Classic TV moments reborn - 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Cue laugh-track.

Following the lead of its U.S. cousin, TV Land Canada offers viewers "a broad mix of Canadian and American Classic TV programming from all genres over the past 50 years."

That's a lot of television to choose from. The task will be especially daunting given the fact that Calgary's Craig Broadcasting announced that it struck a deal with MTV Networks to create TV Land Canada less than two weeks before the launch.

TV Land Canada, a destination for those who find themselves glued to the set when the golden oldies come on, will target the 24-to-54-year-old television addicts. Content will stem from U.S. and Canadian distributors.

There's no original content here; it's all about yesteryear. These programs were shot at least 15 years ago.

But it is not television for those who feel nostalgic about "classic" series on the tube, said Wayne Sterloff, chief executive officer of TV Land Canada.

"Nostalgia is for older people. The whole concept of TV Land isn't based on nostalgia," he said. "Nowadays, everything old is new again - the channel is actually aimed at the younger demographic, the person who has never seen a show like Mannix."

Blocks of programs are scheduled on the assumption that the viewer has never seen the series before, he added. For example, complete series are purchased from studios, not just a few token episodes here and there.

For TV Land Canada, that means a return to the British Columbia coast to visit The Beachcombers. What would classic Canadian television be without the adventures of professional log salvagers Nick and Relic.

Another Canadian classic is Forest Rangers, which ran from 1964-1966 and depicted the adventures of forest rangers in the Canadian wilderness. TV Land Canada has bought the rights to air every episode.

"[Forest Rangers] was before my time - I didn't get a chance to see it before, but now I will," Mr. Sterloff said with a laugh.

It's this kind of curiosity that will drive viewers to the channel, Mr. Sterloff said.

"There's not a single moment of the day where you'll find a weak spot," he pledged. "We've gone to all of the studios and licenced only the strongest series."

Craig was able to program according the success of its U.S. relative. With five years of ratings, the company was able to look back at the shows that worked, and the ones that didn't.

The biggest draw in the United States? The Andy Griffith Show.

"It's absolutely huge down there," Mr. Sterloff said. "It's astounding the ratings that that show pulls in."

"Celebrating the best of everything television" has proved hugely successful south of the border. Since launching in 1996, the U.S. channel is one of the fastest growing cable networks, available in 62-million homes.

Most people subscribe to the channel in the United States because of its complete collection of Andy Griffith and I love Lucy series. The top five includes Happy Days, Green Acres , and Brady Bunch.

If the Canadian channel is anything like the one in the United States, the day will be filled with episodes of Charlie's Angels, The Odd Couple, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Andy Griffith Show. After a stint in Mayberry, viewers can take a ride on The Love Boat.

"These are the programs that please a broad demographic," Mr. Sterloff said.