The Kids in the Hall

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The Kids in the Hall was 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. If a joke was not received well, or less than expected, Benny would say that he got them 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, played by McCulloch, who amused bored people in bank machine lines. A recurring character was a man, played by McKinney, 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.

Monologues 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, where censorship laws are somewhat more relaxed, the content was edited slightly for American tastes in one respect: sketches mocking religion 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 2000, the troupe came together for a successful North American tour, reprising many sketches from the show. The tour was chronicled in a documentary, "Kids in the Hall: Same Guys, New Dresses," which followed the next year. This was then followed by the "Tour of Duty" and a DVD based on those performances, released in 2002.

Contents

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.

DVD release of Kids in the Hall' first season.

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.

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. Based on both his name, and his style of speech, some believe that the character is a parody of the blues guitarist Mississippi Fred McDowell.

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. The characters originated in the full-length sketch "On the Run", in which the two cops try to pursue a group of escaped convicts without looking conspicuous. According to DVD commentary, McKinney and McCulloch, during a break in shooting that particular sketch, began to improvise several short scenes revolving around those two characters for fun; some of their improvisations were incorporated into the show, and proved to be so popular they became a fixture of the show.

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." In many of his appearances, Husk serves as a straight man to the wacky antics of one of the others. In one sketch which takes place in a sauna, Husk is asked to comment on a pair of breasts a male colleague (played by Foley) seems to have suddenly developed. In another, Kevin McDonald plays a businessman on the verge of insanity who keeps putting salt in his eyes while Husk delivers a seminar in the background. Danny Husk ended up appearing in approximately a dozen sketches through seasons 1, 3, 4 and 5. Dave Foley had a recurring role as Husk's boss.

Darill

A man (played by McKinney) named Darill (pronounced da-RILL), who never quite understood what was going on, but always tried to hold an air of sophistication around himself. Darill's strange mix of sunny good will, idiocy and pretense seemed to annoy everyone he met, although he was rarely aware of it. Famous Darill sketches involved him hosting a painting show on television, trying to wait tables in a busy patio restaurant, and joining the Big Brother program and mentoring an unreceptive boy. In the Feelyat sketch, Darill is a guest on a surreal, foreign-language game show and we learn that he is in fluent in the (unspecified) language and excels at identifying objects by their feel alone. The background for Darill's strange behavior is explained somewhat in one sketch, in which we see a flashback of Darill as a child, and the strange rapport he enjoys with his mother (whom he still lives with, much to the confusion of the date he has brought back to his apartment). One sketch also reveals that the only thing he ever daydreams about is a tiny oom-pah band playing on a windowsill. These daydreams inevitably lead to splitting headaches afterwards, leading Darill to a new daydream: that he is dying from a huge brain tumor.

Francesca Fiore and Bruno Puntz-Jones

Francesca Fiore and Bruno Puntz-Jones (played by Scott Thompson and Dave Foley, respectively) are a pair of fast-living, glamorous movie stars. Though they originally hail from South America, their films have a decidedly European flavor. Francesca Fiore is fiery and passionate, and tends to be very overdramatic and expressive in her actions. Bruno Puntz-Jones (who always wears a white suit and a Panama hat) is very cool and reserved, but inwardly seems to share Francesca's spirit. Bruno occasionally likes to play Russian Roulette alone, a practice he refers to dismissively as "my little game." He is also prone to shooting people with little or no warning, usually when he feels Francesca is being threatened. The two always play lovers in their films together; they seem to be romantically involved in real life as well, though the exact relationship between them is not made clear. In one sketch, Bruno claims he and Francesca have been married since he was 12 and she was 26, which would also indicate Francesca is several years older than Bruno.

