That's So Weird!

Last updated
That's So Weird!
Genre Sketch comedy
Created byJeff Copeland
Written by Gary Pearson
Duncan McKenzie
Jerry Schaefer
Carolyn Taylor
Albert Howell
Jan Caruana
StarringJames Hartnett
Hannah Hogan
Alana Johnston
Kayla Lorette
Joey Lucius
Alex Spencer
AJ Vaage
Country of originCanada
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes39
Production
Executive producer Gary Pearson
Production locations Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Production company DHX Media Halifax (Halifax Film)
Release
Original network YTV
Original releaseSeptember 9, 2009 (2009-09-09) 
March 8, 2012 (2012-03-08)

That's So Weird is a Canadian sketch comedy television show produced by Halifax Film Company (later DHX Media Halifax), created by Jeff Copeland, broadcast on YTV from September 9, 2009 to March 8, 2012. [1] The show has been described as SCTV or Mad TV for teenagers and includes an array of comedic skits. [2] [3]

Contents

Premise

The show is a documentation of a group of teenagers who work at a fictional television station called So Weird TV. They receive various unusual products from their owner, Jamco, and are given the duty of creating commercial advertisements for the strange items. Alongside the ads they are required to do, So Weird TV also has programming that parodies television programs such as Degrassi: The Next Generation and This is Daniel Cook . [4]

Characters

Production

Most scenes are filmed in front of live studio audiences. Season 1 was filmed in the former St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School building in Toronto. [5] Later seasons were filmed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in Studio 1 at CBC Halifax. [2]

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
Season premiere Season finale
1 13September 9, 2009March 17, 2010
2 13October 6, 2010March 30, 2011
3 13October 5, 2011March 8, 2012

Season 1 (2009–2010)

No. in seasonNo. in seriesEpisode titleOriginal air date
11"Chocklick"September 9, 2009 (2009-09-09)
The team makes a commercial for Chocklick; a chocolate block that "lasts forever". YTV's Carlos makes a guest appearance.
22"Shantz"September 16, 2009 (2009-09-16)
A new product that is a shirt and pants are made.
33"Drool Aid"September 23, 2009 (2009-09-23)
Drool Aid, a powder making you drool juice, is brought forward.
44"Pretty as a Picture"September 30, 2009 (2009-09-30)
A picture frame that goes on your neck and makes you look prettier.
55"Greeting Card"October 14, 2009 (2009-10-14)
Greeting Cards for just when you need them is the ad for the team.
66"Beef Whiz"October 21, 2009 (2009-10-21)
A commercial needs to be made for a liquid beef named Beef Whiz.
77"Hamicil"October 28, 2009 (2009-10-28)
An acne cream that also can be dinner named Hamicil.
88"Tacorea"November 4, 2009 (2009-11-04)
A taco restaurant ad needs to be made for the restaurant Tacorea.
99"Leaky Roof"November 11, 2009 (2009-11-11)
A leaky roof won't stop following Kayla. Unfortunately, she is the only one noticing it.
1010"Scissors"November 18, 2009 (2009-11-18)
The team needs to make a Running With Scissors public service announcement.
1111"Feetza"January 6, 2010 (2010-01-06)
Feetza is a pizza and a foot lotion.
1212"Tried"January 7, 2010 (2010-01-07)
The detergent for people who don't care about clean clothes named Tried.
1313"Background Music"March 17, 2010 (2010-03-17)
Alana spends $500 on a subliminal background music machine.

Season 2 (2010–2011)

No. in seasonNo. in seriesEpisode titleOriginal air date
114"Space Thunder"October 6, 2010 (2010-10-06)
Kayla, in an attempt to gain James's love, gets the right to develop a TV show version of the comic book Space Thunder.
215"Divide and Conquer"October 13, 2010 (2010-10-13)
Alex and Hannah both want personal assistants, but they have a problem sharing them.
316"Gravity Trouble"October 20, 2010 (2010-10-20)
Weird gravity causes trouble for making TV shows.
417"Emu Flu"November 3, 2010 (2010-11-03)
AJ catches the Emu flu, which makes him act like an emu. This causes him to be quarantined.
518"April Fools"November 10, 2010 (2010-11-10)
Kayla pulls an April Fools joke, convincing everyone that Jamco is going to fire them if they don't make an April Fools prank. Everyone comes up with their own idea.
619"The Game"November 17, 2010 (2010-11-17)
James, Joey, AJ, and Kayla play a game instead of working.
720"Carmine"January 5, 2011 (2011-01-05)
A puppet named Carmine brings his show Carmine's Crib back. Carmine becomes an annoyance and an unpopular towards everyone.
821"Power Struggle"January 19, 2011 (2011-01-19)
Hannah and Alex battle for who has the most ratings.
922"Retro Show"February 2, 2011 (2011-02-02)
So Weird TV's 50th anniversary is coming up; Kayla initiates a plan to get James's attention, but it backfires when James ends up being with his love interest, Hannah.
1023"Ruthless Boss"February 16, 2011 (2011-02-16)
Alana trains for an annual ruthless boss competition trying to beat last year's champion and uses the MAL1000 computer to try to assist her in being ruthless. Unfortunately, MAL1000 becomes too ruthless for Alana.
1124"A Visit from Mom"March 2, 2011 (2011-03-02)
Alex's mom pays a visit to the station.
1225"Make AJ Do It"March 16, 2011 (2011-03-16)
When AJ gets a mustache, he feels more in control. Also, a giant blue hand stops Space Thunder.
1326"Bollywood"March 30, 2011 (2011-03-30)
Low ratings force the team to make a Bollywood music video. Also, James speaks out to Kayla.

