THIS WEEK’S PODCAST: SCTV Hall of Famer Dave Thomas

Early on in this week’s brioux.tv: the podcast episode with Dave Thomas the St. Catherines, Ont., native talks about his brief career in advertising. One of the things he learned in that business that helped his comedy career, he says, is the importance of brevity or “seconds.”

So let me get straight to the point: this episode will make you stronger and fitter, will whiten your teeth, invigorate your gums and improve your sex life. Guaranteed.

Thomas also talks about how Monty Python showed you could go against conventional wisdom; that every sketch didn’t have to have a beginning, middle and end. Sort of like these web posts.

This episode is a bit longer than usual, because Dave Thomas has some crazy incredible stories. Hear him on his brilliant SCTV colleagues: John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Rick Moranis, Catherine O’Hara, Harold Ramis and Martin Short. Thomas shares stories about that legendary, early ’70s Toronto production of Godspell. He talks about working with Lorne Michaels on the little-known early ’80s series The New Show.

Fans of Tom Poston will love his tales of working with the actor/comedian on Grace Under Fire. Love Johnny Carson? Thomas lived his dream of making Carson laugh on The Tonight Show and went on to enjoy lunch with the late-night legend.

Thomas grew up a big fan of Bob Hope. Little did he know he would get to work with the comedy icon and hang out at his house.

Hs also talks about leaving SCTV to shoot the Bob & Doug movie “Strange Brew.” Then there was the short-lived but fondly remembered CBS comedy-variety effort, The Dave Thomas Show and his third season arc on Arrested Development.

Thomas could see that sketch was becoming a hard sell and mid-career made a dramatic turn to the dramatic. He found himself, at the invitation of showrunner Hart Hanson, in the writer’s room on Bones and later The Blacklist.

So don’t be a hosehead. Crack open a 2-4 and hunker down for a comedy master class with a classy and generous gentleman, Dave Thomas. Simply click on the blue and white arrow above to link directly with the episode.