The Red Green Show
Encyclopedia
The Red Green Show is a Canadian television comedy
that aired on various channels in Canada, with its ultimate home at CBC Television
, and on Public Broadcasting Service
(PBS) stations in the United States
, from 1991 until the series finale April 7, 2006 on CBC. The Red Green Show is essentially a cross between a sitcom
and a sketch comedy
series, and is a parody of home improvement
, do-it-yourself
, fishing
, and other outdoors shows (particularly The Red Fisher Show
). Reruns currently air on CBC Television, The Comedy Network
, and various PBS
stations. It was produced by S&S Productions
, which is owned by Steve
and Morag Smith
, and directed by William G. Elliott.
), is a handyman who tries to find shortcuts to most of his projects, trusting most of his work to duct tape
. He is the president of the Possum Lodge, a fiction
al men's club in the small northwestern Ontario
town of Possum Lake
, near the also-fictional town of Port Asbestos. He and his fellow lodge members had their own TV show in which they gave lessons and demonstrations in repair work and outdoor activities, and advice for men.
, a jetpack made from two propane tanks, a hybrid car from recycled golf carts and satellite dishes, and a kiddie ride made from a bar stool attached to the agitator of a washing machine
. Green often used duct tape in these projects. In one episode, he tried to duct tape the Ontario
-Quebec
border as a potential solution to Quebec separatism. The segment customarily concluded with the aphorism
"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy."
, The objective was to get a contestant to say a certain word in thirty seconds by giving them various clues. On this program however, the contestant almost always gave answers that were either way off or very odd throughout the segment, but finally said the correct word by accident. Often Harold would announce that week's prize in a misleading way, to make it sound much more interesting.
workbench, usually talking to older men about married life or coping with changing society ("Let's face it", he quipped in one episode, "these days, if you're not young, you're old.") This segment always concluded with, "Remember, I'm pulling for you. We're all in this together."
in the woods. The segments were named depending on the season and had a humorous twist on a famous saying. For example, the winter segment is named "Winter of Our Discount Tent
".
In many shows, Red and Harold could be seen sitting at a campfire
, with Red usually strumming a guitar
and singing an original humorous song with Harold providing vocal accents and percussion with various items such as spoons, gas cans and junk metal. In later seasons, the characters gave brief biographical sketches (consisting of various odd historical photos accompanied by narration) of "famous" Possum Lake residents.
s (featuring anthropomorphic
animals that looked like Red and Harold) and occasional advice segments with Dalton Humphrey, Winston Rothschild and Mike Hamar.
In the season Mike Hamar was introduced, he would often try to help Red around the lodge, but with humorously disastrous results due to mis-communications or Mike trying to imitate Red's corner cutting shortcuts.
Hap Shaughnessy appeared in many segments and always told outlandish stories about his life to Red and occasionally another character, who would doubt Hap's claims and start making jokes about them. Among other things, Hap claims to have been an astronaut
, to have fought Sonny Liston
, to have invented television
and basketball
, and to have once advised Walt Disney
on how many fingers to put on Mickey Mouse
.
), and delivering his signature piece of life advice in the form of a hockey metaphor: "Keep your stick on the ice." This was followed by a general meeting of the Possum Lodge membership while the credits rolled, which began with the ritual stating of the Lodge motto: "Quando omni flunkus moritati" (Pseudo-Latin for "When all else fails, play dead"). From season six onward, this was often followed by the Man's Prayer: "I'm a man, but I can change, if I have to, I guess." In the final episode of the series, a revised version of the prayer was said: "I'm a man, but I changed, because I had to. Oh well." In one episode, women take over Possum Lodge and change the prayer to "I am woman, hear me roar
. I'm in charge, get over it".
. The sketch was a parody of the long-running Canadian outdoors show The Red Fisher Show
(1968–1989), starring BH "Red" Fisher, in which Red and his friends would show silent films of their fishing trips with commentary at "Scuttlebutt Lodge". The character also appeared in Me & Max
and The Comedy Mill
before becoming the focus of his own series.
The Red Green Show was produced first by CHCH-TV
in Hamilton, Ontario
, then by CFPL-TV
in London
, then by the Global Television Network
, before finally finding its permanent home at CBC Television
for the 1997 season (its seventh) onward. The show was renamed The New Red Green Show upon its move to Global, and would keep this title until its second season at CBC.
The show ended April 7, 2006 after its 15th season with exactly 300 episodes. (This longevity inspired a joke in one episode, where Red says "The question is, can you do anything with crap? Obviously the answer is yes, we're in our fourteenth season.")
The last episode was filmed on November 5, 2005, at the Showline Studios Harbourside location. At the time the season began taping, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
locked out staffers who were members of the Canadian Media Guild
, rendering the show's regular studios at the Canadian Broadcasting Centre
unavailable. The last episode concluded with the show breaking the fourth wall
by thanking the audience and fans for their popularity. In addition, the Man's Prayer was changed to "I'm a man / but I changed / because I had to / Oh, well."
The low-budget movie Duct Tape Forever
(2002), was based on The Red Green Show. It was screened in select American theaters, but did not receive a wide release. It has since appeared occasionally on PBS
stations during pledge drives. It is also available on DVD.
As the show gained popularity, Steve Smith also wrote a syndicated newspaper column, as Red Green, titled North of 40 in which he would give advice to readers.
In previous years, the show would stage live mini-telethons (sometimes called "Red Green-a-thons") for public television stations in the United States. These usually coincided with national PBS fundraising drives, and featured contests between various PBS stations carrying the show. This was done to encourage new stations to carry Red Green, for those who already have it to continue it, and in one year Red playfully dumped stations that chose to discontinue the show in a wheelbarrow.
Since 2000, Red Green has been the "Ambassador of Scotch Duct Tape" for 3M
.
Shortly after the show's final episode, Smith stated that he had no intention of reprising his character, partly because he found it difficult to maintain Red's distinctive, gravelly voice. An animated series titled Planet Harold was reportedly planned but was never released.
On December 14, 2008, a retrospective special title "The Red Green Story-We're All In This Together" aired on select PBS stations. The special was released on DVD along with a book. In 2010, despite his earlier statement, Smith embarked on the "Wit and Wisdom Comedy Tour", in which he gave live performances as Red Green in cities across the United States and Canada.
) is the leader of Possum Lodge and a self-proclaimed handyman who is constantly extolling the virtues of duct tape
("the handyman's secret weapon"). He is married to Bernice Green and does not have any children. He is seldom seen without his trademark red-and-green suspenders.
According to Red's DVD biography, Red became the leader of Possum Lodge after gradually becoming more involved with it over time and becoming "the only guy nobody hated." At one point, he borrowed a large sum of money from his brother just before his brother lost his job at the bank. In repayment, Red employed his nephew Harold as the producer and director of The Red Green Show.
In addition to being a handyman, Red also has several main philosophies in life, some of which are passed on to the lodge as a whole. Chief among them is the phrase "Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" (pseudo-Latin for "When all else fails, play dead"). He also concludes each of his Handyman Corner segments with the phrase, "If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy."
Red owns what is known as "the Possum Van", a 1985 Dodge Ram cargo van
, painted as a grey 'possum on a pale blue background, and with a license plate reading simply "POSSUM". It is one of Red's few vehicles that actually runs. It has played (and donated) many parts in Handyman's Corner projects.
Red's dry, often sarcastic wit is balanced by a strong sense of camaraderie with his fellow lodge members, partly because he directs most of his sarcasm toward Harold. Despite this, Harold and the rest of Possum Lodge seem to regard Red with a high level of respect, though occasionally some of the lodge members will challenge his authority in one way or another.
