1 00:00:05,924 --> 00:00:07,134 Hi, we're The Kids in the Hall. 2 00:00:07,176 --> 00:00:08,427 I'm Mark. 3 00:00:08,469 --> 00:00:12,514 This is Dave, Bruce and Scott. 4 00:00:12,556 --> 00:00:14,433 Hi. 5 00:00:14,475 --> 00:00:16,393 And Kevin. I'm here. 6 00:00:16,435 --> 00:00:17,352 There's five of us. 7 00:00:23,275 --> 00:00:25,611 I really wanted to be in The Kids in the Hall. 8 00:00:25,652 --> 00:00:26,570 That's the truth of it. 9 00:00:28,071 --> 00:00:30,282 I saw one of their shows at the Rivoli 10 00:00:30,324 --> 00:00:32,701 and I was like, "Oh my God, what can I ever do 11 00:00:32,743 --> 00:00:34,244 on Saturday Night Live 12 00:00:34,286 --> 00:00:37,956 that would be nearly as cool and fresh as that?" 13 00:00:37,998 --> 00:00:40,292 [cheering] 14 00:00:40,334 --> 00:00:43,670 I remember the first time I saw them at the Rivoli. 15 00:00:43,712 --> 00:00:47,257 I thought they were funny, smart, original. 16 00:00:47,299 --> 00:00:50,719 It was nothing like what I'd been doing on SNL. 17 00:00:50,761 --> 00:00:53,138 Now strategically, I'm going to sit on the end. 18 00:00:53,180 --> 00:00:54,515 The power position. 19 00:00:56,558 --> 00:00:58,977 [Eddie Izzard] Kids in the Hall make me laugh, 20 00:00:59,019 --> 00:01:00,771 and almost nothing makes me laugh. 21 00:01:02,773 --> 00:01:04,942 I think we're ready to start the show! 22 00:01:04,983 --> 00:01:07,736 Let the slaughter begin! 23 00:01:07,778 --> 00:01:09,738 ♪♪ 24 00:01:16,286 --> 00:01:19,706 [Janeane Garofalo] You can't fool a devoted comedy fan about quality, 25 00:01:19,748 --> 00:01:21,917 and that's what Kids in the Hall is. 26 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:23,043 I’m crushing your head! 27 00:01:25,546 --> 00:01:27,881 [Lauren Ash] If you were in the comedy world, you knew Kids in the Hall, 28 00:01:27,923 --> 00:01:29,925 and if you didn't, it was like, What are you doing here? 29 00:01:29,967 --> 00:01:32,135 They were just fucking funny. 30 00:01:32,177 --> 00:01:33,220 Action. 31 00:01:33,262 --> 00:01:34,847 I have a cabbage for a head! 32 00:01:36,348 --> 00:01:38,600 They were kind of the only comedy group 33 00:01:38,642 --> 00:01:40,394 that reflected Gen-X. 34 00:01:40,435 --> 00:01:42,229 [Matt Walsh] There's nobody that was more influential 35 00:01:42,271 --> 00:01:44,231 for my money than those guys. 36 00:01:44,273 --> 00:01:45,524 [Reggie Watts] They're just doing what they're doing 37 00:01:45,566 --> 00:01:46,900 and they don't give a fuck. 38 00:01:46,942 --> 00:01:48,360 Want to know something? I'm a bad doctor. 39 00:01:49,570 --> 00:01:51,613 Anarchic, Rebellious, 40 00:01:51,655 --> 00:01:52,865 One of a kind. 41 00:01:52,906 --> 00:01:55,117 Canadian. 42 00:01:55,158 --> 00:01:57,995 [Mike Myers] The Kids in the Hall taught me that things were possible 43 00:01:58,036 --> 00:02:00,497 growing up in Toronto, and that was a big influence on me. 44 00:02:00,539 --> 00:02:01,623 [Kevin McDonald] Evil! 45 00:02:01,665 --> 00:02:04,626 Impolite and evil! 46 00:02:04,668 --> 00:02:06,879 They were groundbreaking, they were kind of multi-sexual, 47 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:08,255 multi-gender. 48 00:02:08,297 --> 00:02:09,882 I don't know what the fuck they were. 49 00:02:09,923 --> 00:02:13,802 If you're gay and our eyes meet it's message received. 50 00:02:13,844 --> 00:02:16,597 [Eric McCormack] The Kids all played women with such empathy. 51 00:02:16,638 --> 00:02:19,182 And sometimes they were freaking gorgeous. 52 00:02:19,224 --> 00:02:21,143 [Dave Foley] You have to be able to find what's funny 53 00:02:21,184 --> 00:02:22,978 in some pretty dark places. 54 00:02:23,020 --> 00:02:24,688 Daddy drank. 55 00:02:24,730 --> 00:02:25,856 But I know it helped me be sillier 56 00:02:25,898 --> 00:02:28,275 as a defense system, I guess. 57 00:02:28,317 --> 00:02:30,319 Comedy doesn't have to come from a quagmire, 58 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:33,363 but a lot of us are broken toys. 59 00:02:33,405 --> 00:02:35,616 Comedy is ultimately about one thing: 60 00:02:35,657 --> 00:02:37,409 laughing in the face of death. 61 00:02:37,451 --> 00:02:39,411 [Bruce McCulloch] We came together for each other, 62 00:02:39,453 --> 00:02:40,954 and we're going to keep doing it 63 00:02:40,996 --> 00:02:42,456 until we can’t do it. 64 00:02:49,421 --> 00:02:50,672 [interviewer] All right, here we are, The Kids in the Hall. 65 00:02:50,714 --> 00:02:54,009 This feels epic, having you guys here. 66 00:02:54,051 --> 00:02:55,761 So you've never seen anything epic? 67 00:02:55,802 --> 00:02:57,387 [laughing] 68 00:02:57,429 --> 00:02:58,513 [cows lowing] 69 00:03:05,646 --> 00:03:06,688 - [laughing] - Just start saying anything. 70 00:03:06,730 --> 00:03:08,065 Anything, doesn’t matter. 71 00:03:08,106 --> 00:03:10,734 That rhymes with... 72 00:03:10,776 --> 00:03:12,319 [Mark McKinney] It was in Calgary. 73 00:03:12,361 --> 00:03:14,488 I guess this is a typewriter scene, it must be. 74 00:03:14,529 --> 00:03:16,990 [Mark McKinney] Trying to do comedy somehow, 75 00:03:17,032 --> 00:03:18,909 then stumbled into the Loose Moose theater. 76 00:03:20,702 --> 00:03:22,537 It was Theatersports, 77 00:03:22,579 --> 00:03:25,332 very democratic form, competitive improvisation. 78 00:03:25,374 --> 00:03:26,959 It was wild, the crowd was hot. 79 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:28,627 [announcer] And now "The Audience" team, 80 00:03:28,669 --> 00:03:33,006 [announcer speaking indistinctly] 81 00:03:33,048 --> 00:03:34,633 [Mark McKinney] It was brilliant. 82 00:03:34,675 --> 00:03:36,843 If I ever had to think my way on stage, 83 00:03:36,885 --> 00:03:38,804 I never would have been able to do it. 84 00:03:38,845 --> 00:03:42,057 It had to be accidental and with little time for consideration. 85 00:03:42,099 --> 00:03:45,602 [imitating foreign language] 86 00:03:48,647 --> 00:03:51,441 [Bruce McCulloch] I went to Mount Royal College. 87 00:03:51,483 --> 00:03:54,611 I was in the midst of doing business 88 00:03:54,653 --> 00:03:57,572 and I walked into Theatersports 89 00:03:57,614 --> 00:03:59,866 and it felt like I was coming out of the closet. 90 00:03:59,908 --> 00:04:02,411 Like, this is what it's like to find religion. 91 00:04:02,452 --> 00:04:04,329 [screams] 92 00:04:04,371 --> 00:04:08,208 I just saw these people on stage making shit up, 93 00:04:08,250 --> 00:04:10,752 and I thought, "Oh, fuck, I want to do that." 94 00:04:10,794 --> 00:04:14,172 Well, it all happened very fast once I got to Loose Moose. 95 00:04:14,214 --> 00:04:16,717 I think within probably two months, I met Mark. 96 00:04:16,758 --> 00:04:18,260 [Mark McKinney] I remember vividly, 97 00:04:18,301 --> 00:04:20,470 one of Bruce’s first scenes was painting 98 00:04:20,512 --> 00:04:23,765 the stage with his head. 99 00:04:23,807 --> 00:04:26,977 [Bruce McCulloch] I remember he was doing some scene 100 00:04:27,019 --> 00:04:28,395 where he needed a piano 101 00:04:28,437 --> 00:04:29,896 and he was taking so long to rehearse. 102 00:04:29,938 --> 00:04:31,606 And I kind of said, 103 00:04:31,648 --> 00:04:33,775 "How fucking long are you going to need to rehearse?" 104 00:04:33,817 --> 00:04:36,445 And that's sort of my first memory 105 00:04:36,486 --> 00:04:38,071 of our complicated, beautiful friendship. 106 00:04:38,113 --> 00:04:39,114 [humming] 107 00:04:39,156 --> 00:04:41,908 [imitating foreign language] 108 00:04:47,497 --> 00:04:50,667 I met Kevin, the very first Second City improv workshop 109 00:04:50,709 --> 00:04:53,962 I went to at the Old Fire hall. 110 00:04:54,004 --> 00:04:56,089 We were randomly paired up for an exercise. 111 00:04:57,466 --> 00:04:59,676 We did the mirror exercise where 112 00:04:59,718 --> 00:05:01,303 we mirror each other's movements. 113 00:05:01,344 --> 00:05:03,680 We started sort of doing it funny 114 00:05:03,722 --> 00:05:06,224 and sort of comically. 115 00:05:06,266 --> 00:05:08,810 We had chemistry right away, and like, getting comedy chemistry 116 00:05:08,852 --> 00:05:11,104 is sort of like falling in love with someone. 117 00:05:11,146 --> 00:05:12,647 He was like my first girlfriend. 118 00:05:14,441 --> 00:05:17,069 And it really was love at first sight because we were like, 119 00:05:17,110 --> 00:05:18,653 before we knew anything about each other, 120 00:05:18,695 --> 00:05:20,405 we were able to make each other laugh 121 00:05:20,447 --> 00:05:23,283 and were able to pick up on each other's rhythms immediately. 122 00:05:23,325 --> 00:05:25,410 And that's never changed. 123 00:05:25,452 --> 00:05:27,162 It's still like the most integrated I feel 124 00:05:27,204 --> 00:05:29,498 with another comedian. 125 00:05:29,539 --> 00:05:31,124 [Kevin McDonald] When the class was over, I went to Dave. 126 00:05:31,166 --> 00:05:32,417 I didn't know his name 127 00:05:32,459 --> 00:05:33,418 and I asked him to join my troupe 128 00:05:33,460 --> 00:05:35,212 and I didn't have a troupe. 129 00:05:35,253 --> 00:05:37,380 And Dave said yes right away. "Yeah, yeah, sounds like fun." 130 00:05:37,422 --> 00:05:38,673 And then that's how The Kids in the Hall started. 131 00:05:38,715 --> 00:05:41,551 [gibberish] 132 00:05:44,262 --> 00:05:47,015 [Kevin McDonald] We did Theatersports in Toronto for a year or so. 133 00:05:47,057 --> 00:05:48,433 We were good, but we were learning at the same time. 134 00:05:48,475 --> 00:05:50,268 So we were "rough" good, 135 00:05:50,310 --> 00:05:51,937 and we'd heard about this Theatersports troupe in Calgary 136 00:05:51,978 --> 00:05:53,688 called "The Audience." 137 00:05:53,730 --> 00:05:55,065 So we'd heard about them. They'd heard about us. 138 00:05:58,485 --> 00:06:00,529 [Dave Foley] Bruce came to Toronto first 139 00:06:00,570 --> 00:06:02,823 and he seemed like an odd little fellow, 140 00:06:02,864 --> 00:06:04,866 and I said, "What's with that guy?" 141 00:06:04,908 --> 00:06:05,992 Here he comes. 