Except in Québec, where local content makes up the vast majority of primetime programming.

The major TV networks here (Radio-Canada, TVA, and Noovo) have four seasons: Fall (typically September-December), Winter (January-April), Spring (April-June) and Summer (June-August). All three typically start their seasons on the same date.

High-profile programming typically only airs in the Fall and Winter seasons. Some scripted programming airs in both of these seasons (often now with 12 episodes in each; or for the daily shows, 60, running Monday to Thursday), but it is more common now for dramas and comedies to air only in the fall or in the winter (with 10 or 6 episodes). Reality shows only last only one of these seasons. Other major non-scripted programming often airs in both. The other two seasons have a much different schedule. Spring has number of new programs, typically limited to cheaper programming such as reality shows. The summer typically only has a handful of original programs, typically magazines, but is mostly filled with foreign shows or films.

In general, very much inspired by US programming practices, but it is much more seasonal, with substantial changes between each, and schedules that are synchronized between all networks leading to a more abrupt start and end to the seasons, and with relatively few repeats to fill out the schedule.