) is Red's nephew and the fictional producer and director of The Red Green Show. He is a nerd
—he has a significant overbite, wears thick glasses, is very eager and sensitive. He is often appalled by the behaviour of the other lodge members (and even Red himself), and he puts a lot of effort into trying to change everyone's behaviour, usually with little or no success.
Harold's advanced knowledge of computer
s, television and technology originally landed him the job of producer and director of the TV show. Later in the show's history, he became employed at Multicorp and went to work in the neighbouring town of Port Asbestos. He later became the publicity manager for Possum Lake, and eventually fell in love with Bonnie (Laurie Elliott
), a commercial truck driver who shares nearly all of his unusual mannerisms. The two were married in the final episode of the series.
Harold and Red spend much of their time on the show trading insults and poking fun at each other. While they have shown they can cooperate with one another at times, Harold is often very critical of Red's ideas and schemes, but usually ends up going along with them anyway.
In the film Duct Tape Forever, Harold is not a member of the Possum Lodge. At the end, the brotherhood accept him and take him in.
) is the owner of Humphrey's Everything Store and is one of Red's best friends. He is one of the few financially successful lodge members. He is a cheapskate and tries to conserve money as much as possible, shortchanging and cheating people. When he isn't complaining about the state of things at his store, he generally complains about his troubled marriage to Ann Marie and their daughter's spending habits.
Dalton has been with the show since season 4 and takes part in the vast majority of the show's main storylines. He has a strong relationship with Red, joining him on his regular fishing trips and taking part in many aspects of the Possum Lodge operations. He also takes his fatherhood very seriously, often trying to pass on his ideas and wisdom to other people (most notably Harold). He generally tells people exactly what he thinks of them, even if it means offending them.
Ann Marie only appeared onscreen once, in the final episode, in which she and Dalton renewed their wedding vows (her face was obscured by her bridal veil); however, she was sometimes seen in shadow in scenes set near their home (her voice was provided by Jennifer Irwin
). Their daughter, Tabitha, appeared in the film Duct Tape Forever
, although there she goes by the name Mandy.
) is a career criminal who joined Possum Lodge while on parole from federal prison. He has become another of Red's best friends and often tries to help out around the Lodge, though he is not very good at handyman tasks in general. He talks a lot about his troubled childhood—mostly about his mother (an exotic dancer
) and many fathers. Mike suffers from low self-esteem and poor planning, usually causing those around him to try to cheer him up again. He is the only character who regularly refers to Red as "Mr. Green." As revealed in the final episode, Mike eventually becomes a police officer.
) is the owner and sole employee of Rothschild's Sewage and Septic Sucking Services. Like Dalton and Mike, Winston is one of Red Green's friends and takes part in the day-to-day operations at Possum Lodge. He is always seen wearing a hard hat
, a white button-down shirt, a bowtie and hip waders. He is generally upbeat and has a positive outlook on life, and is usually able to look on the bright side of things even in the face of certain disaster. He is also a fan of self help speakers Anthony Anthony (whom he likes to quote) and Walter Mollusk.
A true entrepreneur, Winston describes sewage and septic sucking as his lifelong dream. He owns his own equipment and a septic truck—apparently his only means of transportation, even on his usually unsuccessful dates. Throughout the series, he appears in a wide variety of commercials advertising his septic sucking business, almost always with a humorous quip ("We're number one in the number two business"; "We'll take that smell off your hands";"We come in a truck and leave in a day" etc.). In later episodes, his commercials tend to parody the advertising campaigns of numerous Canadian companies.
) is the star of the "Adventures with Bill" segment, in which he and at least one other character (usually Red) attempt to perform relatively simple tasks or try a sport or game in the clumsiest, most accident-prone way possible. (These segments are done in a silent home-movie format with a voiceover by Red.) Bill rarely actually speaks, and has only appeared on the main set of the show in the second season (still silently) and in the series' final episode—these are also the only times Bill is ever seen in colour, since the "Adventures" segments are shown in black & white. When something goes wrong, as it invariably does each episode, Bill can be heard as a muffled scream; these are anticipation of injury, not actual injury, such as Bill screaming as he falls off the ladder, not when he hits the ground. In some segments, Bill can be heard speaking in gibberish, but the explanation for not hearing him clearly is usually that the camera they use for these segments has a weak microphone. Later in the show's history, the "Adventures with Bill" segment was expanded to include more characters and not necessarily Bill himself.
In each "Adventures" segment in which Bill appears, he usually attempts to do something of an outdoors nature, such as backpacking, building something, chopping down a tree, or playing a sport. Each of his actions are basically slapstick comedy routines—for example, when he swings an axe, it flies out of his hands and smashes into another character or Red's Possum Van. In what has become a classic occurrence, Bill often manages to knock one or both of the side mirrors off the van. He can also store large tools and miscellaneous items in his overalls, and pull them out on demand. Many segments show Bill getting hurt somehow, but apparently not seriously or permanently. (One segment in particular ends with Bill's arms crushed and flattened in a grape press.) There is generally no continuity from one "Adventures" segment to the next, and Bill comes back in the following episode good as new.
) is the local forest ranger who spends almost all of his time alone in Fire Watch Tower 13 and, later in the series, Tower 3. His full name is Gordon Ranger, but he prefers not to be called "Ranger Ranger." He is always seen wearing his ranger outfit (which he apparently launders using only a blow dryer), and he finds various eccentric ways to pass his time, even while Red is visiting. For example, he has been seen making nature-sounds tapes by mimicking animal noises into a tape recorder, and he claims to use baked beans as his alarm clock. In one episode, he is found by Red to be hibernating.
Gord has worked in his watch tower for more than eighteen years without a paycheck and claims to have been a forest ranger his entire life. His apparent reason for becoming a ranger was that he thought Smokey Bear
was talking directly to him in one of his famous public service announcements ("Only you can prevent forest fires"). He frequently breaks out in tears during Red's visits as he talks about how lonely he is and/or how much of a sacrifice he makes at his job. During one visit, Gord claimed to have gotten so lonely that he ate the watch tower and then later moved on to another tower in season 7. Gord sometimes laments his lack of recognition. Once, he thought that someone had left him some honorary medallions only to learn from Red that they were beer
bottle cap
s (Gord thought that a Budweiser
cap was for being a "bud of the forest"). On another occasion, Gord justified his lack of communication with his superiors as a sign that he was doing a "good job protecting the forest," to which Red suggested that his superiors most likely forgot about him.
Later in the series (seasons 9 to 13, between 1999 and 2004), Ranger Gord made a series of 23 short "educational" cartoons about the environment. Written, animated, produced, directed, and voiced by Gord himself, these films always feature an animated version of Gord as a musclebound superhero type, and Red and Harold Green make appearances as a 'possum and beaver, respectively. (Dalton and Mike also appear in one short, depicted as a bear and a raccoon, respectively.) The cartoons' subjects have included finding money at the end of a rainbow, planting a cell phone to grow a telephone pole, and waging a fire fight against the sun and its deadly ultraviolet rays. (The cartoons were actually written by staff writers starting with Shaun Graham, who wrote the six original shorts. All 23 shorts were designed, directed, and animated by Bryce Hallett
of Frog Feet Productions.)
