Canadians take their comedy seriously, producing a steady stream of talent, including Jim Carrey, John Candy, Leslie Nielsen, Martin Short, Rick Moranis, and Mike Myers amongst others. Whether it’s the unusual climate – winter six months of the year, you either have to laugh or cry – or some other unknown cause, Canada is a fertile breeding ground for comedic talent.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – the federally owned television station better known as the CBC – features a variety of wildly irreverent comedy shows that have proven to be politically incorrect in nearly all occasions, and take great delight in poking fun at current government administrations though they are funded by those who they mock. This past federal election two prominent political satirists appeared on the CBC’s election coverage to give their thoughts; politicians play along with their practical jokes which are filmed and later appear in their shows. It seems that as a people, we Canadians have an insatiable love for dry wit, sarcastic commentary and are not above some traditional slapstick with a touch of potty humour thrown into the mix.
One of the iconic heroes of Canadian comedy is the creator and lead talent of The Red Green Show, Steve Smith. Running for a solid fifteen seasons weekly on CBC, Red Green embodies the Canadian sense of humour as it plays out on a humbler scale. Red and his Possum Lodge cohorts represent a salt of the earth slice of Canadian life as they assemble at the Lodge to share male camaraderie, adventurous do it yourself projects, outdoor pursuits, and the trials and tribulations of daily life.
The Red Green Show - 2000 Season is a three-DVD set that spans the entire tenth season of The Red Green Show - 19 episodes running 459 minutes in total. The season opens with a double length holiday episode that includes the only appearance of Harold, Red’s geeky nephew, during the season. Harold’s over-the-top dorky antics have proved an entertaining counterpoint to Red’s drier, straight man comedic style, and fans will miss his presence throughout the rest of the season. Red’s main supports in the show include Dalton, the tousle-haired, wife-avoiding, emu-raising bumbler; Mike, the scrawny, squinty-eyed kleptomaniac; Winston, self help aficionado and owner of a septic pump truck service who is always able to provide a septic pun at opportune moments; Ranger Gord, still manning his lonely forest watchtower; and animal control officer Ed, always able to provide helpful warnings as to the dangerous tendencies of goldfish to bite off your head. The shows are graced with appearances by other semi-regular cast members and include new appearances from Possum Lake’s funeral director.
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