142 00:06:06,034 --> 00:06:08,245 Rip! 143 00:06:08,286 --> 00:06:10,914 And then I saw him do comedy and realized he was hilarious. 144 00:06:10,956 --> 00:06:12,541 My heart goes, 145 00:06:13,875 --> 00:06:16,503 His heart goes. 146 00:06:16,545 --> 00:06:20,757 Dave and I were in a line up to watch the Second City improv. 147 00:06:20,799 --> 00:06:22,634 Then Mark was there and we met him and he was like 148 00:06:22,676 --> 00:06:24,136 a normal looking guy with glasses. 149 00:06:24,177 --> 00:06:25,846 And I'd heard that he was a genius. 150 00:06:25,887 --> 00:06:27,556 And I remember saying to Dave, "He's not funny." 151 00:06:27,597 --> 00:06:30,350 Yeah, he delights in telling me this. 152 00:06:30,392 --> 00:06:33,228 The first time he met me, he thought, "that guy’s not funny." 153 00:06:33,270 --> 00:06:36,273 What is this strange bizarre instrument 154 00:06:36,314 --> 00:06:38,650 that you bring here? 155 00:06:38,692 --> 00:06:39,901 What is that here? 156 00:06:39,943 --> 00:06:41,319 It must be a sign from the gods 157 00:06:41,361 --> 00:06:43,530 that they wish us to evolve! 158 00:06:43,572 --> 00:06:45,073 [Kevin McDonald] And then we saw them perform in Theatersports, 159 00:06:45,115 --> 00:06:46,825 and he was brilliant. 160 00:06:46,867 --> 00:06:48,618 And after that first show of seeing each other perform, 161 00:06:48,660 --> 00:06:50,370 we sort of said, "Hey, let's just do stuff together." 162 00:06:50,412 --> 00:06:52,706 We worked as two separate troupes on the same bill a lot. 163 00:06:52,747 --> 00:06:55,125 And we kept hitting our heads and blackouts 164 00:06:55,167 --> 00:06:56,459 so we formed one troupe. 165 00:06:56,501 --> 00:06:58,879 And I like to say we flipped a coin, 166 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:00,505 because "The Audience" was my title. 167 00:07:00,547 --> 00:07:03,592 Thank God I didn’t win that fight. 168 00:07:03,633 --> 00:07:05,177 [Kevin McDonald] We agreed on the name Kids in the Hall. 169 00:07:05,218 --> 00:07:06,887 I remember Bruce saying, 170 00:07:06,928 --> 00:07:08,680 "Okay, but just for now, because I hate that fucking name." 171 00:07:08,722 --> 00:07:10,265 The Kids in the Hall. 172 00:07:10,307 --> 00:07:13,059 What the fuck does that mean, you know? 173 00:07:13,101 --> 00:07:15,437 Gwar, that's a name. 174 00:07:15,478 --> 00:07:17,647 A producer hired the original Kids in the Hall 175 00:07:17,689 --> 00:07:19,232 to do a show, and we had a different name. 176 00:07:19,274 --> 00:07:22,903 Then he told us the story of the Jack Benny show, 177 00:07:22,944 --> 00:07:24,779 that there would be kids who would hang around in the halls 178 00:07:24,821 --> 00:07:26,281 trying to sell jokes 179 00:07:26,323 --> 00:07:27,949 to Jack on his way in and out of the studio, 180 00:07:27,991 --> 00:07:29,993 and they were referred to as "the kids in the hall." 181 00:07:30,035 --> 00:07:33,246 [Bruce McCulloch] And I just looked up at one point and it was us four. 182 00:07:33,288 --> 00:07:36,958 And then Scott... came. 183 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:38,460 See how I acted that out, Scott coming? 184 00:07:42,464 --> 00:07:44,841 [Scott Thompson] My family were funny. 185 00:07:44,883 --> 00:07:48,094 Every dinner was basically, what happened that day, 186 00:07:48,136 --> 00:07:50,388 who did you see that was an idiot? 187 00:07:50,430 --> 00:07:52,182 Let's make fun of them. 188 00:07:55,143 --> 00:07:57,562 Everything was about making people laugh. 189 00:07:59,439 --> 00:08:02,192 But when I was at York University, 190 00:08:02,234 --> 00:08:04,694 I had no intentions of being a comedian. 191 00:08:04,736 --> 00:08:07,530 I was in theater. I was in acting. 192 00:08:07,572 --> 00:08:10,200 I wanted to be a movie star. 193 00:08:10,242 --> 00:08:14,621 I wanted to be James Dean. 194 00:08:14,663 --> 00:08:17,207 [interviewer] So when was your kind of, 195 00:08:17,249 --> 00:08:19,668 "comedy is who I am" moment, then? 196 00:08:20,794 --> 00:08:23,046 Well, it wasn't until... 197 00:08:23,088 --> 00:08:24,881 it was meeting The Kids in the Hall. 198 00:08:24,923 --> 00:08:27,550 Anyone seen my gold card? 199 00:08:27,592 --> 00:08:29,803 ♪ Cha cha cha cha ♪ 200 00:08:29,844 --> 00:08:31,846 [shouting] 201 00:08:31,888 --> 00:08:36,059 [Scott Thompson] They were just goofing around and it seemed like so much fun, 202 00:08:36,101 --> 00:08:38,895 and yet it was also acting. 203 00:08:38,937 --> 00:08:41,898 [Bruce McCulloch] I did this really terrible scene 204 00:08:41,940 --> 00:08:45,527 about a murder mystery, and there was jelly donuts. 205 00:08:45,568 --> 00:08:47,779 Look under your seat. There's a donut for you. 206 00:08:47,821 --> 00:08:49,781 I don't know. Can't even remember. 207 00:08:49,823 --> 00:08:50,824 Kevin? 208 00:08:50,865 --> 00:08:52,409 And that scene went horribly. 209 00:08:52,450 --> 00:08:55,620 And then they started throwing them at us. 210 00:08:55,662 --> 00:08:57,080 [Scott Thompson] I remember at Moose, like, 211 00:08:57,122 --> 00:08:58,581 "What the fuck? Who's throwing donuts?" 212 00:08:58,623 --> 00:09:00,333 And it was obviously me 213 00:09:00,375 --> 00:09:02,210 because there's only about seven people in the audience. 214 00:09:02,252 --> 00:09:04,129 This is typical Scott Thompson, 215 00:09:04,170 --> 00:09:06,089 as he was throwing the donut yelling at us fuck off. 216 00:09:06,131 --> 00:09:09,134 He said, "I'm going to join that troupe." 217 00:09:09,175 --> 00:09:12,387 I just had to make them notice me. 218 00:09:12,429 --> 00:09:14,514 Oh, that's crazy. 219 00:09:14,556 --> 00:09:15,932 [Mark McKinney] I remember seeing an improv 220 00:09:15,974 --> 00:09:17,559 at Theatersports. 221 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:19,811 And Scott was on stage. 222 00:09:19,853 --> 00:09:24,482 I did this sketch, which was absolutely terrible. 223 00:09:24,524 --> 00:09:28,862 It was about like, a mimed crap in a toilet. 224 00:09:28,903 --> 00:09:31,239 Mimed reaching in and holding up the log going, 225 00:09:31,281 --> 00:09:32,949 "He is my lover!" 226 00:09:34,242 --> 00:09:36,619 And I laughed. 227 00:09:36,661 --> 00:09:39,080 Maybe one other person across the crowd laughed, 228 00:09:39,122 --> 00:09:42,334 and it was kind of like, I like that guy. 229 00:09:42,375 --> 00:09:46,713 [shrieks] 230 00:09:46,755 --> 00:09:48,214 [Bruce McCulloch] Scott brought our level up 231 00:09:48,256 --> 00:09:50,175 because he would want to eat the stage. 232 00:09:50,216 --> 00:09:51,468 Get away from me! 233 00:09:51,509 --> 00:09:53,762 It's like a hedgehog. [imitates hedgehog noises] 234 00:09:53,803 --> 00:09:56,931 And we had to eat the stage as well to compete with him. 235 00:09:56,973 --> 00:09:58,767 [Dave Foley] It did feel like there was a missing piece 236 00:09:58,808 --> 00:10:00,393 that suddenly wasn't missing, 237 00:10:00,435 --> 00:10:03,480 and we weren't even entirely aware it was missing. 238 00:10:05,523 --> 00:10:08,735 [Scott Thompson] One day they improvised a little song about me 239 00:10:08,777 --> 00:10:10,362 being a member of The Kids in the Hall. 240 00:10:10,403 --> 00:10:12,822 ♪ And Scott's a Kid in the Hall ♪ 241 00:10:12,864 --> 00:10:14,491 and Scott started crying and smoking. 242 00:10:16,826 --> 00:10:21,831 The moment they invited me in, I was never leaving. 243 00:10:21,873 --> 00:10:24,334 No one was getting in after me. 244 00:10:24,376 --> 00:10:25,377 I threw away the key then. 245 00:10:28,797 --> 00:10:30,590 ♪♪ 246 00:10:42,644 --> 00:10:44,771 [Bruce McCulloch] As a young man, 247 00:10:44,813 --> 00:10:48,358 this place in Queen Street was the most important half-mile 248 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:49,609 in the world to me. 249 00:10:49,651 --> 00:10:51,319 Just this fucking place, this Rivoli 250 00:10:51,361 --> 00:10:55,240 and all the cool waitresses with their leather aprons. 251 00:10:55,281 --> 00:10:56,533 [Kevin McDonald] Queen Street was like a magical place, 252 00:10:56,574 --> 00:10:58,493 especially from the suburbs. 253 00:10:58,535 --> 00:11:00,787 It was just a street where everyone wore black 254 00:11:00,829 --> 00:11:02,205 and didn't smile. 255 00:11:02,247 --> 00:11:03,623 That was where it was happening. 256 00:11:03,665 --> 00:11:05,291 Whatever dream I had of what I was going to be, 257 00:11:05,333 --> 00:11:06,709 it was going to happen there. 258 00:11:06,751 --> 00:11:10,422 [Scott Thompson] Just a real melting pot of creativity. 259 00:11:10,463 --> 00:11:12,757 It was about video, it was about dance, 260 00:11:12,799 --> 00:11:15,260 it was about comedy. 261 00:11:15,301 --> 00:11:16,970 There was always something going on 262 00:11:17,011 --> 00:11:18,012 and the Rivoli was the center. 263 00:11:22,142 --> 00:11:24,602 -Come, cameraperson. -Yeah. 264 00:11:24,644 --> 00:11:26,980 I used to help set the lights and set the stage. 265 00:11:27,021 --> 00:11:29,274 And Scott would spend... would grab all the space 266 00:11:29,315 --> 00:11:31,985 to lay out his many, many costumes. 267 00:11:32,026 --> 00:11:34,362 The stage consisted, if you're standing on stage 268 00:11:34,404 --> 00:11:36,906 of this, there was a side stage there. 269 00:11:36,948 --> 00:11:38,950 Like someone will say something here 270 00:11:38,992 --> 00:11:40,326 and the lights will go down here, 271 00:11:40,368 --> 00:11:41,578 and then the lights would come up here 272 00:11:41,619 --> 00:11:43,788 and two or three of us would act out, 273 00:11:43,830 --> 00:11:44,873 what was just set up over there. 