The original fire watch tower shown in seasons 1–2 was the treehouse in Steve Smith's backyard in Hamilton, Ontario
, that he had put up for his sons. From seasons 3–6, it was filmed in an actual watch tower (in reality located at Port Carling, Ont.). By season 8, it was a set. Gord appeared in the lodge during season 7, saying that he had eaten the front two legs of the tower and caused it to fall over. In the movie Duct Tape Forever
, the tower had burned down and Ranger Gord was then in charge of a train station
with unfinished tracks.
) is Possum Lodge's explosives enthusiast. He believes that any problem (including leaky roofs and invasive weeds) can be solved with explosives. He is usually seen wearing singed overalls, a cracked construction helmet and a pair of ear protectors, though he rarely covers his ears with them. According to himself, Edgar was born in Assiniboia, Saskatchewan
, and he started using explosives at a young age. He later enlisted in the Army and was dishonourably discharged after only three weeks, when he blew up the main office ("turns out they were only thinking of building a new one").
Edgar's heavy use of explosives over the years has caused him to lose most of his hearing, which often leads to nonsensical responses to questions and comments. (For example, Red asks him, "What have you brought for us today, Edgar?" and Edgar responds, "Oh, just fine, Red.") He is also missing a finger on his left hand, though the story of how he lost it changes each time he tells it. He claims to not have many friends, and according to his DVD biography, he has "yet to meet a woman that likes to spend a Saturday night watching [him] blow a fully grown Douglas Fir tree clean over the lake."
Edgar's middle initials, K.B., are rumored to stand for "Ka Boom!", his favourite catchphrase. His favourite movie is The Bridge on the River Kwai
, saying, "Did you see that baby go up at the end?" After seeing the movie Dances With Wolves
, Edgar thought that the "Canadian guy" should have received an Oscar for his role. (Greene had been nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Kicking Bird in the movie, but lost to Joe Pesci
.)
) is the water-taxi captain of Possum Lake, but he is much better known at Possum Lodge for his self-aggrandizing tall tales. In virtually every appearance he makes on the show, he makes a ridiculous claim to have been a significant person in history, or to have accomplished some incredible feat. Nobody else on the show believes him, but he will go to great lengths to tell his stories anyway. For example, he has claimed that he invented basketball
while working undercover for the CIA
, that he owns a hat that belonged to Santa Claus
himself, that he owns a glove that once belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte, that he once filled in for Keith Richards
of the Rolling Stones, and that he even fought a whale for "ten, twenty months." In one episode, it is hinted that he lies about his past because he has a poor self-image.
Hap is always seen wearing a Royal Canadian Regiment baseball cap, which is a nod to Pinsent's own military service as a soldier in the Regiment during the early 1950s.
) is the animal control officer
of Possum Lake; during one episode, Harold refers to him as a "lo-cal animal control officer". Ironically, he is deathly afraid of almost all animals and believes they are out to get him. (He is most afraid of hamsters—"They're evil. E-vil.") He is featured on The Red Green Show in the "Talking Animals" segment, in which Red tries to get Ed to show the audience a small animal, such as a weasel or a leech. Invariably, something goes wrong and causes Ed to panic, usually bringing an abrupt and comedic end to the segment.
) is a local bush pilot known around Possum Lake for his eccentric antics in his small Cessna seaplane, which he moors on the Possum Lodge boat dock.
) works for the Ministry of Natural Resources, and is almost always seen playing golf, although he always plays poorly. Bob knows everything there is to know about golf but can't seem to apply it to his own game. Same with women -- Bob has been married 4 times.
) is an American immigrant who drives a huge monster truck
and who is a self-procliamed expert in two areas of life: cars and women. His brother Ben was seen in at least one episode, played by Ian Thomas' actual brother Dave Thomas of SCTV
.
) is a yuppie developer from the big city who is usually outwitted by the landowners of Possum Lake. Kevin Black appeared in the sixth and seventh seasons.
) and Anne-Marie Humphrey (Jennifer Irwin
), Dalton's wife.
In 2002-2003, they released six compilation DVDs labeled as "Stuffed and Mounted" volumes 1 through 6. Each DVD contains episodes from various seasons of the show up to season 10 (the most current season at the time these DVDs were released). However, there were no episodes from season two. These DVDs feature a spoken-word introduction by Steve Smith (out of character, as evidenced by his higher-pitched voice).
In 2006, Acorn began to release the series on DVD in complete season sets. Of note, the releases are identified by year, not season number; thus the 7th season is labeled as "1997 Season", the 8th season is "1998 Season", and so on. Seasons 7 through 11 were released in this format.
In 2010, Acorn changed formats again, they began releasing compilation sets which contain episodes from multiple seasons all grouped together. The first release- The Red Green Show: The Infantile Years features all 72 episodes from the first 3 seasons in a 9 disc set. Extras include introductions by Steve Smith and Red & Harold character biographies. Seasons 4 through 6 were released in The Red Green Show: The Toddlin' Years. Seasons 7 through 9 were released in The Red Green Show: The Delinquent Years. Seasons 10 through 12 were released in The Red Green Show: The Midlife Crisis Years. On September 20, 2011, Acorn released The Red Green Show: The Geezer Years, which contains episodes from the final three seasons (13-15).
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
that aired on various channels in Canada, with its ultimate home at CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
, and on Public Broadcasting Service
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
(PBS) stations in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, from 1991 until the series finale April 7, 2006 on CBC. The Red Green Show is essentially a cross between a sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
and a 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, and is a parody of home improvement
Home improvement
Home improvement, home renovation or remodeling is the process of renovating or making additions to one's home.-Types of home improvement:...
, do-it-yourself
Do it yourself
Do it yourself is a term used to describe building, modifying, or repairing of something without the aid of experts or professionals...
, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, and other outdoors shows (particularly The Red Fisher Show
The Red Fisher Show
The Red Fisher Show was a Canadian television series which appeared on CTV from 1968 to 1989. Its episodes featured host and American expatriate B. H. "Red" Fisher with different guests who would narrate footage of fishing or hunting expeditions in various regions of Canada and the United States...
). Reruns currently air on CBC Television, The Comedy Network
The Comedy Network
The Comedy Network a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media specializing in comedy programming.The channel operates two time shifted feeds, East and West ....
, and various PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
stations. It was produced by S&S Productions
S&S Productions
S&S Productions is a Canadian television production company. The firm grew out of Smith & Smith, a sketch comedy series starring the married comedy duo of Steve and Morag Smith, and also produced their subsequent series Me & Max, The Comedy Mill and The Red Green Show.Following the success of The...
, which is owned by Steve
Steve Smith (comedian)
Steven "Steve" Smith, Jr., is a Canadian actor, writer and comedian.Smith was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Before turning to comedy, he studied engineering at the University of Waterloo and then worked a variety of jobs...
and Morag Smith
Morag Smith
Morag Smith is a Canadian television comedian, born in Mississauga, Ontario. She attended Streetsville Secondary School. With her husband Steve Smith, Morag performed as a comedy duo in several television series....
, and directed by William G. Elliott.
The show
The title character, Red Green (Steve SmithSteve Smith (comedian)
Steven "Steve" Smith, Jr., is a Canadian actor, writer and comedian.Smith was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Before turning to comedy, he studied engineering at the University of Waterloo and then worked a variety of jobs...
), is a handyman who tries to find shortcuts to most of his projects, trusting most of his work to duct tape
Duct tape
Duct tape, or duck tape, is cloth- or scrim-backed pressure sensitive tape often sealed with polyethylene. It is very similar to gaffer tape but differs in that gaffer tape was designed to be cleanly removed, while duct tape was not. It has a standard width of and is generally silver or black...
