In the Dark – episode 14

What's this now? In the Dark? Yeah, remember a while back when I had Jason Bryden on What's So Funny? I told you about his new podcast, In the Dark? And I mentioned I guested on it. Well, here it is. I gotta say this is some of his best work! If you haven't heard his podcast yet, check my episode out and then work your way backward. I really enjoy it. Something about the way Jason thinks and talks greatly amuses me. In each episode, he gives a lengthy solo preamble to a conversation he has with someone on some esoteric topic, and then at the end gives a rundown of five (or so) things he learned in the discussion. It's a lot of fun and you might even learn something, too. Not necessarily from me in this episode, but I had a great time talking to him.


This hyperlink will take you to our talk. And, as with What's So Funny?, you can always go find it yourself on iTunes or Stitcher.

Podcast episode 433ish: Jason Bryden

Jason Bryden left us for Toronto 3.5 years ago but we still love him. He was back in town visiting family so we nabbed him while we could. In this episode, JB talks about being a quitter. He's quit comedy, quit theatre, and quit social media. He's still acting in almost every TV commercial, though. Plus he's started something new. In the Dark with Jason Bryden is his new podcast. Get in on the ground floor and start listening. As of today, he's only 12 episodes in so it's manageable. But first listen to this fun talk I had with him. He may or may not have been wearing adult diapers during our conversation.

Here's the link to get you started on your way. If you prefer, you can always go to iTunes or Stitcher or Tunein Radio or PlayerFM or wherever else you can find it. We're there for you.

Aug. 21: Jason Bryden

JB is back! Jason Bryden was last with us in 2011. He's since moved to the centre of the universe (Toronto) but was back in town for a family visit and I scooped him up. We recorded this a couple weeks ago. It's always fun talking to JB. And it's fun listening to him, too. He's quit comedy but is always funny. You recognize him from every other commercial on TV. That guy with the horns on the right? Yeah, that's him. Pretty accurate resemblance, too. Jason's joined the podcast bandwagon. His new baby is called In the Dark with Jason Bryden and it's available on iTunes and Stitcher and on its own website. Check it out. But only after you listen to him on What's So Funny?

We hit the airwaves at 11 pm on 100.5 FM in Vancouver. Jason in Toronto can livestream us at coopradio.org or on any reputable radio app.

Podcast episode 256ish: Jason Bryden

This podcast episode was a real yawner. But in a literal sense. It's just that Jason Bryden, father of a 22-month-old human boy, couldn't stop yawning. It was the latest he'd been up in a while. Or maybe it was the three gin & tonics. Either way, in this episode our hero bravely takes on an absent Doug Stanhope and relates how he told Marc Maron he was a dick. Plus we get to know the high school version of JB and learn what professional direction his own father tried pointing him in. It's a cram-packed, fun-filled WSF? you won't want to miss.

Your portal into Bryden's mind is at your fingertips below. Also at iTunes, where you can rate the show and leave a nasty comment. Don't be shy.

Nov. 20: Jason Bryden

Look who's back! Why, it's none other than Jason Bryden, who's been with us a few times before but never under his own name in the credits. One time he was on as himself but the conceit was that he'd be interviewing me as I called in from the Just For Laughs festival. The last time he was on as Bev PoCock and was breaking up with comedy partner David Milchard as Chris Wes. I could swear he's been on other times, too.

But tonight it's all Bryden all the time. We'll talk to him about being a new, and expecting, father, about doing stand-up, about his numerous web series (The Acting Class and The Staff Room), about his new room at the Prophouse Cafe on Mondays at 9 (1636 Venables – I hear Glenn Wool is on tomorrow), about his desire to leave this podunk outpost for the bright lights of America, about his addiction to Twitter, and no doubt lots more.

We hit the air running at 11 pm. And if you're on Telus TV, I just found out CFRO, 102.7 FM, can be heard on channel 3718.

Now I'm off to attend some big playoff football game the Lions are hosting. If there's a riot, I'll let you know tonight.

Nov. 13: Ryan Hamilton (repeat)

I'm away this week so we're running a repeat. Er, I mean a special encore presentation. There have been some really fun shows lately so it was hard to choose one. I decided to make it semi-timely. Ryan Hamilton is playing the Comedy MIX this weekend (and I'd totally be there if I were in town because the guy is hilarious). When he was here back in February, I dropped by his hotel room and recorded a show with him. So that's what we're running tomorrow night. You can go down to the 8 or 10:30 show at the MIX tonight, laugh at his jokes, then tune in on Sunday night at 11 to learn about the man behind the jokes and funny face. Oh yes, we talk about his face. Enjoy. We're back next Sunday with a live in-studio show when Jason Bryden drops by. Then the following Sunday we've got the legendary Bob Robertson back in studio!

Episodes 175 & 176

It's de rigeur for podcasts to number their episodes. But our show predates podcasts. It's first a radio show that only later was available in podcast form. So I have no idea how many episodes we've done over the past five years. I can't just go back and count the weeks because, as you well know, some weeks we're off the air, some weeks we run encore presentations, and we have no set vacation schedule. I do know that we've done more than are available on podcast. Who knows how many episodes there are?

I used to have to go into the station to download the shows, save them to disc, then deliver said discs to the Comedy Couch mistress, who would then upload the podcasts when her schedule permitted. It was a delicate dance. One whole year we couldn't arrange our schedules so no new shows were put on the podcast. And if I didn't make it into the station for three weeks, the episodes were gone forever. These days I can sit at home on my couch and download shows from the past six months and deliver them electronically to the Couch. So we're a much smoother operation now. We're all caught up and we're pretty prompt in getting the shows to the internet.

Still, I was curious. I just counted the available podcasts and see that we've got 174 episodes available. Well, add two more to that total (my calculator is unavailable at the moment). We've just added another Richard Lett episode, where the newly sober comic swears like a drunken sailor and tells us why he's been booted off so many stages in town. And Bev PoCock and Chris Wes shock the entertainment world with an announcement and make beautiful music together. Jason Bryden and David Milchard make surprise appearances.

Here you go. These episodes, like the other 174, are also available on iTunes, where we await out first ever comment. One day...

Richard Lett, from November 29, 2009:


Bev PoCock and Chris Wes, from December 6, 2009:

Dec. 13: Jay Brown & Eddie Brill

What a Christmas season we've been having on the show. Two weeks ago we had Richard Lett swearing up a storm and talking about Jesus. Last week we had Bev PoCock and Chris Wes announce their retirement from show business to reveal they're Jason Bryden and David Milchard (who knew?!).

This week we've got the always outspoken Jay Brown and Eddie Brill, the comedy booker for The Late Show starring David Letterman, who'll be talking to the both of us by phone. Man, can it get any better next week? Sure, it can! We've got iTunes sensation Marc Maron on for the hour on the 20th.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. I haven't seen Jay Brown since I don't know when. Maybe it was the last time he was on the show in 2005. I know he's no longer living in Vancouver. I don't even know where he's living. Toronto? New York? We'll find out. No doubt he'll fill us with Christmas cheer and goodwill.

Eddie Brill has never been live on the show, although once we ran a pre-recorded interview and he's always been a friend to the show. Agreeing to come on the air from 2 to 3 a.m. his time should tell you that much. The guy is friends with just about everybody in the comedy biz. We'll try to pry some stories out of him. We'll ask him who vets his act when he does stand-up on Letterman (as he will in January). And we'll ask him what he was telling Barack Obama (that's Eddie on the right chatting up the President of the United States of America with Letterman ignoring the both of them).

But don't forget. We're in Vancouver. Our start time is 11 pm.