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The ''Kids in the Hall'' were a Canadian Sketch Comedy group, consisting of comedians Dave Foley , Kevin McDonald , Bruce McCulloch , Mark McKinney and Scott Thompson . It was also the name of the group's Television show that ran from 1989 to 1994 on CBC , CBS , and HBO . The show's theme song and much of its distinctive transition music was performed by the Canadian Surf Rock band Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet . The name is taken from The Jack Benny Program . Benny would describe some jokes as coming from "the kids in the hall," referring to a group of young writers hanging around the studio. Though it was produced by Lorne Michaels , who also produced '' Saturday Night Live '', the show's sketches were more reminiscent of the British sketch show, '' Monty Python's Flying Circus '' for they were often of a quirky or surreal nature, and featured very few celebrity impressions or Pop Culture Parodies . (The only recurring celebrity impression was the Queen Of England , played by Scott Thompson.) One sketch featured a flying pig who amused bored people in Bank Machine lines. A Recurring Character was a man who pretended to Crush People's Heads from a distance with his fingers. Another sketch dealt with the musings of two aliens conducting anal probes on humans, wondering "What's the point of it all? Why does the great leader have us do this?" and reflecting that perhaps the great leader was a fetishist and that this dominated their existence. Many of the sketches featured Gay characters and themes; most of these sketches starred, and were written by, Scott Thompson (who is openly gay). The show was also notable for reflecting and dealing with the youth subculture of its times, and for incisive sketches about big business and family units. A noted comedy writer for the show was Paul Bellini , who often appeared in sketches with a white towel around his large gut. The show's unique flavor was in the way it traded on the five actors' likeability quotients and acting abilities during sketches in a manner very related to stage performances, and unlike most satirical sketch comedy. Rather than aspire to the skilled impressionism of '' SCTV '' or the cultured absurdity of ''Monty Python'', the sketches come across as actors workshop pieces at times - though occasionally written as sharply as either of those shows. The Kids frequently appeared on the show in their real life personas rather than as characters, and many sketches dealt directly with the fact that they were a comedy troupe producing a TV show. An example is one episode in which Kevin McDonald announces that if the next sketch (which he has written) is not successful, the others are considering kicking him out of the group. In another episode, Scott declares that he isn't gay anymore, which throws the other Kids into a panic, as they fear that the news will alienate the troupe's considerable gay fanbase. Monologue s were a staple of the show, another semi-rarity in the television sketch comedy world. Though Scott Thompson's Buddy Cole monologues are easily the most famous, the other Kids performed many memorable pieces as well. Prominent examples include Dave Foley describing his positive attitude toward Menstruation , Foley describing his life as a truly incompetent doctor who glides through life on charm, McCulloch satirizing American cultural values with a mock-ironic speech praising the American lifestyle, and in a gag reminiscent of Bob Newhart , a distraught McDonald calling a best friend's young son to tell him his father died tragically only to have the child end up consoling him, even going so far as quoting famous philosophers on the ultimate emptiness of life. Because the show and the actors orginated in Canada, the content was edited slightly for were sometimes cut down or removed, necessitating the adding of material from other episodes to round out the half-hour. The most controversial sketch was probably the final sketch of Season 1, "Dr. Seuss Bible", in which the story of Jesus Christ's Crucifixion was told in the style of children's author Dr. Seuss . Though the show featured the occasional guest actor (most notably Neve Campbell and Nicole DeBoer , both of whom appeared well before becoming famous), the Kids played the majority of parts, both male and female, themselves. This is in contrast to the members of Monty Python , who often donned Drag to portray older women, but usually brought in guest actors such as Carol Cleveland to play women who were young and attractive. All five members were regularly