The Vacant Lot

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.

While I believe the comparison between the Kids in the Hall and the Vacant Lot is valid, the Vacant Lot had a very different feel to it: the comedy was much more surreal and dreamlike, especially some of their musical sketches. I remember watching it with my sister, and we were always blown away by the many layers of content in many sketches. Superficially, they're funny, but then they also play with gender, self-destruction and some other heavy themes in a disturbing way. I think Rob Gfroerer's physical strangeness was a large part of why this worked (see the "He slept on his arms last night" sketch). I would love to get this series on DVD!

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!

The Vacant Lot gave me a reason to wake up early on Saturday mornings. The only time I got to see it anyway. It had talented comedic actors, terrific sketches that were way more hilarious than anything on all those stupid shows that are popular now like, The Simpsons, The Drew Carey Show, and Whose Line is it Anyway! It was from the makers of another cool show, "Kids in the Hall". I enjoyed both The Vacant Lot and Kids in the Hall. Why didn't Comedy Central continue showing this? Also, it should've had more episodes!

If only The Vacant Lot were available on video, or have Comedy Central bring it back. Heck, I even liked and enjoyed this show more than MST3K! So, if you like Monty Python, Kids in the Hall, or just plain comedy then The Vacant Lot is the show for you! I still love this show to this day! It wasn't too lowbrow or highbrow, it was somewhere in the middle, which was probably why it was so unique. The sketches were memorable that you will never forget them.

The Vacant Lot is also good for those who are sick of Saturday Night Live, Seinfeld, and all that garbage they show on Comedy Central nowadays (i.e. South Park). I salute the actors and the writers of this show. The Vacant Lot may have been underrated, but it deserved a lot better credibility than it got. It is and it's still Canadian comedy at a higher caliber! :)

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.