In this narrated mini‑documentary, Tod Maffin uncovers the quirky history behind the Canadian wildlife short series "Hinterland Who’s Who." He explains how, in 1962, the Canadian Wildlife Service, lacking funds, created 60‑second wildlife films to distribute for free as broadcast filler. The series featured a distinctive 12‑note "Flute Poem" theme composed by American John Kakabis. Bureaucratic inventory decisions—choosing footage already in the National Film Board’s vault—led to the loon being featured and, by accident, becoming Canada’s de‑facto national bird. The original four episodes (beaver, moose, gannet, loon) were thought lost until a 1969 Laurel and Hardy broadcast, which had used them as filler, was discovered. Maffin also notes that the most‑watched "Hinterland Who’s Who" episode is actually a parody made by BC filmmaker Andrew Struthers, which gained popularity on the festival circuit and YouTube. The piece blends factual history with humorous asides, highlighting how bureaucratic quirks, music, and accidental preservation shaped a cultural icon.
Chapters
The loon is on our money, it's on our postage stamps, it's practically Canada's national bird, and it got to be that way because of an accident involving government bureaucracy and inventory management. And it all starts with these 12 flute notes. Back in 1962, the Canadian Wildlife Service had a mandate, a passion for wildlife education, and no money to do anything about either of those. The solution was to produce little 60-second films called Hinterland Who's Who and hand them out to broadcasters for free to use as filler.
The beaver builds dams. Because he has to store his winter's food in water deep enough not to freeze.
Each one ended saying basically, "Eh, if you want to know more about beavers, you know, write us, I guess." For a more complete story of the beaver, why not contact the Canadian Wildlife Service in Ottawa. Hundreds of letters a week from Canadians. The CWS sent out more than a million leaflets. The title very nearly wasn't "Hinterland Who's Who" either. Internal memos from the time show bureaucrats also considered "Untamed Residents" as a title, "Natives of Canada," and "Backwoods Census '63," which I have to be honest would have made a great porno title. As for that music, which is actually called "Flute Poem," 12 notes that Douglas Copeland once said instills a sense of primal patriotism infinitely greater than the national anthem. Uh, turns out the theme song was written by an American, a composer named John Kakabis. He would go on to write a decade's worth of earworms, like the theme songs to Kojak, The Bionic Woman, Columbo, Matlock, and Hawaii Five-O. And they almost lost the first 4 films. When the series turned 50 in 2013, the CBS admitted they couldn't find them. They searched everywhere: the NFB, Archives Canada, CBC basements, which if you've ever been in a CBC basement, it's its own kind of horror. Eventually, someone found a recording of a 1969 broadcast of a Laurel and Hardy show, and all 4 wildlife spots happened to be used that day for filler, and that is the only reason we still have them. Those original 4 films profiled the beaver, the moose, the gannet, which is like a seagull with a gym membership, and the loon. They were not chosen because they were the most Canadian or the most beloved. They were picked because the National Film Board already had footage of them in a vault. It was a budget decision. The loon is effectively Canada's national bird because of a film inventory issue. All that said, the most watched episode of Hinterland Who's Who was not actually even made by them. It's a parody made years ago by a BC filmmaker named Andrew Struthers. He sent it around to the film festival circuit, it did okay, and then he uploaded it to YouTube.
Scientists gave these tiny creatures a variety of psychoactive drugs. When given alcohol, The spider built a web, found a mate, and raised over 100 young. But the mate got a restraining order. When winter came, the marijuana spider had no place to live. It ended up in the crack web as the crack spider's bitch. For more information on the crack spider's bitch, contact the Canadian Wildlife Service in Ottawa.