274 00:11:44,914 --> 00:11:49,502 [singing] 275 00:11:51,171 --> 00:11:52,964 Whoa! 276 00:11:53,006 --> 00:11:56,551 Look at her, ooh! 277 00:11:56,593 --> 00:11:58,178 Excuse me, miss. 278 00:11:58,219 --> 00:11:59,929 [Mark McKinney] I don't know how we survived because the first year 279 00:11:59,971 --> 00:12:04,309 and a half of the Rivoli, it was like 17, 20 people, 280 00:12:04,350 --> 00:12:06,478 maybe 35 on a good night. 281 00:12:06,519 --> 00:12:07,979 There was no heat to it, 282 00:12:08,021 --> 00:12:10,523 but we were liking each other a lot. 283 00:12:10,565 --> 00:12:12,859 ♪ 99 Bottles of beer on the wall ♪ 284 00:12:12,901 --> 00:12:15,069 ♪ 99 bottles of beer ♪ 285 00:12:15,111 --> 00:12:18,114 ♪ You take one down, You pass it around ♪ 286 00:12:18,156 --> 00:12:22,702 ♪ 99... bottles of beer on the wall ♪ 287 00:12:22,744 --> 00:12:24,787 We did lots of shows for nobody 288 00:12:24,829 --> 00:12:27,916 and kept doing them and kept doing them. 289 00:12:27,957 --> 00:12:30,793 And I think I needed all of that repetition 290 00:12:30,835 --> 00:12:34,797 and experimentation and failing so much 291 00:12:34,839 --> 00:12:37,008 to find our lane. 292 00:12:37,050 --> 00:12:40,762 An old friend drove by, so he would like to do an improv. 293 00:12:40,803 --> 00:12:42,764 -Mike Myers! -Thank you! 294 00:12:42,805 --> 00:12:44,307 [Mike Myers] I did a lot of improv with The Kids in the Hall 295 00:12:44,349 --> 00:12:48,436 at the Rivoli, and it was very, very satisfying 296 00:12:48,478 --> 00:12:52,649 to kill in front of a Queen Street crowd. 297 00:12:52,690 --> 00:12:54,150 I always aspired to be in The Kids in the Hall, 298 00:12:54,192 --> 00:12:56,110 that was my big thing. 299 00:12:56,152 --> 00:12:58,821 They were like a band that only knew three chords, 300 00:12:58,863 --> 00:13:00,490 but there were three great chords and had great energy. 301 00:13:00,532 --> 00:13:02,242 Fucking asshole! 302 00:13:02,283 --> 00:13:03,284 [Paul Bellini] The first time I saw The Kids in the Hall 303 00:13:03,326 --> 00:13:04,953 was a revelation. 304 00:13:04,994 --> 00:13:06,955 I'm sitting in the Rivoli with maybe 20 other people 305 00:13:06,996 --> 00:13:09,958 and thinking, this is the greatest thing I've ever seen. 306 00:13:11,876 --> 00:13:14,712 My sister's boyfriend had a video camera, 307 00:13:14,754 --> 00:13:17,840 which I used to drag over to The Kids in the Hall shows. 308 00:13:17,882 --> 00:13:19,467 Peter was very nice, wasn't he? 309 00:13:19,509 --> 00:13:22,804 [Paul Bellini] So I videotaped a lot of the very early shows. 310 00:13:22,845 --> 00:13:24,973 [shouts] 311 00:13:25,014 --> 00:13:28,184 It was very much of a new approach to comedy, 312 00:13:28,226 --> 00:13:31,312 somewhat grounded in a personal experience. 313 00:13:31,354 --> 00:13:33,231 [Dave Foley onstage] Mom! We’re there! 314 00:13:33,273 --> 00:13:35,692 [Kevin McDonald onstage] Mom, we’re there, open up the windows, we’re here! 315 00:13:35,733 --> 00:13:38,778 Which I found fascinating because honestly, 316 00:13:38,820 --> 00:13:40,363 nobody else was doing that. 317 00:13:40,405 --> 00:13:44,284 ♪ In the suburbs day melts into night ♪ 318 00:13:44,325 --> 00:13:48,997 ♪ As we become our dads ♪ 319 00:13:49,038 --> 00:13:50,456 [Kevin McDonald] One of our first sketches that Bruce wrote 320 00:13:50,498 --> 00:13:52,250 was a scene called The Suburbs. 321 00:13:52,292 --> 00:13:53,918 What's the line from the song? 322 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:56,379 ♪ I can see there's something of the suburbs ♪ 323 00:13:56,421 --> 00:14:00,466 I forget. You’ll research it, you'll find it. 324 00:14:00,508 --> 00:14:03,886 ♪ I want you to look into my eyes ♪ 325 00:14:03,928 --> 00:14:07,515 ♪ And see the power of the suburbs ♪ 326 00:14:13,187 --> 00:14:14,480 ♪♪ 327 00:14:21,821 --> 00:14:25,366 Four Kids in the Hall grew up in the suburbs. 328 00:14:25,408 --> 00:14:29,120 The suburbs are uniform and boring. 329 00:14:29,162 --> 00:14:32,790 I think the suburbs really wrecked havoc on our mind. 330 00:14:32,832 --> 00:14:35,084 [Dave Foley onstage] Maybe the ’burb’s getting too tight around my neck, 331 00:14:35,126 --> 00:14:39,547 maybe the suburbs is a noose choking me. 332 00:14:39,589 --> 00:14:41,424 Mom! 333 00:14:41,466 --> 00:14:43,718 Mark comes from a different kind of a world than we do. 334 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:48,389 [Mark McKinney] Coming from a family of diplomats, 335 00:14:48,431 --> 00:14:50,475 fairly cultured community, 336 00:14:50,516 --> 00:14:52,435 you know, first I thought my outsider status 337 00:14:52,477 --> 00:14:54,896 was my own personal failings and then 338 00:14:54,937 --> 00:14:57,649 gradually I started to follow it. 339 00:14:57,690 --> 00:15:00,193 I was going to be the prime minister of this country, 340 00:15:00,234 --> 00:15:03,696 but I was 20, there was acid going around. 341 00:15:03,738 --> 00:15:06,199 I didn't study. I skipped classes. 342 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:08,868 I was in Calgary. I got into theater. 343 00:15:08,910 --> 00:15:10,662 Excuse me, I have to go back. 344 00:15:12,580 --> 00:15:17,418 [Bruce McCulloch] Calgary was a very homophobic oil town 345 00:15:17,460 --> 00:15:19,087 where guys drove around in trucks 346 00:15:19,128 --> 00:15:20,588 and chased me down the street. 347 00:15:22,590 --> 00:15:25,551 I sought refuge first in sports 348 00:15:25,593 --> 00:15:27,887 and then, of course, in rock music. 349 00:15:27,929 --> 00:15:32,934 ♪ Fire, fire, fire Fire on my brain ♪ 350 00:15:34,852 --> 00:15:36,437 Right when punk started, 351 00:15:36,479 --> 00:15:37,855 I remember hearing "God save the Queen," 352 00:15:37,897 --> 00:15:41,526 the .45, and just it blowing my fucking mind. 353 00:15:42,860 --> 00:15:45,238 It was like sex, anger. 354 00:15:45,279 --> 00:15:47,615 Society doesn't have to be like this. 355 00:15:49,283 --> 00:15:52,578 It was like a capsule of heroin right to my brain. 356 00:15:52,620 --> 00:15:55,081 Does heroin come in capsules? I don't think so. 357 00:15:55,123 --> 00:15:56,874 Bruce was so cool, it was intimidating. 358 00:15:56,916 --> 00:15:58,334 Remember one of our first conversations, 359 00:15:58,376 --> 00:15:59,627 I didn't know what to say. 360 00:15:59,669 --> 00:16:01,963 So I said "what music do you like?" 361 00:16:02,004 --> 00:16:04,257 And he said, "Lou Reed, The Birthday Party 362 00:16:04,298 --> 00:16:05,425 and of course, Iggy." 363 00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:09,846 But I was obsessed with music. 364 00:16:09,887 --> 00:16:12,181 In a way that I'm not now. 365 00:16:12,223 --> 00:16:13,433 I was obsessed with punk. 366 00:16:13,474 --> 00:16:16,602 I was obsessed with rebelling. 367 00:16:16,644 --> 00:16:17,645 You don’t have to to be into music to be punk. 368 00:16:17,687 --> 00:16:19,188 [Scott Thompson] The Attitude. 369 00:16:19,230 --> 00:16:21,441 - [Mark McKinney] I would say it's-- - It’s fucking attitude. 370 00:16:21,482 --> 00:16:23,609 You don’t have to be into music to have punk attitude. 371 00:16:23,651 --> 00:16:25,695 [Jennifer Whalen] Well, I remember hearing that they were like these 372 00:16:25,737 --> 00:16:28,322 new hot guys on the scene, in that they were kind of 373 00:16:28,364 --> 00:16:31,576 punk rock and it was like this new cool thing 374 00:16:31,617 --> 00:16:33,369 that was unlike anything else that was happening. 375 00:16:33,411 --> 00:16:35,246 Lately, at work, 376 00:16:35,288 --> 00:16:38,708 there are a lot of guys bitchin’ about their job. 377 00:16:38,750 --> 00:16:41,794 Not me, I like my job. 378 00:16:41,836 --> 00:16:44,255 My job: I’m a faggot. 379 00:16:44,297 --> 00:16:47,341 Back then, being gay was the ultimate act 380 00:16:47,383 --> 00:16:49,177 of rebellion in a way. 381 00:16:49,218 --> 00:16:51,554 There was something actually dangerous about putting 382 00:16:51,596 --> 00:16:54,098 a gay subject on stage. 383 00:16:54,140 --> 00:16:56,642 Yeah, cock sucking, man's job. 384 00:16:56,684 --> 00:16:59,395 Oh, fuck me. 385 00:16:59,437 --> 00:17:01,564 ♪ Running faggot running free ♪ 386 00:17:01,606 --> 00:17:03,566 ♪ See the faggot See the running faggot ♪ 387 00:17:03,608 --> 00:17:05,234 [Bruce McCulloch] I loved that Scott was gay 388 00:17:05,276 --> 00:17:09,238 and I love that he brought that material to the show. 389 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:14,494 We used homosexuality as a weapon to bash squares. 390 00:17:16,788 --> 00:17:20,041 It was my first knowledge of somebody being openly gay, 391 00:17:20,082 --> 00:17:22,668 doing a character that was queer positive, 392 00:17:22,710 --> 00:17:24,587 that was unashamed. 393 00:17:24,629 --> 00:17:29,425 And so for my small suburban world, that was mind blowing. 394 00:17:29,467 --> 00:17:33,012 [Scott Thompson] I knew within this group I could be myself. 395 00:17:35,848 --> 00:17:38,100 Every moment of my life 396 00:17:38,142 --> 00:17:41,145 as a young person was about concealment. 397 00:17:43,231 --> 00:17:45,066 My father was violent. 398 00:17:45,107 --> 00:17:47,735 I have a joke where I just go, he tried to beat it out of me, 399 00:17:47,777 --> 00:17:50,279 but all it did was make me like it rough. 400 00:17:50,321 --> 00:17:51,531 So... 401 00:17:53,616 --> 00:17:56,953 I used to blame my dad for making me gay. 402 00:17:56,994 --> 00:17:59,705 But if I was gay in a homo positive society, 403 00:17:59,747 --> 00:18:01,582 it wouldn't be a big deal, right? 404 00:18:01,624 --> 00:18:05,127 So I thought, Aha, I’ll blame society. 405 00:18:05,169 --> 00:18:07,588 So I had my dad's chip 406 00:18:07,630 --> 00:18:09,423 and I find I have myself another chip, 407 00:18:09,465 --> 00:18:10,633 a hatred against society. 408 00:18:10,675 --> 00:18:13,594 And they balanced each other out. 409 00:18:13,636 --> 00:18:16,097 And now I move like a runway model. 