. He is the president of the Possum Lodge, a fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al men's club in the small northwestern Ontario
Northwestern Ontario
Northwestern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and west of Lake Superior, and west of Hudson Bay and James Bay. It includes most of subarctic Ontario. Its western boundary is the Canadian province of Manitoba, which disputed Ontario's claim to the...
town of Possum Lake
Possum Lake
Possum Lake is a fictional town in Northwestern Ontario, Canada which is the setting for The Red Green Show. Although Dalton Humphrey, portrayed by actor Bob Bainborough, refers to the "county of Possum Lake" when he introduces Harold Green as the new Public Relations person when McKenna returned...
, near the also-fictional town of Port Asbestos. He and his fellow lodge members had their own TV show in which they gave lessons and demonstrations in repair work and outdoor activities, and advice for men.
Segments
The show's basic concept was that of a cable TV show, taped in part on a hand-held camera by Red's nephew Harold. The show's structure evolved over time and included several regular segments that appeared in almost every episode. These segments were interspersed with each episode's three main plot segments. The most frequent segments were "The Possum Lodge Word Game", "Handyman Corner", and "Adventures with Bill".Handyman Corner
Red attempted to demonstrate creative and often humorous ways to tackle relatively common tasks, such as taking out the trash or making use of derelict cars, or to create something extravagant out of what ever he could get his hands on. Memorable examples included a paddlewheeler made out of a van on pallets and a revolving doorRevolving door
A revolving door typically consists of three or four doors that hang on a center shaft and rotate around a vertical axis within a cylindrical enclosure. Revolving doors are energy efficient as they prevent drafts, thus preventing increases in the heating or cooling required for the building...
, a jetpack made from two propane tanks, a hybrid car from recycled golf carts and satellite dishes, and a kiddie ride made from a bar stool attached to the agitator of a washing machine
Washing machine
A washing machine is a machine designed to wash laundry, such as clothing, towels and sheets...
. Green often used duct tape in these projects. In one episode, he tried to duct tape the Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
-Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
border as a potential solution to Quebec separatism. The segment customarily concluded with the aphorism
Aphorism
An aphorism is an original thought, spoken or written in a laconic and memorable form.The term was first used in the Aphorisms of Hippocrates...
"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy."
Adventures with Bill
A black-and-white segment in the form of a narrated home movie, in which Red and Bill attempted to accomplish a task, trying out a sport, or go on some adventure, invariably leading to slapstick comedy. Later in the series, other characters were featured, sometimes without Red or Bill. Red narrated each Adventure as the action occurred.The Possum Lodge Word Game
Structured like Password or PyramidPyramid (game show)
Pyramid is an American television game show which has aired several versions. The original series, The $10,000 Pyramid, debuted March 26, 1973 and spawned seven subsequent Pyramid series...
, The objective was to get a contestant to say a certain word in thirty seconds by giving them various clues. On this program however, the contestant almost always gave answers that were either way off or very odd throughout the segment, but finally said the correct word by accident. Often Harold would announce that week's prize in a misleading way, to make it sound much more interesting.
North of Forty
Red gives out sage advice from behind his fly tyingFly tying
Fly tying is the process of producing an artificial fly to be used by anglers to catch fish via means of fly fishing. Probably the most concise description of fly tying is the one by Helen Shaw, a preeminent American professional fly tyer in Fly-Tying....
workbench, usually talking to older men about married life or coping with changing society ("Let's face it", he quipped in one episode, "these days, if you're not young, you're old.") This segment always concluded with, "Remember, I'm pulling for you. We're all in this together."
Buddy System
Red and another character, standing together at the base of the basement stairs in a close-up, giving men advice on how to get out of various jams, usually with their wives, although Red was often replaced by another character in later seasons.Poetry and songs
In earlier episodes, Red often recited small bits of poetryPoetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
in the woods. The segments were named depending on the season and had a humorous twist on a famous saying. For example, the winter segment is named "Winter of Our Discount Tent
The Winter of Our Discontent
The Winter of Our Discontent, published in 1961, is John Steinbeck's last novel. The title is a reference to the first two lines of William Shakespeare's Richard III: "Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this sun [or son] of York," .-Plot introduction:The story revolves...
".
In many shows, Red and Harold could be seen sitting at a campfire
Campfire
A campfire is a fire lit at a campsite, to serve the following functions: light, warmth, a beacon, a bug and/or apex predator deterrent, to cook, and for a psychological sense of security. In established campgrounds they are usually in a fire ring for safety. Campfires are a popular feature of...
, with Red usually strumming a guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and singing an original humorous song with Harold providing vocal accents and percussion with various items such as spoons, gas cans and junk metal. In later seasons, the characters gave brief biographical sketches (consisting of various odd historical photos accompanied by narration) of "famous" Possum Lake residents.
Male Call and The Experts
A regular segment where Harold would read a letter supposedly from a viewer and Red would answer it, often misinterpreting what the viewer was asking. This evolved into "The Experts", where Red and another character answer alleged letters from viewers and always give ridiculous advice, often debating on what the viewer meant or needed.Character specific segments
Ranger Gord's "educational" safety cartoonCartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
s (featuring anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
animals that looked like Red and Harold) and occasional advice segments with Dalton Humphrey, Winston Rothschild and Mike Hamar.
In the season Mike Hamar was introduced, he would often try to help Red around the lodge, but with humorously disastrous results due to mis-communications or Mike trying to imitate Red's corner cutting shortcuts.
Hap Shaughnessy appeared in many segments and always told outlandish stories about his life to Red and occasionally another character, who would doubt Hap's claims and start making jokes about them. Among other things, Hap claims to have been an astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
, to have fought Sonny Liston
Sonny Liston
Charles L. "Sonny" Liston was a professional boxer and ex-convict known for his toughness, punching power, and intimidating appearance who became world heavyweight champion in 1962 by knocking out Floyd Patterson in the first round...
, to have invented television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and to have once advised Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
on how many fingers to put on Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
.
Conclusion & Credits
The show usually concluded with Red giving a message to his wife, Bernice (usually a double entendreDouble entendre
A double entendre or adianoeta is a figure of speech in which a spoken phrase is devised to be understood in either of two ways. Often the first meaning is straightforward, while the second meaning is less so: often risqué or ironic....
), and delivering his signature piece of life advice in the form of a hockey metaphor: "Keep your stick on the ice." This was followed by a general meeting of the Possum Lodge membership while the credits rolled, which began with the ritual stating of the Lodge motto: "Quando omni flunkus moritati" (Pseudo-Latin for "When all else fails, play dead"). From season six onward, this was often followed by the Man's Prayer: "I'm a man, but I can change, if I have to, I guess." In the final episode of the series, a revised version of the prayer was said: "I'm a man, but I changed, because I had to. Oh well." In one episode, women take over Possum Lodge and change the prayer to "I am woman, hear me roar
I Am Woman
"I Am Woman" is a song cowritten by Helen Reddy and singer/songwriter/guitarist Ray Burton and performed by Reddy. Released in its most well-known version in 1970, the song became an enduring anthem for the women’s liberation movement.-Success:...
. I'm in charge, get over it".
History of the show
Smith originally created the character of Red Green for his 1979–1985 sketch comedy series Smith & SmithSmith & Smith
Smith & Smith is a Canadian sketch comedy series, which aired from 1979 to 1985 on Hamilton, Ontario's CHCH-TV, and through syndication on other Canadian television stations...
