It stands out from the others, too. Not only is it gorgeously shot, but it's also way more intimate. No glossy big stage here. They shot this at the Cultch, which isn't big to begin with, and it looks like it could have been in a tiny little club somewhere. That's not a bad thing. Interspersed between acts are clips of the individual comics on a photo shoot and seated together on a Last Supper-type meal. It's nice seeing them tell each other stories, although that's not why we're watching. Any show featuring stand-up comics rises or falls with the actual stand-up comedy.
Hosted by Dave Foley of Kids in the Hall and Newsradio fame, the special features Britain's Matt Kirshen (and one-time What's So Funny? guest), Australia's James Smith, USA's Maria Bamford, Canada's Mae Martin, and TV's Jon Dore (and one-time What's So Funny? guest). Not a bad line-up at all. Not your usual suspects so a wider audience might get to see a face or two they're not familiar with. It would have been nice to have a Vancouver comic on the show. They're good enough to make the other festivals' TV galas, so why not in their hometown?
But I'm not here to critique what isn't. The show looks fantastic and the comics are funny. That's good enough for me. It's a shame they felt the need to bleep every curse word, though, when I recall the Sopranos airing in prime time on CTV. Hell, I remember the Kids in the Hall getting away with the odd curse word at 8 pm on CBC in the 1980s. But whatever.
I don't imagine Boxing Day at 10 pm is the greatest time slot, but it'll probably be repeated at some point I would imagine. Hopefully it'll get enough people watching that they'll get to do it all over again next September. And who knows, maybe a Vancouver comic might get a shot then.
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