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This Is a Book About the Kids in the Hall
The first book to explore their history, legacy, and influence This is a book about the Kids in the Hall ― the legendary Canadian sketch comedy troupe formed in Toronto in 1984 and best known for the innovative, hilarious, zeitgeist-capturing sketch show The Kids in the Hall ― told by the people who were there, namely the Kids themselves. John Semley’s thoroughly researched book is rich with interviews with Dave Foley, Mark McKinney, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, and Scott Thompson, as well as Lorne Michaels and comedians speaking to the Kids’ Janeane Garofalo, Tim Heidecker, Nathan Fielder, and others. It also turns a critic’s eye on that legacy, making a strong case for the massive influence the Kids have exerted, both on alternative comedy and on pop culture more broadly. The Kids in the Hall were like a a group of weirdoes brought together, united by a common sensibility. And, much like a band, they’re always better when they’re together. This is a book about friendship, collaboration, and comedy ― and about clashing egos, lost opportunities, and one-upmanship. This is a book about the head-crushing, cross-dressing, inimitable Kids in the Hall.
312 pages, Paperback
Published October 11, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
December 22, 2016
I loved The Kids in the Hall and did enjoy reading about the individual members, the detailed history of the troupe and all, but the book's author, John Semley, too often inserts himself into the narrative or writes a completely unneeded or wanted footnote and when writing non-fiction, that's always something that's going to drive me nuts. If you were in the room or experienced whatever events are being written about, fine, give me a footnote...but Semley? Not the case at all. Unfortunately, there are other issues...the book is repetitive, too often it feels superficial and Semley inserting his own comedy as if he's trying to prove he's funny too. I hate to break it to Semley, but when you are writing about one of the more subversive group of comedians in the past few decades, you are going to have a hard time competing when you should basically just zip it and write about the subject of the book: The Kids in the Hall.
December 13, 2016
The author inserted himself into the story far more than was necessary but a neat read. Brain Candy took a few watches for me to see the genius, for what it's worth.
July 17, 2018
Semley uses the phrase “Inside Baseball” at least twice. Not sure if this book goes all the way through but was fun enough to pick at casually.
December 22, 2019
Extremely comprehensive and informative history of the greatest sketch comedy troupe of all time. Details their origins as a small-time improv group performing at Toronto’s Rivoli theater up till their 2015 reunion tour. The most complete and well-researched book about the Kids and their respective solo ventures that I’ve ever read, and I’ve read a lot. As a fan, the author tends to editorialize about the gang quite a bit, but it's not to an annoying degree.
January 20, 2018
As a KITH fan I found the book interesting but would have enjoyed more detail in the middle, about the actual period of time when they were working on the show. I found the author’s style and insertion of personal anecdotes distracting. Overall, I think it’s a good book for fans.
July 6, 2018
A very solid read. Semley walks the line between oral history and memoir, writing as a fan in a way that enlivens the subject without imposing on it.
February 23, 2017
Great mix of trivia, anecdotes, and contextual history relating to the Kids in the Hall, one of my all-time favorite tv shows/comedy troupes. I learned a lot of behind the scenes dirt and had many a chuckle being reminded of various sketches and jokes. Now I'm inspired to rewatch the whole series for the umpteenth time, yayyy.
November 10, 2016
Definitely a fun read for a fan. Covers their history rather well. It rambles a bit, but it's a fun meander (for the most part). Some of the choices of things to include & things to omit were a little odd, editing-wise, but it doesn't greatly detract from the text as whole. Certainly worth the read if you're a fan.
February 20, 2017
I found the book interesting (100% the result of the subject) but I can't recall a case of the authorial voice being both so intrusive and so irritating. Get the bibliography & read the source material and save yourself the aggravation.
October 13, 2021
How do you mess up a book about The Kids in the Hall?
This seemed to me that the publishers just got some guy without access to them, but who'd written about them in the past to fart out a book before the official one came out. He was the worst part of this whole thing. The few tidbits about them were fine, but he seemed to have free reign to ramble about whatever tangents popped into his head during the course of writing the book (Nirvana, the state of CBC comedy, PC culture, other sketch shows) for sometimes pages at a time. He also, despite his repeated mentions about how the Kids didn't look down on their audience or insult their intelligence, goes to great length to do that to his own readers, using footnotes to explain "big words" like ontological, or his "obscure references that he assumes no one else will know" like other sketch shows, the CFL, etc.
But maybe the worst part about this whole thing was just how pretentious it was. You're writing about a somewhat silly, occasionally very juvenile, sometimes dark sketch show and you go on with sentences like "I'm reminded of what David Foster Wallace wrote about Kafka" like dude, get over yourself.
He spends paragraphs trying to explain jokes to ludicrous levels when they aren't some obscure thing (like why Thompson pretending to have sex with McDonald in a sketch about couples at dinner together is funny) and then feels the need to insert his own story into the book. Like "I was too young to see them on TV during their original airing or just not sophisticated enough yet to really understand them, etc" or talk about being in some dive bar waiting to see them live, etc.
