The Vacant Lot

It was like Lorne Michaels was trying for a second stab at "Kids In The Hall"s success. This short-lived Canadian series (featuring KITH's Mark McKinney's younger lookalike brother Nick) was perhaps a little *too* much like its predecessor to have solo success. Sketches were very much hit and miss, although some comic gems shone through. Some were too bizarre or too lengthy but high production values and excellent comic performaces made every episode watchable. The original songs featured throughout episodes were especially good.

Where are they now? Well, Paul Greenberg is often spotted in bit parts (most notably "As Good As It Gets" as a waiter), Nick McKinney writes for Michael Moore's series "The Awful Truth", Vito Viscomi is script editor for MTV's "Tom Green Show" and Rob Gfroerer wrote and appeared with Vito Viscomi and Paul Greenberg in the dire "Jenny McCarthy Show" on MTV.

If it ever resurfaces, check it out. It's worth at least half an hour of your time if you are a KITH fan.

Two sketches worth recounting (they still bring up a chuckle (for me, anyway (and maybe for you too (especially if you saw the show))))...

1) Jesus in High School -- was Our Lord and Saviour once a gangly loser trying to make it through another pimply, teenage day? Well, it would seem so, yes. Except for that glorious afternoon at the swim meet where Jesus is the star athlete in the 50m freestyle. The gun fires and, as all else dive in, Jesus sprints across the water as fast as a gazelle. Back in the locker room, these heroics don't save him the humiliation of a bare-ass towel snapping.

2) The Acupressure Amateur -- on a bus, two businessmen sit side-by- side. One complains of a stiff neck. His colleague volunteers to help by using newly acquired acupressure techniques that should alleviate the discomfort. Soon, the amateur is pressing tentatively on his friends' neck. The friend lets out a groan and sighs with relief, but the acupressionist is startled to see he has released the man's bladder and it is soiling his suit pants. Desperately, he fingers his friend's neck like a saxophone, seeking the 'off' switch.

I regret this show never quite got its footing and wasn't allowed to mature as Kids in the Hall was. Kids in the Hall also had a rough start, but got a rare chance (for Canadian TV) to gain an audience and mature in quality. Much more amusing than Royal Canadian Air Farce at its best, the Vacant Lot remains a sad little footnote to what could have been.

Fresh, young and sometimes sweetly pointless. Had a hilarious word play sketch revolving around "Blinded by the Light" also, A guy from an Amish like culture has a black egg and they have to cut his head off, Not exactly the best, but it's raw comedy maturing before your eyes...Comedy Central needs to replay this one.

Following in the footsteps of the famous "Kids In The Hall", "The Vacant Lot" brought tasteless and often raunchy humor straight to our television sets. I enjoyed the series while it ran, namely a musical sketch about a man who slept on his arms while sleeping, and how he couldn't use them to do anything anymore. In the end...he wasn't even able to commit suicide! If you enjoyed "Kids In the Hall", than you would love "The Vacant Lot". With all the reruns on Comedy Central, I hope they play this series once again.

This was a very unique and fun sketch comedy show that only lasted one short season on CBC. The sketch group was somehow related to Kids in the Hall, I think a couple of them were brothers or something, and they had some funny music videos and good sketches. It was similar to Kids in the Hall but not quite as funny and didn't make the same impact so this show just did not last. Too bad because it was a good show!