A fitting tribute to perhaps the best sketch troupe of all time. This book shines due to its behind the scenes details and interviews with everyone associated with KITH.

I watched Kids in the Hall every chance I got as a child. I was probably too young to watch the series. This is more a judgement of my mother’s parenting, whichI enjoy to no end. The book took me back to my childhood and gave me great insight into these amazing talents!

I am a big fan of Kids in the Hall and was excited about this book for months before I got my hands on it. It goes into great detail about the Kids' early years, the formation of the group, the struggle with the broadcasters and movie deals, and the intricate relationships between the troupe members. I enjoyed the writing style of Paul Myers and appreciated the insight he provides from his close access to the group. This book is a wonderful read for any fan of Kids in the Hall and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to the House of Anasi for a copy of The Kids in the Hall for review.

I feel like there is nothing more Canadian than reading a book about The Kids in the Hall and buying tulips in March to try and pretend spring is coming soon!
The Kids in the Hall is a pretty straightforward history of the group and how they formed. It goes through the years they were together but I found it just skims the facts. There was nothing deeper or more in depth which was a shame. I wish there was more than that, maybe some behind the scenes stuff or more of the inspiration for their famous sketches.
A good general history but nothing to be excited for I’m afraid. It did make me miss the days of kids singing “These Are The Daves I Know” for no reason, or squashing your heads with your fingers.

"Individually, I think we're all very smart. Just together as a group, we're really just one dumb guy"- Mark McKinney

This official biography of one of the most influential sketch comedy troupes of all time is fascinating and incredibly well written. Let's be honest, biography/memoir isn't a genrethat everyone loves; it can be dry and lacking but The Kids in the Hall: One Dumb Guy by Paul Myers is a standout in its category.

Paul Myers delves deep into the history of the troupe starting with how Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney, Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, and Scott Thompson were drawn to comedy as children and teens dealing with traumatic and difficult lives. From there, he take the reader through the KITH's rise in Toronto's comedy scene and how their eventual discovery lead to a TV show the likes no one had seen before.

Myers does not mince words -- as a long time "member" of The KITH, he knows the ins and outs of their history. and is able to lead the reader through the good times and bad, up to the present day. The KITH are a testament to truly loving your craft, and your friends, even when you hate both.

What make this book great is that The KITH were extensively involved in the production, providing interviews and anecdotes that add to the authenticity. My copy was an ARC version and didn't include photos, though I hope Myers adds some in the future as they would be fantastic throwbacks. This is a must read for any fan of The Kids in the Hall. I consider myself to be one of their biggest fans and even I learned some new stuff! Don't miss this one!

Thirty Helens agree that this is a must read for even a casual Kids in the Hall fan. The book takes a fairly chronological approach that feels natural and straightforward. The book begins with Bruce and extends to the other members as he met them, their stories building on one another's, giving a deeper and more thorough understanding of who each really is. Although it only seems logical that a group with more than one member would have disagreements and clashes, this book felt eye opening in how much detail it gave concerning some of their squabbles and differences. Each member of the troupe was given a fair section of the book and the ability to express his own personal stories and remembrances. Unlike many biographies, this one contains a trove of new information and insights, each one as entertaining as the last.

The Kids in the Hall is a Canadian sketch comedy group that formed in 1984. I was a fan and watched their show in the late 1980s/early 1990s. As such, I thought it would be interesting to read about them.

The book starts with the childhoods of the Kids and ends with what they are doing today (as of 2018). In the 1980s, Mark McKinney and Bruce McCulloch were known as "The Audience" in Western Canada and Kevin McDonald and Dave Foley were known as "The Kids in the Hall" in Toronto. When McKinney and McCulloch moved to Toronto, they connected with McDonald and Foley and the four become the Kids in the Hall. Scott Thompson soon joined the group.

The Kids in the Hall performed regularly here in Toronto in the mid-1980s and eventually caught the eye of Lorne Michaels who helped them get their own show, which ran from 1989 to 1994. When that ended, they made the movie Brain Candy and then went their separate ways and did various things. They got back together years later and have done a short TV miniseries and some tours (Gord and I saw them on their 2015 tour).

I liked the writing style. There were many interviews with the Kids, plus others including Seth Meyers, Judd Apatow, Garry Shandling, Paul Feig, Mike Myers, Brent Butt, Bob Odenkirk and Andy Richter. The Kids were honest and didn't try to hide when there were issues when they were working (or not working) together. It's nice that despite the hostilities over the years that they are back to being close friends again.

It was an interesting book which The Kids in the Hall fans will enjoy.

When I was first introduced to Kids in the Hall through the syndicated reruns on Comedy Central, I remember being a bit more bewildered than anything by their brand of humor, which ranged from straight faced monologues on the most absurd topics to skits that were practically art films. But it wasn’t very long until I warmed up to the troupe whose creatively gutsy sketches could make me near-incapacitated with laughter. After that it was a pretty quick jump to a genuine adoration of Bruce, Kevin, Dave, Mark, Scott, and a deep respect that bordered on reverence for their ability to take comedy to new what felt like a magical next level. In other words, eventually I became part of the Kids in the Hall’s following, a band whose dedication continues to hold strong.

And now, I and the many other fans are lucky enough to not merely have a history of the Kids to enjoy, but what is undoubtedly the definitive history. It’s difficult to see how anyone will be able to top Paul Myers' fine work here, which covers everything from each troupe member’s beginnings up until the present day, written with both the finest of researched detail and the honest and open collaboration of the Kids themselves.

At the very least, this book will renew its readers love of the Kids, and if they’re anything remotely like me they’ll find themselves occasionally taking breaks just so they can re-watch classic sketches online. But it will also be difficult to get through “One Dumb Guy” without ending up with an even greater grasp on just how daring and groundbreaking the troupe has been, and how much their influence continues to be felt throughout sketch comedy.

To try and sum it up succinctly to my fellow fans of the Kids in the Hall - this is our book, and we couldn’t have hoped for better.