Mark Breslin

Last updated
Mark Breslin
Born1952 (age 71–72)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Alma mater York University
Occupation(s)entrepreneur, comedian, actor
Known for Yuk Yuk's comedy clubs

Mark Breslin, CM is a Canadian entrepreneur, producer, stand-up comedian [1] and actor best known for being the co-founder (along with Joel Axler) of Yuk Yuk's, the largest chain of comedy clubs in Canada. On December 29, 2017, he was appointed [2] a Member of the Order of Canada by Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada.

Breslin graduated from York University with a B.A. Honours in English Literature. [3] Soon after graduating, he became Director of Theatre and Music for Harbourfront Corporation, an innovative cultural organization which produces events and activities at numerous venues on Toronto's waterfront. He is a founding member of the Canadian Comedy Awards, and was a comedy mentor for the B.C. Festival of the Arts.

In 1976, Breslin and his collaborator Joel Axler opened the first Yuk Yuk's, in the basement of Toronto's 519 Church Street Community Centre. Two years later, Breslin and Axler opened Yuk Yuk's first permanent venue at 1280 Bay Street in the Yorkville district. Over the next few decades, Yuk Yuk expanded its presence nationally and internationally. There are nine clubs across Canada.[ citation needed ]

Breslin made several guest appearances in the Robocop: The Series television series.[ citation needed ] He also appeared in an episode of Kenny Vs Spenny . His most recent[ when? ] film credit was as "Bob" in the movie Confessions of a Porn Addict .[ citation needed ]

Breslin has produced such television programs as The Late Show with Joan Rivers for Fox Broadcasting, Yuk Yuk's - the TV show for CBC Television, Mondo Taboo pay-per-view specials for The Movie Network and The Yuk Yuk's Great Canadian Laugh Off annual TV special for The Comedy Network, which he also hosts. He was executive producer on Friday Night with Ralph Benmergui for CBC TV and Yuk Yuk's 25th Anniversary Special for the Comedy Network. He was also a story consultant for the first two seasons of Kenny vs Spenny for CBC TV and Showcase and an associate producer of Petal Pushers on HGTV.

In addition to television, Breslin has also worked in radio, developing "Live from Yuk Yuk's", a daily radio show syndicated by the Telemedia Radio Network on over 80 stations coast to coast. Breslin was the program director and an on-air personality on the XM Satellite Radio channel Laugh Attack, which features predominantly Canadian comedy and is Canada's only 24-hour Canadian comedy channel. He hosted call-in shows on Q107 and CFRB and has appeared as a featured panelist on multiple episodes of ROB TV's The ArtS Panel and Global Television's Grumps. He has written four books so far: Zen and Now (Somerville House), a Brian Mulroney joke book Son of a Meech (Random House), and an autobiographical novel, Control Freaked (Insomniac Press). Breslin also wrote and narrated two 5-CD audio book, published by HarperCollins, titled Yuk Yuk’s Guide to Canadian Stand-Up and Rarities and Road Warriors. Add to this, book reviews for The Globe and Mail , The Toronto Star and Quill and Quire , and a monthly comedy column for the Village Post Magazine. He also wrote a weekly movie review column alongside Richard Crouse in the Metro newspaper.

In 2014, Breslin was included in the Toronto Star's list of 180 most influential people to come out of Toronto.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lorne Michaels</span> American television producer, writer, and actor (born 1944)

Lorne Michaels is an American television writer and film producer. He created and produced Saturday Night Live and produced the Late Night series, The Kids in the Hall and The Tonight Show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Bullard (comedian)</span> Canadian stand-up comic and talk show host (1957–2024)

Michael John Bullard was a Canadian stand-up comic and broadcaster. He was the host of two late-night talk shows, Open Mike with Mike Bullard on CTV from 1997 to 2003 and The Mike Bullard Show on Global from 2003 to 2004. From 2010 to 2016, he hosted Beyond the Mic with Mike Bullard weekdays at noon on Newstalk 1010 in Toronto.

Kenny vs. Spenny was a Canadian reality comedy television series starring Kenny Hotz and Spencer Rice, where they face against each other in competitions. The loser of each episode performs an act of humiliation, usually selected by the winner. Hotz and Rice created the series in addition to serving as executive producers, and it was typically shot in their hometown of Toronto, based mostly out of the house they shared. As of November 2008, the show aired on CBC, Global and Showcase in Canada, Comedy Central in Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands, The Comedy Channel in Australia, Animax and later, Sony MAX, in South Africa, Italia 2 in Italy, FX in Portugal, on Jim in Finland. The series concluded with an hour-long Christmas special that aired on December 23, 2010, at 9 pm ET/PT on Showcase. It aired in Latin America on Sony Spin for a short time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian humour</span>

Humour is an integral part of the Canadian identity. There are several traditions in Canadian humour in both English and French. While these traditions are distinct and at times very different, there are common themes that relate to Canadians' shared history and geopolitical situation in North America and the world. Though neither universally kind nor moderate, humorous Canadian literature has often been branded by author Dick Bourgeois-Doyle as "gentle satire," evoking the notion embedded in humorist Stephen Leacock's definition of humour as "the kindly contemplation of the incongruities of life and the artistic expression thereof."