cast as women, both young and old; the frequent Cross-dressing would become one of the show's trademarks. In their final episode, after the cast was purportedly buried alive, their tombstone inscription read, ''The Kids in the Hall TV Show 1989-1995'', and Paul Bellini danced on their grave. After the show ended its run, the troupe came together to produce a movie, '' Brain Candy '', featuring a few characters from the show and many new ones. Although not a commercial success, the movie developed a cult following with their devoted fans. In . RECURRING SKETCHES AND CHARACTERS 30 Helens Agree 30 Helens Agree was a sketch featuring 30 women supposedly named Helen who would all agree on something ridiculous or arbitrary. For example, "Thirty Helens agree: If you have a good idea, you should write it down." One time they disagreed, but later decided to agree to disagree. At one point, only 29 Helens agreed that promptness was important; this was because the thirtieth Helen was running late. According to Bruce McCulloch (in the ''Oral History'' segment of the Season 1 DVD set), 30 Helens Agree was his idea. Bobby Terrance Bobby (played by Bruce McCulloch) is a rebellious teenager whose love of rock-and-roll serves as the basis for most of his sketches. Bobby views rock as an expression of personal freedom, and always fights back when he feels like he is being denied that freedom. He is frequently in conflict with his parents, played by Mark McKinney (father) and Dave Foley (mother). He has also taken on a sarcastic jazz-loving teacher (Foley), and once even faced off against the devil himself (McKinney) in a guitar-playing contest. A pre-'''' Nicole De Boer appeared in three sketches as Bobby's girlfriend Laura. Cathy and Kathy Bruce McCulloch and Scott Thompson played Kathy and Cathy respectively, two secretaries at the firm A.T. & Love (a play on AT&T and TKitH's catch-all business). These sketches parodied the banality of office life, from guessing the sexuality of the new guy to dealing with a slutty temp. Occasionally, sketches also included Kevin McDonald as another coworker, and Dave Foley as their boss Elizabeth. In the middle of the third season, the temp, Tanya (played by Mark McKinney), finished her term of employment and left the office amidst mock tearfulness from her coworkers. Tanya made her final appearance as an unwanted party guest in the sketch "Joint"; this sketch did not involve any of the other office personnel. The character of Kathy appeared independently of Cathy in the first season, where it was revealed that she once dated a blues singer named Mississippi Gary. A photograph of Mississippi Gary can always be found posted on the wall of her cubicle in later appearances. Mississippi Gary (who was played by McKinney) would go on to become a recurring character in his own right, though his subsequent appearances would neither include nor refer to Kathy. Cops Mark McKinney and Bruce McCulloch frequently appeared as a pair of OPP officers, who would often be seen standing outside their squad car. The officers would be engaged in some banal life commentary, while rarely engaging in actual police work. One such sketch featured McKinney describing a homicide and police chase in technical detail, only to have it be revealed that he is describing a movie he saw (rather than an actual homicide), and has no idea what the story is with the actual dead body the two cops are standing over. Danny Husk A businessman, played by Scott Thompson , who was featured in a number of sketches. He is an executive at A.T. & Love, a company that also makes many appearances in unrelated sketches. In one sketch it is discovered that Danny used to be a porn star. In another, his armpit odor becomes a best selling product. In a third he wakes up one morning and reads the newspaper, which states he has been kidnapped. In yet another, Danny is summoned to his boss' office who needs to be consoled upon discovering 'brown stuff' oozing from his mouth. Husk is successful in his consolation when he told his boss that there was "no need to see a doctor" since it was "odorless" and therefore, not "poo-based." Danny Husk ended up appearing in approximately a dozen sketches through seasons 1, 3, 4 and 5. Gavin Gavin (played by Bruce McCulloch) is a precocious adolescent whose chief personality trait is his tendency to ramble on incessantly about bizarre events that may or may not have actually occurred. Most Gavin sketches featured him confusing or annoying strangers with his bizarre wonderings; one sketch, however, saw Gavin falling in love with his babysitter (played