{{short description|Canadian comedy television series}} {{Infobox television | image = | caption = | alt_name = | genre = Comedy | creator = | developer = | writer = [various] | director = Ron Murphy<br>Alan Resnick | creative_director = | presenter = | starring = Leslie Nielsen | judges = | voices = | narrator = | theme_music_composer = | open_theme = | end_theme = | composer = | country = Canada | language = English | num_seasons = 2 | num_episodes = 26 | list_episodes = | executive_producer = Greg Jones, Janice Evans | producer = | editor = | location = Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada | cinematography = | camera = | runtime = 30 minutes | company = | channel = The Comedy Network | first_aired = {{start date|2001|4|21|df=y}} | last_aired = {{end date|2003|2|1|df=y}} | related = }}
'''''Liocracy''''' was a Canadian mockumentary comedy television series, which aired on The Comedy Network in 2001 and 2002.<ref>"Leslie Nielsen spoofs TV's biography series: Actor says genre is perfect for parody". ''The Province'', December 3, 2000.</ref>
The show, a spoof of biographical documentary series such as ''Biography'' or ''Life and Times'', starred Leslie Nielsen as host Terrence Brynne McKennie.<ref>"Nielsen's down-home humour keeps faux bio series upbeat". ''Halifax Chronicle-Herald'', November 10, 2002.</ref> Each episode presented a ''Biography''-type profile of a fictional person loosely based on a real-life personality.
The first episode centred on "Fiendly<!-- Not a typo; this character was a PARODY of the Friendly Giant --> Giant", a Friendly Giant–like children's television host with a penchant for sadomasochism who became a pariah after being caught having sex with his rooster sidekick Rudy.<ref>"Nielsen spoofs TV bio phenom". ''Windsor Star'', April 18, 2001.</ref> Later episodes focused on Anne Surly, a serial killer indirectly based on Lucy Maud Montgomery and her ''Anne of Green Gables'' novels; Simon Duke, a horror novelist who was a spoof of Stephen King; Rachel Lange, a soap opera diva; Boyz 'r Us, a pop music boy band; and the on-again off-again romance of Hollywood acting icons Richard Button and Elizabeth Paladoro.<ref>"Biography gets a Nielsen raking: The Comedy Network is launching a parody of the popular TV genre. Bruce Deachman interviews the host". ''Ottawa Citizen'', April 21, 2001.</ref>
Filmed in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the show was created by Ian Johnston and Peter Hays, two former journalists for the ''Halifax Daily News''.<ref>"Lies, lies and Damn funny lies: Leslie Nielsen yucks it up in the Halifax show Liography". ''Halifax Daily News'', April 20, 2001.</ref>
The show was titled ''Liography'' in its first season, but was changed to ''Liocracy'' in the second season after the A&E Network, the producers of the original ''Biography'' series, threatened a copyright infringement lawsuit.<ref>"The word from Leslie Nielsen". ''Halifax Chronicle-Herald'', October 19, 2001.</ref> The second season premiered in November 2002, and ran for 13 episodes into early 2003. The series was not renewed for a third season.
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== * {{IMDb title | id= 0294137 | title= Liocracy}}
Category:Canadian mockumentary television series Category:2000s Canadian satirical television series Category:2001 Canadian television series debuts Category:2003 Canadian television series endings Category:English-language Canadian television shows Category:Canadian parody television series Category:CTV Comedy Channel original programming Category:Television shows filmed in Halifax, Nova Scotia Category:Anne of Green Gables