Kids in the Hall feel ‘dangerous again’
As they ready their return to TV, The Kids in the Hall aren’t too worried that their brand of humour might not sit well with the politically correct woke crowd. In fact, the comedy troupe — made up of longtime pals Scott Thompson, Dave Foley, Mark McKinney, Bruce McCulloch and Kevin McDonald — is relishing the idea of potentially offending a few people with a rebooted sketch series that hits Prime Video worldwide this Friday.
“For men our age, in a strange way, with the push back against us and the rigid political correctness of today, it’s kind of a gift in a way,” Thompson, 62, says in an interview. “It’s like, ‘F—, I feel dangerous again.’ That’s something I didn’t expect to have. I know for myself — personally — I had to really remind myself that this is a gift to feel dangerous again.”
“Old men don’t usually get that chance,” Foley, 59, adds.
Executive-produced by Saturday Night Live mastermind Lorne Michaels, the eight-episode revival picks up on their eponymous TV show, which aired from 1988 to 1995 on CBC.
The Emmy-nominated series spawned several crosscountry tours, a movie — 1996’s Brain Candy — and the 2010 serial comeback, Death Comes to Town.
“We’re like cicadas. Every 17 years, we come, we flourish and then we die in 24 hours,” McCulloch, 60, jokes.
Born in Toronto in the 1980s, it was an eccentric blend of recurring characters (like McCulloch’s cigar smoking Cabbage Head and McKinney’s sexually obsessed Chicken Lady) and enduring sketches (Headcrusher, Politically Correct Art Class and the chatty Cathys) that turned the show into a hit on both sides of the border.
The new season will find the fivesome introducing a new batch of offbeat characters and beloved favourites.
“A lot of the old characters that you didn’t really care about are back and some of the ones you liked,” Foley deadpans. “The Cops are back; Buddy Cole is back. Sorry, Simon and Hecubus aren’t coming back. There’s no Chicken Lady either. Wait, should we give these away? People might not tune in.”
“Scott and I wrote one about two women who are in a constant existential crisis. It was one of the first ones we filmed,” McKinney adds. “Headcrusher will be there.”
The season will have no shortage of A-list guest stars, including Pete Davidson, Catherine O’Hara, Kenan Thompson, Will Forte, Samantha Bee, Jay Baruchel, Tracee Ellis Ross and Mark Hamill.
The series will be joined by the two-part documentary The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks on May 20 (also on Prime Video).
In between comedy tours, the Kids have all embraced other projects. McKinney co-starred for six seasons on NBC’s Superstore, while McCulloch signed on to produce CBC’s TallBoyz.
Meanwhile, Foley has enjoyed success on TV’s Dr. Ken and Spun Out, with Thompson taking on supporting roles on Hannibal and American Gods.
No one is saying if this iteration of the Kids will expand to a second season or lead to another tour.
“We might stay buried for 17 more years,” McKinney, 62, grins.
But for now, here sit the Kids (minus McDonald), in a pristine dressing room at Toronto’s newly reopened Massey Hall. They’re in town to walk the red carpet for a premiere party at the Rivoli, the Queen Street club at which they first played in the 1980s, and contemplate yet another comeback.