410 00:18:18,391 --> 00:18:19,892 They wanted to create comedy 411 00:18:19,934 --> 00:18:23,062 that upset and pleased people at the same time, 412 00:18:23,104 --> 00:18:26,899 pushing away from that middle class respectability, 413 00:18:26,941 --> 00:18:28,943 especially for five young comedians 414 00:18:28,985 --> 00:18:32,154 who basically are trying to 415 00:18:32,196 --> 00:18:33,656 carve out careers doing everything 416 00:18:33,698 --> 00:18:35,491 but what their parents did. 417 00:18:38,911 --> 00:18:41,289 Happy birthday, son. 418 00:18:41,330 --> 00:18:45,376 The cavalcade of bad parenting is spectacular. 419 00:18:45,418 --> 00:18:48,588 I just can't drink like I used to when I was 40. 420 00:18:48,629 --> 00:18:51,549 [Julie Klausner] Just the most misguided, miserable people, 421 00:18:51,591 --> 00:18:53,467 but miserable in new 422 00:18:53,509 --> 00:18:55,303 and original, exciting ways to be miserable. 423 00:18:57,054 --> 00:18:58,973 [Kevin McDonald] My dad Hammie was a famous drunk. 424 00:18:59,015 --> 00:19:01,017 He would do something horrifying, 425 00:19:01,058 --> 00:19:02,310 like once he chased me around the table with a knife. 426 00:19:04,353 --> 00:19:06,522 But I know it helped me be sillier. 427 00:19:06,564 --> 00:19:08,190 As a defense system, I guess. 428 00:19:08,232 --> 00:19:09,734 I've used many horrible things that he did 429 00:19:09,775 --> 00:19:12,278 like, uh... That he did and said. 430 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:13,779 Daddy drank. 431 00:19:13,821 --> 00:19:16,157 Son, how many girls called you today? 432 00:19:16,198 --> 00:19:17,992 -Zero? -Right, right, right. 433 00:19:18,034 --> 00:19:19,076 How many girls called you yesterday? 434 00:19:19,118 --> 00:19:20,703 Zero? Yeah. 435 00:19:20,745 --> 00:19:22,038 Well, you know what they say, son. 436 00:19:22,079 --> 00:19:24,790 Zero plus zero equals fag. 437 00:19:24,832 --> 00:19:26,375 My dad said that. 438 00:19:26,417 --> 00:19:28,210 It's pretty common that if you're 439 00:19:28,252 --> 00:19:31,422 the child of an alcoholic, you learn to be very observant. 440 00:19:31,464 --> 00:19:33,049 Just as a self-preservation tactic, 441 00:19:33,090 --> 00:19:34,717 you have to be very aware 442 00:19:34,759 --> 00:19:37,219 of other people's emotional states, 443 00:19:37,261 --> 00:19:38,888 which I think lends well to being a comedian. 444 00:19:41,265 --> 00:19:43,559 [Scott Thompson] We were all very much 445 00:19:43,601 --> 00:19:47,146 trying to prove to our dads maybe that we were men. 446 00:19:48,564 --> 00:19:50,858 By dressing up as women. 447 00:19:55,071 --> 00:19:57,990 You know, I bet it came as a bit of a shock to find 448 00:19:58,032 --> 00:20:00,368 you had me as a new mom, huh? 449 00:20:00,409 --> 00:20:02,119 Dave was the first one that I saw playing a woman. 450 00:20:02,161 --> 00:20:05,915 I remember that and he had a a sweater over his shoulder. 451 00:20:05,957 --> 00:20:07,708 And that's when I went, "Oh, that was pretty cool." 452 00:20:07,750 --> 00:20:09,418 And that's how they played women. 453 00:20:09,460 --> 00:20:11,712 And then we had a sweater that everybody would share. 454 00:20:11,754 --> 00:20:14,006 Well, this is my door here. 455 00:20:14,048 --> 00:20:15,925 Thank you for the lovely evening. 456 00:20:15,967 --> 00:20:17,343 [Dave Foley] We played all the women just with 457 00:20:17,385 --> 00:20:19,303 posture and our voices. 458 00:20:19,345 --> 00:20:22,473 We've just changed the way we stood and moved and talked. 459 00:20:22,515 --> 00:20:24,058 The audience would suspend disbelief 460 00:20:24,100 --> 00:20:26,143 and they would accept us as women 461 00:20:26,185 --> 00:20:27,645 when we were playing the female roles. 462 00:20:27,687 --> 00:20:29,355 Hello? 463 00:20:29,397 --> 00:20:32,274 -Tiffany? -Tabitha? 464 00:20:32,316 --> 00:20:34,026 -What are you doing? -What are you doing? 465 00:20:34,068 --> 00:20:36,404 -Well, I was just calling you. -I was just calling you. 466 00:20:36,445 --> 00:20:39,115 -But it didn’t ring! -It didn’t ring here either! 467 00:20:39,156 --> 00:20:44,453 Oh my God! [screaming] 468 00:20:44,495 --> 00:20:46,539 The evolution was slow, and it's like, oh, I guess 469 00:20:46,580 --> 00:20:47,915 I'm playing a woman too, 470 00:20:47,957 --> 00:20:49,375 and then we just started playing women 471 00:20:49,417 --> 00:20:50,376 and I was like, I don't know if I'm in... 472 00:20:50,418 --> 00:20:51,836 Am I in drag? 473 00:20:51,877 --> 00:20:53,170 I think I'm playing a woman. 474 00:20:53,212 --> 00:20:54,880 You see, my watch has stopped. 475 00:20:54,922 --> 00:20:56,340 It's very important that I make this meeting. 476 00:20:56,382 --> 00:20:57,717 So if you could just... 477 00:20:57,758 --> 00:20:59,343 I'm sorry, I'm seeing someone. 478 00:20:59,385 --> 00:21:02,513 My mom definitely was horrified 479 00:21:02,555 --> 00:21:03,597 when I told her that my character, Nina, 480 00:21:03,639 --> 00:21:04,974 was slightly based on her. 481 00:21:05,016 --> 00:21:07,059 -Yeah, hi, I'm Nina. -Hello, I'm Danny. 482 00:21:07,101 --> 00:21:08,853 -How are you? -Fine. Fine. 483 00:21:08,894 --> 00:21:10,813 Hi, hello, everyone. 484 00:21:10,855 --> 00:21:15,443 She was like, "What? That awful woman?" 485 00:21:15,484 --> 00:21:16,694 [director] 919, take three. 486 00:21:16,736 --> 00:21:18,237 Ah! 487 00:21:18,279 --> 00:21:21,073 They just played women like they were characters. 488 00:21:21,115 --> 00:21:22,783 It was believable. It was real. It was grounded. 489 00:21:22,825 --> 00:21:24,535 It doesn't feel like, 490 00:21:24,577 --> 00:21:26,620 "We're going to do this thing where we put on wigs and 491 00:21:26,662 --> 00:21:28,456 talk about periods." 492 00:21:28,497 --> 00:21:32,585 I have a good attitude toward menstruation. 493 00:21:34,295 --> 00:21:37,048 [Bruce McCulloch] And of course, it was to make these women 494 00:21:37,089 --> 00:21:38,424 have important voices. 495 00:21:38,466 --> 00:21:40,718 The outsiders and feminists. 496 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:42,511 And like, that's what Kids in the Hall - 497 00:21:42,553 --> 00:21:44,055 that's our people. 498 00:21:44,096 --> 00:21:45,473 [applause] 499 00:21:52,146 --> 00:21:53,981 Thank you, our next show at the Rivoli will 500 00:21:54,023 --> 00:21:55,441 be in two weeks time. 501 00:21:55,483 --> 00:21:57,026 We're doing a three day run on 502 00:21:57,068 --> 00:21:59,361 Thursday, Friday, Saturday, at the end of February. 503 00:21:59,403 --> 00:22:01,739 For those of you who are sick to death of our old material 504 00:22:01,781 --> 00:22:03,115 we’ll be doing pretty well all new stuff. 505 00:22:03,157 --> 00:22:04,617 So come on down. 506 00:22:04,658 --> 00:22:06,243 [Bruce McCulloch] For sure, for a while, it really didn't work, 507 00:22:06,285 --> 00:22:08,871 and I think we couldn't look each other in the eyes 508 00:22:08,913 --> 00:22:11,123 and go, "Is this working? What's our plan?" 509 00:22:11,165 --> 00:22:13,084 It wasn't all not working. 510 00:22:13,125 --> 00:22:15,002 But of course, when you're young and one person says, 511 00:22:15,044 --> 00:22:16,629 "Hey, you guys are kind of brilliant," 512 00:22:16,670 --> 00:22:21,008 you can live on that in lieu of food for two weeks. 513 00:22:21,050 --> 00:22:24,887 And every now and again, a sketch would hit. 514 00:22:24,929 --> 00:22:28,182 I’m crushing your head. 515 00:22:28,224 --> 00:22:29,725 The heads are being crushed! 516 00:22:31,811 --> 00:22:33,562 Die, die! 517 00:22:41,570 --> 00:22:43,322 [Mark McKinney] When we picked the best sketches, 518 00:22:43,364 --> 00:22:45,574 the ones that had been hitting all along 519 00:22:45,616 --> 00:22:47,535 and put them together in a show and put them in the right order, 520 00:22:47,576 --> 00:22:50,496 it was a really good show and it was definitely us. 521 00:22:50,538 --> 00:22:54,375 It was like a zoom snap into focus what we were about. 522 00:22:56,752 --> 00:22:58,963 [Dave Foley] The show suddenly really caught on. 523 00:22:59,004 --> 00:23:02,133 We went from playing to about five to ten people a night 524 00:23:02,174 --> 00:23:04,176 to suddenly having the Rivoli with like 525 00:23:04,218 --> 00:23:05,719 400 people packed into it. 526 00:23:11,851 --> 00:23:14,019 [Mike Myers] All of the 10,000 hours 527 00:23:14,061 --> 00:23:15,855 on stage had paid off. 528 00:23:15,896 --> 00:23:17,231 I saw one of their shows at the Rivoli. 529 00:23:17,273 --> 00:23:19,400 I was like, "Oh my God." 530 00:23:19,441 --> 00:23:20,985 And it's almost kind of like the difference between 531 00:23:21,026 --> 00:23:22,611 early Sex Pistols and late Clash. 532 00:23:25,906 --> 00:23:27,741 [Bruce McCulloch] I remember coming one day 533 00:23:27,783 --> 00:23:29,702 and there was people lined up and it's like, 534 00:23:29,743 --> 00:23:31,620 "Oh, is there another show that's on before us?" 535 00:23:31,662 --> 00:23:33,914 It's like, "No, they're lining up now 536 00:23:33,956 --> 00:23:37,168 for your show that's in two and a half hours." 537 00:23:37,209 --> 00:23:39,086 It's like, "Holy fuck." 538 00:23:44,884 --> 00:23:45,885 [Kevin McDonald] For the next few months, 539 00:23:45,926 --> 00:23:48,012 it was always sold out, 540 00:23:48,053 --> 00:23:49,555 and we sort of became a thing, 541 00:23:49,597 --> 00:23:52,183 a small, small cult thing within a cult world 542 00:23:52,224 --> 00:23:53,684 called Queen Street. 543 00:23:53,726 --> 00:23:55,728 It felt great. It felt like momentum, 544 00:23:55,769 --> 00:23:58,439 that it was leading somewhere. 545 00:23:58,480 --> 00:24:01,358 [Bruce McCulloch] We got an amazing review in the local paper. 