CBC Radio: Comedy Factory: Episodes
Canadian actor and comedian Jonathan Torrens was hanging out down the hall so we grabbed him for a guest appearance in a sketch that asks "Are We In A Recession?"
Other sketches ask "what was that fireball over the prairies?" and "what did music theives steal before Ipods and MP3 players?"
In a cheap ploy to cash in on that Pirates of the Caribbean box office, we've gone out of our way to work pirates into this week's podcast. A federal government offical unveils a new plan for the National Portrait Gallery. ANd comic Steve Hoffstedder describes a run-in at an airport.
We travel forward in time to visit the new president. It turns out, he's out of ideas, but never at a loss for words. Trish Cooper explains the dark side of giving. We follow some artists-turned-soldiers for a bloody but aesthetically pleasing battle mission. And it turns out the cure for Canada's health ...
Not much to make fun of this week. Ontario banned cell phones while driving. That's about it....Oh, and the Americans picked a black president. We should probably do something about that.
What's more frightening than Halloween? An American election, the economy, Madonna? (Shiver) The comedy factory podcast may not be spookier than those, but it is scary funny. We check out this year's hot costumes, explore Madonna's past, ask 10-year-olds about the current financial mess and ring the ...
We're smiling proudly, thanks to our use of flaws. Nile Seguin argues that being flawed is a comic's best tool. TV talk-show host Margaret Atwood points out the flaws in, well, everything. And we look for something the flaws in the president's space program.
As in, same old government, same old podcast. The election is over, and so is Minority Report. Our first post-campaign show includes four radio ads the main parties should have run, as well as streetwalker (not that kind) Alix Sobler, who tested the depths of the public's electoral ignorance. Finally, ...
As we move into the final week of the campaign, Comedy Factory newbie Jane Testar pulls an Elizabeth May and proves she's just as capable as the guys. Jane takes us back in time to hear how politicians used to deal with verbal gaffes, and to the bedside of a future Canadian artist. Al Rae kvetches about ...
Plagiarism, is just one of the gaffes that we'll help politicians "spin" to their advantage. Al Rae unveils his latest Minority Report, we eavesdrop on Stephane Dion's commercial shoot, find out why platforms are like computer programs, and wonder if our media are missing the big issues amidst the mini-scandals. ...
The campaign is in a sorry state... judging from all the politicians saying "sorry." Mike and Al examine this phenomenon; the real reason it's occurring, and how the candidates can extricate themselves from a sticky situation. Al reports from the trenches of the election's "culture war."
It's week two of the campaign, and our special election edition of the podcast takes stock of the parties' fortunes (moral bankruptcies feared!) and hit the streets to find out what voters are saying... about which candidates would win in a fight. Seriously. A real fistfight. Jane Testar sings of her ...
The podcast gets a new name, a new co-host and a new mission: to help you smile through the election by making fun of our electile dysfunction. First up, Al Rae takes us through the first week's headlines. We eavesdrop on party strategists trying to tap into the Obama-McCain-mania and we preview the ...
Summer's over, and the autumn forecast calls for canvassers, pollsters and lies, lies, lies. Rumours of an election abound. And not just in the U.S.! Apparently Canada may have one too. So we've got 10 signs that a fall vote is likely, and we offer tips for distinguishing between an American and Canadian ...
Guest Host Dean Jenkinson steps in for the honeymooning Mike O'Brien. Diana Francis delivers her final Google countdown before defecting from radio to CBC Television. And we take an historical look at Stephen Harper's influence on Western Civilization. All this and puns, puns, puns!
Hooray! Canada is winning medals at the Beijing Olympics! But remember back when we couldn't seem to win any... about six days ago? We take you back to those dark days when even our athletes' clouds didn't have silver linings. And we recount the litigious exploits of one of our nation's past Olympic ...
This week's Comedy Factory podcast is proud to welcome special guest host Lin Miaoke (voice may not match photo). It's almost-all-Olympics, almost-all-the-time! Where the five Olympic rings are just our usual three-ring circus with leftovers.
A news story about sex advice for Christians has us wondering how other faiths might offer guidance on this tricky topic. We reach into the past for a lost-in-translation meeting of American and Chinese leaders, and Diana Frances takes us through the web's hot picks of the week.
This week's podcast might leave you thinking someone is laying off comedy factory workers. We're down to two hands this week, but the real reason is summer holidays. Mike O'Brien howls a beginner's guide to classic rock, and Diana Frances tells you why teenage girls may not be happy with their internet ...
So lazy, in fact, there's only two new sketches this week. But out of all the pieces we've ever produced, these two are without a doubt... the most recent. There's a beginner's guide to Fringe theatre, and a visit to the harried home of Canada's unflappable top soldier. Then we go into the comedy vault ...
This week we celebrate two birthdays, one in Canada, and the other in the U.S.A. After seeing how our two nations mark their respective birthdays, we check in with the leaders of those countries as they discuss climate change at the G-8 summit. We explain folk music for folk festival virgins, and the ...