What's So Funny?

Blaine Thurier returns to the show after a nine year absence. He reveals the news (to us) that he's no longer in New Pornographers after a nice two-decade run. We also talk about his evangelical background, classical music, time machines, and Teen Lust, among other things.

Mike Wilmot returns 13 years after his first appearance on the show. It's a new Uncle Mike now. He's lost a ton of weight, but is as filthy (and funny) as ever. We had a lot of fun on this one talking about lightweight drinkers, industry showcases, fears, Pete Tong, and, of course, his father's penis. Recorded September 22, 2020.

Bob Saget is a prince of a man. He took time out of his busy (no really!) quarantine to talk to us. We even made him late for his own podcast, "Bob Saget's Here For You." In this episode, we talk about him forgetting me but remembered a bad review he got in 1978 from the Toronto Star – and the reviewer's name. We also chat about his penis, he tells stories of Richard and Rodney (Pryor and Dangerfield, natch), and my brush with greatness: Mrs. Miller.

Ian Bagg last joined us a decade ago, when he was deported from America and had to slum it in his home province for six weeks. He's back safely ensconced in Southern California . In this episode we talk about his early days in New York (and getting animated on Dr. Katz) and even earlier days getting started in Vancouver. Also doing crowd work at drive-in shows and abusing cyclists at beach shows. Recorded August 20, 2020.

Shirley Gnome marks her fifth appearance on What's So Funny?, but first remotely. The songstress has always played for us in studio in the past, and she doesn't disappoint this time, either, offering us two live songs. And we talk about depression, hecklers, Nickelback, and cunnilingus.

Jeremy Hotz has been miserable on-stage for 30 years, and miserable off-stage for his whole life. But boy is that misery funny. Hotz, who's been living in LA the last 23 years, is one of Canada's best standup comics. In this episode, we talk about being a curmudgeon, murder, and Ernest Shackleton.

bbno$ is a rapper, not a comedian. But his songs are pretty funny. They make you want to open up TikTok, point your camera at yourself, and start dancing. Millions do that, anyway. Some of us have no rhythm. But we have a fun chat with Baby No Money, aka Alex, aka Gucci.

Derek Edwards comes out of hiding to join us in the Isolation Studios of What's So Funny? Edwards barely has electricity, but we got a hold of him in his bunker and it was a delight talking to him again. We discussed great Canadian televised fare such as Open Mike with Mike Bullard (he was the first comic to appear on that late night talk show), Red Green (he played the funeral director on a few episodes), and Corner Gas (he "tripped down the stairs" in the audition and never appeared). And we reminisced about the disastrous Trailer Park Boys theatre show he was a part of in 2004.

Sugar Sammy is back, all the way from Montreal. It's his fifth visit with us. It's nice to see that as big as he is now, he's still got time for us. We talk about him being the French Simon Cowell, and how that prevents him from taking the Métro in Paris anymore. And he tells us about Les Dragons, his ball hockey team that never got to play anyone. It's always a good time with Sammy. Recorded July 6, 2020.

Dave Hill is a comedian, author, musician, actor, podcaster and part-Canadian. A very small part, granted, but his intentions are good. In his latest book, Parking the Moose, the Cleveland-born, New York-residing Hill travels across the frozen tundra to better learn about his grandfather's people. He quizzes me on the book and I quiz him on some important Canadian trivia. He also discusses Norway's darlings Witch Taint. Recorded July 5, 2020.

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.