Ugh dude, it's not ABOUT YOU.
Then there's the whole part where he accuses Scott Thompson of using "his position of oppressed minority to espouse bigoted views in the guise of comedy" and basically goes on to call him an out of touch racist transphobe. Is he going for twitter points here?
Seriously, all you had to do to make this book work was go into detail about their history, include some photos (oh wait, you didn't have access to them did you?) highlight some great sketches, talk about drama, etc. You don't have to flex your hipster cred and over-analyze everything. Some analysis is fine obviously, but pick your battles. You don't have to constantly bring up Freud every chance you get to make some grand point.
Man, if you grew up with the Kids or like them at all, this is a pretty worthless book. Sorry, but I'm just being honest. I had to stop reading it many times because of how annoying the author became.
Thankfully, there's another book out there about them, with their involvement, so this one is pretty much just useful as kindling.
This seemed to me that the publishers just got some guy without access to them, but who'd written about them in the past to fart out a book before the official one came out. He was the worst part of this whole thing. The few tidbits about them were fine, but he seemed to have free reign to ramble about whatever tangents popped into his head during the course of writing the book (Nirvana, the state of CBC comedy, PC culture, other sketch shows) for sometimes pages at a time. He also, despite his repeated mentions about how the Kids didn't look down on their audience or insult their intelligence, goes to great length to do that to his own readers, using footnotes to explain "big words" like ontological, or his "obscure references that he assumes no one else will know" like other sketch shows, the CFL, etc.
But maybe the worst part about this whole thing was just how pretentious it was. You're writing about a somewhat silly, occasionally very juvenile, sometimes dark sketch show and you go on with sentences like "I'm reminded of what David Foster Wallace wrote about Kafka" like dude, get over yourself.
He spends paragraphs trying to explain jokes to ludicrous levels when they aren't some obscure thing (like why Thompson pretending to have sex with McDonald in a sketch about couples at dinner together is funny) and then feels the need to insert his own story into the book. Like "I was too young to see them on TV during their original airing or just not sophisticated enough yet to really understand them, etc" or talk about being in some dive bar waiting to see them live, etc.
Ugh dude, it's not ABOUT YOU.
Then there's the whole part where he accuses Scott Thompson of using "his position of oppressed minority to espouse bigoted views in the guise of comedy" and basically goes on to call him an out of touch racist transphobe. Is he going for twitter points here?
Seriously, all you had to do to make this book work was go into detail about their history, include some photos (oh wait, you didn't have access to them did you?) highlight some great sketches, talk about drama, etc. You don't have to flex your hipster cred and over-analyze everything. Some analysis is fine obviously, but pick your battles. You don't have to constantly bring up Freud every chance you get to make some grand point.
Man, if you grew up with the Kids or like them at all, this is a pretty worthless book. Sorry, but I'm just being honest. I had to stop reading it many times because of how annoying the author became.
Thankfully, there's another book out there about them, with their involvement, so this one is pretty much just useful as kindling.
January 28, 2019
this is essentially a dual history, that of seminal Canadian sketch comedy troupe the kids in the hall and that of author John Semley's history of watching and knowing about the kids in the hall. the former is far more interesting than the latter, and while it is very nice to read about what I think are probably some of the funniest people in the world and such a significant part of my childhood that I literally wouldn't know what I'd be like without them, I really couldn't give a shit about Semley's weird ass judgments and sidebar opinions when he decides to opine about stuff.
March 28, 2021
Really enjoyed hearing how the kids influenced other comedians and their effect on Canadian culture. The author tends to insert himself a lot which I wasn't a fan of. I think you need to know a bit of the kids history to really appreciate this one. Start with their authorized biography first and then this one.
December 27, 2020
Five comic geniuses and HEY DID YOU KNOW THE AUTHOR HAS INTERACTED WITH THEM AND CAN ALSO DO JOKES GET READY FOR SOME GOOF EM UPS.
Real talk would anyone twig that as Mark McKinney on the cover without context and process of elimination.
Real talk would anyone twig that as Mark McKinney on the cover without context and process of elimination.
November 8, 2021
A book about the early history, how the group formed, the peak of their careers, and where they are now would have been great.
All those details are in the book, except there were massive tangents that were overly divergent.
All those details are in the book, except there were massive tangents that were overly divergent.
August 12, 2017
This is probably a 3.5 star book. Since Goodreads doesn't allow half stars, I'm rounding down because it includes a random dig at Randy Newman for no reason.
April 29, 2018
This is a really interesting look back. If you liked the Kids, you will like this book.
September 13, 2019
The Kids in the Hall are brilliant. However, this book is dreadful. John Semley is a terrible writer. Avoid.