. The sketch was a parody of the long-running Canadian outdoors show The Red Fisher Show
The Red Fisher Show
The Red Fisher Show was a Canadian television series which appeared on CTV from 1968 to 1989. Its episodes featured host and American expatriate B. H. "Red" Fisher with different guests who would narrate footage of fishing or hunting expeditions in various regions of Canada and the United States...
(1968–1989), starring BH "Red" Fisher, in which Red and his friends would show silent films of their fishing trips with commentary at "Scuttlebutt Lodge". The character also appeared in Me & Max
Me & Max
Me & Max was a situation comedy produced for Canadian television station CHCH-TV in 1985.Evolving out of the sketch comedy series Smith & Smith, Me & Max starred husband-and-wife comedy team Steve Smith and Morag Smith, and their kids Max and David...
and The Comedy Mill
The Comedy Mill
The Comedy Mill was a Canadian sketch comedy series, which aired from 1986 to 1991 on Hamilton, Ontario's CHCH-TV, and through syndication on other Canadian television stations. The show starred the husband and wife comedy duo of Steve Smith and Morag Smith...
before becoming the focus of his own series.
The Red Green Show was produced first by CHCH-TV
CHCH-TV
CHCH-DT, channel 11, is a television station originating in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, with transmitters located throughout Ontario. CHCH currently operates as an independent station, having previously served as a CBC Television affiliate, and more recently as the flagship station of the...
in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, then by CFPL-TV
CFPL-TV
CFPL-DT is a television station based in London, Ontario, Canada, owned by Bell Media. Part of the CTV Two television system, the station serves London, Sarnia and much of southwestern Ontario north of London, including Wingham since its former sister station, CKNX-TV which ceased operations and...
in London
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, then by the Global Television Network
Global Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
, before finally finding its permanent home at CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
for the 1997 season (its seventh) onward. The show was renamed The New Red Green Show upon its move to Global, and would keep this title until its second season at CBC.
The show ended April 7, 2006 after its 15th season with exactly 300 episodes. (This longevity inspired a joke in one episode, where Red says "The question is, can you do anything with crap? Obviously the answer is yes, we're in our fourteenth season.")
The last episode was filmed on November 5, 2005, at the Showline Studios Harbourside location. At the time the season began taping, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
locked out staffers who were members of the Canadian Media Guild
Canadian Media Guild
The Canadian Media Guild is a trade union representing employees at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation , the Canadian Press, Thomson Reuters, Agence France-Presse, S-Vox, the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, CW Television, CJRC Radio in Gatineau, Que., and TVOntario.It is a local of The...
, rendering the show's regular studios at the Canadian Broadcasting Centre
Canadian Broadcasting Centre
The Canadian Broadcasting Centre, located in Toronto, Ontario, is the broadcast headquarters and master control point for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's English-language television and radio services...
unavailable. The last episode concluded with the show breaking the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
by thanking the audience and fans for their popularity. In addition, the Man's Prayer was changed to "I'm a man / but I changed / because I had to / Oh, well."
The low-budget movie Duct Tape Forever
Duct Tape Forever
Duct Tape Forever is a 2002 comedy film based on The Red Green Show. It was written by Steve Smith, the actor who plays Red Green.-Plot:...
(2002), was based on The Red Green Show. It was screened in select American theaters, but did not receive a wide release. It has since appeared occasionally on PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
stations during pledge drives. It is also available on DVD.
As the show gained popularity, Steve Smith also wrote a syndicated newspaper column, as Red Green, titled North of 40 in which he would give advice to readers.
In previous years, the show would stage live mini-telethons (sometimes called "Red Green-a-thons") for public television stations in the United States. These usually coincided with national PBS fundraising drives, and featured contests between various PBS stations carrying the show. This was done to encourage new stations to carry Red Green, for those who already have it to continue it, and in one year Red playfully dumped stations that chose to discontinue the show in a wheelbarrow.
Since 2000, Red Green has been the "Ambassador of Scotch Duct Tape" for 3M
3M
3M Company , formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation based in Maplewood, Minnesota, United States....
.
Shortly after the show's final episode, Smith stated that he had no intention of reprising his character, partly because he found it difficult to maintain Red's distinctive, gravelly voice. An animated series titled Planet Harold was reportedly planned but was never released.
On December 14, 2008, a retrospective special title "The Red Green Story-We're All In This Together" aired on select PBS stations. The special was released on DVD along with a book. In 2010, despite his earlier statement, Smith embarked on the "Wit and Wisdom Comedy Tour", in which he gave live performances as Red Green in cities across the United States and Canada.
Red Green
The title character of The Red Green Show, Red (Steve SmithSteve Smith (comedian)
Steven "Steve" Smith, Jr., is a Canadian actor, writer and comedian.Smith was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Before turning to comedy, he studied engineering at the University of Waterloo and then worked a variety of jobs...
) is the leader of Possum Lodge and a self-proclaimed handyman who is constantly extolling the virtues of duct tape
Duct tape
Duct tape, or duck tape, is cloth- or scrim-backed pressure sensitive tape often sealed with polyethylene. It is very similar to gaffer tape but differs in that gaffer tape was designed to be cleanly removed, while duct tape was not. It has a standard width of and is generally silver or black...
("the handyman's secret weapon"). He is married to Bernice Green and does not have any children. He is seldom seen without his trademark red-and-green suspenders.
According to Red's DVD biography, Red became the leader of Possum Lodge after gradually becoming more involved with it over time and becoming "the only guy nobody hated." At one point, he borrowed a large sum of money from his brother just before his brother lost his job at the bank. In repayment, Red employed his nephew Harold as the producer and director of The Red Green Show.
In addition to being a handyman, Red also has several main philosophies in life, some of which are passed on to the lodge as a whole. Chief among them is the phrase "Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" (pseudo-Latin for "When all else fails, play dead"). He also concludes each of his Handyman Corner segments with the phrase, "If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy."
Red owns what is known as "the Possum Van", a 1985 Dodge Ram cargo van
Dodge Ram Van
The Dodge B-Series was a full-size van marketed under the Dodge brand by the Chrysler Corporation and later DaimlerChrysler...
, painted as a grey 'possum on a pale blue background, and with a license plate reading simply "POSSUM". It is one of Red's few vehicles that actually runs. It has played (and donated) many parts in Handyman's Corner projects.
Red's dry, often sarcastic wit is balanced by a strong sense of camaraderie with his fellow lodge members, partly because he directs most of his sarcasm toward Harold. Despite this, Harold and the rest of Possum Lodge seem to regard Red with a high level of respect, though occasionally some of the lodge members will challenge his authority in one way or another.
Harold Green
Harold (Patrick McKennaPatrick McKenna
Patrick McKenna born May 8, 1960 in Sylvania, Saskatchewan is a Canadian comedic and actor. He is best known for playing Harold Green on the television series The Red Green Show, Marty Stephens on Traders, and the Trudeau miniseries. McKenna is a member of Toronto's The Second City comedy troupe...
) is Red's nephew and the fictional producer and director of The Red Green Show. He is a nerd
Nerd
Nerd is a derogatory slang term for an intelligent but socially awkward and obsessive person who spends time on unpopular or obscure pursuits, to the exclusion of more mainstream activities. Nerds are considered to be awkward, shy, and unattractive...
—he has a significant overbite, wears thick glasses, is very eager and sensitive. He is often appalled by the behaviour of the other lodge members (and even Red himself), and he puts a lot of effort into trying to change everyone's behaviour, usually with little or no success.
