B.C. standup named Canada’s Top Comic
British Columbia’s Gavin Matts-was named the funniest standup comedian in Canada when he was crowned the winner of SiriusXM’s 8th annual Top Comic competition as part of the JFL42 festival in Toronto.
After his performance on Thursday night at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, the New Westminster native took the contest’s grand prize of $25,000 and with it guaranteed spots at three Canadian comedy fests next year: JFL42, JFL Northwest in Vancouver and the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal.
His first comedy album, Premature, was released the next day by 604 Records, owned by Chad Kroeger of Nickelback fame, and quickly hit No. 1 on the iTunes chart.
Other finalists at Thursday’s show, headlined by American Todd Barry: Vancouver’s Kyle Bottom, Brantford’s Graham Chittenden, Edmonton’s Kathleen McGee and Sterling Scott, Toronto natives Michelle Shaughnessy and AnaMarija Stojic, and Kelly Taylor of Prince Albert, Sask.
As runners-up, Scott and Chittenden win TV spots at the Montreal fest and will co-headline a show at JFL42 in 2018.
The competition saw hundreds of comics from across Canada register in the spring and 60 contestants selected to compete at the Toronto and Vancouver auditions over six nights in June.
JFL42 ended Saturday with what the festival said was a record number of sold-out shows and a surprise: comedian Amy Schumer performed an impromptu 10-minute set in support of her friend Rory Scovel at the Royal Theatre. Garnet Fraser
Boo! Letterkenny gets Halloween show
CraveTV has a Halloween treat for viewers that’s guaranteed not to cause a sugar overload.
Aspecial episode of Letterkenny will be released on Friday, Oct. 20 on the streaming service.
In “The Haunting of MoDean’s II,” Wayne (series creator Jared Keeso), Daryl ( Nathan Dales), Squirrelly Dan ( K. Trevor Wilson) and Katy ( Michelle Mylett) go to the aid of Gail ( Lisa Codrington) when she thinks MoDean’s bar has a ghost.
Season 4 of Letterkenny, which was named Best Comedy Series at this year’s Canadian Screen Awards, was shot in Sudbury in the summer for release later this year. Debra Yeo