Second City Television facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Second City Television |
|
|---|---|
| Created by | There is no creator credit given |
| Starring | John Candy Robin Duke Joe Flaherty Eugene Levy Andrea Martin Rick Moranis Catherine O'Hara Harold Ramis Tony Rosato Martin Short Dave Thomas |
| Country of origin |  Canada |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 135 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 mins. (1976-1981) 90 mins. (1981-1983) 45 mins. (1983-1984) |
| Release | |
| Original network | Global (1976-1979) CBC (1980-1983) NBC (1981-1983) Superchannel (1983-1984) |
| Original release | September 21, 1976 – July 17, 1984 |
Second City Television, often called SCTV, was a super funny TV show from Canada. It was a sketch comedy series, which means it had lots of short, funny scenes and characters. SCTV first aired on September 21, 1976, and ran until July 17, 1984. It had 6 seasons and made 135 episodes! Many famous comedians got their start on this show.
Contents
What Was Second City Television?
SCTV was a unique comedy show. It pretended to be a TV station called "SCTV" in a fictional town. The show would present different programs, commercials, and news reports. All of these were actually funny sketches performed by the cast. It was like watching a whole TV channel run by hilarious people.
The show was known for its clever humor. It often made fun of real TV shows and movies. This style of comedy is called satire. SCTV also created many memorable characters. These characters would appear in different sketches.
The Funny People of SCTV
SCTV helped launch the careers of many famous comedians. The show's cast was incredibly talented. They could play many different characters. Some of the well-known stars included:
- John Candy
- Eugene Levy
- Catherine O'Hara
- Rick Moranis
- Martin Short
- Dave Thomas
These actors were amazing at improvising. This means they could make up jokes and scenes on the spot. Many of them later became big movie stars.
Hilarious Sketches and Characters
SCTV created many popular and funny sketches. One of the most famous was the "Bob & Doug McKenzie" sketch. This sketch featured two Canadian brothers. Bob was played by Rick Moranis. Doug was played by Dave Thomas.
Bob and Doug were known for their love of beer and back bacon. They would host a show called "Great White North." They often said "eh" and gave funny advice. This sketch became incredibly popular. It even led to a movie and a music album.
Other popular characters included:
- Count Floyd, a spooky but silly horror movie host.
- Edith Prickley, a loud and funny station manager.
- Guy Caballero, the boss of the SCTV network.
The show's humor often came from these characters interacting. They would appear in different fake TV shows.
SCTV's Big Impact
SCTV was a very influential show. It changed how people thought about sketch comedy. Many later comedy shows were inspired by SCTV. The show won many awards for its writing.
The "Bob & Doug McKenzie" sketch was so popular it had its own animated show in 2009. Bob and Doug also appeared on The Simpsons. They were featured in the 2002 episode "The Bart Wants What It Wants." This happened when the Simpsons family visited Toronto.
Where Did SCTV Air?
SCTV first aired in Canada. It was shown on the Global from 1976 to 1979. Later, it moved to the CBC from 1980 to 1983.
The show also became popular in the United States. It aired on NBC from 1981 to 1983. This helped the show reach a wider audience. After its main run, it was also shown on Superchannel in Canada.
Today, you can still watch reruns of SCTV. In Canada, reruns are sometimes shown on The Comedy Network.
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