Harold's advanced knowledge of computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
s, television and technology originally landed him the job of producer and director of the TV show. Later in the show's history, he became employed at Multicorp and went to work in the neighbouring town of Port Asbestos. He later became the publicity manager for Possum Lake, and eventually fell in love with Bonnie (Laurie Elliott
Laurie Elliott
Laurie Elliott is a Canadian stand-up comedian. She has appeared in The Red Green Show, and won a Canadian Comedy Award as Best Female Stand-up...
), a commercial truck driver who shares nearly all of his unusual mannerisms. The two were married in the final episode of the series.
Harold and Red spend much of their time on the show trading insults and poking fun at each other. While they have shown they can cooperate with one another at times, Harold is often very critical of Red's ideas and schemes, but usually ends up going along with them anyway.
In the film Duct Tape Forever, Harold is not a member of the Possum Lodge. At the end, the brotherhood accept him and take him in.
Dalton Humphrey
Dalton (Bob BainboroughBob Bainborough
Bob Bainborough is a Canadian actor. He is known for playing the role of Dalton Humphrey in the Canadian comedy series The Red Green Show, and appearances on History Bites...
) is the owner of Humphrey's Everything Store and is one of Red's best friends. He is one of the few financially successful lodge members. He is a cheapskate and tries to conserve money as much as possible, shortchanging and cheating people. When he isn't complaining about the state of things at his store, he generally complains about his troubled marriage to Ann Marie and their daughter's spending habits.
Dalton has been with the show since season 4 and takes part in the vast majority of the show's main storylines. He has a strong relationship with Red, joining him on his regular fishing trips and taking part in many aspects of the Possum Lodge operations. He also takes his fatherhood very seriously, often trying to pass on his ideas and wisdom to other people (most notably Harold). He generally tells people exactly what he thinks of them, even if it means offending them.
Ann Marie only appeared onscreen once, in the final episode, in which she and Dalton renewed their wedding vows (her face was obscured by her bridal veil); however, she was sometimes seen in shadow in scenes set near their home (her voice was provided by Jennifer Irwin
Jennifer Irwin
Jennifer Irwin is a Canadian actress best known for her roles as Linda on Still Standing and as Maria Ganitisis in the Molly Shannon comedy Superstar....
). Their daughter, Tabitha, appeared in the film Duct Tape Forever
Duct Tape Forever
Duct Tape Forever is a 2002 comedy film based on The Red Green Show. It was written by Steve Smith, the actor who plays Red Green.-Plot:...
, although there she goes by the name Mandy.
Mike Hamar
Mike (Wayne RobsonWayne Robson
Wayne Robson was a Canadian television, film and stage actor best known for playing the part of Mike Hamar, an ex-convict and sometime thief, on the Canadian sitcom The Red Green Show from 1993 to 2006, as well as in the 2002 film Duct Tape Forever.Robson was born in Vancouver, British Columbia...
) is a career criminal who joined Possum Lodge while on parole from federal prison. He has become another of Red's best friends and often tries to help out around the Lodge, though he is not very good at handyman tasks in general. He talks a lot about his troubled childhood—mostly about his mother (an exotic dancer
Exotic dancer
The terms exotic dancer and exotic dance can have different meanings in different parts of the world and depending on context. In the erotic sense, "exotic dance" is a often used to refer to practitioners of striptease...
) and many fathers. Mike suffers from low self-esteem and poor planning, usually causing those around him to try to cheer him up again. He is the only character who regularly refers to Red as "Mr. Green." As revealed in the final episode, Mike eventually becomes a police officer.
Winston Rothschild, III
Winston (Jeff LumbyJeff Lumby
Jeff Lumby is a Canadian actor and voice actor. He is a member of the Lumby family, who created and produced the 1980s Canadian children's television series, Size Small, where he appeared as "Tex". Lumby played "Winston Rothschild, III", the septic tank and sewer technician character on The Red...
) is the owner and sole employee of Rothschild's Sewage and Septic Sucking Services. Like Dalton and Mike, Winston is one of Red Green's friends and takes part in the day-to-day operations at Possum Lodge. He is always seen wearing a hard hat
Hard hat
A hard hat is a type of helmet predominantly used in workplace environments, such as construction sites, to protect the head from injury by falling objects, impact with other objects, debris, bad weather and electric shock. Inside the helmet is a suspension that spreads the helmet's weight over the...
, a white button-down shirt, a bowtie and hip waders. He is generally upbeat and has a positive outlook on life, and is usually able to look on the bright side of things even in the face of certain disaster. He is also a fan of self help speakers Anthony Anthony (whom he likes to quote) and Walter Mollusk.
A true entrepreneur, Winston describes sewage and septic sucking as his lifelong dream. He owns his own equipment and a septic truck—apparently his only means of transportation, even on his usually unsuccessful dates. Throughout the series, he appears in a wide variety of commercials advertising his septic sucking business, almost always with a humorous quip ("We're number one in the number two business"; "We'll take that smell off your hands";"We come in a truck and leave in a day" etc.). In later episodes, his commercials tend to parody the advertising campaigns of numerous Canadian companies.
Bill Smith
Bill (Rick GreenRick Green
Rick Green is a Canadian comedian, satirist, and writer. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Waterloo. From 1975 until 1979, he worked as a presenter at the Ontario Science Centre. In 1979, he helped found the Toronto-based comedy troupe The Frantics...
) is the star of the "Adventures with Bill" segment, in which he and at least one other character (usually Red) attempt to perform relatively simple tasks or try a sport or game in the clumsiest, most accident-prone way possible. (These segments are done in a silent home-movie format with a voiceover by Red.) Bill rarely actually speaks, and has only appeared on the main set of the show in the second season (still silently) and in the series' final episode—these are also the only times Bill is ever seen in colour, since the "Adventures" segments are shown in black & white. When something goes wrong, as it invariably does each episode, Bill can be heard as a muffled scream; these are anticipation of injury, not actual injury, such as Bill screaming as he falls off the ladder, not when he hits the ground. In some segments, Bill can be heard speaking in gibberish, but the explanation for not hearing him clearly is usually that the camera they use for these segments has a weak microphone. Later in the show's history, the "Adventures with Bill" segment was expanded to include more characters and not necessarily Bill himself.
In each "Adventures" segment in which Bill appears, he usually attempts to do something of an outdoors nature, such as backpacking, building something, chopping down a tree, or playing a sport. Each of his actions are basically slapstick comedy routines—for example, when he swings an axe, it flies out of his hands and smashes into another character or Red's Possum Van. In what has become a classic occurrence, Bill often manages to knock one or both of the side mirrors off the van. He can also store large tools and miscellaneous items in his overalls, and pull them out on demand. Many segments show Bill getting hurt somehow, but apparently not seriously or permanently. (One segment in particular ends with Bill's arms crushed and flattened in a grape press.) There is generally no continuity from one "Adventures" segment to the next, and Bill comes back in the following episode good as new.
Ranger Gord
Ranger Gord (Peter KeleghanPeter Keleghan
Peter Keleghan is a Canadian television actor, who has played roles in several popular Canadian comedy series.Keleghan's best-known roles have been film industry CEO Alan Roy on Made in Canada, low-IQ news anchor Jim Walcott on The Newsroom, and Ranger Gord on The Red Green Show...
) is the local forest ranger who spends almost all of his time alone in Fire Watch Tower 13 and, later in the series, Tower 3. His full name is Gordon Ranger, but he prefers not to be called "Ranger Ranger." He is always seen wearing his ranger outfit (which he apparently launders using only a blow dryer), and he finds various eccentric ways to pass his time, even while Red is visiting. For example, he has been seen making nature-sounds tapes by mimicking animal noises into a tape recorder, and he claims to use baked beans as his alarm clock. In one episode, he is found by Red to be hibernating.