February 6, 2024
They deserve better
Read
March 1, 2024I loved reminiscing about the Kids in the Hall.
October 13, 2016
I have been a massive fan of KITH since they originally aired in the early 90s, so some of what was here I've heard or seen before. But for the most part, this is a pretty well-put-together biography of the sketch comedy troupe. My biggest complaint (if you can call it that) is that it probably could have gone much deeper into the subject, the indivudal personalities, how they came up with certain sketches (yes I know some of that is covered in DVD commentary), etc.
September 28, 2016
There is a strong self-published vibe about this book, although there is a publishing house behind it. The lack of photos, the simplistic cover, the indulgent text that screams for an editor all suggest a book that has not quite received the attention it needs.
I adore the KITH and agree that they deserve a book to commemorate their careers. The research here is solid and it's clear the author has spoken with the Kids. The actual bio parts are good; it is the author's intrusions that detract from this book. I suspect Semley has a minor in psychology, based on his constant attempts to psychoanalyze his subjects. There is a protracted discussion of Freud in an early chapter that almost had me dumping this book entirely. It is all unnecessary and to the serious detriment of the book.
The subject is great, the treatment is uneven, the pop psychology is annoying. If you love KITH, it is worth a look but be willing to skip big chunks of text. The author wants to be as much of a central character as the people he is profiling.
I adore the KITH and agree that they deserve a book to commemorate their careers. The research here is solid and it's clear the author has spoken with the Kids. The actual bio parts are good; it is the author's intrusions that detract from this book. I suspect Semley has a minor in psychology, based on his constant attempts to psychoanalyze his subjects. There is a protracted discussion of Freud in an early chapter that almost had me dumping this book entirely. It is all unnecessary and to the serious detriment of the book.
The subject is great, the treatment is uneven, the pop psychology is annoying. If you love KITH, it is worth a look but be willing to skip big chunks of text. The author wants to be as much of a central character as the people he is profiling.
December 15, 2016
This is a great, informative history of The Kids In the Hall sketch comedy troupe and the lives and careers of the five individuals who make it up. The author has spent years writing about them and it shows. He's spent a lot of time thinking about what makes their comedy in equal parts surrealism, silliness and bleakness, works and how their upbringing in the suburbs with distant fathers informs the work. Full of insights and very well written with many witty asides. A must for any KITH fan.
February 7, 2017
Quick fun read about my first favorite sketch troupe and show. Nothing shocking happens so one does wonder why it was written at all except to share in fandom in print.
June 6, 2016
Strangely informative. I realize that is a strange complaint, but I guess I just expected a biography of The Kids in the Hall to be a little bit weirder. The book is well written and interesting, it just never becomes anything more than a well-researched, occasionally witty memoir on one of the strangest sketch comedy troupes of my lifetime.
August 11, 2016
Great review of tKitH. But...I wish the author would keep himself out of the equation.
April 22, 2017
The Kids in the Hall is a Canadian sketch comedy group that formed in 1984. I was a fan and watched their show in the late 1980s/early 1990s. As such, I thought it would be interesting to read about them.
The book starts with the beginnings of the Kids and ends with what they are doing today (as of 2016). In the 1980s, Mark McKinney and Bruce McCulloch were known as "The Audience" in Western Canada and Kevin McDonald and Dave Foley were known as "The Kids in the Hall" in Toronto. When McKinney and McCulloch moved to Toronto, they connected with McDonald and Foley and the four become the Kids in the Hall. Scott Thompson soon joined the group.
The Kids in the Hall performed regularly here in Toronto in the mid-1980s and eventually caught the eye of Lorne Michaels who helped them get their own show, which ran from 1989 to 1994. When that ended, they made the movie Brain Candy and then went their separate ways and did various things. They got back together years later and have done a short TV miniseries and some tours (Gord and I saw them on their 2015 tour).
It was an interesting book which The Kids in the Hall fans will enjoy. It would have been nice to have some pictures of The Kids in the Hall throughout the years as the book is all text.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2017/04...
The book starts with the beginnings of the Kids and ends with what they are doing today (as of 2016). In the 1980s, Mark McKinney and Bruce McCulloch were known as "The Audience" in Western Canada and Kevin McDonald and Dave Foley were known as "The Kids in the Hall" in Toronto. When McKinney and McCulloch moved to Toronto, they connected with McDonald and Foley and the four become the Kids in the Hall. Scott Thompson soon joined the group.
The Kids in the Hall performed regularly here in Toronto in the mid-1980s and eventually caught the eye of Lorne Michaels who helped them get their own show, which ran from 1989 to 1994. When that ended, they made the movie Brain Candy and then went their separate ways and did various things. They got back together years later and have done a short TV miniseries and some tours (Gord and I saw them on their 2015 tour).
It was an interesting book which The Kids in the Hall fans will enjoy. It would have been nice to have some pictures of The Kids in the Hall throughout the years as the book is all text.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2017/04...
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews