Top photo: Brenda Lee / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Dog River Wants to Become a Tourist Destination
Every small town would love a reason for travelers to pull off the highway, spend a little money and tell their friends about the place. In Dog River, Saskatchewan, that dream leads to one of the funniest town-planning discussions in Corner Gas.
In “World’s Biggest Thing,” the sixth episode of the first season, Hank Yarbo has an idea that could bring visitors into town. He wants Dog River to build something enormous, following the example of other prairie communities that have attracted attention with oversized landmarks.
There is only one little problem. Nobody can agree on what the town should build. And when Mayor Fitzy’s grandmother finally offers a suggestion, Brent Leroy discovers that explaining why it might be a bad idea is much harder than it sounds.
Originally broadcast on February 25, 2004, this episode combines small-town ambition with the sort of innocent misunderstanding that made Corner Gas such an enjoyable comedy. Meanwhile, Oscar Leroy has convinced himself that Lacey Burrows has romantic feelings for him, creating an entirely different problem at home.
Hank’s Big Idea Gets the Town Talking
Hank believes Dog River needs a major attraction. He has noticed that other communities have become known for enormous statues and unusual landmarks, giving visitors a reason to stop and take a look.
He suggests that Dog River should have its own World’s Biggest Something. The idea sounds promising, especially to people who would like to see more visitors spending money in local businesses.
Mayor Fitzy Fitzgerald takes the proposal seriously and brings the matter to a town meeting. The residents begin discussing possibilities, but choosing the right object proves surprisingly difficult.
Brent gets pulled into the discussion, even though he is not particularly excited about Hank’s plan. He understands that a tourist attraction could benefit the town, but he also knows that simply building something large does not guarantee success.
The meeting becomes increasingly entertaining as different suggestions are considered. The residents are trying to come up with a landmark that represents Dog River and its agricultural roots.
Fitzy’s Grandmother Has an Unforgettable Suggestion
Just when the discussion seems to be going nowhere, Fitzy’s grandmother offers her opinion. Her reasoning is straightforward: Dog River has a proud farming heritage, so its landmark should represent that background.
Her suggestion is to build the World’s Biggest Hoe.
She imagines an enormous farming tool emerging from the ground, covered with soil to make it look as though it has just been used in a field. From her perspective, it is a perfectly sensible way to celebrate the community’s agricultural identity.
Unfortunately, the word has another meaning, and that is where Brent’s discomfort begins.
He understands immediately that the proposed attraction could create an embarrassing public-relations problem. However, Fitzy’s grandmother is enthusiastic about her suggestion, and Brent struggles to find a polite way to explain the difficulty.
Lacey, on the other hand, finds the situation rather amusing. She can see why Brent is uncomfortable, and she has little trouble enjoying his increasingly awkward attempts to object.
The joke works because nobody needs to behave particularly foolishly for the misunderstanding to grow. Fitzy’s grandmother is simply offering what she believes is a good idea, while Brent is trying to prevent the town from accidentally advertising something quite different from what it intends.
Oscar Thinks Lacey Has Fallen for Him
While the town debates its future attraction, Oscar Leroy is dealing with a personal situation that exists mostly in his imagination.
Oscar begins believing that Lacey has developed a romantic interest in him. Her friendliness is enough to convince him that something unusual is happening, even though Lacey has no intention of pursuing a relationship with Brent’s father.
The thought creates trouble for Oscar because he is married to Emma. He becomes increasingly concerned about how to discourage Lacey without making the situation worse.
Instead of simply realizing that he has misunderstood her behaviour, Oscar starts looking for ways to make himself less appealing. His attempts to find a solution lead him to seek advice and become even more preoccupied with the imagined romance.
Wanda becomes involved when Oscar asks for help. Her suggestion involving head cheese provides an opportunity to turn Oscar’s own misunderstanding against him.
Head cheese is not exactly everybody’s favourite food, and Oscar’s enthusiasm for it gives Wanda an idea. With a little help from her, Lacey finds a way to make Oscar believe that his supposed admirer has lost interest.
It is a wonderfully awkward situation, especially because Oscar has created the entire romantic problem himself. Emma, meanwhile, is not fooled by his behaviour and has her own way of reminding him that she knows what he is thinking.
Brent and Lacey Find the Humour in Town Politics
The two storylines show different sides of life in Dog River. Hank wants to make the town famous, Fitzy wants to support the community, and Brent is trying to keep a good idea from becoming a public embarrassment.
Lacey provides a useful outside perspective. Having moved from Toronto, she is still learning how Dog River works, but she is perfectly capable of recognizing when a local discussion has taken an unexpected turn.
Her reactions make the town meeting even funnier. Brent is trying to remain diplomatic, while Lacey has no trouble appreciating the double meaning that everyone else seems reluctant to discuss openly.
Oscar’s storyline offers another example of how the show’s humour comes from ordinary personalities rather than elaborate situations. He does not need a real admirer or an actual romantic crisis. His own assumptions are enough to create a full afternoon of trouble.
Why World’s Biggest Thing Is a Memorable Episode
“World’s Biggest Thing” is a good example of what made Corner Gas distinctive. The show takes a simple idea, gives it to a collection of familiar small-town personalities and lets their reactions provide the comedy.
The episode also makes use of the show’s strong ensemble cast. Brent Butt plays Brent Leroy, Gabrielle Miller plays Lacey Burrows, Fred Ewanuick plays Hank Yarbo, and Eric Peterson plays Oscar Leroy.
The rest of the main cast includes Janet Wright as Emma Leroy, Nancy Robertson as Wanda Dollard, Lorne Cardinal as Davis Quinton and Tara Spencer-Nairn as Karen Pelly.
Brent Butt wrote the episode, and David Storey directed it. The story fits comfortably into the early-season world of Dog River, where a town meeting can become just as entertaining as anything happening at the gas station or Ruby Café.
There is also something charming about the episode’s central idea. Many communities really do use unusual oversized attractions to bring travelers through town. Dog River simply takes that familiar tourist strategy and gives it a wonderfully awkward twist.
By the end, the episode has delivered two entertaining stories: one about a town trying to make itself famous and another about a married man who mistakes ordinary kindness for romance.
For Corner Gas fans, it is another enjoyable visit to a place where even the simplest suggestion can become a community-wide discussion.
Do you remember watching “World’s Biggest Thing”? Did Hank’s tourist idea make you laugh more, or was Oscar’s mistaken belief about Lacey your favourite storyline? Share your memories in the comments!
Sources
- cornergas.com
- aptntv.ca
- cornergas.com
- tvguide.com
- cornergas.com
- imdb.com
- commons.wikimedia.org
- commons.wikimedia.org
