The Irrelevant Show
Encyclopedia
The Irrelevant Show is a half-hour radio
sketch comedy
show airing on CBC Radio One
.
starting in 2003. Early in 2004 it was given a slot of its own late Saturday mornings for a short series of nine shows, and in 2005 returned as a recurring comedy show broadcast as part of DNTO. The show returned for another series in the summer of 2008, airing Friday nights and Saturday mornings. On December 31, 2008, An Irrelevant New Year's brought in the new year on Radio One with a full hour of sketches that didn't make it to air in the previous summer.
The 2008 season won a bronze medal for Best Regularly Scheduled Comedy Program in the 2009 New York Festivals – International Radio Broadcasting Awards, as well as a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Radio Clip.
A second New Year's Eve show was recorded at the Yardbird Suite in Edmonton on September 28, 2009 and aired on Radio One on December 31, 2009. Jeff Haslam
joined the cast for this recording.
The 2010 series had its first regular season run starting Sept. 11, 2010 at 11:35 AM EST and it concluded on Jan. 1, 2011.
Starting on July 2, 2011, the series had a 10 week run as part of the network's summer season.
computer system, the Jane Austen
Drinking Game, or the mock expose on the Salvation Army
's Special Forces unit. Common themes or storylines are often returned to at different times throughout an episode.
in the Old Strathcona
district of Edmonton
. Subsequent episodes were recorded before a live audience at the Stanley A. Milner Library Theatre in downtown Edmonton. The 2008 series returned to the Varscona Theatre
. Since then, the show has been recorded at a variety of Edmonton venues, including the Yardbird Suite, La Cité Francophone and Catalyst Theatre.
, Paul Mather
, Mark Meer
, Jana O'Connor and Donovan Workun, all of whom have worked with or wrote for previous comedy troupes, including Atomic Improv, the CTV sitcom Corner Gas
, the improvised soap opera Die-Nasty
, improv/sketch troupe Gordon's Big Bald Head, the CBC television show This Hour Has 22 Minutes
and the comedy-musical group Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie
.
The 2008 cast was Leona Brausen, Marianne Copithorne, Neil Grahn, Meer, O'Connor, and Workun with music by Joe Bird. Eric Wagers provided sound effects.
The 2010 series featured the same cast with music by Jill Pollock and Ben Sures. Dave Clarke
provided sound effects.
Writers for the 2008-2010 series include Meer, Grahn, O'Connor, Cathleen Rootsaert, Dana Andersen
, Ian Boothby
, Jeff Haslam
, Jocelyn Ahlf, Belinda Cornish, Josh Dean
, Ron Pederson
, Kurt Smeaton, George Westerholm
, Chris Craddock, Matt Watts
, Nile Seguin
and writers from Mostly Water Theatre
, Gordon's Big Bald Head, and Lobster Telephone
. Neil Grahn is head writer.
The show is produced by Peter Brown.
Canadian Comedy Awards, 2011.
2010 Season, Episode 1
Best Radio Program or Clip (nominated),
Canadian Comedy Awards, 2010.
"Doug, the Last Man on Earth" written by Dana Anderson and Neil Grahn,
performed by Mark Meer
and Grahn.
Best Regularly Scheduled Comedy Program - Bronze Medal -
The 2009 New York Festivals – International Radio Broadcasting Awards.
Best Radio Clip,
Canadian Comedy Awards, 2009.
"Zen Hokey Pokey" written by George Westerholm,
performed by Joe Bird.
Best Radio Clip (nominated),
Canadian Comedy Awards, 2009.
"Witch Smoke" written by Matt Stanton,
performed by Mark Meer
and Marianne Copithorne.
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
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...
show airing on CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
.
Broadcast history
The show initially broadcast Saturday afternoons during the third hour of Definitely Not the OperaDefinitely Not the Opera
Definitely Not the Opera is a magazine-style radio program focusing on aspects of pop culture. The program is broadcast on CBC Radio One on Saturday afternoons, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. . An abridged version of each weekly program is available for download as a weekly podcast...
starting in 2003. Early in 2004 it was given a slot of its own late Saturday mornings for a short series of nine shows, and in 2005 returned as a recurring comedy show broadcast as part of DNTO. The show returned for another series in the summer of 2008, airing Friday nights and Saturday mornings. On December 31, 2008, An Irrelevant New Year's brought in the new year on Radio One with a full hour of sketches that didn't make it to air in the previous summer.
The 2008 season won a bronze medal for Best Regularly Scheduled Comedy Program in the 2009 New York Festivals – International Radio Broadcasting Awards, as well as a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Radio Clip.
