The Kids in the Hall

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.