Gavin

Gavin (played by Bruce McCulloch) is a precocious boy 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; he once observed that he could eat an entire Bible, but it would take him "several days of munching and snacking." One sketch, however, saw Gavin falling in love with his babysitter (played by Kevin McDonald) because she actually understood him. Gavin has a tense relationship with his parents, once saying to his deadbeat father (played by McDonald), "You know who'd make a better dad than you? A bowl of dirt. Or a cat. Or anything. Anything at all." Gavin's mom was originally played by Mark McKinney, but her character was killed off and replaced with Scott Thompson as Gavin's stepmom. Gavin's look is very distinctive; he wears large, oversized glasses and is almost always seen sporting a baseball cap (which usually has either the Toronto Blue Jays or The Legend Of Zelda logo on it) 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 uncool age. In one skit he interviews a man for a job, first asking if the man wants to smoke a joint.

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, based on a belief that red-haired girls were witches. 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.

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. While superficially he appears to be Milligan's fawning lackey, even addressing Milligan as "master," he actually delights in annoying Milligan at every opportunity. For example, Hecubus once spoiled the ending of Presumed Innocent to Simon. At such times, Milligan will point at him and yell, "evil!"

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.

Prostitutes

Scott Thompson and Dave Foley played a pair of prostitutes who would hang around street corners. Thompson's character (named Maudre) was blonde and had something of an aggressive demeanor, but with a definite soft side. Foley's character (named Jocelyn) was a brunette from Quebec who spoke in a French Canadian accent. While waiting for prospective clients, the two would discuss the various minutiae of their profession. In one sketch, the two discuss whether they would accept an offer from an extraterrestrial. In another sketch, McCulloch and McKinney's cop characters (see "Cops" above) attempt to bust them, but the cops' attempt at going undercover is very weak to say the least (McCulloch speaks to them in a stiff manner while McKinney stands in full uniform just a few feet away), and the pair see through them easily. Kevin McDonald made occasional appearances as their asthmatic pimp Rudy.

Rod Torfulson's Armada featuring Herman Menderchuk

"Rod Torfulson's Armada featuring Herman Menderchuk" 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 and argued constantly about every aspect of the band's career, sound and look. The sketches starred Bruce McCulloch as Rod (the drummer), Mark McKinney as Herman (the bass player), and Kevin McDonald as the lead guitarist. A recurring theme of the sketches was how McDonald's character, despite writing and singing all the songs and being the only one with any real talent, was the least respected member of the group. (He is the only one whose name is not part of the group's name, and in one sketch, he is forced to begin paying the others a salary in order to avoid being kicked out of the band.) "Trampoline Girl" was just one of their many non-hits. ("She's a tramp, she's tramp, she's a trampoline girl...") In their appearance in the final episode, a "Rock and Roll Angel" (portrayed by Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson) appeared from on high and showed them their wretched future, but they still persisted in believing that someday they'd "make it".

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 sit on the steps of a café discussing current events, particulary those concerning the gay community. Riley (played by Dave Foley) is an airhead, Butch (played by Scott Thompson) is a horny airhead who always talks about "hot" guys, and Smitty (played by Kevin McDonald) is an intelligent fop who is always exasperated by the other two.

The Steps sketch commemorates a long-time touchstone in Toronto's gay community, a half-block long flight of six to ten stairs running along Church street just south of Wellesley. Throughout the 1980's and 1990's, the steps were a classic meeting place and hangout for gay Torontonians. However, in 2003, the steps were remodelled to remove their inviting long stretches. The local businesses at the top of them - including a coffee shop, bakery, Subway and convenience store - felt the large number of street kids hanging out there and the increasing occurance of drug transactions and prostitution was hurting their businesses.

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 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

Arms in a Tank

Workers (this is stretching the term) who are paid to keep their arms in a tank of fish, are shocked and appalled to find a machine replacing them. Much of the sketch's humour comes from the fact that it is not indicated why exactly one would be able to make a business out of such a seemingly unnecessary task as keeping one's arms in a fish tank.

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."

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.

