This Is a Book About the Kids in the Hall

September 1, 2016

The Canadian comedy troupe Kids in the Hall started working together in the mid-1980s and are today seen as one of the more influential alternative comedy acts of the era, exemplifying Generation X-era angst, satire, and irony in sketches that spanned live shows, a TV series, and a feature film. Toronto-based journalist Semley's thorough, detailed, and informative history chronicles the trajectory of their career with its triumphs and failures, while analyzing sketches and discussing their inspirations and their own influence on comedy. Using interviews, observations, and research, Semley documents a group of outcasts whose idiosyncrasies and talent first combined in the group's formative days in the Canadian comedy scene. They eventually filmed several years of their sketch comedy television show, made a flop movie, broadened their audience during years of reruns, and reformed for reunion tours and specials all while specializing in the "burlesque of social interaction." VERDICT Semley's comprehensive and engagingly written book will appeal primarily to fans of the Kids and also those interested in the history of the comedy scene of the 1980s and 1990s.--James Collins, Morristown-Morris Twp. P.L., NJ

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