I’m not sure how long “Cock’d Gunns” can last, given it’s narrow demographic of Ontario Indie rockers. OK, maybe Canadian indie rockers, but still. This show follows the travails of a band that’s booking Lear Jets in their imaginations six months out – visions of grandeur abound for the trio. The recorded tracks on the show’s soundtrack are actually really good, in contrast to the depicted band of bunglers. The songs have names like “Baby Labia”, and the lead singer epidomizes the joke about how many singers it takes to screw in a light bulb (-one, because the earth evolves around him).
Shockingly, the show seems to have been dropped by Showcase… but picked up by IFC! (At least the already filmed episodes are recieving play. I’d be surprised -& giddy- if they go back into production.)
Watch episodes online @ showcase.ca/videos… (Scroll up on the video player thingamajig to find all the episodes.)
Cock’d Gunns airs on IFC 8pm Friday’s
Another show with a seemingly narrow demo is the “Jon Dore Television Show”. If you’re a man around 35 years old, this is the show for you! If not, you just may be out of luck. (Episode subjects range from trimming that beergut, to drinking too much beer.) Jon was the antidote to Ben Mulroney on Canadian Idol in it’s first couple seasons, and you really do need a strong antidote to that guy. (The gag reflex just kicks in automatically – if his cheddar quotient isn’t enough already, then you just look into that face which looks eerily like his father’s -Worst Prime Minister Ever/Canada’s George W. Bush- and you realize you’re being haunted by the ghost of Lyin’ Brian. (P.S. Go get ‘im, Karlheinz!!)
Getting back to Jon Dore though, it’s unbelieveable the stuff he gets away with putting on TV. It’s gut-bustlingly hilarious, and a little shocking. When you see the outtakes at the end of the show you see how much ad-libbing is going on within the otherwise well-written, structured show.
Watch episodes online @ thecomedynetwork.ca/videos…
The Jon Dore Television Show airs on the Comedy Network 10pm Wednesday’s (If you live in Ottawa, you should really watch it online so you can make it to my Wednesday Open Stage @ the Georgetown.)
I would be remiss not to mention “Road Hockey Rumble”, an instant Canadian classic. The title really says it all, but basically the 2 hosts submit themselves to all sorts of inventive forms of physical punishment whilst travelling across the country staging contentious road hockey matches. It’s a do-not-miss for hockey fans.. in fact, it’s outright un-Canadian not to watch it! You can’t watch episodes online, but here’s a trailer on youtube that’ll give you an idea…
See Road Hockey Rumble trailer @ ca.youtube.com/roadhockeyrumble
Road Hockey Rumble airs on OLN Saturdays @ 10:00am Sundays @ 3:30pm
The best thing about these shows is they’re all Canadian! They draw from our environs & experience. Especially if you’re a Canadian, 35ish year old indie musician & hockey fan (er, like me!).