by Kevin McDonald) because she actually understood him. Gavin's look is very distinctive; he wears large, oversized glasses and is almost always seen sporting a baseball cap and backpack. Gordon and Fran Gordon and Fran (played by Bruce McCulloch and Scott Thompson, respectively) are a middle-aged couple. Gordon is very crotchety, and is usually seen complaining in any sketch he appears in. His wife Fran is well-meaning and slightly batty, but has a tendency to nag sometimes. The most famous Gordon and Fran sketch is probably "Salty Ham", in which Gordon blames his trouble going to sleep on the salty ham Fran served at dinner. The couple have a teenage son, Brian, who occasionally appears in sketches as well. Brian (played by Dave Foley) is sarcastic and somewhat rebellious, and is always eager to take advantage of his parents' generosity. He's Hip, He's Cool, He's 45 "He's Hip, He's Cool, He's 45" contained Bruce McCulloch playing a 45 year old man who would do odd things to "keep his cool" despite his somewhat old age. It's a Fact! "It's a Fact!" featured a young red-haired girl who would pop up in the forest and reveal a piece of information, then people who she mentioned would appear behind her doing something relevant to her fact. She would end by saying, "It's a fact!" and then run off. The running was filmed in stop-animated "fast-motion," reminicent of programs on the then-exploding Nickelodeon network. She appeared in only one sketch besides her "It's a fact!" series. It was in the end credits of an episode where the Queen Of England , portrayed by Scott Thompson , tried to make her jump into the river by telling her that there was candy at the bottom. The "It's a Fact!" girl had used "The Queen is so old she doesn't know her ABC's anymore" as a fact earlier in the show. In one sketch, Mark McKinney dressed up as her and with great effort tried to do her job as she complained she deserved more money. Nobody Likes Us Dave Foley and Kevin McDonald played two depressed men with perpetual frowns on their faces who spoke in whiny voices and always complained that people didn't like them. They would often engage in bizarre behavior, including hanging themselves in front of a banker's house (after she rejected them for a loan), eating earthworms on a bus trip (after singing the "Think I'll Go Eat Worms" song), and McDonald coughing up his own liver as a magic trick on a date. Rod Torfleson's Armada featuring Herman Menderchuck "Rod Torfleson's Armada featuring Herman Menderchuck" was a recurring sketch about a very bad garage band that had no hope of ever becoming real rock stars, but nevertheless took themselves very seriously. Sizzler Sisters Foley and McDonald played two clearly insane people (although they always introduced themselves as "two clearly ''not'' insane people"), who wore large wigs (Foley - blonde, McDonald - brunette) and referred to themselves as Jerry and Jerry Sizzler, the Sizzler Sisters. They often referred to other people as "pricks." They were usually seen doing insane things, such as robbing a bank with a wallet instead of a gun. In one sketch, Foley's character (whose real name is revealed to be Lester) is shown to have become sane after taking prescription medication, and that he had since married. McDonald's character (whose real name was revealed to be Jean-Pierre) came to Lester's apartment and attempted to persuade him into becoming insane again, which he accomplished by causing him stress and then withholding his medication. Steps Three Stereotypical gays (played by Thompson, McDonald, and Foley) sit on the steps of a café discussing current events, particulary those concerning the gay community. Tammy Tammy (played by Bruce McCulloch ) is a vapid teen pop star. Her songs (which she always sings in a breathy monotone) are lyrically very bland, repetitive, and somewhat nonsensical. In her first appearance, she was introduced as the protege of Scott Thompson 's character Buddy Cole , but all of her subsequent appearances are without him. Tammy is known for her vague, noncommittal replies to questions asked of her, and for being seemingly incapable of any complex thought. Her hits include "Dance", "Perhaps", and "Ain't Gonna Spread for No Roses". The Pit of Ultimate Darkness (Simon and Hecubus) "The Pit of Ultimate Darkness" was based on a horror show which tried to be scary but failed greatly at it. It featured Sir Simon Milligan, a man possessed by demons- polite demons that carry old ladies' grocery bags, but demons nonetheless. Kevin McDonald played Sir Simon, while Dave Foley co-starred as Simon's manservant