Friday Night! with Ralph Benmergui was a Canadian television variety show, which aired on CBC Television from 1992 to 1993. The show initially aired at 10 p.m., following Prime Time News, but was moved to 11 p.m. in January 1993 and aired in the later time slot for the remainder of its run.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seán Cullen</span> Canadian actor and stand-up comedian

Seán Cullen is a Canadian actor and stand-up comedian. He is known for combining improvisation with mimicry and music. He is known for providing voices of characters in shows like Best Ed, Seven Little Monsters, and Almost Naked Animals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derek Harvie</span> Canadian TV and film writer and producer (born 1971)

Derek Kevin Harvie is a Canadian TV and film writer and producer. Harvie grew up in Ottawa and graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in film and literature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny Hotz</span> Canadian comedy writer and television personality

Kenneth Joel Hotz is a Canadian comedy writer, filmmaker, entertainer and television personality. He is best known as the star of the reality comedy show Kenny vs. Spenny alongside Spencer Rice. Hotz is the creator of the FX series Testees, and Kenny Hotz's Triumph of the Will. Between 2004 and 2006, he served as a staff writer for South Park. Hotz has directed a number of films, including Pitch, It Don't Cost Nothin' to Say Good Morning, The Papal Chase and Subscribe. He also co-directed the music video for the song "Monophobia" by Deadmau5. Hotz is a regular contributor for Vice Media and began his career as a war correspondent and photojournalist during the Gulf War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trevor Boris</span> Canadian comedian (born 1980)

Trevor Boris is a Canadian comedian, writer and television producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Comedy Awards</span> National awards for performed comedy

The Canadian Comedy Awards (CCA) is an annual ceremony that awards the Beaver for achievements in Canadian comedy in live performance, radio, film, television, and Internet media. The awards were founded and produced by Tim Progosh in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yuk Yuk's</span> National comedy club chain in Canada

Yuk Yuk's is a national comedy club chain in Canada, founded by former stand-up comedian Mark Breslin and established in 1976 by Breslin and long-time friend Joel Axler. The company is currently run by Breslin and his long-time partner and president Jeff Silverman. The head office is located in downtown Toronto. Currently there are nine Yuk Yuk's Comedy Clubs in five provinces across Canada.

Wade Christian McElwain is a Canadian television producer and comedian. McElwain created the first live, multi-platform trivia show, and is considered an innovator of second-screen, integrated content. He has won numerous international awards as a professional comedian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerry Dee</span> Canadian actor and stand-up comedian

Gerry Dee is a Canadian actor, stand-up comedian, game show host, director, producer, and writer. He is the host of Family Feud Canada. He placed third on the fifth season of Last Comic Standing, and he wrote and starred in the sitcom Mr. D, which aired on CBC Television.

The Royal Canadian Air Farce was a comedy troupe that was active from 1973 to 2019. It is best known for their various Canadian Broadcasting Corporation series, first on CBC Radio and later on CBC Television. Although their weekly radio series ended in 1997 and their television series ended in 2008, the troupe produced annual New Year's Eve specials on CBC Television until 2019. CBC announced that, due to budgetary constraints, the special scheduled to air on December 30, 2019, would be the final in the series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spencer Rice</span> Canadian filmmaker and television personality

Spencer Nolan "Spenny" Rice is a Canadian screenwriter, filmmaker and television personality. He was the co-star of the reality comedy series Kenny vs. Spenny along with Kenny Hotz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Little (Canadian comedian)</span> Canadian actor and comedian (born 1983)

Mark Thomas Little is a Canadian actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known for his appearances on the CBC Television sitcom Mr. D, playing Simon Hunt, the Xavier Academy science teacher, and his work with Picnicface.

Jeff Silverman is the president of Yuk Yuk’s, Canada's largest chain of comedy clubs. He has also been a concert promoter, former promoter at Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern as well as an author, publisher, business consultant, and graphic artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renee Percy</span> Canadian actress, writer and comedian

Renee Percy is a Canadian actress, writer, and comedian. Percy is best known for her work on the sketch comedy shows Air Farce Live and CTV/Comedy Network's Comedy Inc, and for her Comedy Now! Special "Women of the Night II". Appearing in numerous national television commercials her most notable role is her Canadian Comedy Awards winning viral video "Sure Lock: A True Poo Story".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carolyn Bennett (comedian)</span> Canadian comedian and writer

Carolyn Bennett is a Canadian comedian and writer.

D.J. Demers is a Canadian stand-up comedian, best known for his television appearances on season 11 of America's Got Talent and on the late night talk show Conan. Originally from Kitchener, Ontario, Demers was diagnosed with hearing loss in childhood, and focuses his comedy largely but not exclusively on his experiences as a person who wears hearing aids.

References

  1. ↑ "Mark Breslin on the top up-and-coming comedic minds in Toronto". Post City Toronto. March 31, 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  2. ↑ "The Governor General of Canada". 20 September 2017.
  3. ↑ Henderson, Mark (March 15, 1984). "Breslin Opens Clubs Just for Laughs". The Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.