From a media release:
Resistance to Laughter is Futile when HOTBOX Invades The Comedy Network June 2
- New original Canadian comedy series takes funny to another world
- Comedians Debra DiGiovanni, Colin Mochrie and Jon Dore appear in recurring bit “Dinner in Space”
Take cover Canada. On Tuesday, June 2 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, The Comedy Network’s newest original series HOTBOX crash lands on televisions everywhere. This bizarre sketch comedy show for the YouTube generation is the spawn of the unholy union of comedian Pat Thornton and The Comedy Network. Each 30-minute episode unleashes a burst of “smart-dumb” humour using puppetry, animation, and live action in random, short-form segments. For unrestricted and unlimited access to HOTBOX visit thecomedynetwork.ca.
There is no up or down, rhyme or reason to the 177 segments, 489 characters, and 13 installments of mixed-media madness. While poking, prodding, and close examination of HOTBOX is strongly encouraged, viewers are advised that prolonged and repeated exposure may cause laughter convulsions leading to hysteria, and in extreme cases, loss of bodily functions. While many bits like “Burt Squirt’s” and “Girl Dad” whiz by only once, recurring characters like Josh Combs of “Channel 79,” “Rage Rabbit,” and “French Toast Hawk” repeatedly assault the senses.
In each episode, a team of animated scientists have a “blast” experimenting with different ways to open HOTBOX, with hilariously catastrophic results. Only The Comedy Network viewers are granted entry — at their own risk. In the first installment (June 2), Robocop drops in for breakfast, a techno-obsessed Hitman makes his first hit, while Puppet Detective Gary Sinise leaves his perps perplexed. Socially stunted Brad Piss airs his first cringe-worthy commercial, and Z-lister Willie Montenegro plays host to celebrity guests such as Debra DiGiovanni, Colin Mochrie and Jon Dore in “Dinner in Space.” There’s also “Music Pants,” a “Press Conference with a Bear,” and “Stick Figure Action Theatre.” Subsequent episode highlights include online cult favourite “The Owl and The Man,” “Fake Nintendo,” and “Howdy Do That.” But that’s not all! Comedian Seán Cullen (Corky and the Juice Pigs, LAST COMIC STANDING), also appears in numerous episodes and is the voice of the captain in the recurring animated segments, “Lifeboat.”
In eight years as a stand-up, and sketch performer, Pat Thornton has delivered hundreds of shows across North America including Just for Laughs. He’s performed in New York City with his award-winning sketch group, The Sketchersons and at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Los Angeles. On the telly, Pat’s been featured in dozens of programs including the 2005 CREAM OF COMEDY, and MuchMusic’s VIDEO ON TRIAL. Pat’s humour also extends to the virtual world with online comedy series THE Owl and the Man, which consistently ranked in the Top 5 most streamed shows on thecomedynetwork.ca.
HOTBOX is based on an idea by co-producer Pat Thornton and The Comedy Network. Vivieno Caldinelli (If I See Randy Again, Do You Want Me to Hit Him With the Axe?, THE OWL AND THE MAN) is Writer, Director and Creative Producer David C. Smith of S&S Productions (JEFF LTD, THE RED GREEN SHOW, HISTORY BITES), is Executive Producer. Andrew Barnsley of S&S Productions is Producer and Development Director. Words come courtesy of a six-person writing team led by Pat Thornton including Vivieno Caldinelli, Katie Crown, Bob Kerr, Graham Wagner, and Tim Polley. Michelle Daly is Director of Content, The Comedy Network. Sarah Fowlie is Manager, Original Programming, The Comedy Network. Animations are created by the talented artists at Smiley Guy Studios.
Entries (RSS)
June 5th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
hotbox is terrible. if it wasn’t for every other steaming turd of a show that the comedy network has produced it would be the worst show ever. this press release is funny though like the part where they say “smart-dumb” to make it look like the show is awful on purpose. the comedy network is the main reason i got rid of cable last summer and i am happier without it, i download everything and unfortunately i watched these hotbox skits online when i should have known better. when will i learn? more important, when will comedy network learn?
June 8th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Wow is Hotbox a crappy show. Don’t efen tell me about giving it a second chance, that is what their moms are for. I didn’t laugh once. Glad to see the makers of Red Green and History Bites keep rolling onward with quality programming. And by quality programming I mean shows that make you contemplate killing those nearby.
June 11th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Gotta agree, the show sucks big time. Lame characters, lame acting, poor writing; did someone actually laugh when they wrote those stupid cop bits? I agree with the Red Green, History Bites comment, some of the worst vomit on TV. I guess the Comedy Network needs something to show between episodes of Corner Gas reruns.
I gave it a chance and it sucked, don’t waste your time, go have a real hotbox, much more enjoyable.
June 14th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Granted, I’ve only seen one episode; but it was quite possibly the funniest thing I’ve ever seen on television. I watched the episode that had the East Hodge Mall internet contest, with that woman who was murdered. Jesus…I almost died laughing. Even thinking about it hours later I was cracking up. In fact, most of the skits made me laugh to degrees I forgot were possible. I’m hoping the rest of the show is this good. I’m also really digging Jon Dore & to a lesser extent Tosh.0
June 14th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Forgot to mention: the people who made this show have a dementedly delicious imagination.
June 17th, 2009 at 9:14 am
The only reason you guys don’t really like the show is because you have a different sense of humor. People who are exposed to the internet often have greater differences in finding things funny than people that are not on computers as much.
I found the show hilarious the first sketch all the way through and Im eager for next weeks episode.
by the way, anyone know where I can get the theme song for the intro and ending credits?
