The Kids in the Hall

Oh yes I did. Yeah, yeah I know some people will complain that Kids in the Hall are "too weird" or that their sketches are "confusing" or just plain "strange." Well, those people are entitled to their opinions, but don't let that stop you from at least giving the Kids a try. If you are like me, the Kids will become your daily dose of needed humor.

I was too young to understand the humor of KITH during their original run on CBC/HBO/CBS/whereverthef***. Like many other people I first got into the Kids by watching Comedy Central. I was hooked from the very first episode. The bizarre sketches, monologues, and songs perfectly suited my often dark sense of humor. Those five guys made me laugh harder than any other show or movie ever has. And I'd like to point out that unlike most shows(coughSNLcough), all the Kids pulled their own weight. There was no stand-out member, and just as importantly their was no member who didn't carry his own weight. Dave, Bruce, Kevin, Mark, and Scott are each enormously talented. Each brought something to the mix. Mark can play any character, do any voice. Dave had all the brilliant one-liners and a wonderful sense of comedic timing. Kevin had this great energy and enthusiasm during each sketch. As he himself said [paraphrased] "I don't say funny lines, I say lines funny." Scott showed an uncanny ability to touch on topics of sexuality, making you both think and laugh. And then there's Bruce. I must confess that Bruce is my favorite Kid. His oddball and often dark sense of humor struck a cord with me. Bruce brought the music to the Kids. And I'll never forget his monologues.

They've all gone their separate ways now to work on various projects. But they left a lasting impression on sketch comedy. The Season DVDs(and hopefully, seasons 2-5 in the future) and reruns on CC ensure that they will never be forgotten.

So go forth and watch.

I have watched "Saturday Night Live" for as long as I can remember and I remember seeing ads for a new Lorne Michaels show called "The Kids in the Hall". Sadly, we didn't have HBO at the time, not to mention, I was only about 4 or 5 years old when it first aired. Since then, I have seen numerous re-runs on Comedy Central, and I have to say this show is so much better than "Saturday Night Live". I'm sorry that I never got the chance to see the full episodes on HBO. Even so, I am very glad that I have gotten to see what I have, but unfortunately Comedy Central has cut it down to only one episode of "KITH" per day. Hopefully this is just for the summer, as "Kids in the Hall" is a wonderful, smart, and of course just about the funniest show that I've ever seen. It gets a 10 out of 10 from me! I'll keep watching for as long as it's on television.

Too bad people have to constantly compare KITH to Monty Python's Flying Circus. Aside from the fact that they were both unlike anything else before or since, the all-male core cast filling most of both gender roles, the ability to come up with totally fresh & insanely novel sketch ideas, and the ability to show self-absorbed American audiences that humor transcends culture... these 2 comic troupes have absolutely nothing in common! It's not for everyone, but if you're tired of the same old McComedy that clogs your cable like kudzu, find KITH & fire up the VCR! If only the entire KITH series was available on video (better yet DVD), that's one subscription I'd call Time/Life for!

Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson formed the funny group in the 80s Toronto. Everybody wanted to get into Second City and then graduate to SNL. These guys decided to start a sketch show on their own.

Their combined skills generated some of the most original characters in comedy. My favorite characters include host Simon and his sidekick Hecubus, chicken lady, red hair girl, crushing your head, and when all 5 cross dress as office temps. Also Scott Thompson's "Fag!". The guys are a great group, but they didn't break down any major walls. They re-engineered, they reworked, they pushed the envelope, they just didn't invent the envelope.

Whether you love 'em or hate 'em, you have to admit that there's never been anything like the KIDS IN THE HALL. Sure, sketch comedy shows are a dime a dozen, but these guys set themselves apart from all the rest with their unmatchable brand of bizarre, surreal, and often gender-defiant skits. The show is usually downright hilarious, although some of the jokes do miss their mark on occasion. But even the most unfunny sketches are entertaining, simply because of how insane they are.

The humor in KIDS IN THE HALL is, for the most part, purely unexplainable, and sometimes it's actually subtly disturbing--an experimental sort of comedy that best fits in the "either you get it or you don't" category. When watching KITH with a group, the viewer response will invariably be split: one half will be teary-eyed from laughter while the rest of the gang will be hopelessly confused or frustrated, making condescending statements like "I don't see how you think this is funny!"

It's clear that these lovable Canucks decided from the get-go that they were going to do exactly what they wanted, without too much concern for genre standards, formulas, or even success. And that, I think, is the secret to their success. Whether they intended to or not, these five KIDS succeeded in carving themselves a very distinct niche in the world of sketch comedy, towering above even SNL because of their fresh style and consistent hilarity.