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The Trouble with Tracy (1970)
Great Show - Canadian content
To be Canadian seems to mean cutting up Canadian humour. But this show wasn't meant to play to adults (even if some of the lines were to hip for the room). It played in Toronto around 4 pm ! This was meant for teen-aged boys to ogle. And putting the American flag in most of the scene so that it would be picked up for syndication was brilliant.
Oh, sure it was hokey. Sure there were blunders. But it was FUN. Theatre Sports (Improv) at Queens Quay would follow in future years. Anyone taking this as serious missed the point. Heck - they probably hated Razzle Dazzle as well! If the analogy helps - you can have your NFL, but Trouble with Tracy was pure CFL!
Reverse American Plot? I received an email that put forth the theory: "By putting in an American flag and references, this show made Americans look stupid - And thus began (?) Canadian hatred for all Americans"
Coming Up Rosie (1975)
Source: http://www.film.queensu.ca/CBC/Cin.html
http://www.film.queensu.ca/CBC/Cin.html
Mon/Wed/Fri 4:30-5:00 p.m., 15 Sep 1975-25 Feb 1976
Mon 430-5:00 p.m., 13 Sep 1976-28 Mar 1977
Tue 4:30-5:00 p.m., 4 Oct 1977-28 Mar 1978
Rosemary Radcliffe became familiar to Toronto television audiences as a frizzy-haired, zany but smart young woman in the early 1970s through her work on the local CBLT-TV broadcast Sunday Morning (a comedy and public affairs show "for people whose Sunday mornings start at noon"), Toronto theatregoers got to know her as part of the Second City cast. Executive producer Don Elder and producer/director Trevor Evans drew on the talent of other Second City cast members when they devised a replacement for Dr. Zonk and the Zonkins, which children found too childish, and created Coming Up Rosie, starring Radcliffe as Rosie Tucker.
Rosie, a recent graduate of film school, rented space in the basement of a building at 99 Sumach, and tried to produce documentaries. There, she found herself surrounded by a troupe of loonies who helped or hindered her work. Barrie Baldaro played her assistant, Dudley Nightshade; Dan Hennessey was Ralph Oberding, a salesman for the Neva-Rust Storm Door Company; Fiona Reid played Mona Swicker and Catherine O'Hara was Myrna Wallbacker, operators for the Ding-A-Ling Answering Service; John Stocker portrayed elevator operator Dwayne Kramer; John Candy was Wally Wypyzypychwk of Sleep-Tite Burglar Alarms; and Dan Aykroyd was Purvis Bickle, the building janitor.
This entertaining situation comedy for older children boasted knockabout action, with stories that had characters run from one office to another to the elevator to broom closets, and clever, rapid-fire dialogue. The shows were written by Barbara Evans, David Mayerovitch, and Stuart Northey. Evans had had experience with this type of clever kids' show, as Kiddo the Clown, a 1960s show for CFTO-TV in Toronto. He left Coming Up Rosie, and was replaced for the final season by Hedley Read.
Please credit: Last updated 4 December 1996 by Derek Redmond redmond@queensu.ca URL: http://www.film.queensu.ca/CBC/Cin.html
The Party Game (1970)
Ted Ziegler (spelling)
Someone has to mention Ted Ziegler with his RED SOCKS.
Also, TED and BILLY had a routine called the "BONE AND MUSCLE TENSIFIER". Ted would appear to pull Billy's arms out of their socket in an imaginary way - and Billy would bend / contort as if it was actually being done. Then Billy would appear to pull Ted's lips over his face. And they would trade gross cruelties - all imaginary. My brother and I copied this, as best we could, to amuse our family and friends.
Also learned the best Chardes techniques. - one word, two words etc: number of fingers hitting your other arm - chop arm: number of syllables (spelling isn't important in this game) - sounds like: pull your ear - correct: point to your eye
Billy Van also did characters (in between the games). One would NEVER be allowed today: Maurice of Mimico. He would roll up the front his t-shirt into the top - making it look like a "bandaide" / "bikini". And then prance around in gay abandonment. It was played for pure fun, and could not insult anyone.