In '76, Harris was invited to Canada by CBC TV to produce their long-running programme COUNTRY CANADA. He formed Canamedia Productions and made over 30 half-hour documentaries on rural, scientific and agricultural topics; tripled COUNTRY CANADA's ratings & winning the show's first ever national awards.

In '78, Harris was Senior Field Producer for the CTV Network's weekly current affairs show, "W5".

In '81, Les became the first Canadian Producer to enter the US primetime marketplace by making both a documentary, ESCAPE FROM IRAN: THE INSIDE STORY, and an MOW, ESCAPE FROM IRAN: THE CANADIAN CAPER, about the rescue of six Americans in Iran by Canadian diplomats during the Iran Hostage Crisis. The first won the year's highest ratings for a documentary in Canada when it aired on the CBC Network, while the MOW for CBS (US) and CTV (Canada) won a silver medal at the International Film & TV Festival of New York. Both received critical acclaim and were sold internationally. The movie was the first Canadian film ever pre-sold to a U.S. network.

In '84-85, Harris produced (through Canamedia for CBC & BBC) an innovative musical MOW, THE KING OF FRIDAY NIGHT, winner of seven international awards including a Banff Rockie, Chicago Silver and New York Gold.

In '85, Harris directed THE MOSCOW AGENDA for Stornaway Productions, a documentary special about Soviet disinformation, shot in Europe and aired on CTV in primetime.

In '86, Harris's feature documentary 444 DAYS TO FREEDOM: WHAT REALLY HAPPENED IN IRAN (which he wrote, directed, edited, and produced) was pre-sold to PBS' Frontline (US), BBC (UK), NOS (Holland), IBA (Israel), and Global (Canada). Harris was nominated for three Canadian documentary awards, winning the first-ever Gemini Award for editing, as well as prizes from festivals in New Jersey and the Chris Plaque from Columbus, Ohio.

In July '86, Harris was the originating producer on the long running one-hour drama series ADDERLY for Orion, Robert Cooper Productions, and Jaygee Productions. It ran on CBS late night and on Global in Canada.

In '87, Harris executive produced VOICES ON THE WATER, a one-hour arts documentary for TVOntario about the Toronto International Authors Festival.

In March '88, Harris directed, edited, and produced two documentaries: FRONTIER FOOTLIGHTS, which followed a kids' theatre troupe's winter tour of Cree Villages on the shores of Hudson Bay and BY THE SEAT OF THEIR PANTS, which documented the heroic and colourful bush pilots of the Arctic. Production partners included Channel 4 (UK) and TVOntario and the documentary won the People's Choice Award at the Red Deer International Festival plus a Gemini.

In '89, Harris produced, directed, and edited PADRE PABLO: FIGHTER FOR JUSTICE, about a chain-smoking, Scotch-drinking firebrand Roman Catholic missionary who founded the cooperative movement in Latin America. Co-production partners included CIDA, CBC's Man Alive, Access Network, Knowledge Network, Vision TV and Channel 4 (UK).

In early '91, Harris produced the Peabody winner and International Emmy award nominee, THREADS OF HOPE, a compelling documentary about Chilean women exposing the atrocities of Pinochet's dictatorship through their traditional art. Production partners included TVOntario, Vision TV, and CKVR. THREADS OF HOPE also took Chicago Gold and Houston Silver and was nominated for a Gemini.

Durring the 1990's Les co-produced & co-directed the 26 part children's drama series TAKE OFF, which won two awards of excellence from the Children's Broadcast Institute & the Japanese Maeda Prize.  He also wrote, directed, edited & produced the documentary MARQUETTE CHALLENGE for Discovery Channel Canada, & produced & co-directed the documentary ALIEN OBSESSION for A&E, as well as a comedy pilot called GET LOST!

Since 2000 Les has produced a short drama THE AUDITION for Bravo!, executive produced the HD special EASTER ISLAND: CHILDREN OF THE MOAI for NHK & CBC TV & is working on completing a new HD documentary on THE MAN WHO SKIED DOWN EVEREST.

Despite his successful forays into drama, Harris remains committed to making documentary films and has worked in all formats from 35mm to Hi 8mm.

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