GREG REESE
Arts Editor

Death is usually personified as an ambivalent reaper, stalking silently within the confines of a dark cloak. The Kids in the Hall have twisted this archetypal character in their new series for the CBC, Death Comes to Town.

Death, played by Mark McKinney, is a greasy, sexed-up rock ’n’ roller with a speech impediment and a codpiece. For whatever reason, he has targeted the small town of Shuckton, Ont., for his sexually charged acts of murder. For fans of the Kids, the new series is kicking ass.

Bruce McCulloch jumpstarts the series with his portrayal of the much-loved Mayor Larry Bowman, on whom the entire town has an unreciprocated crush. Locals permit the mayor all kinds of liberties, including eating their lunches and making out with their wives. Unfortunately, he is gone by the end of the first episode — Death waits for no one, not even the new viewer.

I was worried that the Kids had made a huge mistake by killing off one of the funniest characters in the first episode, but the second episode was at least as funny as the first.

Dave Foley slays as the unfeeling widow of Mayor Larry Bowman whose mentally disturbed son sees people as butterflies (secret tip: you’re not meant to ask why). Bruce McCulloch also plays Ricky, a morbidly fat kid whom Death is trying to feed until his heart explodes. Kevin McDonald plays a middle-aged woman who delivers pizza to the abominable Ricky, and is not-so-secretly in love with him.

The mysterious aspect of the program is akin to Twin Peaks in that the quirky events of each scene take precedence over the need for detection. The jokes are nuanced enough for future re-watching. And if the pace keeps up, the program should have a long shelf life. The characters are grotesque; the jokes are profane and nonsensical. It’s classic Kids in the Hall and you can tell that the old crew is having a blast.

By the time this paper comes out, the third episode will have aired. I can tell you, I’m all atwitter to see who goes next. Who else will be killed under the orgiastic gaze of Death incarnate?

The Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on CBC.
Episodes can be viewed at CBC.ca/kidsinthehall

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