546 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:02,610 I'm not even going to name it. 547 00:24:02,651 --> 00:24:04,653 That's how cool I am. 548 00:24:04,695 --> 00:24:06,906 There we were in the Globe and Mail, and there was this 549 00:24:06,947 --> 00:24:09,909 kind of glorious review the review that you would want, 550 00:24:09,950 --> 00:24:11,744 which just basically said, here come The Kids in the Hall. 551 00:24:16,707 --> 00:24:20,753 That day, the SNL talent scouts were landing in Toronto 552 00:24:20,794 --> 00:24:24,798 to do their traditional trip to go look at just the Second City. 553 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:27,718 But there we were on the front of the 554 00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:30,179 Globe and Mail entertainment section. 555 00:24:30,221 --> 00:24:31,889 And they were kind of, "Oh, we better go see them, too." 556 00:24:31,931 --> 00:24:34,850 [phone rings] 557 00:24:34,892 --> 00:24:39,188 [Bruce McCulloch] The phone rang and I picked up the phone 558 00:24:39,230 --> 00:24:41,232 and it was this woman, 559 00:24:41,273 --> 00:24:43,442 and she said, "Oh, I'm scouting talent 560 00:24:43,484 --> 00:24:45,527 for, you know, Lorne Michaels. 561 00:24:45,569 --> 00:24:47,154 We'd like to come see your show." 562 00:24:47,196 --> 00:24:49,156 And I said, "Well, you can't because it's sold out." 563 00:24:49,198 --> 00:24:51,951 And they said, "Well, no, this is from Saturday Night Live. 564 00:24:51,992 --> 00:24:54,078 We're scouting for Saturday Night Live." 565 00:24:54,119 --> 00:24:55,537 And I said, "Well, yeah, the shows... 566 00:24:55,579 --> 00:24:58,666 "The run has sold out, so I'm sorry about that. 567 00:24:58,707 --> 00:25:01,001 Maybe you can try to scalp tickets from somebody." 568 00:25:01,043 --> 00:25:03,587 And then I hung up the phone 569 00:25:03,629 --> 00:25:05,381 and the other four guys looked at me 570 00:25:05,422 --> 00:25:08,842 and it's like, "What the fuck did you just do?" 571 00:25:08,884 --> 00:25:10,052 And I said "I made a mistake, right?" 572 00:25:10,552 --> 00:25:15,015 ♪♪ 573 00:25:15,057 --> 00:25:16,100 [announcer] Terrific! 574 00:25:18,143 --> 00:25:20,312 Terrific! 575 00:25:20,354 --> 00:25:23,023 And now the stars of our show, 576 00:25:23,065 --> 00:25:27,111 Hart Pomerantz and Lorne Michaels. 577 00:25:27,152 --> 00:25:28,320 Good evening, I'm Lorne Michaels, 578 00:25:28,362 --> 00:25:29,655 and at this point in the show, 579 00:25:29,697 --> 00:25:30,906 we'd like to pause a moment 580 00:25:30,948 --> 00:25:33,367 to examine a grave national crisis. 581 00:25:33,409 --> 00:25:34,910 [Dave Foley] Everyone in the world 582 00:25:34,952 --> 00:25:36,495 who ever worked with Lorne does a Lorne impression. 583 00:25:36,537 --> 00:25:37,913 [imitating Lorne Michaels] The reason Chaplin was 584 00:25:37,955 --> 00:25:39,623 a much bigger star than Buster Keaton... 585 00:25:39,665 --> 00:25:41,417 [imitating Lorne Michaels] Uh, Bruce. do you know, Madonna? 586 00:25:41,458 --> 00:25:43,669 [imitating Lorne Michaels] You doing anything this fall, Mark? 587 00:25:43,711 --> 00:25:45,754 [imitating Lorne Michaels] You know the thing about Kevin 588 00:25:45,796 --> 00:25:48,841 is he's there, but he's quiet, but he's loud, but he's there. 589 00:25:48,882 --> 00:25:50,092 But he's quiet and he sits a lot. 590 00:25:52,636 --> 00:25:56,890 I think when you're the boss, people make fun of the boss. 591 00:25:56,932 --> 00:25:58,767 I thought they were fresh. 592 00:25:58,809 --> 00:26:01,186 It was original and I thought they were funny, 593 00:26:01,228 --> 00:26:03,272 and I thought I knew how to make it work. 594 00:26:03,314 --> 00:26:04,440 [Cameraman] But I can be your video mirror. 595 00:26:04,481 --> 00:26:06,317 It has got a mirror, fine. 596 00:26:06,358 --> 00:26:07,693 [Jim Biederman] It's Lorne Michaels. 597 00:26:07,735 --> 00:26:09,361 For a Canadian that's even bigger than 598 00:26:09,403 --> 00:26:12,364 some shithead American because he really did good. 599 00:26:12,406 --> 00:26:13,824 He went and he conquered America. 600 00:26:16,285 --> 00:26:18,495 The Kids represented to him 601 00:26:18,537 --> 00:26:20,873 another attempt at kind of Canadian greatness. 602 00:26:22,624 --> 00:26:24,668 [Mark McKinney] There was an audition at the Rivoli, 603 00:26:24,710 --> 00:26:28,922 of our best stuff, closed door, which I guess is the SNL way. 604 00:26:28,964 --> 00:26:31,091 [Dave Foley] We put together twelve or fifteen sketches 605 00:26:31,133 --> 00:26:33,886 for these comedy giants. 606 00:26:33,927 --> 00:26:35,512 For the first time ever, 607 00:26:35,554 --> 00:26:37,306 the competition got a little ugly during that week 608 00:26:37,348 --> 00:26:40,768 because we were sort of all fighting to get our scenes in. 609 00:26:40,809 --> 00:26:44,021 I remember the first time I saw them at the Rivoli, 610 00:26:44,063 --> 00:26:46,607 it was just energy and had juice, 611 00:26:46,648 --> 00:26:48,525 and you just could tell that 612 00:26:48,567 --> 00:26:53,155 it was smart and nothing like what I'd been doing on SNL. 613 00:26:53,197 --> 00:26:54,198 And I liked all that. 614 00:26:54,239 --> 00:26:56,283 Hold me back. 615 00:26:56,325 --> 00:26:57,868 [Kevin McDonald] And you couldn't tell if they were laughing 616 00:26:57,910 --> 00:26:59,453 because people by themselves don't really laugh. 617 00:26:59,495 --> 00:27:01,830 And after the show, Lorne said, "You guys are funny, 618 00:27:01,872 --> 00:27:04,333 but what are we going to do with five of you?" 619 00:27:04,375 --> 00:27:05,626 And then it became sort of the tensest... 620 00:27:05,667 --> 00:27:08,253 The tensest? 621 00:27:08,295 --> 00:27:11,090 The most tense time in our lives after they left. 622 00:27:11,131 --> 00:27:12,883 What was going to happen? 623 00:27:12,925 --> 00:27:14,301 Are they going to take us all? 624 00:27:14,343 --> 00:27:16,428 Are they gonna take any of us? None of us? 625 00:27:16,470 --> 00:27:18,514 [Kevin McDonald] And then a few weeks later, Bruce afterwards 626 00:27:18,555 --> 00:27:19,890 says, "Guys, I gotta tell you something. 627 00:27:19,932 --> 00:27:21,767 They want Mark and I to write for them," 628 00:27:21,809 --> 00:27:23,310 and that's how we found out. 629 00:27:23,352 --> 00:27:24,770 [Mark McKinney] Saturday Night Live picked us as writers, 630 00:27:24,812 --> 00:27:27,439 which is huge fucking news, 631 00:27:27,481 --> 00:27:29,400 which must've been fucking hard for the other guys. 632 00:27:30,901 --> 00:27:32,736 Yeah, yeah. 633 00:27:32,778 --> 00:27:34,738 Great for them and great that The Kids in the Hall 634 00:27:34,780 --> 00:27:36,990 did something, but horrible that it wasn't me. 635 00:27:37,032 --> 00:27:38,909 So... sorry. 636 00:27:41,829 --> 00:27:45,207 [Paul Bellini] It felt like maybe this was the end. 637 00:27:45,249 --> 00:27:49,461 Bruce and Mark were off in New York doing this fantastic thing. 638 00:27:49,503 --> 00:27:52,005 Poor Scott, Kevin and Dave left behind 639 00:27:52,047 --> 00:27:54,716 with a bag full of old wigs. 640 00:27:54,758 --> 00:27:58,178 We'd done a big last show before they left. 641 00:27:58,220 --> 00:27:59,972 And that was a huge night. 642 00:28:00,013 --> 00:28:02,057 And that was really packed. 643 00:28:02,099 --> 00:28:05,519 And we, the Kids were all sort of crying on stage 644 00:28:05,561 --> 00:28:08,272 and going "Well, we’re really excited for Mark and Bruce, 645 00:28:08,313 --> 00:28:09,523 and I don't know what's going to happen 646 00:28:09,565 --> 00:28:10,732 in the future with the troupe, 647 00:28:10,774 --> 00:28:13,402 but thank you all for being here." 648 00:28:13,444 --> 00:28:15,237 [interviewer] But you didn't get the job. 649 00:28:15,279 --> 00:28:18,115 No, apparently there was a technical oversight of some clerk. 650 00:28:18,157 --> 00:28:19,616 - [operator] Five seconds. - [director] Here it comes. 651 00:28:19,658 --> 00:28:23,245 - [operator] Four, three, two... - [director] Take. 652 00:28:25,497 --> 00:28:27,791 [Lorne Michaels] Mark and Bruce made perfect sense 653 00:28:27,833 --> 00:28:30,169 to just give them that experience of 654 00:28:30,210 --> 00:28:33,505 this is the way a show gets mounted. 655 00:28:33,547 --> 00:28:36,175 [Mark McKinney] I literally went from working at the Second Cup, 656 00:28:36,216 --> 00:28:41,638 and two weeks later I was showing Madonna my sketch. 657 00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:44,183 [Bruce McCulloch] Saturday Night Live, I wasn't very good at it. 658 00:28:44,224 --> 00:28:46,560 I'd always be fighting with them about, 659 00:28:46,602 --> 00:28:49,938 like the weird ideas I wanted to do. 660 00:28:49,980 --> 00:28:52,816 It was a big machine. 661 00:28:52,858 --> 00:28:54,526 I guess I was overwhelmed. 662 00:28:54,568 --> 00:28:58,697 It was all awful, torturous, agonizing, nerve wracking, 663 00:28:58,739 --> 00:29:00,407 exhausting. 664 00:29:00,449 --> 00:29:03,911 But it really wasn't fun. 665 00:29:03,952 --> 00:29:07,706 [Scott Thompson] I remember going down to see them. 666 00:29:07,748 --> 00:29:09,583 Bruce had gained a ton of weight and they looked terrible. 667 00:29:09,625 --> 00:29:12,127 Both of them, they weren't happy. 668 00:29:12,169 --> 00:29:15,297 [Bruce McCulloch] Through that process of sort of 669 00:29:15,339 --> 00:29:16,924 failing at Saturday Night Live, 670 00:29:16,965 --> 00:29:20,552 I realized how much I needed The Kids in the Hall. 671 00:29:20,594 --> 00:29:22,679 [Mark McKinney] And then when we got back at Christmas, 672 00:29:22,721 --> 00:29:25,307 it was like a reunion of hungry lovers. 673 00:29:25,349 --> 00:29:26,767 You guys are the unsung heroes 674 00:29:26,808 --> 00:29:28,185 that you came back, because usually 675 00:29:28,227 --> 00:29:29,645 any other troupe would split up 676 00:29:29,686 --> 00:29:31,396 and you guys kept coming back. 677 00:29:31,438 --> 00:29:33,982 -Did you see the SNL that year? -Yeah. 678 00:29:34,024 --> 00:29:37,611 There was real affection between the five of them, 679 00:29:37,653 --> 00:29:41,990 and I thought, you have to keep this group together. 