Finding your next obsession
Finding your next obsession

You Can't Do That on Television is a Canadian television program that first aired locally in 1979 before airing internationally in 1981. It featured pre-teen and teenaged actors in a sketch comedy format. Each episode had a theme. The show was notable for launching the careers of many performers, including Alanis Morissette, and writer Bill Prady, who would write and produce shows like The Big Bang Theory, Gilmore Girls and Dharma and Greg. The show was produced by and aired on Ottawa's CTV station CJOH-TV. After production ended in 1990, the show continued in reruns on Nickelodeon through 1994, when it was replaced with the similar All That. The show is synonymous with Nick, and was at that time extremely popular, with the highest ratings overall on the channel. The show is also well known for introducing the network's iconic slime. The program is the subject of the 2004 feature-length documentary, You Can't Do That on Film, directed by David Dillehunt.
LUXEN Decision Guide
A lighter series choice built around character chemistry, recurring situations, or an easier episode-to-episode rhythm.
Best fit
Who it is for
Best suited to viewers who want something approachable that can work as a relaxed or repeat watch.
Commitment
Long-form commitment · 11 seasons
Use the season and episode count to judge how much time you want to invest.
Start here
Read the synopsis.
Read the synopsis first, then decide whether the longer arc is worth the commitment.
Explore the same territory
The series
14 episodes
1979
13 episodes
1981
13 episodes
1982
13 episodes
1983
26 episodes
1984
10 episodes
20 episodes
5 episodes
25 episodes
5 episodes
1990
1 episode
2004
Cast
Tap a cast member to discover more of their work.