The borders have come down for the Canadian television industry as homegrown programs made substantial inroads in the United States and abroad this year, and TV execs are predicting more gains in 2009.

Leading the charge have been shows from CTV and CBC, which each found major-network support for locally produced series set in Canada and starring Canadians.

South-of-the-border Cancon ranges from CTV's "Flashpoint" on CBS, CTV's "The Hills After Show" on MTV, CTV's "Corner Gas" on WBS and "Sophie" on ABC Family.

And the new year promises more Canuck programming for U.S. audiences, with CTV's upcoming series "The Listener," bound for NBC, CBC's "Being Erica" already sold to the cable channel Soapnet and Howie Mandel's new Global comedy, "Howie Do It," set to simulcast on NBC.

"There's been a more open market to receiving Canadian programming," says CBC programming executive Kirstine Layfield.

"Whether it was (last year's U.S. writers') strike or whether it was just economic times changing, or just the fact that culturally and socially borders are kind of down a bit, people are willing to exchange programs as well as ideas and everything in a much more fluid way."

Labour woes in the U.S. television industry were widely credited earlier this year with providing new opportunities to Canadian production companies with talent to spare.

The 100-day Writers Guild of America strike saw a dramatic drop-off in U.S. TV production, leaving hours on the schedule to be filled. That hit came on top of a softening advertising market, a nosediving economy and a fragmented audience, leaving U.S. TV execs open to buying ready-made Canadian shows, or partnering up with a Canadian production company to share expenses.

Even though that strike is now a year past, those sentiments don't appear to have wavered.

Projects in development include CBC's collaboration with ABC on the teen newlywed pilot "18 to Life," while CTV allies with Fox Television Studios to produce the space drama "Defying Gravity." Canwest, meanwhile, has lined up with NBC for the TV movie "The Last Templar."

"We've all been building up to this for years, trying to be very specific to a Canadian audience... (but) I think locations travel very well now," CTV creative honcho Susanne Boyce says of domestic programming strategy.

"Flashpoint" star Enrico Colantoni says he's excited that Canadians are showcasing their talent on a major platform they've rarely had access to.

His CTV show, about an elite team of Toronto-based hostage negotiators, was picked up by CBS in the summer and became the first Canadian series since "Due South" in 1994 to air in network primetime in both Canada and the United States.

"It's only been on nine times in the United States so they still don't know it's a Canadian show," Colantoni said recently, referring to "Flashpoint"'s summer debut, when it scored strong ratings on both sides of the border.

"It's coming back in January, (and) not in the summer -- it's coming back with other heavy-hitter shows. I think this year we're going to get the recognition factor way up."

Since shifting its focus to developing younger, hipper programming, CBC says it has found big interest in a slew of its new shows, some of which have not even aired yet.

"Being Erica" won't be seen in Canada until Jan. 5 but it has already been sold to Soapnet, a division of ABC, as well as BBC Worldwide, which picked up international rights to the series.

"Before even getting to air, we're finding international interest and really strong, big-name interest," says Layfield. "That gave us a lot of stability and funding, in terms with what we could do with the show."

Meanwhile, Fox picked up the option rights to CBC's "Little Mosque On the Prairie," and the show has sold internationally to roughly 80 countries, she says.

And even though it was cancelled here, CBC's defunct nighttime hockey soap, " MVP," has scored fans south of the border on Soapnet, where its first and only season was picked up earlier this year.

The Toronto-raised Colantoni said he's proud that a series featuring his hometown can be seamlessly slotted alongside U.S. fare, but also hopes that Canada would be recognized as a source of top-quality TV.

"I want people to know that it's a Canadian show and be fooled by that," he says. "I want them to know that Canada produces quality shows and we can compete with the best of the American product."