Gord has worked in his watch tower for more than eighteen years without a paycheck and claims to have been a forest ranger his entire life. His apparent reason for becoming a ranger was that he thought Smokey Bear
Smokey Bear
Smokey Bear is a mascot of the United States Forest Service created to educate the public about the dangers of forest fires. An advertising campaign featuring Smokey was created in 1944 with the slogan, "Smokey Says – Care Will Prevent 9 out of 10 Forest Fires". Smokey Bear's later slogan,...
was talking directly to him in one of his famous public service announcements ("Only you can prevent forest fires"). He frequently breaks out in tears during Red's visits as he talks about how lonely he is and/or how much of a sacrifice he makes at his job. During one visit, Gord claimed to have gotten so lonely that he ate the watch tower and then later moved on to another tower in season 7. Gord sometimes laments his lack of recognition. Once, he thought that someone had left him some honorary medallions only to learn from Red that they were beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
bottle cap
Bottle cap
Bottle caps are a type of closure used to seal the openings of bottles of many types. They can be small circular pieces of metal, usually steel, with plastic backings, and for plastic bottles a plastic cap is used instead. A bottle cap is typically colorfully decorated with the logo of the brand...
s (Gord thought that a Budweiser
Budweiser
Budweiser is a German adjective describing something or someone from the city of České Budějovice in Southern Bohemia, Czech Republic.Beer brewing in České Budějovice dates back to the 13th century...
cap was for being a "bud of the forest"). On another occasion, Gord justified his lack of communication with his superiors as a sign that he was doing a "good job protecting the forest," to which Red suggested that his superiors most likely forgot about him.
Later in the series (seasons 9 to 13, between 1999 and 2004), Ranger Gord made a series of 23 short "educational" cartoons about the environment. Written, animated, produced, directed, and voiced by Gord himself, these films always feature an animated version of Gord as a musclebound superhero type, and Red and Harold Green make appearances as a 'possum and beaver, respectively. (Dalton and Mike also appear in one short, depicted as a bear and a raccoon, respectively.) The cartoons' subjects have included finding money at the end of a rainbow, planting a cell phone to grow a telephone pole, and waging a fire fight against the sun and its deadly ultraviolet rays. (The cartoons were actually written by staff writers starting with Shaun Graham, who wrote the six original shorts. All 23 shorts were designed, directed, and animated by Bryce Hallett
Bryce Hallett
Bryce Hallett is a Canadian independent animator living and working in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. A graduate of Sheridan College's classical animation program and Canadore College's graphic communications program, Bryce has been creating numerous cartoons and animations since 1999 working under his...
of Frog Feet Productions.)
The original fire watch tower shown in seasons 1–2 was the treehouse in Steve Smith's backyard in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, that he had put up for his sons. From seasons 3–6, it was filmed in an actual watch tower (in reality located at Port Carling, Ont.). By season 8, it was a set. Gord appeared in the lodge during season 7, saying that he had eaten the front two legs of the tower and caused it to fall over. In the movie Duct Tape Forever
Duct Tape Forever
Duct Tape Forever is a 2002 comedy film based on The Red Green Show. It was written by Steve Smith, the actor who plays Red Green.-Plot:...
, the tower had burned down and Ranger Gord was then in charge of a train station
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
with unfinished tracks.
Edgar K. B. Montrose
Edgar Montrose (Graham GreeneGraham Greene (actor)
Graham Greene is a Canadian actor who has worked on stage, and in film and TV productions in Canada, England and the United States.-Early life:...
) is Possum Lodge's explosives enthusiast. He believes that any problem (including leaky roofs and invasive weeds) can be solved with explosives. He is usually seen wearing singed overalls, a cracked construction helmet and a pair of ear protectors, though he rarely covers his ears with them. According to himself, Edgar was born in Assiniboia, Saskatchewan
Assiniboia, Saskatchewan
Assiniboia is a town in south central Saskatchewan, Canada. It is located south-southwest of Moose Jaw beside Highway 2 and Highway 13.-History:...
, and he started using explosives at a young age. He later enlisted in the Army and was dishonourably discharged after only three weeks, when he blew up the main office ("turns out they were only thinking of building a new one").
Edgar's heavy use of explosives over the years has caused him to lose most of his hearing, which often leads to nonsensical responses to questions and comments. (For example, Red asks him, "What have you brought for us today, Edgar?" and Edgar responds, "Oh, just fine, Red.") He is also missing a finger on his left hand, though the story of how he lost it changes each time he tells it. He claims to not have many friends, and according to his DVD biography, he has "yet to meet a woman that likes to spend a Saturday night watching [him] blow a fully grown Douglas Fir tree clean over the lake."
Edgar's middle initials, K.B., are rumored to stand for "Ka Boom!", his favourite catchphrase. His favourite movie is The Bridge on the River Kwai
The Bridge on the River Kwai
The Bridge on the River Kwai is a 1957 British World War II film by David Lean based on The Bridge over the River Kwai by French writer Pierre Boulle. The film is a work of fiction but borrows the construction of the Burma Railway in 1942–43 for its historical setting. It stars William...
, saying, "Did you see that baby go up at the end?" After seeing the movie Dances With Wolves
Dances with Wolves
Dances with Wolves is a 1990 epic western film directed by and starring Kevin Costner. It is a film adaptation of the 1988 book of the same name by Michael Blake and tells the story of a Union Army Lieutenant who travels to the American frontier to find a military post, and his dealings with a...
, Edgar thought that the "Canadian guy" should have received an Oscar for his role. (Greene had been nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Kicking Bird in the movie, but lost to Joe Pesci
Joe Pesci
Joseph Frank "Joe" Pesci is an American actor, comedian, and musician.He is known for playing a variety of different roles, from violent mobsters to comedic leads to quirky sidekicks...
.)
Hap Shaughnessy
Hap Shaughnessy (Gordon PinsentGordon Pinsent
Gordon Edward Pinsent, CC, FRSC is a Canadian television, theatre and film actor.-Early life:Pinsent, the youngest of six children, was born in Grand Falls, Newfoundland, the son of Flossie ; originally from Clifton, Newfoundland, and Stephen Arthur Pinsent, a papermill worker and cobbler;...
) is the water-taxi captain of Possum Lake, but he is much better known at Possum Lodge for his self-aggrandizing tall tales. In virtually every appearance he makes on the show, he makes a ridiculous claim to have been a significant person in history, or to have accomplished some incredible feat. Nobody else on the show believes him, but he will go to great lengths to tell his stories anyway. For example, he has claimed that he invented basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
while working undercover for the CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
, that he owns a hat that belonged to Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
himself, that he owns a glove that once belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte, that he once filled in for Keith Richards
Keith Richards
Keith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
of the Rolling Stones, and that he even fought a whale for "ten, twenty months." In one episode, it is hinted that he lies about his past because he has a poor self-image.
Hap is always seen wearing a Royal Canadian Regiment baseball cap, which is a nod to Pinsent's own military service as a soldier in the Regiment during the early 1950s.
Ed Frid
Ed Frid (Jerry SchaeferJerry Schaefer
Jerry Schaefer is a Canadian actor who is best known for his role as Possum Lake animal control officer Ed Frid on The Red Green Show.-Career:...