680 00:29:51,250 --> 00:29:52,834 The beer’s as free as the coke. 681 00:29:52,876 --> 00:29:55,504 Is this on? Am I on right now? 682 00:29:55,546 --> 00:29:57,673 I've got to talk to the pilot. 683 00:29:57,714 --> 00:30:01,760 Give it a rest. Give it a rest. 684 00:30:01,802 --> 00:30:03,637 If it wasn't for the performance moxie 685 00:30:03,679 --> 00:30:06,431 that Scott Thompson and I showed nightly, 686 00:30:06,473 --> 00:30:09,142 underneath those hot lights, 687 00:30:09,184 --> 00:30:12,020 this troupe would not be on this plane headed on this adventure. 688 00:30:12,062 --> 00:30:13,480 No. 689 00:30:13,522 --> 00:30:16,108 [Paul Bellini] It was in the fall of 1987, 690 00:30:16,149 --> 00:30:21,280 and Lorne brought all five of them to New York. 691 00:30:21,321 --> 00:30:24,491 The idea was that they would write and perform material 692 00:30:24,533 --> 00:30:26,410 working towards a one hour pilot. 693 00:30:30,872 --> 00:30:33,000 [Kevin McDonald] New York! 694 00:30:33,041 --> 00:30:36,878 This is West 23rd. 695 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:39,464 YMCA that Paul went to. 696 00:30:39,506 --> 00:30:43,010 [Scott Thompson] Lorne paid us in cash like a father. 697 00:30:43,051 --> 00:30:45,554 Oh, you did the lawn and you've got your paper route 698 00:30:45,596 --> 00:30:47,889 and you took the garbage out. Here's five bucks. 699 00:30:49,641 --> 00:30:53,353 We're really young. It's like the ’80s. 700 00:30:53,395 --> 00:30:54,354 The late ’80s in New York. 701 00:30:54,396 --> 00:30:56,565 Got a big night ahead of us. 702 00:30:56,607 --> 00:30:57,899 The ecstasy is kicking in. 703 00:30:57,941 --> 00:31:06,158 ♪♪ 704 00:31:06,199 --> 00:31:09,328 [Dave Foley] We were young men who had been given the keys to the kingdom. 705 00:31:09,369 --> 00:31:12,247 Let's say some of us were burning the candle at both ends. 706 00:31:12,289 --> 00:31:14,833 I'd like to introduce you to some New York hot dogs. 707 00:31:20,172 --> 00:31:22,549 Take my goddamn cock! 708 00:31:23,925 --> 00:31:24,968 [clamoring] 709 00:31:28,263 --> 00:31:30,682 [Paul Belleni] They were just young and loose 710 00:31:30,724 --> 00:31:32,976 and wanted to do a million things. 711 00:31:33,018 --> 00:31:34,227 Do you know where your children are? 712 00:31:49,743 --> 00:31:51,244 [Kevin McDonald] During the days we concentrated 713 00:31:51,286 --> 00:31:52,746 on writing the pilot. 714 00:31:52,788 --> 00:31:54,915 That was what we were there for. 715 00:31:54,956 --> 00:31:57,250 The shows were to keep us from not going rusty 716 00:31:57,292 --> 00:32:02,297 and Lorne said to toughen us up for the American audiences. 717 00:32:02,339 --> 00:32:04,591 Dirty girl, dirty girl! 718 00:32:04,633 --> 00:32:06,802 [Paul Bellini] There was a sense of they have to develop 719 00:32:06,843 --> 00:32:10,639 their best pieces, get them ready for television. 720 00:32:10,681 --> 00:32:13,433 [singing] 721 00:32:13,475 --> 00:32:15,102 [Scott Thompson] Lorne would just give us 722 00:32:15,143 --> 00:32:17,062 our marching orders every week. 723 00:32:17,104 --> 00:32:19,231 He’d say, "I want you to open for this person, this person, 724 00:32:19,272 --> 00:32:21,233 this person, you're going to do these shows 725 00:32:21,274 --> 00:32:24,361 and then we'll see what you do next week." 726 00:32:24,403 --> 00:32:26,488 [Lorne Michaels] I just needed them to have 727 00:32:26,530 --> 00:32:29,700 a level of seasoning that they weren't going to get 728 00:32:29,741 --> 00:32:31,618 if they just stayed at the Rivoli. 729 00:32:31,660 --> 00:32:34,496 [singing] 730 00:32:37,499 --> 00:32:39,584 [Lewis Black] If you look at those five guys, 731 00:32:39,626 --> 00:32:42,504 that's a group of odd fuck balls. 732 00:32:42,546 --> 00:32:45,132 You know, I mean, really, talk about weird. 733 00:32:45,173 --> 00:32:50,011 I met The Kids in the Hall while running a room called 734 00:32:50,053 --> 00:32:53,557 the Westbank Cafe Downstairs Theater Bar, about 100 seats. 735 00:32:53,598 --> 00:32:55,600 Nice little small stage, 736 00:32:55,642 --> 00:32:58,228 perfect kind of a setup to work on projects. 737 00:32:58,270 --> 00:33:00,105 [Bruce McCulloch] Lewis was one of our first fans, 738 00:33:00,147 --> 00:33:01,815 and I think he kind of said, like, 739 00:33:01,857 --> 00:33:05,068 "Come on, they're good," you know, give us some support. 740 00:33:05,110 --> 00:33:08,780 I was encouraging because I really did think... 741 00:33:08,822 --> 00:33:10,574 You know, they were just fucking funny. 742 00:33:10,615 --> 00:33:14,161 If I slept with you, it would only be out of pity, 743 00:33:14,202 --> 00:33:16,913 Hey, I'm the king of the mercy fuck. 744 00:33:16,955 --> 00:33:20,292 The great thing about comedy, when comedy is really good 745 00:33:20,333 --> 00:33:21,752 is it brings another point of view, 746 00:33:21,793 --> 00:33:24,379 and they established another point of view. 747 00:33:24,421 --> 00:33:26,965 We'll wash him in wine and make him all clean. 748 00:33:27,007 --> 00:33:29,301 And into Sam Zittle’s crucifixion machine. 749 00:33:30,594 --> 00:33:32,012 [screaming] 750 00:33:32,053 --> 00:33:34,389 They're going back to Toronto to do the pilot, 751 00:33:34,431 --> 00:33:36,057 and I said, "I think you're close, 752 00:33:36,099 --> 00:33:37,934 but think you can do it better." 753 00:33:37,976 --> 00:33:39,311 You know, they say lightning doesn’t strike twice, 754 00:33:39,352 --> 00:33:42,230 but I found it can strike nineteen times. 755 00:33:42,272 --> 00:33:43,356 It was hot and cold, an audience would like us, 756 00:33:43,398 --> 00:33:45,233 an audience wouldn’t like us. 757 00:33:45,275 --> 00:33:47,444 An audience would like us, an audience wouldn’t like us. 758 00:33:47,486 --> 00:33:49,362 [Bruce McCulloch] It was sort of like Toronto, where we kind of kept at it, 759 00:33:49,404 --> 00:33:51,990 kept at it, and then something sort of sparked. 760 00:33:52,032 --> 00:33:53,867 [applause] 761 00:33:55,827 --> 00:33:58,705 But we were spending all our money for the pilot 762 00:33:58,747 --> 00:34:00,874 on the four apartments we were in, 763 00:34:00,916 --> 00:34:03,084 and we felt like it might not happen, after all. 764 00:34:05,253 --> 00:34:06,922 [announcer] This is CBC. 765 00:34:06,963 --> 00:34:09,883 [club host] My manservant here on Earth at the CBC. 766 00:34:09,925 --> 00:34:12,260 Ivan Fecan, director of programming. 767 00:34:13,970 --> 00:34:16,765 [Bruce McCulloch] I was friendly with Ivan Fecan, 768 00:34:16,807 --> 00:34:18,558 and I remember phoning him and he took my call 769 00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:22,062 and I said, "Why don't you invest in the Kids in the Hall show?" 770 00:34:22,103 --> 00:34:24,731 [Ivan Fecan] I always wanted to do something with the Kids. 771 00:34:24,773 --> 00:34:27,025 They were brash, they were fresh, 772 00:34:27,067 --> 00:34:28,735 and Lorne and I had talked about, 773 00:34:28,777 --> 00:34:30,445 wouldn't it be great to do a show? 774 00:34:30,487 --> 00:34:33,949 A lot of the CBC shows at that time were skewing old, 775 00:34:33,990 --> 00:34:37,661 and I kind of wanted something for people under 40. 776 00:34:37,702 --> 00:34:40,413 Without further ado, The Kids in the Hall. 777 00:34:40,455 --> 00:34:42,415 [applause] 778 00:34:42,457 --> 00:34:44,751 [Ivan Fecan] It was a pilot for a series. 779 00:34:44,793 --> 00:34:46,962 It was billed as a special at the time, 780 00:34:47,003 --> 00:34:49,005 but to us it was a pilot. 781 00:34:49,047 --> 00:34:52,050 Our hope was that it would do well enough for a series. 782 00:34:58,390 --> 00:35:01,268 [Paul Bellini] The shooting was in the CBC studios 783 00:35:01,309 --> 00:35:04,688 and key guys from SNL came up from New York 784 00:35:04,729 --> 00:35:09,025 to help build the sets and light it. 785 00:35:09,067 --> 00:35:11,903 [Ivan Fecan] At that time, the pickup between pilot and series 786 00:35:11,945 --> 00:35:13,864 is like one in ten. 787 00:35:15,657 --> 00:35:18,451 There was a lot riding on it for them. 788 00:35:18,493 --> 00:35:19,911 [Kevin McDonald] The stakes were like incredible. 789 00:35:19,953 --> 00:35:21,830 It was like all or nothing. 790 00:35:21,872 --> 00:35:24,165 I remember being really nervous. 791 00:35:24,207 --> 00:35:27,127 The pilot has to become a show or I'm a movie usher. 792 00:35:27,168 --> 00:35:28,920 [Mark McKinney] I was not feeling good 793 00:35:28,962 --> 00:35:30,839 during any of this, even though I think we knew the material. 794 00:35:30,881 --> 00:35:34,175 It was like, it was sweaty, like it had to work. 795 00:35:34,217 --> 00:35:35,844 It had to work. 796 00:35:35,886 --> 00:35:37,929 [Lorne Michaels] What they were about to go through 797 00:35:37,971 --> 00:35:39,681 was sort of professional show business, 798 00:35:39,723 --> 00:35:42,225 and they'd never been in front of television cameras, 799 00:35:42,267 --> 00:35:45,353 which was a whole other set of skills. 800 00:35:45,395 --> 00:35:47,439 [Bruce McCulloch] We did two tapings with two audiences, 801 00:35:47,480 --> 00:35:50,525 and the first taping, we were scared. 802 00:35:50,567 --> 00:35:52,569 I remember peeing and thinking, 803 00:35:52,611 --> 00:35:55,947 have my balls retreated back into my body? 804 00:35:55,989 --> 00:35:56,948 [Kevin McDonald] Even though we'd been rehearsing 805 00:35:56,990 --> 00:35:58,658 all week with cameras, 806 00:35:58,700 --> 00:36:01,161 I remember when it started I, should I turn to the audience, 807 00:36:01,202 --> 00:36:04,998 or by the camera? 