Andrew Barnsley Celebrates Amazon Prime Premiere of ‘The Kids in the Hall’ Revival
The Andrew Barnsley-produced revival of The Kids in the Hall premiered on Amazon Prime on Friday and the reviews are in – the legendary sketch comedy quintet are “still incredibly f-king funny.”
“On their own, these five gents are now a little older and mellower, still funny, still caustic and still extremely smart individuals. Together, they remain an unstoppable, sui generis juggernaut…” Rolling Stone magazine raved of Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson.
“They have not lost their edge. If anything, their sense of humor has become sharper and deadlier with age.”
Barnsley, who serves as the eight-episode revival’s executive producer, said he was excited to be a part of the Canadian cult classic’s comeback on the American streaming giant.
“When I was growing up, Kids in the Hall was so formative for me as a comedy fan – it definitely shaped my sensibilities and it shaped how I viewed the world, so they are on a very big pedestal for me,” said Barnsley, the President of Toronto Film School.
“So, the fact that I was able to be a part of this show and to produce it, it meant so much to me. And when I look at how it turned out and what we achieved, I’m so proud of it.”
The Kids in the Hall’s return reunites all five original members of its namesake sketch, which first formed in 1984 here in Toronto, where they often performed on the Rivoli stage, before rising to nation-wide prominence during their eponymous show’s five-season run on the CBC from 1989 to 1995.
The Amazon revival mark the cast’s first full series reunion since 2010, when the eight-part mini-series, Death Comes to Town, aired on the CBC. Before that, the Canadian comedy quintet also appeared together in the 1996 feature film, Brain Candy.
“I think fans of the original series are going to love this, but I think new fans are going to love it, too,” Barnsley said.
“It checks a lot of boxes that fans from around the world are going to love. And I’m just so proud to be working with these comedy legends.”
For the Emmy-winning Barnsley, teaming up with Amazon to bring The Kids in the Hall back to the small screen is especially exciting, because it marks what may well mark the beginning of a whole new investment stream into Canadian content.
“This feels like the first time a major, international streamer has invested in Canadian creative and not just Canadian below the line,” Barnsley said, explaining that the influx of investment for American productions shooting locally has far outweighed support for homegrown projects written, produced, acted and directed by Canadians.
“With Kids in the Hall, it feels like Amazon is really investing in Canadian creative – and that hasn’t really been the case before, so it’s wonderful news.”
