Jay Ward

J Troplong "Jay" Ward was an American creator and producer of animated television cartoons. He produced animated series based on such characters as Crusader Rabbit, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Dudley Do-Right, Peabody and Sherman, Hoppity Hooper, George of the Jungle, Tom Slick, and Super Chicken...

's Fractured Flickers

Fractured Flickers

Fractured Flickers is a live-action syndicated half-hour television comedy show that was produced by Jay Ward, who is otherwise known for animated cartoons. The pilot film was produced in 1961 , but the series wasn't completed until 1963...

) to not so old clips presented as is (e.g., scenes from Jacques Tati

Jacques Tati

Jacques Tati was a French filmmaker, working as a comedic actor, writer and director. In a poll conducted by Entertainment Weekly of the Greatest Movie Directors Tati was voted the 46th greatest of all time...

's Monsieur Hulot's Holiday

Monsieur Hulot's Holiday

Les Vacances de M. Hulot Les Vacances de M. Hulot Les Vacances de M. Hulot (released as Monsieur Hulot's Holiday in the UK and US as Mr. Hulot's Holiday, is a comedy film starring and directed by Jacques Tati. It introduced the pipe-smoking, well-meaning but clumsy character of Monsieur Hulot, who...

) to more recent excerpts (skits from the New Jersey Network

New Jersey Network

The New Jersey Network, or NJN, was a network of public television and radio stations serving the U.S. state of New Jersey. NJN was a member of the Public Broadcasting Service for television and the National Public Radio for radio, broadcasting their programming as well as producing and...

's Uncle Floyd Show

Floyd Vivino

Floyd Vivino aka "Uncle Floyd" is a television, film, and stage performer primarily known for his comedy/variety TV show The Uncle Floyd Show .-The Uncle Floyd Show:...

). Australian comedy character Norman Gunston

Norman Gunston

Norman Gunston was a satirical TV character performed by Australian actor and comedian Garry McDonald. Norman Gunston was primarily well known in his native Australia, and to a lesser extent, the United States during the mid to late 1970s.- Early years :...

appeared often as well.