808 00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:06,875 But the first show, nobody laughed. 809 00:36:09,586 --> 00:36:11,004 It was a shit show. 810 00:36:14,466 --> 00:36:17,802 And it was kind of like the only time Lorne ever yelled at us. 811 00:36:17,844 --> 00:36:20,889 And he sort of fuckin’ told us to get it together. 812 00:36:20,931 --> 00:36:22,182 [Kevin McDonald] He said something like, 813 00:36:22,223 --> 00:36:23,558 "It's gotta be nineteen times better." 814 00:36:23,600 --> 00:36:25,936 What? Is that mathematically possible? 815 00:36:25,977 --> 00:36:27,354 19 times better? 816 00:36:27,395 --> 00:36:29,189 You know, for us to have a chance of selling it. 817 00:36:29,230 --> 00:36:32,400 I could have told them that it was perfect. 818 00:36:32,442 --> 00:36:34,903 I would have been lying. 819 00:36:34,945 --> 00:36:37,030 And the essence of show business 820 00:36:37,072 --> 00:36:40,909 is you have to get off the stage to make another entrance. 821 00:36:43,536 --> 00:36:46,706 [Scott Thompson] The message was, "You let me down. 822 00:36:46,748 --> 00:36:48,500 And this is your big chance." 823 00:36:52,295 --> 00:36:55,006 [Dave Foley] That kind of got our punk rock blood flowing. 824 00:36:55,048 --> 00:36:57,968 So I guess some of us got angry at Lorne for saying it. 825 00:36:58,009 --> 00:36:59,302 I know I got angry with us 826 00:36:59,344 --> 00:37:00,679 for allowing ourselves to be so lame. 827 00:37:02,931 --> 00:37:05,058 So we put on some loud punk rock music 828 00:37:05,100 --> 00:37:06,685 and we just started smashing up 829 00:37:06,726 --> 00:37:09,354 all the furniture in the dressing room. 830 00:37:09,396 --> 00:37:11,815 I didn't trash the dressing room, I’m a diplomat’s child. 831 00:37:11,856 --> 00:37:14,109 We don't trash fucking dressing rooms. 832 00:37:14,150 --> 00:37:16,945 Kevin, did you trash your dressing room? 833 00:37:16,987 --> 00:37:18,613 No. 834 00:37:18,655 --> 00:37:21,992 For good luck, Scott and I peed in the sink. 835 00:37:22,033 --> 00:37:24,077 [Scott Thompson] And so when we came out of that room, 836 00:37:24,119 --> 00:37:27,288 we proceeded to just give the performance of a lifetime. 837 00:37:29,582 --> 00:37:32,585 Hey, you millionaires, get out of that garbage. 838 00:37:34,045 --> 00:37:35,630 -I like to meet a girl... -Whoa! 839 00:37:35,672 --> 00:37:37,674 A woman... 840 00:37:37,716 --> 00:37:40,635 Here, let me help you with your sweater clip. 841 00:37:40,677 --> 00:37:41,970 Oops, the wind. 842 00:37:44,222 --> 00:37:45,515 [sobbing] 843 00:37:45,557 --> 00:37:47,183 Second show really felt like a Rivoli show. 844 00:37:47,225 --> 00:37:49,185 [Paul Bellini] It was fantastic. 845 00:37:49,227 --> 00:37:52,022 Characters that I had seen for four years on the Rivoli stage 846 00:37:52,063 --> 00:37:56,359 were now fully costumed and on sets, and they were real. 847 00:37:56,401 --> 00:37:57,861 They became alive. 848 00:37:57,902 --> 00:38:01,114 Hey, I'm the king of the mercy fuck. 849 00:38:01,156 --> 00:38:04,826 Easy to beat up. Hard to kill. 850 00:38:04,868 --> 00:38:06,077 To Reg. 851 00:38:06,119 --> 00:38:07,954 [Mike Myers] When I saw their pilot, 852 00:38:07,996 --> 00:38:10,373 I went into an existential depression 853 00:38:10,415 --> 00:38:12,125 because I realized that they had done 854 00:38:12,167 --> 00:38:15,754 everything that I ever wanted to do. It was... to this day, 855 00:38:15,795 --> 00:38:18,548 I think it's a near perfect comedy pilot. 856 00:38:18,590 --> 00:38:20,341 He was just so depressed after watching it 857 00:38:20,383 --> 00:38:22,761 because he said, "Oh, fuck you guys did it. 858 00:38:22,802 --> 00:38:25,430 You guys did what everybody wants to do, fuck." 859 00:38:25,472 --> 00:38:27,390 And he was just really mad. 860 00:38:27,432 --> 00:38:29,642 See that? Your head's flat, 861 00:38:29,684 --> 00:38:31,061 Is your mother still dressing you? 862 00:38:31,102 --> 00:38:34,064 She should have just crushed your head. 863 00:38:34,105 --> 00:38:35,190 Goodnight. 864 00:38:36,941 --> 00:38:40,779 [phone rings] 865 00:38:40,820 --> 00:38:42,113 [Kevin McDonald] We were in the middle of rehearsals 866 00:38:42,155 --> 00:38:43,948 when someone from CBC came and said, 867 00:38:43,990 --> 00:38:45,742 "Mark, some distinguished sounding gentleman 868 00:38:45,784 --> 00:38:46,951 wants to speak to you." 869 00:38:46,993 --> 00:38:48,870 And we thought, "Oh, is it Lorne?" 870 00:38:48,912 --> 00:38:50,705 Lorne always talked to Mark because Mark 871 00:38:50,747 --> 00:38:52,791 wasn't from the suburbs because he's a diplomat son. 872 00:38:52,832 --> 00:38:54,834 I took the call and it was Lorne, 873 00:38:54,876 --> 00:38:57,712 [imitating Lorne] "Congratulations, they want twenty-two." 874 00:38:57,754 --> 00:38:59,339 And we were like, what? 875 00:38:59,380 --> 00:39:03,259 It was twenty. It was twenty episodes. Yeah. 876 00:39:03,301 --> 00:39:04,969 And he's "Well did we get it? Did we get it?" 877 00:39:05,011 --> 00:39:06,554 He was just shell shocked, he said, "Wait till you hear." 878 00:39:06,596 --> 00:39:08,598 He kept saying that for... it seemed like five minutes, 879 00:39:08,640 --> 00:39:10,141 it was probably 30 seconds. "Wait till you hear. 880 00:39:10,183 --> 00:39:11,142 Wait till you hear." 881 00:39:11,184 --> 00:39:12,227 What is it? 882 00:39:12,268 --> 00:39:13,686 "We got a show." Oh, good. 883 00:39:13,728 --> 00:39:16,356 Oh, good, thank God... How many, ten episodes? 884 00:39:16,397 --> 00:39:17,398 "No." Twelve episodes? 885 00:39:17,440 --> 00:39:19,484 "Twenty episodes a season." 886 00:39:19,526 --> 00:39:20,735 What? 887 00:39:25,615 --> 00:39:26,825 Did you say yes? 888 00:39:26,866 --> 00:39:28,743 Who is this? Who am I talking to? 889 00:39:28,785 --> 00:39:30,036 Home Box Office? 890 00:39:30,078 --> 00:39:31,704 [Ivan Fecan] HBO put in the cash. 891 00:39:31,746 --> 00:39:33,331 Oh boys. 892 00:39:33,373 --> 00:39:36,459 [Ivan Fecan] We put in the crews, the facilities. 893 00:39:36,501 --> 00:39:39,212 We were able to cobble together enough to do a show. 894 00:39:39,254 --> 00:39:41,798 -We're on. -Excellent news, prick. 895 00:39:41,840 --> 00:39:44,300 -Well done, prick. -Champagne. 896 00:39:51,307 --> 00:39:54,060 We’re sure to be accepted by high society. 897 00:39:54,102 --> 00:39:57,230 [chattering] 898 00:39:59,482 --> 00:40:01,734 [Kevin McDonald] Before this show, what do I feel? 899 00:40:01,776 --> 00:40:03,403 I feel up, I feel down, 900 00:40:03,444 --> 00:40:05,446 I feel asleep, I feel more excited 901 00:40:05,488 --> 00:40:06,447 than I've ever been. I feel traumatic. 902 00:40:06,489 --> 00:40:08,158 I feel... 903 00:40:08,199 --> 00:40:10,493 [Mark McKinney] We did not know TV, 904 00:40:10,535 --> 00:40:12,495 so the first season is full of sketches 905 00:40:12,537 --> 00:40:14,455 that were done at length without much editing. 906 00:40:14,497 --> 00:40:20,295 There were great hits at the Rivoli at 11:39 at night. 907 00:40:20,336 --> 00:40:22,338 [Paul Belllini] On stage, you just do things, right? 908 00:40:22,380 --> 00:40:24,048 You make your entrance, blah blah blah. 909 00:40:24,090 --> 00:40:25,133 Television is a beast. 910 00:40:27,343 --> 00:40:31,806 I remember at the taping of Dr. Seuss Bible. 911 00:40:31,848 --> 00:40:35,602 Scott had to do that crucifixion pose for so long. 912 00:40:35,643 --> 00:40:38,521 And of course, your arms just atrophy. 913 00:40:38,563 --> 00:40:40,940 And he was literally in agony. 914 00:40:40,982 --> 00:40:43,193 Having to do those long takes. 915 00:40:43,234 --> 00:40:45,862 Hurry up, just do it, come on, hurry. 916 00:40:45,904 --> 00:40:47,864 My arms are going to literally fall off. 917 00:40:47,906 --> 00:40:49,032 Let's go. 918 00:40:49,073 --> 00:40:50,575 -Ready, and? -Quiet please. 919 00:40:50,617 --> 00:40:52,493 Let’s go! 920 00:40:54,370 --> 00:40:55,705 You walk towards camera. 921 00:40:55,747 --> 00:40:57,123 Rolling. Action, Bruce. 922 00:40:57,165 --> 00:41:00,335 [Dave Foley] The crew were like old crusty CBC lifers. 923 00:41:00,376 --> 00:41:02,712 They developed crushes on different characters. 924 00:41:02,754 --> 00:41:04,297 I had crew guys come up to me, going, 925 00:41:04,339 --> 00:41:06,257 "So Dave, are you going to be the redhead tonight?" 926 00:41:06,299 --> 00:41:08,593 When will this nightmare end? 927 00:41:08,635 --> 00:41:10,470 "No, I’m not doing the redhead tonight." 928 00:41:10,511 --> 00:41:12,805 "Oh, fuck! Okay." 929 00:41:12,847 --> 00:41:15,266 Anybody that says they didn't get a little crush on Dave 930 00:41:15,308 --> 00:41:17,685 when he was a certain female characters is just lying. 931 00:41:17,727 --> 00:41:19,103 This came. 932 00:41:19,145 --> 00:41:21,648 I was very obsessed and confused by Dave in drag 933 00:41:21,689 --> 00:41:23,733 and found him very sexy. 934 00:41:23,775 --> 00:41:25,777 Dave was hot! 935 00:41:25,818 --> 00:41:27,111 What are you gonna say? He was hot. 936 00:41:29,072 --> 00:41:30,156 There's no debating it. 937 00:41:30,198 --> 00:41:31,908 In drag I was the sexiest. 938 00:41:31,950 --> 00:41:33,743 Bruce McCullough. Ladies and gentlemen. 939 00:41:36,037 --> 00:41:39,499 It was the most fun to do live tapings 940 00:41:39,540 --> 00:41:40,917 and have people come again 941 00:41:40,959 --> 00:41:42,460 like they lined up at the Rivoli. 942 00:41:44,379 --> 00:41:46,798 [Jennifer Whalen] My friend Sue had cool older sisters 943 00:41:46,839 --> 00:41:48,132 and her cool older sister Julie, 944 00:41:48,174 --> 00:41:50,635 knew somebody who worked on the crew 945 00:41:50,677 --> 00:41:52,345 and that person was friends with Bruce, 946 00:41:52,387 --> 00:41:54,472 and that's how we got hooked up for tickets. 947 00:41:54,514 --> 00:41:56,432 So we went to the CBC studio. 