A poll of 1,000 Canadians by the Writers Guild of Canada shows some surprising seasonal favourites

THUNDER BAY – December 16, 2025 — A new poll from the Writers Guild of Canada shows that Canadians’ holiday entertainment preferences for 2025 lean more toward “unexpected comfort watch” than traditional cozy fare. A hypothetical “Tru-Katy” romance plot is at the bottom of the wish list.

The Writers Guild of Canada asked 1,000 random Canadians about their favourite holiday movies written by Canadians, the best Christmas episodes on TV, their ideal small-town settings, and what “must-have” elements should be in every Canadian holiday movie.
Canadians choose some surprising classics to watch during the holidays.

When asked which classic Canadian movie they would be watching over the holidays, people gave a lot of different answers, such as:

• Trailer Park Boys and Black Christmas
• Bob and Doug Mackenzie (Strange Brew)
• A Christmas in the Heartland
• The Sweet Hereafter
• Bon Cop, Bad Cop Corner Anne of Green Gables Gas

Canadians aren’t interested in the “Tru-Katy” love story idea

One of the most talked-about results was that Canadians were asked which idea they would most like to see made into a Canadian holiday movie. The idea they would least like to see was: “A retired prime minister and single dad falls for a divorced pop star on tour.” Will their love last through the holidays and the paparazzi?

Only 16.4% of people who answered said they agreed with that idea.

The holiday movie pitches that people wanted the most were:

The Eh! Team: A Canadian Armed Forces engineer on leave visits his ex-wife in Ottawa and has to deal with terrorists who take over Parliament. He has to use his wits and the supplies he has on hand to save hostages and Christmas (34.2%).
(Maple) Sugar High— A city professional who is focused on his career gets stuck in a small town during a snowstorm and falls in love with a humble maple syrup harvester who is actually a millionaire (27.4%).
Bases that are frozen— A pro baseball player comes home after almost winning the World Series and reconnects with a high school best friend.

This makes him love the game again and maybe more (22.0%).

The best Canadian TV Christmas episode is: Schitt’s Creek is the best.

When asked to name the best Christmas episode from a Canadian show, people ranked:

• Schitt’s Creek
• Park for Trailers Boys
• Corner Gas in Letterkenny
• The Red and Green Show
• Kim’s Store
• Mysteries of Murdoch
• Degrassi
• Bob and Doug Mackenzie
  SCTV:

Banff is the top “small town” movie for the holidays.
Banff, Alberta was the best small town for a December holiday movie. The other nine people in the top ten are:

2) Quebec City, Quebec
3) Almonte, Ontario
4) Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
5) Whistler, British Columbia
6) Elora, Ontario
7) Jasper, AB
8) Niagara Falls, ON 9) Toronto, ON 10) Halifax, NS

Five of the top ten places are in Ontario, which is interesting.

What Canadians think should be “legally required” in holiday movies made in Canada

When Canadians were asked what should be in every Canadian holiday movie, they thought of classic Canadian things:

• Problems with the weather (21.4%)
• Getting a Christmas tree (13.3%)
• “Creative” use of maple syrup (11.4%)

Other popular choices were:
A fight at the holiday market (11%)
A snowball fight that gets flirty (10.2%)
An 8.2% chance of a sleigh ride in the snow

Canadians don’t like the idea of “Tru-Katy,” so they choose Schitt’s Creek, Banff, and other strange classics.