This week’s federal leaders debate was a sweet gift to Air Farce Live. The Canadian comedy showcase returns for a 16th and final season tonight at 8 p.m. on CBC.
Just ten more regular season episodes and then a New Year’s Eve special are planned as the Farce goes from us. CBC ordered the half season as it phases out one of its legacy shows, despite the fact that the ratings compare well with just about everything else on the network, old and new. Air Farce averaged more viewers last season than The Border, for example, and does better than The Tudors or Dragons’ Den or Sophie. It does this on a Friday night, a tough TV arena where two CBC rookie shows, MVP and jPod, went down in flames last season. CBC will be hard pressed to match Farce‘s steady 700,000 viewers on a Friday night once the new year begins.
They’ll also miss a golden opportunity to platform the younger members of the cast who seemed poised to take the Farce franchise into the next few seasons. While Jessica Holmes, who just had her second child, is on the bench, newest cast member Penelope Corrin is pumped about donning the wig and glasses tonight as comedy target No. 1 Sarah Palin. Craig Lauzon (above as Stephen Harper), Luba Goy (Elizabeth May), Don Ferguson (Jack Layton) and Alan Park (who does a mean Stephane Dion), will goof on the leaders debate tonight. Last week at the CBC fall launch, Lauzon told me he already has plans once Farce is finished. He is working up a CBC comedy radio series with This Hour Has 22 Minutes’ Gavin Crawford.
In the meantime, use the Farce while you can, especially tonight and next week as they take aim at the election.
Had enough election talk? Looking to rock the vote?
Sherri Woodstock happens this Sunday. The indie rock fest celebrating the brief, beautiful life of Toronto Sun club and concert reporter Sherri Wood, takes place at the Opera House in Toronto, with doors opening at 4:30. Six bands are playing, including a Led Zeppelin set from Classic Albums Live (look for Sun exec ent editor John Kryk on mandolin). Stand up funnyman Frenchie MacFarlane has also been added to the bill. He remembers Sherri always sneaking him into her club and concert listings and he promises plenty of laughs Sunday.
Tickets are $25 cash and can be purchased at the door if you do not have them already. Monies raised at the event will go toward an education fund set up in Sherri’s name. Come on by and share the Sherri love.
Snuck a plug in for Sherri Woodstock this week with Scott Thompson over at Hamilton’s CHML. There’s also some blather about the election debates on both sides of the border. You can listen in here to our talk before the debate and here to get my post-debate response with Scott.
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