Subject: the official kids in the hall FAQ Pt.1
From: (superbeth)
Date: 10/1/00 12:18 PM Eastern Daylight Time
Message-id: <>
================================================
The Official Usenet alt.tv.kids-in-hall FAQ List
================================================
Administrivia
-------------
This FAQ would not be possible without the contributions of Kids in the
Hall fans. Please see the complete list of contributors at the end of
this FAQ. Thank you to all who contributed! (See "Who contributed to
this FAQ?")
This FAQ is maintained by Bethany Cramer ().
Please see the submission guidelines below (3.05) if you have corrections
or submissions (See "KITH FAQ Submission Guidelines"). Also, please
(See "Copyright Information").
All resource pointers (e.g. ftp sites) in this FAQ are listed in URL
(Uniform Resource Locator) format. URL format describes the site/server
along with the appropriate directory and file name.
Summary of Changes in this FAQ
------------------------------
v.3.1. quite a bit of updates
v3. added a section about alt.tv.kids-in-hall
v2.1. Three new questions added, bios updated
v2. Updated extensively for the first time since 1995
[+] Indicates new or revised answers
--
Contents
~~~~~~~~
Part 1 (this file)
======
1.01) What is The Kids in the Hall?
1.02) Where can I find the KITH FAQ? How often is it posted?
1.03) Who are The Kids in the Hall?
1.04) Where can I watch KITH? What day/time/channel?
1.05) Is KITH censored? Where can I watch uncensored shows?
1.06) Is KITH closed-captioned?
1.07) Are spellings on the closed-captioning "official"?
1.08) Where can I get Comedy Central info/schedules?
1.09) What's with all the crossdressing?
1.10) Are any of the Kids gay?
1.11) But I heard one of the Kids is bi?
1.12) How old are the Kids?
1.13) How tall are the kids?
1.14) What are the origins of KITH?
1.15) What are the credits for KITH? Who wrote the sketches on KITH?
1.16) What were the different openings to KITH?
1.17) When was the last episode of KITH taped? When was the last new episode
shown?
1.18) Was KITH canceled?
1.19) Where was KITH taped?
1.20) Are there "official" names for KITH sketches?
1.21) What's with the "Kirstie Alley, Shelley Long" stuff?
1.22) In the sketches dealing with the white trash couple, I know that Mark's
character is Sharisse, Is Bruce's Sid or Sue?
Part 2
======
2.01) Dave Foley Bio and Vital Statistics
2.02) Bruce McCulloch Bio and Vital Statistics
2.03) Kevin McDonald Bio and Vital Statistics
2.04) Mark McKinney Bio and Vital Statistics
2.05) Scott Thompson Bio and Vital Statistics
2.06) Who's the guy in the towel? When exactly is Bellini Day?
2.07) I heard something about a sixth kid in the hall, is this true?
2.08)Did any of the other writers make appearances on the show?
2.09) Who has guest starred on KITH?
2.10) Did any of the KITH's relatives make it on the show?
2.11) Was KITH ever nominated for any awards?
2.12) Are there KITH concert tours? How can I find out where/when?
2.13) What is the live show like?
2.14) I heard that some of KITH appeared in a music video, is that true?
Part 3
======
3.01) Is there a KITH movie?
3.02) Has it been released to video tape? Laserdisc? DVD?
3.03) What was the movie about?
3.04) Were any of the characters from the TV show in the movie?
3.05) Where does "Brain Candy" take place?
3.06) How did the movie do?
3.07) Will there be another film?
3.08) Was there a soundtrack?
3.09) What's is the work print? Is there an alternative ending to Brain Candy?
3.10) What's the big deal about "Comedy World"?
3.11) Is there a newsgroup for discussing KITH?
3.12) Do any of the kids post on the newsgroup?
3.13) Is there a KITH book?
3.14) Is there a KITH zine?
3.15) Is there a KITH videotape?
3.16) Where can I find KITH stuff on the Internet?
3.17) Who does the opening theme for KITH? Do they have
a cassette/CD? Do they do the bumper music and other music
in the show as well?
3.18) Is there a KITH fan club? Where can I write the Kids?
3.19) Have there been any KITH magazine articles?
3.20) Is KITH merchandise available?
3.21) KITH FAQ Submission Guidelines
3.22) Who contributed to this FAQ?