A second New Year's Eve show was recorded at the Yardbird Suite in Edmonton on September 28, 2009 and aired on Radio One on December 31, 2009. Jeff Haslam
Jeff Haslam
Jeff Haslam is a Edmonton, Alberta- based actor.Mr. Haslam is best known as a long time member of Edmonton's Teatro la Quindicina troupe, performing the works of playwright Stewart Lemoine, including Damp Fury, Pith!, Fever-Land, Evelyn Strange, Cocktails at Pam's, Connie in Egypt, The Margin of...
joined the cast for this recording.
The 2010 series had its first regular season run starting Sept. 11, 2010 at 11:35 AM EST and it concluded on Jan. 1, 2011.
Starting on July 2, 2011, the series had a 10 week run as part of the network's summer season.
Description
Each episode of The Irrelevant Show consists of a series of comedy sketches. Typical sketches from the series comment humorously on popular culture in some way, with sketches like Bionic Centurion Trucker, the helpline operator for The MatrixThe Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
computer system, the Jane Austen
Jane Austen
Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived...
Drinking Game, or the mock expose on the Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
's Special Forces unit. Common themes or storylines are often returned to at different times throughout an episode.
Recording
The first series was recorded live at the Varscona TheatreVarscona Theatre
The Varscona Theatre is a live performance venue in the Old Strathcona neighborhood of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. A former firehall, since 1994 the Varscona has been operated by a consortium of small theatre companies, including Rapid Fire Theatre, Shadow Theatre and Teatro la Quindicina...
in the Old Strathcona
Old Strathcona
Old Strathcona is an historic district located in south-central Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Once the commercial core of the separate city of Strathcona, the area is now Edmonton's main arts and entertainment district, and in 2007 was named Alberta's second "Provincial Historic Area"...
district of Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
. Subsequent episodes were recorded before a live audience at the Stanley A. Milner Library Theatre in downtown Edmonton. The 2008 series returned to the Varscona Theatre
Varscona Theatre
The Varscona Theatre is a live performance venue in the Old Strathcona neighborhood of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. A former firehall, since 1994 the Varscona has been operated by a consortium of small theatre companies, including Rapid Fire Theatre, Shadow Theatre and Teatro la Quindicina...
. Since then, the show has been recorded at a variety of Edmonton venues, including the Yardbird Suite, La Cité Francophone and Catalyst Theatre.
Cast and Writers
The original cast included Wes BorgWes Borg
Wes Borg is a Canadian comedian, playwright and musician from Edmonton, best known as a member of the comedy troupe Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie. Borg now resides in Victoria, British Columbia....
, Paul Mather
Paul Mather
Paul Mather is a Canadian comedy writer.Along with Donovan Workun, he is a founding member of the Edmonton improv troupe Atomic Improv. While living in Edmonton, he also worked with Rapid Fire Theatre and Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie. He has won four Canadian Comedy Awards for his work on This...
, Mark Meer
Mark Meer
Mark Meer is a Canadian actor, writer and improvisor, based in Edmonton, Alberta. He is a core company member of the Canadian Comedy Award-winning live improvised soap opera Die-Nasty, and was the first performer to complete the annual 53-hour long Die-Nasty Soap-A-Thon without sleep.He is also a...
, Jana O'Connor and Donovan Workun, all of whom have worked with or wrote for previous comedy troupes, including Atomic Improv, the CTV sitcom Corner Gas
Corner Gas
Corner Gas is a Canadian television sitcom created by Brent Butt. The series ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009. Re-runs still air on CTV and The Comedy Network in Canada; it formerly aired on WGN America in the United States....
, the improvised soap opera Die-Nasty
Die-Nasty
Die-Nasty is a live improvised soap opera, running weekly in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada since 1991. Die-Nastys improv comedy format features a continuing storyline and recurring characters, live music, and a director who sets up scenes for the audience in voiceover.The cast of Die-Nasty...
, improv/sketch troupe Gordon's Big Bald Head, the CBC television show This Hour Has 22 Minutes
This Hour Has 22 Minutes
This Hour Has 22 Minutes is a weekly Canadian television comedy that airs on CBC Television. Launched in 1993 during Canada's 35th general election, the show focuses on Canadian politics, combining news parody, sketch comedy and satirical editorials...
and the comedy-musical group Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie
Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie
Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie are a Canadian comedy group from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Childhood friends Wes Borg and Joe Bird met actress Cathleen Rootsaert at a weekly Theatre Sports comedy jam to form the initial group. Later, Neil Grahn was recruited...
.
The 2008 cast was Leona Brausen, Marianne Copithorne, Neil Grahn, Meer, O'Connor, and Workun with music by Joe Bird. Eric Wagers provided sound effects.