) is the animal control officer
Animal control officer
Historically, Dog whippers were charged with keeping dogs out of churches in 16th- to 19th- century Europe; they also sometimes filled a general animal-control role in villages, confining strays...
of Possum Lake; during one episode, Harold refers to him as a "lo-cal animal control officer". Ironically, he is deathly afraid of almost all animals and believes they are out to get him. (He is most afraid of hamsters—"They're evil. E-vil.") He is featured on The Red Green Show in the "Talking Animals" segment, in which Red tries to get Ed to show the audience a small animal, such as a weasel or a leech. Invariably, something goes wrong and causes Ed to panic, usually bringing an abrupt and comedic end to the segment.
Buzz Sherwood
Buzz Sherwood (Peter WildmanPeter Wildman
Peter Wildman is a Canadian actor, voice actor, musician, writer and member of the Frantics comedy troupe. He voiced Buzz Sherwood on The Red Green Show, Mojo on the X-Men Animated Series and Sergeant Murphy in the series The Busy World of Richard Scarry....
) is a local bush pilot known around Possum Lake for his eccentric antics in his small Cessna seaplane, which he moors on the Possum Lodge boat dock.
Bob Stuyvestant
Bob Stuyvestant (Bruce HunterBruce Hunter (actor)
Bruce Hunter is a Canadian actor and comedian from Calgary, Alberta. He has appeared in television shows such as Puppets Who Kill and The Red Green Show. Hunter received a Canadian Comedy Awards nomination in 2002 for his work on the television series After Hours...
) works for the Ministry of Natural Resources, and is almost always seen playing golf, although he always plays poorly. Bob knows everything there is to know about golf but can't seem to apply it to his own game. Same with women -- Bob has been married 4 times.
Dougie Franklin
Dougie Franklin (Ian ThomasIan Thomas
Ian Thomas may refer to:* Major W. Ian Thomas , Christian speaker and author* Ian Thomas , dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth II* Ian Thomas , Canadian singer-songwriter...
) is an American immigrant who drives a huge monster truck
Monster truck
A monster truck is a pickup truck, typically styled after pickup trucks' bodies, modified or purposely built with extremely large wheels and suspension...
and who is a self-procliamed expert in two areas of life: cars and women. His brother Ben was seen in at least one episode, played by Ian Thomas' actual brother Dave Thomas of SCTV
SCTV
SCTV can refer to:*Second City Television, a Canadian sketch comedy television program*SCTV , an Indonesian TV station*SCTV , a television station of Sichuan province in China...
.
Kevin Black
Kevin Black (Paul GrossPaul Gross
Paul Michael Gross is a Canadian actor, producer, director, singer and writer born in Calgary, Alberta. He is known for his lead role as Constable Benton Fraser in the television series Due South as well as his 2008 war film Passchendaele, which he wrote, produced, directed, and starred in...
) is a yuppie developer from the big city who is usually outwitted by the landowners of Possum Lake. Kevin Black appeared in the sixth and seventh seasons.
Minor characters
Throughout its fifteen-season run, The Red Green Show sported a cast of well over forty secondary and minor characters, ranging from fellow Possum Lodge members to guests making single appearances and even audience members appearing on the set. The cast, while primarily male, did include occasional female characters as well, including network executive Kelly Cook (Stephanie BeardStephanie Beard
Stephanie Beard is a Canadian actress, voice actress and television and radio personality. Her radio host persona goes by Suga BayBee, and as co-host of The Zone, she was called Sugar.Beard was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
) and Anne-Marie Humphrey (Jennifer Irwin
Jennifer Irwin
Jennifer Irwin is a Canadian actress best known for her roles as Linda on Still Standing and as Maria Ganitisis in the Molly Shannon comedy Superstar....
), Dalton's wife.
DVD releases
Acorn Media has released portions of The Red Green Show on DVD in Region 1 in various incarnations.In 2002-2003, they released six compilation DVDs labeled as "Stuffed and Mounted" volumes 1 through 6. Each DVD contains episodes from various seasons of the show up to season 10 (the most current season at the time these DVDs were released). However, there were no episodes from season two. These DVDs feature a spoken-word introduction by Steve Smith (out of character, as evidenced by his higher-pitched voice).
In 2006, Acorn began to release the series on DVD in complete season sets. Of note, the releases are identified by year, not season number; thus the 7th season is labeled as "1997 Season", the 8th season is "1998 Season", and so on. Seasons 7 through 11 were released in this format.
In 2010, Acorn changed formats again, they began releasing compilation sets which contain episodes from multiple seasons all grouped together. The first release- The Red Green Show: The Infantile Years features all 72 episodes from the first 3 seasons in a 9 disc set. Extras include introductions by Steve Smith and Red & Harold character biographies. Seasons 4 through 6 were released in The Red Green Show: The Toddlin' Years. Seasons 7 through 9 were released in The Red Green Show: The Delinquent Years. Seasons 10 through 12 were released in The Red Green Show: The Midlife Crisis Years. On September 20, 2011, Acorn released The Red Green Show: The Geezer Years, which contains episodes from the final three seasons (13-15).
Season Sets
| DVD Name | Season | Ep # | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Red Green Show: 1997 Season | 7 | 17 | May 2, 2006 |
| The Red Green Show: 1998 Season | 8 | 14 | May 15, 2007 |
| The Red Green Show: 1999 Season | 9 | 17 | February 26, 2008 |
| The Red Green Show: 2000 Season | 10 | 19 | September 16, 2008 |
| The Red Green Show: 2001 Season | 11 | 17 | March 10, 2009 |
| The Red Green Show: The Infantile Years- Seasons 1991-1993 | 1-3 | 72 | January 26, 2010 |
| The Red Green Show: The Toddlin' Years- Seasons 1994-1996 | 4-6 | 72 | November 2, 2010 |
| The Red Green Show: The Delinquent Years- Seasons 1997-1999 | 7-9 | 47 | March 15, 2011 |
| The Red Green Show: The Mid-Life Crisis Years- Seasons 2000-2002 | 10-12 | 54 | May 31, 2011 |
| The Red Green Show: The Geezer Years- Seasons 2003-2005 | 13-15 | 55 | September 20, 2011 |
Special Releases
| DVD Name | Description | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| Red Green, DVD (Duct-Tape Virtuoso Deluxe) | A collection of segments from various episodes centering around duct tape | May 8, 2001 |
| Duct Tape Forever Duct Tape Forever Duct Tape Forever is a 2002 comedy film based on The Red Green Show. It was written by Steve Smith, the actor who plays Red Green.-Plot:... |
A full-length feature movie in which Red and Harold enter a duct-tape sculpture competition | April 29, 2003 |
| Red Green: Hindsight is 20/20 | A retrospective on The Red Green show | May 11, 2004 |
| It's a Wonderful Red Green Christmas | A collection of Christmas episodes | October 19, 2004 |
| Red Green's We Can't Help It, We're Men | A collection of shorts and segments about men | May 10, 2005 |
| The Red Green Story: We’re All in This Together | A retrospective on The Red Green Show, two years after the final season | 2008 (PBS Public Broadcasting Service The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia.... only) |
| Red Green is Special | Box set containing Hindsight is 20/20; Duct Tape Virtuoso Deluxe; We Can't Help It, We're Men; and The Red Green Story. | May 12, 2009 |
External links
- RedGreen.com Official website
- The Red Green Show at CBC.ca
- WBGU-PBS Black Swamp Possum Lodge - fan based site located at WBGU-PBS
- The Red Green Show at PBS.org
- Red Green Show excerpts on iLaugh.com
- Interview with Steve Smith with Wisconsin Public Television about the Red Green Character, the show's legacy and the finale.
- The Red Green Wiki