3.23) Copyright information
Part 4
=====
4.01) What is an FAQ anyway?
4.02) What is this section of the FAQ about?
4.03) Is the FAQ available on the web?
4.04) Is alt.tv.kids-in-hall the only newsgroup dedicated to KITH?
4.05) Should I post to the other newsgroups?
4.06) Why are there so many off-topic posts?
4.07) Does alt.tv.kids-in-hall have any commonly-used colloquialisms,
acronyms, or slang I should know about??
4.08) What are some commonly-used acronyms and slang that appear on Usenet
newsgroups, not just on this newsgroup?
4.09) Who is ?
4.10) What is netiquette?
4.11) Are there any taboo topics?
4.12) Are you trying to control what I talk about? What about my right to free
speech?
4.13) You guys are kinda cliquey, aren t you??
4.14) You guys are kinda geeky, aren't you?
4.15) I'm selling a rare collection of kith episodes on ebay, can I post about
it?
4.16) Any tips for first time posters?
4.17) I've posted and nobody's replied, what should I do?
4.18) Who are the regulars?
4.19) Any final notes?
Frequently Asked Questions
-------------------------
1.01) What is The Kids in the Hall?
The Kids in the Hall (aka KITH, aka KitH) is a sketch comedy troupe best
known for the tv show of the same name . KITH as described by Rolling Stone in
the troupe's first major coverage by the U.S. media in 1988:
"The Kids...take their time and don't deliver big knee slappers; individual
lines are less important than concepts, keen observation and disciplined,
confident acting. Their humor is not topical, cynical or shock-oriented
but insightful, gentle, generous - and subversive. Like Monty
Python, the Kids' sketches begin with an absurd premise, but they're
not outrageous for outrageousness' sake; they craft provocative, lyrical
performance pieces that showcase their strikingly varied physical types
and acting approaches."
1.02) Where can I find the KITH FAQ? How often is it posted?
The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) List for alt.tv.kids-in-hall (this
file, Parts 2-4) is posted on the 1st of every month. If the FAQ is not
available on alt.tv.kids-in-hall at your site, check on the internet at
https://kithfan.org
1.03) Who are The Kids in the Hall?
The Kids in the Hall are Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald,
Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson.
1.04) Where can I watch KITH? What day/time/channel?
USA:
In the USA, the place to watch KITH is Comedy Central, a cable
network. Comedy Central shows KITH reruns approximately daily at several
different times. On weekdays you can see KITH at 2:00 pm and 2:30 pm.
Occasionally it is pre-empted and only one episode is shown. Also on Mondays,
Tuesdays, and Thursdays KITH is shown at 1:00 am. The Saturday time is at
5:00 but sometimes an additional episode is shown at 4:30. None of these
times are concrete so be sure to check the schedule.There are occasionally
KITH-only marathons on CC, though, so keep an eye out.
Comedy Central is not available in all areas; pester your local cable operator
if you do not have it.Other cable systems make Comedy Central share one
channel with another cable network, so you may have Comedy Central only
during certain times of the day.
The premium cable network HBO used to show premiere, uncensored KITH
episodes, but there is currently nowhere in the US to watch uncensored
episodes. Also CBS aired the show from 1994-1995.
Canada:
In Canada, KITH currently airs in syndication on The Comedy Network from 8-9
pm and 1-2 am (a repeat of the 7-8 block) Monday to Friday, and Saturdays
from 12-1 am. The episodes usually air in order (with the Saturday airings
following a different schedule than M-F), and almost all sketches are aired.
However, there is some censorship.
ANY INFORMATION ON INTERNATIONAL TIMES WOULD BE APPRECIATED
1.05) Is KITH censored? Where can I watch uncensored shows?
The Kids in the Hall is censored on Comedy Central to remove
adult language and rare nudity. There are also some sketches that have never
been aired or have been reshot for Comedy Central because of language and/or
content. There is currently no place to watch uncensored episodes in the U.S.
However Comedy Central does not censor the closed captioning, so if you have
a CC decoder and the sketch is closed captioned you can read the uncensored
line (See "Is KITH closed-captioned?")
1.06) Is KITH closed-captioned?
The Kids in the Hall is occasionally closed-captioned on Comedy Central.