The 2010 series featured the same cast with music by Jill Pollock and Ben Sures. Dave Clarke
Dave Clarke
Dave Clarke is an English techno producer and DJ, often given the title, 'The Baron of Techno'.-Life and career:...
provided sound effects.
Writers for the 2008-2010 series include Meer, Grahn, O'Connor, Cathleen Rootsaert, Dana Andersen
Dana Andersen
Dana Andersen is an Edmonton-based actor, improvisor, filmmaker, writer and director. He is an alumnus of The Second City, and has worked closely with Mike Myers, Ryan Stiles, and Joe Flaherty, among others. He currently serves as director of the live improvised soap opera Die-Nasty, and has been a...
, Ian Boothby
Ian Boothby
Ian Boothby is a multiple Shuster Award, Harvey Award and Eisner Award nominee and an Eisner Award–winning comic book creator best known for his work as one of the main writers on Simpsons Comics and Futurama Comics for Matt Groening's Bongo Comics. Boothby has written more Simpsons Comics than any...
, Jeff Haslam
Jeff Haslam
Jeff Haslam is a Edmonton, Alberta- based actor.Mr. Haslam is best known as a long time member of Edmonton's Teatro la Quindicina troupe, performing the works of playwright Stewart Lemoine, including Damp Fury, Pith!, Fever-Land, Evelyn Strange, Cocktails at Pam's, Connie in Egypt, The Margin of...
, Jocelyn Ahlf, Belinda Cornish, Josh Dean
Josh Dean
George Joshua Christian Dean is a Canadian actor and improvisor. He hails from Edmonton, Alberta, where he performed in the improvised soap opera Die-Nasty and toured with improv company Rapid Fire Theatre...
, Ron Pederson
Ron Pederson
Ronald "Ron" Pederson is a Canadian actor and comedian, who has performed extensively throughout Canada and in the United States....
, Kurt Smeaton, George Westerholm
George Westerholm
George Westerholm is a Canadian musician, singer, comedian and writer. He has won three Canadian Comedy Awards for his work as a writer on This Hour Has 22 Minutes and The Toronto Show.-Musical career:...
, Chris Craddock, Matt Watts
Matt Watts (comedian)
Matt Watts is a Canadian comedian, actor and writer.Best known for his work on Ken Finkleman's The Newsroom, he has recently been working for CBC Radio One, writing and performing in the dramas Steve, The First, its sequel Steve, The Second and Canadia: 2056...
, Nile Seguin
Nile Seguin
Nile Seguin is a Canadian comedian from Ottawa, Ontario.He has appeared on MuchMusic's Video On Trial as well as the film Ham & Cheese. He has written for CBC Television's The Hour with host George Stroumboulopoulos...
and writers from Mostly Water Theatre
Mostly Water Theatre
Mostly Water Theatre is a Canadian Comedy Award nominated, Edmonton-based Canadian sketch comedy group formed in 2005, consisting of comedians Craig Buchert, Jason Ludwig, Matt Stanton, Sam Varteniuk, and Trent Wilkie.-History:...
, Gordon's Big Bald Head, and Lobster Telephone
Lobster Telephone
Lobster Telephone is a surrealist object, created by Salvador Dalí in 1936 with surrealist artist and patron Edward James...
. Neil Grahn is head writer.
The show is produced by Peter Brown.
Awards
Best Radio Program or Clip (nominated),Canadian Comedy Awards, 2011.
2010 Season, Episode 1
Best Radio Program or Clip (nominated),
Canadian Comedy Awards, 2010.
"Doug, the Last Man on Earth" written by Dana Anderson and Neil Grahn,
performed by Mark Meer
Mark Meer
Mark Meer is a Canadian actor, writer and improvisor, based in Edmonton, Alberta. He is a core company member of the Canadian Comedy Award-winning live improvised soap opera Die-Nasty, and was the first performer to complete the annual 53-hour long Die-Nasty Soap-A-Thon without sleep.He is also a...
and Grahn.
Best Regularly Scheduled Comedy Program - Bronze Medal -
The 2009 New York Festivals – International Radio Broadcasting Awards.
Best Radio Clip,
Canadian Comedy Awards, 2009.
"Zen Hokey Pokey" written by George Westerholm,
performed by Joe Bird.
Best Radio Clip (nominated),
Canadian Comedy Awards, 2009.
"Witch Smoke" written by Matt Stanton,
performed by Mark Meer
Mark Meer
Mark Meer is a Canadian actor, writer and improvisor, based in Edmonton, Alberta. He is a core company member of the Canadian Comedy Award-winning live improvised soap opera Die-Nasty, and was the first performer to complete the annual 53-hour long Die-Nasty Soap-A-Thon without sleep.He is also a...
and Marianne Copithorne.