Ron James brings his blistering vocabulary and arcane Bonanza references to What's So Funny? for the first time. The quintessentially Canadian comedic icon regales us with his thoughts on the role of comedian in culture and talks about his bittersweet TV experience. It's an enlightening conversation with a real wordsmith.
Ellyn Marie Marsh must never sleep. How the Broadway star/podcast host/cabaret diva/trivia host/voice teacher/single mom had time to sit with us for an hour, I'll never know. But we're glad she did. We talk about her sporting youth, true crime obsession, being fired from her singing waiter job, and she fires a few trivia stumpers at us for good measure. Check out her newish podcast Obsessed With: Disappeared. Recorded June 23, 2020.
Darren Frost is back for his sixth go-round with us. He can't tour the country, as he was planning to do, but we've got him. We talk about crowd work, dark humour, cartoon voices, and Hairspray (the movie, not the product).
Lachlan Patterson was last with us in 2005, as far as our records go. It takes a pandemic to get him back with us, but oh the fun we had. We talk about why he's glad he lost on Last Comic Standing, his worst Zoom show experiences, his reminiscences of Vancouver, he pitches his surfer caveman script, tells us why he still surfs, discusses his lady, baby pockets, and standup subtitles. Download his new special, Dark White, at lachlanpatterson.com.
Bonnie McFarlane hates earnestness, but we brought out some in this episode. She started her comedy career in Vancouver and we reminisce about the old days and the lessons she learned, the comics she dated. We also talk about living under Trump, living with Rich Vos, and performing for hecklers. She's also the only guest we've had who's been sung about by The Pursuit of Happiness.
Colin Mochrie finally makes his WSF? debut! It was fate. The improviser opens up (thanks to a bottle or two of malbec) and discusses a little politics, talks about his accidental standup set, his intellectual pursuits, explains why silence is golden, tells us which 1970s sitcom star brought him to tears, talks about acting opposite Paul Giamatti, hanging out with Donny & Marie, playing the Pyramid, doing mime, and his weirdest night in Hollywood.
Michael Gelbart (call him Michael) returns to the program, this time with 100 percent more Sam Tonning! In our Isolation Studios, Michael makes several pledges during this hour. He also fills us in on the ins and outs of leaving an 8x10 glossy at an establishment, discusses Byron Allen and Norm Macdonald, and explains the difference between being overly picky and just discerning. He also gives us a scoop!
Marcus Ryan joins us in the social isolation studios all the way from Wonthaggi, in the great state of Victoria, in the wonderful country of Australia. We thought it was his third or time on the show. Turns out it is his fifth. We talk about what Oz is looking like under lockdown, what his new routine is, and discuss his myriad adventures in the 60-odd nations he's visited. This episode brought to you by snooker and jailbirds.
Dwight Slade joins us in the What's So Funny? Isolation Studios from his home in Boise, Idaho. We talk about how he's spending his days in his home hoarding toilet paper. We also talk about his work on cruise ships, his early days as the comedy partner and best friend of the legendary Bill Hicks, and seeing a flying saucer.
Eddie Brill was holed up in his Manhattan apartment while host Guy MacPherson and sidekick Sam Tonning were holed up in their respective Vancouver mansions. It was all in an effort to flatten the curve. Eddie talked about today's Gotham, as well as the state of late night TV talk shows, his salad days at Emerson college, the Comedy Club Network, meeting big names, doing drugs with Sam Kinison, and much, much more.
Carl Turnbull has comedy in his blood, as you'll learn in this episode. Sidekick Sam Tonning takes over the reins, but it's not because regular host Guy MacPherson was sick, as he incorrectly stated. He just wasn't there. No further questions. Carl and Sam talk about 90 Day Fiancé, Jay & Dan, school detentions, and relationship advice.
Paul Myrehaug and Damonde Tschritter are pals from way back. One still lives in Vancouver; the other now lives in the comedy hotbed of the south of France. But they've been touring Canada with the Snowed In Comedy Tour when they came by for a visit. In this episode, Tschritter is on fire, ripping into everyone, living and dead. Myrehaug tells us about his standing ovation while longboarding. And we all have a grand old time.
Eddie Ifft live in studio! How exciting. He's says he's not a people person, but clearly he is. The podcast king talks about cleaning up his act for his family legacy, tells tales about Last Comic Standing, we relive two of the top 75 jokes of all time, discuss sunning buttholes, Australian monsters, and identity politics.
Ed Hill is back for his fourth go-around. The dumb announcer on this episode said third. You can't get good help these days. Ed talks about why he needed to change his name, his upcoming special taping, and the Corona virus. The episode brought to you by Flunky cereal.