Most of the time, if you check on the internet schedule It will be labeled
with a [cc]. (for directions to find, see section 1.08 "Where can I get
comedy central info/schedule)
There is no definite pattern of which shows are closed-captioned. In
fact, within one show some sketches may be closed-captioned while others
are not. And the same show on Comedy Central may be closed captioned one
time it is shown but uncaptioned the next time it is shown. KITH was much
more regularly (perhaps always) closed captioned on HBO.
From (Joe Clark):
KITH is captioned in Canada by the inept, subliterate captioners at the
National Captioning Center (early years of the show) or the even more
appallingly inept and subliterate captioners at Premier Subtitling
(recent years). On HBO the show was probably captioned by the OK
captioners at the (U.S.) National Captioning Institute. Comedy Central
may be running captioned dubs from either source, or uncaptioned dubs.
In the former case, the captions are not likely to contain the same
censoring as the audio; that's a sophisticated detail I expect Comedy
Central doesn't want to spend the money on. In other words, when Scott
Thompson says "blow job," a hearing viewer with captions on could read
it without hearing it.
1.07) Are spellings on the closed-captioning "official"?
Almost definitely not. This FAQ lists the closed-captioned spellings of
character's names in the recurring characters list under "CC Name" as
possible alternate spellings to consider, until "official" names are
known. Information from various sources about official sketch names
and spellings will be collated and compiled into the FAQ in future
versions.
In at least one HBO sketch the closed-captioning spelled Darryl "Doril";
it has also been spelled "Darryl". As an example of the fallibility of
the closed captioning in general, in one head crusher (Mr. Tyzik)
sketch, the closed captioning often used the word "curse"(!) instead of
"crush".
Then again, Darryl was spelled "Derell" by Comedy Central in some promos
during their "Joy of Sketch" Weekend in 1993, so go figure.
1.08) Where can I get Comedy Central info/schedules?
The easiest way to get Comedy Central info is to visit their
web site at http://www.comedycentral.com
Schedule information: http://www.comedycentral.com/vs
Comedy Central's Kids in the Hall site: http://www.comedycentral.com/kith
1.09) What's with all the crossdressing?
In their club days, there were some female members but often they would leave
the
troupe for better paying jobs. In order to perform sketches with female
characters,
they decided to play the womens' parts themselves. The Kids are not men in
dresses for laughs, they are performing female characters, with as much depth
and
character as any other roles.
1.10) Are any of the Kids gay?
Well even though I wish you weren't asking this question the answer is that
Scott Thompson is gay, the rest are straight. Currently Mark is the only
married one with Kevin and David both divorced. Bruce, Kevin, and David all
supposedly have girlfriends.
1.11) But I heard one of the Kids is bi?
Thanks Mr. Micheal Musto for this misconception. In a January
94 Village Voice article ("La Dulce Musto") he wrote:
"One is gay (Scott)
One is bi
One is curious
One is a prick tease
and One is married (Dave)"
It's a joke, not true.
1.12) How old are the Kids?
Dave Foley: 37
Bruce McCulloch: 39
Kevin McDonald: 39
Mark McKinney: 40
Scott Thompson: 40
1.13) How tall are the kids?
Its been reported that the heights are:
Dave Foley: 5'9"
Bruce McCulloch: 5'6"
Kevin McDonald: 5'9"
Mark McKinney: 5'11"
Scott Thompson: 5'10"
1.14) What are the origins of KITH?
From (M.S. Burton):
The chronology goes like this: Bruce and Mark met doing TheatreSports in
Calgary & started to write/work together. Dave and Kevin met at a
Toronto Second City Improv class, and while working as Art House movie
ushers started to write/work together. Both pairs attempted to make it
on their own; Bruce and Mark as "The Audience", Dave & Kevin (and
various other comedians) as "KITH". The two pairs met in Toronto, and
combined forces in 1984; they worked at small clubs during the year as the
KITH when Scott (who'd been trying improv and stand up) approached
them. He did several guest spots, and officially joined in January of
1985. ("They sang me a little welcome song")
About this time Pam Thomas, scouting for SNL, saw them and had them
audition for Franken & Davis, and that was when Mark and Bruce got
their stint as writers on the show. They worked at SNL, Dave made his
movie debut with "High Stakes" and Scott and Kevin worked with the
"Second City" touring group. They were reunited in '86 and started
doing longer shows at clubs. "Lurching Seaward" with Sandra Shamus
(later the star of her own show, "My boyfriend's back and there's gonna
be laundry") had early versions of the analysis of comedy sketch, Clem
at the Barber Shop, Brad and Tiffany's (later Nina) date, and a long
sketch/playlet about a bad comedian named Tramouth. "Grave Robbers from
Hipsville" gave birth to the Dr. Seuss bible. It was in '86 that Lorne
Michaels finally saw them work as a troupe, and started making plans
for a TV show. In 1987 he sent them to NY to what was essentially
Comedy Boot Camp (if you can make it there, etc., etc.) and in 1988
their HBO special/pilot aired. The series began in 1989.
