Jimmy Kimmel has defied the White House, stared down the FCC and stood up for the First Amendment.
asserted
Kimmel → defy → Amendment
Now there is joy in Melonville, for he has done what not even Martin Scorsese could do — a documentary about SCTV.
uncertain
Scorsese → be → SCTV
Kimmel is the executive producer of “SCTV: The Greatest Show You’ve Never Heard Of,” a 90-minute feature premiering Oct. 30 on Netflix.
asserted
You → hear → Netflix
And he has a message for Canadians: “I want to apologize for the title.”
asserted
I → have → title
Kimmel knows everyone in Canada has at least heard of “SCTV.”
asserted
everyone → know → SCTV
“It is something your country should be very, very proud of,” he said.
asserted
he → say → ?
“For me, it’s the best sketch-comedy show of all time.”
asserted
it → ’ → time
The 58-year-old comedian and talk show host discovered the series late at night growing up in Las Vegas.
asserted
comedian → discover → Vegas
“I just couldn’t get enough of them,” he said.
asserted
he → get → them
The title, he said, is meant to entice younger viewers who may not know why their parents still can’t get enough of Edith Prickley, the Schmenge Brothers or Bob and Doug McKenzie.
uncertain
parents → say → Prickley
Scorsese’s aborted attempt
This docu-salute to SCTV was supposed to happen eight years ago.
asserted
salute → suppose → SCTV
The scrappy Canadian sketch series, shot in Toronto and Edmonton back in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, had a glorious cast reunion at Toronto’s Elgin Theatre in 2018.
asserted
series → shoot → 2018
All the remaining players were there: Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Dave Thomas and even elusive Rick Moranis.
asserted
players → remain → ?
John Candy died at 43 in 1994 and Harold Ramis died age 69 in 2014.
asserted
Ramis → die → 2014
Kimmel, by then chummy with several in the cast, flew north to moderate the gathering.
asserted
Kimmel → fly → gathering
Scorsese’s documentary never materialized.
asserted
documentary → materialize → ?
What happened?
asserted
What → happen → ?
Meanwhile, Netflix, home of the original documentary, acquired rights to the entire “SCTV” series.
asserted
Netflix → acquire → series
It became clear, however, that Scorsese had moved on.
asserted
Scorsese → become → ?
“Turns out he’s super busy,” Kimmel said of the 83-year-old Oscar winner.
asserted
Kimmel → turn → winner
The project simply “fell out of his field of vision.”
asserted
project → fall → vision
Kimmel was not about to let it fall out of his.
asserted
it → let → his
He called up Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos and told him that “if you need somebody to finish it for you, I’d love to do it.”
asserted
I → call → it
He hired Jason Hehir, who directed the Michael Jordan series “The Last Dance” as well as documentaries on Elvis Presley and Andre the Giant.
asserted
who → hire → Presley
“I wanted to make sure whoever’s hands this wound up in was a huge fan of the show,” Kimmel said, “and he was very excited.”
asserted
he → want → show
Kimmel then made the decision to ditch the 2018 cast reunion footage.
asserted
Kimmel → make → footage
“Unfortunately, it happened so long ago that it felt dated,” he explained.
asserted
he → happen → ?
That called for a new cast reunion shot in 2025.
asserted
That → call → 2025
Only Flaherty, who passed away at 82 in 2024, is missing from the recent interviews.
asserted
who → pass → interviews
O’Hara succumbed to cancer earlier this year at 71 but is in this documentary and on the couch next to Andrea Martin.
asserted
O’Hara → succumb → Martin
bonds
“Catherine was a friend of mine,” Kimmel said.
asserted
Kimmel → say → mine
“I was very, very fortunate to know her.”
asserted
I → know → her
He tells a story about a visit to the Muskoka cottage O’Hara shared with her production designer husband Bo Welch.
asserted
O’Hara → tell → husband
“My kids were little at the time, and she wanted to keep them busy so we could relax,” said Kimmel.
uncertain
Kimmel → want → them
O’Hara handed them little metal baskets and instructed the children to go outside and gather acorns for the chipmunks.
asserted
O’Hara → hand → chipmunks
“The kids were so excited,” Kimmel said.
asserted
Kimmel → say → ?
“You can tell I grew up in Las Vegas, right?
asserted
I → tell → Vegas
“It is beautiful to watch,” said Kimmel.
asserted
Kimmel → watch → ?
“I’ve had the pleasure of seeing it every time Marty (Short) has a Christmas party or dinner.
asserted
Marty → have → party
People move their careers, take different paths, they have families, they live in different parts of the world.
asserted
they → move → world
…and 17 more, not listed.
The Aporia