June 21st, 2009 at 8:17 am
Sad to see some people trashing a show that’s clearly over their heads. Hotbox is a brilliantly surreal show. If you’re not laughing at Dream Cops or the dinner in space bit, it’s because you don’t have the right sense of humour.
June 24th, 2009 at 11:47 am
Why so catty up there, comment peeples? It’s a fun show.
June 24th, 2009 at 11:09 pm
Hotbox is amazingly original and hilarious…those haters above probably didn’t appreciate the brilliance of Kids In the Hall either…people that find the need to feverishly trash something usually are projecting their own issues of inadequacy…not cool..if you don’t like something, try offering savvy reasoning so you can be taken seriously. Support homegrown talent! Thanks Hotbox peeps!
June 26th, 2009 at 5:13 am
I actually find Hotbox to be astonishingly refreshing and amusing. As is the case with any comedy series, it has its terribly low points that just aren’t as amusing as one might hope… but on the other end of thing, I find it ridiculously funny. Granted, that may have been entirely the result of the facile humour of Weiner Falls. Show me an ironic dick joke and I really won’t be able to keep it together.
That in mind, I’d say it’s vastly superior to many of the mass-marketed sitcoms and sketch comedy that have seeped their way onto the air. Many of those shows I find myself markedly incapable of viewing. To Hotbox’s credit, I still want to see more. It’s clearly not for everyone, but it also reaches beyond what the market is already offering; that alone puts it numerous steps above most.
June 26th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Such hate. Smoke a bit of weed and this is frickin gold. Think of the title fools!
June 30th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
damn garbage
July 1st, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Interesting how after the first few honest, if harsh comments populated this message board, more than a week later suddenly such glowing reviews were found. For example, five of the posters said:
“astonishingly refreshing”
“amazingly original and hilarious”
“brilliantly surreal show”
“hilarious the first sketch all the way through”
(And my favourite…)
“quite possibly the funniest thing I’ve ever seen on television.
THAT’S HOW YOU SPOT PEOPLE AFFILIATED WITH THE SHOW POSTING ABOUT THEIR OWN SHOW. Even if you like the show cuz you’re too stoned to realize it’s simplistic, tepid, largely not funny and a blatant rip off of the superior Tim & Eric…there’s no way you think it is the best thing you’ve ever seen. Totally nonsense. The show is obviously weak, but glad to know Comedy Network execs read and post to these message boards!
July 4th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
^^ It may just be that people are countering one over reaction with another. “It’s the worst!” and then “It’s the best!” It’s neither, but I like it.
People have different opinions, but I guess expressing them on the internet gets you yelled at in ALL CAPS.
July 6th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
If you need pot to make a show funny, then the show isn’t funny. Not only is this a terrible show, but I’m really starting to get pissed off at seeing the SAME LAME CLIPS used over and over again in the ads. Presumably, they picked the best clips they had.
July 7th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
Just grow a sense of humour already. The show is brilliant! This is exactly the kind of fresh, unbridled thinking that Canadian TV needs. We’ve done Danger Bay, it didn’t sell, move on.
July 7th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
Are you kidding me?:
Not all these comments are fake.
I did find the show astonishing in a lemony, refreshing sort of way. If I were to call it merely amazing, I would be leaving out the all the original, hilarious bits that are stuffed in there too. In a surreal, almost Dali-like way, I find the show subversively brilliant. Definitely not for dumb people. And not just the first sketch, no sir. All the way through!
If it wasn’t for the pimple on your momma’s bare cheek (you know the kind I mean), it would quite possibly be the funniest thing I’ve ever seen on television.
July 8th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
The show is made for people who smoke weed. I hotbox my room before every episode. Its fucking great
July 8th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
this show is fucking disgusting,, OMG i wanna barf in the face of the writers of this show
July 9th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
“Patrick”:
Pretty sure you just proved my point in post 17. Hey, enjoy the show. Really. I suppose it’s something to do while your mom searches the job ads for you.
July 13th, 2009 at 8:40 am
I strongly suspect these glowing reviews are from people who work for this show or who have friends who do.
This isn’t the worst show ever, frick it isn’t even the worst show ever on the comedy network, but it is an awful, awful, unfunny show.
If you have to get really high to laugh at this show then guess what you can also laugh a lot at Wheel of Fortune or CNN when you’re high, this show still sucks.
Sorry for being honest.
July 13th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Hot Box is one of the worst shows I have ever seen. Whoever posted here that they liked it is either insane or works for the show. You can’t trust the internet anyway so ask real life people. I don’t know anyone personally who has seen this show who doesn’t hate it. The worst writing and acting I have ever seen that I can remember right now.
July 13th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
It’s not the worst show ever but it’s pretty bad.
July 14th, 2009 at 7:40 am
I thought it was a clever show – at first. Now its just a crap show that just builds on its crapitude with every episode.
July 14th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
If you enjoy real humor you will not find this funny, when are all you dummies going to realize that canadian programing sucks it has always sucked and will always suck givin the exception of a few like kenny vs spenny trailer park boys,… not stuff like, hotbox, jon dore and corner gas… these shows are for regects who will laugh at anything
July 15th, 2009 at 11:24 am
People seem to like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgYBg1-wu08
July 15th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
I’m going to stop you there Mr. Common Sense/Mr. Agreeable/Stephen Harper/etc. You know I can tell you’re the same person from the IP address, right? Stop the spamming, please. There’s an actual human being with a life who has to read your comments and, now, delete them. If you do work for the show as it appears, this is not the way to gain support for it.