Episodes in the first season of Citizens' Forum concerned social topics such as the prison system, whether Canada could be considered a Christian nation, unemployment and various current news stories.
A subject could be presented for three weeks, followed by feedback from viewers in a follow-up "What People Say" episode.
In the second season (1956–1957), the program aired on Sunday afternoons instead of prime time and the episodes no longer adhered to a strict panel and audience format.
Another set of episodes, named "You Be The Critic", allowed viewers to mail in their views on particular topics.
Les idées en marche on Radio-Canada was a more successful French-language version of Citizens' Forum.