Andrea Jin makes her WSF? debut, but that's understandable because she's only 24 years old. But she's moving up the proverbial comedy charts quickly. She tells us about growing up in China eating worms for cheap laughs, her homeless grandfather, who her favourite Friend is, and peeing her pants. And we come up with a name for her upcoming album.
Lars Callieou makes the long drive from Edmonton to our Vancouver studios. Okay, he was in town for a corporation performance, but still made time for us. We talk about life on the road both as an adult and a child, and we get a special listen to his parents' country band. There are all sorts of other topics, too.
Jon Bryant is all alone with us this time around. The Nova Scotia-born singer-songwriter is all Vancouver now. He stopped by the show just prior to his cross-Canada tour to talk singing, being a former jock, comedy, OCD, and UFOs.
Jimmy Shubert knows how to get on a good rant. The Los Angeles-based standup tells us about performing in Canada and India, heckling at the ballet, opening for Sam Kinison, his closeted career as a close-up magician, and goes off on cancel culture.
Harry Doupe returns for his tenth go-round on What's So Funny? It's become a tradition that he is the last (or thereabouts) guest of the calendar year. He tells tales of his work on awards shows, his time living in San Francisco, and gives his opinions on Family Feud Canada and Don Cherry.
Brigitte May may be a first-timer with us but she used to work in college radio so she's no stranger to the airwaves. That was a loooong four years ago, though. The young improviser works with a group of fellow Asian improvisers called Fistful of Kicks that puts on a live anime show once a month. But she's getting Shakespearean on us this month with a show about that word that shall not be said in the theatre.
Steve McGowan isn't called "Shooter" because he loves to drink shooters. But he does love to drink shooters. He tells us how he got the nickname and what he thinks of it. He tells us of his long-lost days managing a comedy club before committing full-time to his special brand of party comedy.
Daniel Chai started out as a lowly journalist but has steadily risen in status as an improviser. And he's a patron of the arts, too. You'll see him about town at all kinds of shows, not just improv. The Surrey native is a nice guy who owes his career to karaoke.
Glenn Wool returns for his third go-around with us. We talk about kids birthday parties, the dangers of living in Canada, opening for Jim Jefferies, harrowing cab rides in Vietnam, behind the scenes on Paul Provenza's Green Room, and getting fired from being a mascot.
Nestor Pistor is a Canadian comedy legend. But we don't need to tell you that. The Ukrainian entertainer is a many-timed Juno Award nominee. Don Ast created the character (what?!) back in the seventies and he's still going strong. In this episode, regular host Guy MacPherson was away, but sidekick Sam Tonning ably took over and asked all the right questions. We learn about the history of Nestor Pistor, plus we learn what he likes to cook, he gives us some fitness advice, and he tells us what his...
Dino Archie returns... with friend! We didn't know Dino would be bringing along a pal, so musician Jon Bryant doesn't get the introduction he deserves off the top. We talk about retirement, hanging with Johnny Depp, weddings, door-to-door knife salesmen, and an idea for a new podcast.
Travis Watters sounds like a wrestling villain. That's because that was his gig for 20 years. He grappled with all the greats as the heel Ladies Choice. We talk about his years in the ring and the toll it took on his body – but he's making a comeback in 2020! We also talk about growing up in Fredericton and his rivals in Oromocto, his side hobby oil painting, and his latest work on standup stages around the city.
Kalvin Olafson is a Vancouver actor with ties to the comedy scene here. He visited us to promote a play he was in, but we talked about all sorts of things with him and guest sidekick Lars Callieou. We talk about Kalvin's process and motivation, growing up on a farm in Manitoba, flying first class, and playing in his band Minto.
Kyle Bottom may not have been with us for five long years, but in our defense, this was his fourth visit. In this episode, we discuss him phoning in his SiriusXM Top Comic competition duties, what he's learning in radio school, honeymooning in Japan, vetoed baby names, and altogether too much toilet talk.
Shawn Farquhar makes himself appear on the show for the third time. We may be running out of lame magic puns, but not songs about the art form. It's always fun to surprise him with a new one. And in this episode he surprises us with some facts about him. Did you know he was almost an Anglican minister? Do you know what his hobbies are? You will after you listen to this episode. Plus what it's like to perform sick.
Ola Dada makes his What's So Funny? debut, and he comes bearing dad jokes a-plenty! This standup comedian from Nigeria by way of Fort McMurray. Could there be two more different places? We learn what it was like making the move from western Africa to western Canada. At the time of this recording, Dada was waiting to hear if he made the finals of the SiriusXM Top Comic competition. Spoiler alert: He did!
