Back when I was in college, I walked into my friend Jim’s apartment one day and he was watching this really weird show.
”What’s that?” I asked.
”Oh, you gotta see these guys. They’re amazing. They’re like Monty Python, but they’re Canadian.”
It was the first year that “Kids in the Hall” was on the air. I sat down and was hooked immediately.
Dave Foley. Kevin McDonald. Bruce McCulloch. Mark McKinney. Scott Thompson. Geniuses, all of them.
The great thing about comedy—or really any kind of art—is that it’s subjective. What one person loves, another person just can’t stand. There are all kinds of singers, comedians, artists, etc that I just don’t get at all. But other people love them. And that’s ok. Well, “Kids in the Hall” is one of those things that I just adore, always have. They’re smart, weird, at times subtle, and often nonsensical. Whatever it is about them, I love it.
Their TV show ran from 1989 to 1995, and they made one of my all-time favorite movies, Brain Candy, in 1996. But back then, it was hit or miss on getting to see their show. It’s not like the Internet was around and I could just stream it anytime I wanted. It wasn’t until years later that I bought the entire box DVD set of their series. That’s when I finally saw every episode.
And now… Well, now the news has come out that they’re reviving their show for at least one season on Amazon Prime. And I’m sooooo excited.
And that’s why I felt the need to blog about some of my favorite sketches of theirs from the original TV series. There are lots more that I could include from their movie, but for now I’m just gonna focus on the TV show. So if this is the kind of humor that gets to you the way it gets to me, enjoy! Oh, and when I finally get to #1 in a few days, it’s a sketch that I simply am unable to not laugh out loud through the entire thing whenever I watch it.
#15 30 Helens Agree (Love/Honesty/Shoes)
The “30 Helens Agree” concept is a bunch of really short clips that appeared throughout the series. I couldn’t leave it out, but which one(s) to choose? I had a hard time deciding, but here are three quick ones that are awesome. And the little old Helen front and center always has the best lines.
#14 Secretaries – Is He?
Like Monty Python, these guys dressed up as women all the time for sketches. And that might have been when they were at their best. The Secretaries is another recurring sketch. I love this one, but again it was really hard to pick just one of them.
#13 Bar Fight
More than any of the other cast members, Bruce McCulloch just has his finger on this poor, dumb, hair band fan, always-looking-for-a-fight kind of guy. You just know he was surrounded by these types of kids in school and this is his interpretation of them. And Kevin McDonald, who plays his friend egging him on, is just so versatile. The funniest of the five cast members in my opinion.
#12 Simon and Hecubus
I don’t know why, but Kevin McDonald and Dave Foley playing Simon and Hecubus always got to me. They’re both just so good in this.
#11 Daves I Know
This musical sketch is just so dumb, goofy, and pointless that I can’t help loving it. My favorite things about it are Bruce’s jeans and the way he, oh, “dances” I guess is what you would call it.