1.15) What are the credits for KITH? Who wrote the sketches on KITH?
Season 1 (1989)
~~~~~~~~
Written By: Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald,
Mark McKinney, Scott Thompson
Writers' Assistant: Paul Bellini
Season 2 (1990-91)
~~~~~~~~
Written By: Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney,
Scott Thompson, Paul Bellini, Brian Hartt, Norm Hiscock
Season 3 (1991-92)
~~~~~~~~
Written By: Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney,
Scott Thompson, Paul Bellini, Brian Hartt, Norm Hiscock
Season 4 (1992-93)
~~~~~~~~
Written By: Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney,
Scott Thompson, Paul Bellini, Garry Campbell, Brian Hartt,
Norm Hiscock (Supervising Writer), Frank Van Keekan
Season 5 (1993-94)
~~~~~~~~
Written By: Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney,
Scott Thompson, Paul Bellini, Garry Campbell, Diane Flacks,
Brian Hartt, Norm Hiscock (Head Writer), Andy Jones
1.16) What were the different openings to KITH?
Season 1: In a junk yard; fully saturated colors; ends with troupe
casting playful shadows onto the side of a truck.
Season 2: Filmed driving up Yonge (Dave); down Bay (Bruce); along
Edward past the bus terminal (Kevin); and on Bloor W at
St. George (Mark); mostly black and white; "Beaver" sign
behind Mark when introducing troupe (gas station now
demolished).
Season 3: Troupe introduced standing at two corners of Broadview and
Danforth; other shots at one of the public swimming pools
in Toronto; artificial pastel colors; stop-motion used when
introducing troupe; Kevin does a slow peace sign in
stop-motion
Season 4: Filmed in color, various shots of KITH, Shadowy Men On a Shadowy
Planet, and other guests
at a party, each individual credit is shot with them against a
wall, ends with all members against a brick wall
Season 5: Made up of past black and white bumpers and footage from a KITH
photo shoot, ends with the various endings from other seasons
(the pregnant woman is Darlene, a friend of Scott's and
Paul's (and the other Kids) shot on hi-8 by Paul Bellini.)
1.17) When was the last episode of KITH taped? When was the last new episode
shown?
The last KITH show ever was taped Wednesday, July 13, 1994.
The last show was aired on Comedy Central on December 25, 1994.
1.18) Was KITH canceled?
No, KITH wasn't canceled; it was a mutual decision of the troupe to
end the show after 5 seasons.
1.19) Where was KITH taped?
KITH used to be taped once a month on Wednesday and Saturday at
CBC Studio 7 in Toronto. They did two shows each night. Since July
13, 1994, there have been no tapings.
1.20) Are there "official" names for KITH sketches?
Official (canonical) sketch names can sometimes be found in the credits
of the show when an alternate director credit is given. Also, some
sketches have "official" names that are given at the beginning of the
sketch (for example, "Chalet 2000").
1.21) What's with the "Kirstie Alley, Shelley Long" stuff?
The mentions of Kirstie Alley vs. Shelley Long stem from an inside joke
between Dave and Kevin who argued over which one was the better female lead on
"Cheers".
1.22) In the sketches dealing with the white trash couple, I know that Mark's
character is Sharisse, Is Bruce's Sid or Sue?
In all honesty, there is no definite answer. In all of their sketches, it's
either been said or sounded both ways. There is also the argument that his
name is Stu since in most cases where Sharisee says it, it sounds like her
speech is slurred. Any answer is acceptable.
--
End of alt.tv.kids-in-hall FAQ Part 1/4
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Back to kithfan.org