Hecubus, whose strong sense of mischief provided much of the sketches' humor. The other members of the cast would often rib Kevin McDonald and ask why he hadn't named the character in the Hecubus scene - knowing full well that the character was named Simon - as a reference to the fact that fans would generally only remember Dave Foley's part of the sketch. According to DVD commentary, McDonald was originally to play Hecubus, with Mark McKinney as Simon. However, McDonald lobbied for the role of Simon, and after winning it, insisted that Foley should play Hecubus. McKinney ended up appearing at the end of the first sketch as Satan , who would go on to become a recurring character in his own right. The Two Geralds McCulloch and McKinney played businessmen who shared both a first name and very similar personalities. Both Geralds are friendly to people's faces and condescending behind their backs. Despite the fact that they appear to work at different companies, they are friends who frequently phone each other and hang out together. Their conversation consists mainly of mocking their associates or other business rivals. Other Recurring Characters OTHER INFAMOUS SKETCHES Whole Lotta Milka Kevin McDonald plays a middle-aged man who goes insane after finding out his wife is cheating on him. In the sketch, he gets up in the morning and while sitting at the breakfast table, comments out loud to his son on random things he reads in the news paper ("Earth-quaker... Whole lotta shaking goin' on down there..." and "What's number one in the charts? Bell Biv DeVoe ..."), slowly repeating the word or phrases each time ("Gonna have some... corn flakes. Gonna have some... corn flakes."). He then proceeds to have Corn Flakes with a "whole lotta milka", which means filling the cereal bowl with milk to the point where it overflows. He then goes outside into the garden and waters the plants with the rest of the milk. The Cause of Cancer Dave Foley, as himself, addresses the audience and informs them that the Kids have done something very unusual for a comedy troupe; while rehearsing this past week, they discovered the cause of cancer. He brings Bruce McCulloch on stage to explain more about it. With some reluctance, McCulloch finally admits, "I'm sorry I caused all that cancer." Trappers Foley and McDonald play French trappers who paddle a canoe through the Cube Farm of an office building in a modern-day city, hunting businessmen and women for their pelts (their expensive designer suits) which they sell to a local clothier. Upon seeing a one-legged businessman who chewed off his own leg to free himself from a bear trap, Foley's character instructs McDonald's character to let him go, as one day he may be management. At the end of the skit, Foley and McDonald paddle their canoe to a suit store owned by Thompson, and reveal their bounty, including "many fine Armani " from "yesterday's kill." Comfortable Two couples, after finishing a meal together, sit down to chat. One of the men (Thompson) unfastens his pants. His wife (McKinney) is slightly embarrassed, but the other couple insist that it's all right, that as old friends, they shouldn't feel embarrassed about doing anything in front of the others. Thompson proceeds to take the idea to the extreme, first flirting, and then finally engaging in intercourse with his friend's wife (McDonald) while her unconcerned husband (Foley) chats with Thompson's wife about his own impotence and his past experimentation with homosexuality. The premise is that anything is acceptable in the room. But McKinney's character confuses this with being free to be critical. So when she finally "lets loose" and admits to the other couple that she hates the lamp they once gave her as a gift, the party is ruined. My Pen! One sketch featured an employee (McCulloch) at a counter who loans a customer (McDonald) his ballpoint. After conducting his business, the customer absentmindedly pockets the pen and walks off. The employee sets off in a mad pursuit, all the while screaming "My pen!" This nasal cry is sometimes heard in Canadian offices as a joke. Arms in a Tank Workers (this is stretching the term) who are paid to keep their arms in a tank of fish (they just stand there), are shocked and appalled to find a machine replacing them. Love and Sausages One of the more surreal sketches in the show, featuring a man who works at the sausage factory and falls in love. Too nervous to talk to her, the man, who had stolen some sausages for his crazy obsessed father, leaves them on her doorstep and leaves. TRIVIA
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