Mike, from Canmore
Encyclopedia
Mike, known as Mike from Canmore
, was a fictional character
from the 1993-2008 sketch comedy
series Royal Canadian Air Farce
. He was portrayed by Welsh
actor John Morgan
from 1994 until Morgan's retirement from the program in 2001. Morgan, who had never performed the character publicly since his retirement, died in late 2004.
Mike was known for his clothing, which included a red Calgary Flames
hat
, a checkered shirt, and brown vest. He also owned a dog
, named Norm, that was actually only a stuffed animal
which he would attempt to have perform tricks. Mike would often show up at the most unexpected of times in various random skits in Air Farce.
In the first few years of his existence, Mike's only line was "I'm Mike... from Canmore," which he would deliver very slowly and in a bewildered tone. Eventually, the character was expanded to say more, often about his dog. Other characters in the sketch would eventually get frustrated with Mike's apparent slowness and inability to grasp whatever situation had arisen. Sketches with Mike invariably ended with somebody asking Mike, in exasperation "What have you got to say?" or "What do you think about that?" to which Mike would respond with his catchphrase.
In early episodes of Air Farce, both Radio and TV, Mike was from Coquitlam
and not Canmore. On the radio show, many sets would be done from various areas of Canada. If Mike made an appearance on these shows, he would be Mike from any place starting with a "C".
Mike was occasionally seen with his friend "Chuck, from Rimbey". Chuck had similar speech, intelligence and clothing to Mike, although he wore an Edmonton Oilers
hat.
One of the more remembered appearances of Mike from Canmore occurred in a sketch in which Mike mistakes the MENSA office for a washroom as the "a" fell off moments before without his knowledge (forming the word "MENS") only to be greeted by a MENSA official who puts Mike through a verbal IQ test. The skit is filled with almost constant uses of double entendres. It was featured in a special episode paying tribute to John Morgan following his death. It was also one of the Air Farce's all-time best skits, chosen by the public during the Air Farce's Final Flight season.
According to Air Farce's website Mike's IQ is 1 or 9-1-1 in an emergency.
Canmore, Alberta
Canmore is a town in Alberta, Canada, located approximately west of the City of Calgary near the southeast boundary of Banff National Park. It is located in the Bow Valley within Alberta's Rockies. The town shares a border with Kananaskis Country to the west and south and the Municipal District of...
, was a fictional character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the 1993-2008 sketch comedy
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
series Royal Canadian Air Farce
Royal Canadian Air Farce
Air Farce Live, also credited as Air Farce, previously Royal Canadian Air Farce, and Air Farce—Final Flight! for the final season, was a Canadian comedy series starring the comedy troupe The Royal Canadian Air Farce that previously starred in an eponymous radio show on CBC radio from 1973 to 1997...
. He was portrayed by Welsh
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
actor John Morgan
John Morgan (comedian)
John Morgan was a Welsh-born Canadian comedian.Born in Aberdare, Wales, Morgan played numerous characters on the CBC sketch comedy television series Royal Canadian Air Farce from 1993 to 2001 and its predecessor on CBC Radio, including perpetually disgusted Scotsman Jock McBile, socialite Amy De...
from 1994 until Morgan's retirement from the program in 2001. Morgan, who had never performed the character publicly since his retirement, died in late 2004.
Mike was known for his clothing, which included a red Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
hat
Baseball cap
A baseball cap is a type of soft cap with a rounded stiff brim. The front of the cap typically contains designs or logos of sports teams ,...
, a checkered shirt, and brown vest. He also owned a dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
, named Norm, that was actually only a stuffed animal
Stuffed animal
A stuffed toy is a toy sewn from cloth, plush, or other textiles, and stuffed with straw, beans, plastic pellets, cotton, synthetic fibres, or other similar materials. Stuffed toys are also known as plush toys A stuffed toy is a toy sewn from cloth, plush, or other textiles, and stuffed with straw,...
which he would attempt to have perform tricks. Mike would often show up at the most unexpected of times in various random skits in Air Farce.
In the first few years of his existence, Mike's only line was "I'm Mike... from Canmore," which he would deliver very slowly and in a bewildered tone. Eventually, the character was expanded to say more, often about his dog. Other characters in the sketch would eventually get frustrated with Mike's apparent slowness and inability to grasp whatever situation had arisen. Sketches with Mike invariably ended with somebody asking Mike, in exasperation "What have you got to say?" or "What do you think about that?" to which Mike would respond with his catchphrase.
In early episodes of Air Farce, both Radio and TV, Mike was from Coquitlam
Coquitlam, British Columbia
Coquitlam is a city in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Coquitlam is mainly a suburban city, and is one of the 21 municipalities comprising Metro Vancouver. According to the 2007 Canadian Census, it is the 5th-largest city in British Columbia...
and not Canmore. On the radio show, many sets would be done from various areas of Canada. If Mike made an appearance on these shows, he would be Mike from any place starting with a "C".
Mike was occasionally seen with his friend "Chuck, from Rimbey". Chuck had similar speech, intelligence and clothing to Mike, although he wore an Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
hat.
One of the more remembered appearances of Mike from Canmore occurred in a sketch in which Mike mistakes the MENSA office for a washroom as the "a" fell off moments before without his knowledge (forming the word "MENS") only to be greeted by a MENSA official who puts Mike through a verbal IQ test. The skit is filled with almost constant uses of double entendres. It was featured in a special episode paying tribute to John Morgan following his death. It was also one of the Air Farce's all-time best skits, chosen by the public during the Air Farce's Final Flight season.
According to Air Farce's website Mike's IQ is 1 or 9-1-1 in an emergency.