Love and Sausages

One of the more surreal short films in the show, containing minimal dialogue and apparently set in a dystopian future society. It features a man (McCulloch) who works at a sausage factory and falls in love with a girl who works there kissing the boxes so they have the company's lipstick logo. Too nervous to talk to her, the man, who had stolen some sausages for his crazy, sausage-obsessed father (Thompson), leaves them on her doorstep and leaves. Knowing he can never lead a normal life while caring for his gibbering idiot father, he resigns himself to loneliness.

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. The employee chases the customer outside, in time to see him climbing into a taxi. Not deterred, the employee chases the taxi down the street and, leaping through the air, lands on the vehicle, holding onto the passenger side door with his finger tips. After a drive around town, the taxi pulls over, the customer issues a cursory apology before returning the pen, after which the employee curls up with it in the street, and some of his co-workers come out with a comfort blanket to collect him. The sketch ends with another customer asking for the pen, only for the audience to see that the employee now wears a large, weighty helmet with a chinstrap and a chain attached at the forehead, the other end of which secures the pen.

Trappers

Foley and McDonald play colonial era French trappers (named Jacques and Francois, respectively) 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). Upon seeing a maimed businessman hobble away after chewing off his own leg to free himself from a bear trap, Foley's character instructs McDonald's character to let him go, as his strong spirit may one day make him vice-president. At night, the trappers make camp around a campfire in the office and promise each other not to over hunt this new game like they did the beaver in times past. At the end of the skit, Foley and McDonald paddle their canoe to a local clothier owned by Thompson, and reveal their bounty, including "many fine Armani" from "yesterday's kill." They like to sing the song "Alouette" (which appropriately enough, originated with the French-Canadian fur trade). Foley and McDonald would later reprise the characters opposite Scott Thompson's Buddy Cole in the episode-length sketch "Chalet 2000".

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.

Trivia

Almost all money bills shown on the show are the now out-of-print Canadian $2 Bill. A sketch where this is very prominent is "Danny Husk Is Kidnapped".

As the show was produced in Toronto, there are numerous references to the city's professional sports teams, the Blue Jays and the Maple Leafs.
*A running gag on the show involved the phrase "took me to a Leafs game" being used as a euphemism for an attempted male-on-male sexual encounter. The gag originated in a sketch in which Scott Thompson ironically played a homophobic man who took offense at another man's (McKinney) attempt to seduce him by taking him to a Maple Leafs game.
*In the sketch "Gezbo, The Video-Selling Clown" the kids are asked if they like Roberto Alomar, then a Blue Jay.
*In one sketch, Bruce McCulloch's recurring character of Kathy the secretary (see Cathy and Kathy above) discusses becoming a booster for the Blue Jays and their third baseman Kelly Gruber. However, the sketch was shot while Gruber was still a Blue Jay, but by the time it aired on television, Gruber had been traded to the California Angels. The Kids acknowledged this at the end of the sketch by showing a placard thanking Gruber for his contributions to the Blue Jays' 1992 World Series championship.
*In one sketch, Bruce McCulloch plays a character known as the Cincinnati Kid who comes to a bar looking for the Toronto Kid. The bar patrons claim never to have heard of such a person until Mark McKinney, clad in a Blue Jays hat and a Maple Leafs jersey, steps forward and indentifies himself as the Toronto Kid.

In another running gag, the Kids would often have characters in sketches randomly debate Shelley Long vs. Kirstie Alley on Cheers. According to DVD commentary, this was a reference to actual debates Kevin McDonald and Dave Foley would have with each other during writing sessions.

External links

[KITHblog]
[KITHfan.org - "a whole lotta Kids in the Hall"]
[Kids In The Hall webring at WebRing.com]
[Kids in the Hall Audio Archive]
[Kids in the Hall Song Page]
[Interview with Foley] on the history of the group, on public radio show / podcast The Sound of Young America

Sketches

[Kids In The Hall], a selection of sketches from the show
["Stray Businessman"]
["Report"]
["First Time"]

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