948 00:41:56,474 --> 00:41:59,227 ["Kids in the Hall" theme plays] 949 00:41:59,269 --> 00:42:00,770 And the cameras come in. 950 00:42:03,481 --> 00:42:05,149 And there's this platform high up to our left, 951 00:42:05,191 --> 00:42:06,484 and I was like, what's that for? 952 00:42:06,526 --> 00:42:08,069 And then the show starts and Shadowy Men 953 00:42:08,111 --> 00:42:10,697 are playing on the platform, so they're playing live. 954 00:42:10,738 --> 00:42:12,031 ♪♪ 955 00:42:17,370 --> 00:42:19,163 [Don Pyle] The song "Having an average weekend" 956 00:42:19,205 --> 00:42:21,332 was on our first seven inch single. 957 00:42:21,374 --> 00:42:22,709 That sort of like became 958 00:42:22,750 --> 00:42:24,752 the theme song, the thing that they opened 959 00:42:24,794 --> 00:42:25,878 all their shows with. 960 00:42:28,506 --> 00:42:31,384 The Shadowy Men are what made us cool if we're at all cool, 961 00:42:31,426 --> 00:42:36,264 and they would play and it rocked hard. 962 00:42:36,306 --> 00:42:39,809 [Don Pyle] We played every single taping of every episode. 963 00:42:39,851 --> 00:42:42,186 You can just go boom, one note 964 00:42:42,228 --> 00:42:43,688 and it's like pushing a button. 965 00:42:43,730 --> 00:42:45,982 People know it. 966 00:42:46,024 --> 00:42:48,568 It's a thrill seeing people kind of get all excited about it. 967 00:42:48,609 --> 00:42:50,445 [Kevin McDonald] Sometimes Dave and I in between scenes 968 00:42:50,486 --> 00:42:51,988 would like, we’d dance in front of the audience, 969 00:42:52,030 --> 00:42:53,823 and the audience would love that. 970 00:42:53,865 --> 00:42:57,076 [Dave Foley] Our hair, makeup, and wardrobe team would be like a pit crew 971 00:42:57,118 --> 00:42:59,912 and swap you from one to the other in about fifteen minutes. 972 00:42:59,954 --> 00:43:01,205 And then you'd be back out on the floor 973 00:43:01,247 --> 00:43:02,832 dancing to the Shadowy Men again. 974 00:43:07,837 --> 00:43:09,714 I would like to thank you very much for coming. 975 00:43:09,756 --> 00:43:12,467 -Thank you very much. -Thank you very much. 976 00:43:12,508 --> 00:43:14,969 We'd like to thank The Shadowy Men! 977 00:43:15,011 --> 00:43:16,679 [cheering] 978 00:43:16,721 --> 00:43:18,931 [Jennifer Whalen] When it finished, we were just like beyond excited 979 00:43:18,973 --> 00:43:20,808 and we were like, we got to do this every taping, 980 00:43:20,850 --> 00:43:22,101 we got to come back, 981 00:43:22,143 --> 00:43:23,895 we've got to bring all of our friends. 982 00:43:23,936 --> 00:43:26,814 And then it was the hottest show in town and there was no way. 983 00:43:26,856 --> 00:43:29,609 ♪♪ 984 00:43:30,526 --> 00:43:33,696 Hey, I'm on TV, and so are The Kids in the Hall. 985 00:43:33,738 --> 00:43:35,656 [Michael Musto] All of a sudden they were everywhere 986 00:43:35,698 --> 00:43:37,283 and they were groundbreaking. 987 00:43:37,325 --> 00:43:39,285 They were kind of multi-sexual and multi-gender. 988 00:43:39,327 --> 00:43:40,870 I don't know what the fuck they were. 989 00:43:40,912 --> 00:43:42,914 [Jay Baruchel] These guys were fucking all world. 990 00:43:42,955 --> 00:43:44,040 The coolest motherfuckers on TV 991 00:43:44,082 --> 00:43:45,375 and they were ours. 992 00:43:45,416 --> 00:43:47,794 Americans know as much about Canada 993 00:43:47,835 --> 00:43:50,797 as straight people do about gays. 994 00:43:50,838 --> 00:43:54,425 [Mike Myers] I saw them evolve to becoming unbelievable professionals. 995 00:43:54,467 --> 00:43:57,637 They became their own entity and I was blown away. 996 00:43:57,678 --> 00:43:59,389 I immediately knew this was good. 997 00:43:59,430 --> 00:44:01,140 The range, the insanity. 998 00:44:01,182 --> 00:44:04,727 -We would like two shitty soups -Two shitty soups. 999 00:44:04,769 --> 00:44:05,853 [gagging] 1000 00:44:05,895 --> 00:44:08,106 [shouts] 1001 00:44:08,147 --> 00:44:09,649 [Kevin McDonald] Gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen. 1002 00:44:09,690 --> 00:44:12,235 Shame, gentlemen, this is a business meeting. 1003 00:44:12,276 --> 00:44:15,696 Grew up with Python, watched SNL in junior high. 1004 00:44:15,738 --> 00:44:18,032 After you get a training bra, 1005 00:44:18,074 --> 00:44:20,201 you graduate to The Kids in the Hall. 1006 00:44:20,243 --> 00:44:21,285 Skora! 1007 00:44:23,121 --> 00:44:25,623 [shouts] 1008 00:44:25,665 --> 00:44:28,334 Look skyward, moron. 1009 00:44:28,376 --> 00:44:30,253 [Eric McCormack] I was so amazed by how young and fresh faced 1010 00:44:30,294 --> 00:44:32,463 everybody was. Nobody looked dangerous, 1011 00:44:32,505 --> 00:44:34,549 but clearly there was an intellect there. 1012 00:44:34,590 --> 00:44:38,970 All five of the Kids seemed so confident as actors 1013 00:44:39,011 --> 00:44:42,056 in their ability to... to morph into these various characters. 1014 00:44:42,098 --> 00:44:43,724 Are you crying? 1015 00:44:43,766 --> 00:44:47,103 No, I'm not crying. 1016 00:44:47,145 --> 00:44:50,064 I'm just thinking about Tony. 1017 00:44:50,106 --> 00:44:51,357 [Reggie Watts] It just felt like it was really them. 1018 00:44:51,399 --> 00:44:52,650 They're playful. 1019 00:44:52,692 --> 00:44:54,193 They kind of don't give a fuck. 1020 00:44:54,235 --> 00:44:58,072 You felt the enjoyment of them being free. 1021 00:45:04,704 --> 00:45:06,706 Saturday Night Live always covers 1022 00:45:06,747 --> 00:45:08,332 what's ripped from the headlines. 1023 00:45:08,374 --> 00:45:09,917 Kids in the Hall were never about that. 1024 00:45:09,959 --> 00:45:12,128 They weren't so much riffing on pop culture. 1025 00:45:12,170 --> 00:45:15,047 The Kids examined everyday Americana. 1026 00:45:15,089 --> 00:45:17,008 It's not like a political sketch 1027 00:45:17,049 --> 00:45:18,551 or about some protest or something. 1028 00:45:18,593 --> 00:45:21,345 It's about people and like, their faces. 1029 00:45:21,387 --> 00:45:25,975 [Julie Klausner] They were five sexy boys romping around 1030 00:45:26,017 --> 00:45:28,019 like the goddamn Beatles in "Hard Day's Night". 1031 00:45:28,060 --> 00:45:29,645 They were fucking adorable. 1032 00:45:29,687 --> 00:45:30,688 [interviewer] Has the show's success 1033 00:45:30,730 --> 00:45:32,190 changed their lives that much? 1034 00:45:32,231 --> 00:45:33,691 Well, we have a bit more money now. 1035 00:45:33,733 --> 00:45:35,526 Kids in the Hall, I just took to immediately, 1036 00:45:35,568 --> 00:45:37,528 and I remember crashing a party they were at. 1037 00:45:37,570 --> 00:45:39,864 Oh my God. Oh my God, it's so amazing. 1038 00:45:39,906 --> 00:45:41,824 [shrieking] 1039 00:45:41,866 --> 00:45:44,577 Show business is fun. Like, real show business. 1040 00:45:44,619 --> 00:45:47,455 American show business is fun. 1041 00:45:47,497 --> 00:45:48,789 I loved it. 1042 00:45:51,375 --> 00:45:53,753 [screaming] 1043 00:45:53,794 --> 00:45:55,963 I used to like to go to bars and just write my ideas, 1044 00:45:56,005 --> 00:45:58,508 and when the show came on the air, I couldn't do that anymore. 1045 00:45:58,549 --> 00:46:00,551 They'd go, "Hey Bruce!" 1046 00:46:00,593 --> 00:46:02,011 Scott’s boyfriend. 1047 00:46:02,053 --> 00:46:03,304 [Kevin McDonald] I had a girlfriend and we were like making out, 1048 00:46:03,346 --> 00:46:06,098 and then TV was on and I saw 1049 00:46:06,140 --> 00:46:08,559 a Kids in the Hall scene where I was a woman. 1050 00:46:08,601 --> 00:46:10,186 It was kinda weird. 1051 00:46:10,228 --> 00:46:11,646 What do people say about our show? 1052 00:46:11,687 --> 00:46:12,855 They thought it was daring. 1053 00:46:12,897 --> 00:46:14,232 Original. 1054 00:46:14,273 --> 00:46:16,192 I love it. All my friends love it. 1055 00:46:16,234 --> 00:46:18,152 [interviewer] Do they like it on HBO? 1056 00:46:18,194 --> 00:46:19,278 Yeah, I think. HBO are really happy. 1057 00:46:19,320 --> 00:46:20,947 Yeah. 1058 00:46:20,988 --> 00:46:22,740 -The reviews are really good. -The fans seem happy. 1059 00:46:22,782 --> 00:46:26,035 Fans. It's just barely plural, though. 1060 00:46:28,996 --> 00:46:31,374 We were rehearsing, someone from CBC came and said, 1061 00:46:31,415 --> 00:46:33,543 "Mark, a distinguished sounding gentleman 1062 00:46:33,584 --> 00:46:34,544 wants to speak to you." 1063 00:46:34,585 --> 00:46:36,420 Hello? 1064 00:46:36,462 --> 00:46:38,881 Yes, I took that call, too. 1065 00:46:38,923 --> 00:46:41,842 So yeah, we got canceled. 1066 00:46:41,884 --> 00:46:43,427 [Kevin McDonald] Then Mark came and told us. 1067 00:46:44,512 --> 00:46:45,638 It was sort of a shock. 1068 00:46:49,642 --> 00:46:53,145 [Scott Thompson] It felt like it was over. 1069 00:46:53,187 --> 00:46:56,440 [Lorne Michaels] I didn't think of it as in any way 1070 00:46:56,482 --> 00:46:58,734 a judgment on whether the show was good or bad. 1071 00:46:58,776 --> 00:47:00,820 It was purely economics of 1072 00:47:00,861 --> 00:47:02,613 what HBO was going through at the time. 1073 00:47:02,655 --> 00:47:07,535 The great part about troupes is there is strength in unity. 1074 00:47:07,577 --> 00:47:09,453 You go get a drink afterwards, 1075 00:47:09,495 --> 00:47:12,915 you sit and talk and you have an ally. 1076 00:47:12,957 --> 00:47:15,001 [Dave Foley] We all went out to this sort of dive bar, 1077 00:47:15,042 --> 00:47:17,128 sat, and made each other laugh for about two hours, 1078 00:47:17,169 --> 00:47:20,131 getting drunk and just mocking our own fate. 1079 00:47:20,172 --> 00:47:22,800 There was a recognition that we'd all worked our asses off, 1080 00:47:22,842 --> 00:47:25,136 and now we're canceled. 1081 00:47:25,177 --> 00:47:27,680 And what now? 1082 00:47:27,722 --> 00:47:30,391 [Bruce McCulloch] And of course, arrogantly, I thought, you can't stop us. 1083 00:47:30,433 --> 00:47:32,310 I don't know what's going to happen, but you can't stop us. 1084 00:47:35,855 --> 00:47:36,856 ♪♪