Season 3 (2011–2012)

No. in seasonNo. in seriesEpisode titleOriginal air date
127"Iguana"October 5, 2011 (2011-10-05)
AJ falls in love with Alana, resulting in a love song. Alana interviews Jerry Trainor from iCarly .
228"Heist"October 12, 2011 (2011-10-12)
The cast try to retrieve their property from Alana's locked cupboard. Also, Alana interviews David Henrie from Wizards of Waverly Place .
329"Mortimer"October 19, 2011 (2011-10-19)
Alana dresses up as a new boss to make the team realize that having a fun manager has consequences.
430"Heavy Metal AJ"November 2, 2011 (2011-11-02)
Joey discovers AJ's old band, which he decides to rejoin on their comeback tour.
531"Ain't No Thing"November 9, 2011 (2011-11-09)
Alex's old sitcom is rebooted to bring back ratings, but the remake is cancelled. Also, Logan and Wilf answer questions from viewers.
632"Hannah's Itch"November 16, 2011 (2011-11-16)
Hannah has a back itch which she has trouble relieving.
733"Kaylaland"November 23, 2011 (2011-11-23)
Kayla visits Kaylaland, which is a parody of The Wizard of Oz , where people actually like her.
834"Jimmy Jamco"November 30, 2011 (2011-11-30)
AJ wants to be known more not as the guy who gets hurt, so he plays Jimmy Jamco. However, it backfires quickly.
935"Ho Ho Ha"December 7, 2011 (2011-12-07)
The cast are having trouble finding someone to play Santa. However, Kayla finds a man to be Santa, but he causes havoc.
1036"Educating Kayla"December 14, 2011 (2011-12-14)
Kayla and James put together an ad for Jamco University, and end up learning things themselves.
1137"Sleepover"January 12, 2012 (2012-01-12)
Hannah tries to make some friends that are girls by having a sleepover. Daniel Book learns about science.
1238"Joey Phones Home"February 9, 2012 (2012-02-09)
1339"That's So Musical"March 8, 2012 (2012-03-08)

Specials

Minis

A series of four mini episodes were made, featuring sketches from the first and second seasons without any sitcom content. The theme song from the second season plays without any opening sketch.

Recurring sketches

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryRecipient(s)Result
2010Gemini AwardsBest Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series [6] Jeff Copeland, Charles Bishop, Michael Donovan, Floyd Kane, Gary PearsonNominated [7]
Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series [6] Kayla LoretteNominated [7]

2011 Gemini Award Nomination

Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series That's So Weird, Gary Pearson Michael Donovan, Charles Bishop

2011 Canadian Comedy Awards-

Best Television Performance, Ensemble: James Hartnett, Hannah Hogan, Alana Johnston, Kayla Lorette, Joey Lucius, Alex Spencer, AJ Vaage (That's So Weird) (winner)

2013 – Canadian Screen Award Nominations.

Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series – That's So Weird! Gary Pearson, Michael Donovan, Charles Bishop

Best Writing in a Variety or Sketch Comedy Program or Series – That's So Weird! Mike Allison, Jan Caruana, James Hartnett, Alana Johnston, Jerry Schaefer, Gary Pearson, Duncan McKenzie

Related Research Articles

<i>This Hour Has 22 Minutes</i> Canadian TV comedy series

This Hour Has 22 Minutes is a weekly Canadian television comedy that airs on CBC Television. Launched in 1993 during Canada's 35th general election, the show focuses on Canadian politics with a combination of news parody, sketch comedy, and satirical editorials. Originally featuring Cathy Jones, Rick Mercer, Greg Thomey, and Mary Walsh, the series featured satirical sketches of the weekly news and Canadian political events. The show's format is a mock news program, intercut with comic sketches, parody commercials, and humorous interviews of public figures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Walsh (actress)</span> Canadian actress, comedian, and writer (born 1952)

Mary Cynthia Walsh is a Canadian actress, comedian, and writer. She is known for her work on CODCO and This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Torrens</span> Canadian actor and television personality

Jonathan Ormond Torrens is a Canadian actor and television personality best known for his co-hosting of Street Cents, his talk show Jonovision, and his role as "J-Roc" in the popular Canadian mockumentary Trailer Park Boys. In October 2009, Torrens began hosting TV with TV's Jonathan Torrens, a comedic newsmagazine program broadcast on the TVtropolis network. In January 2014, he teamed up with fellow Canadian Jeremy Taggart to create the Taggart and Torrens Podcast. They discuss everything from sports to politics and offer a unique perspective on current issues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin McDonald</span> Canadian actor and comedian

Kevin Hamilton McDonald is a Canadian actor, voice actor and comedian. He is a member of the comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall, who have appeared together in a number of stage, television and film productions, most notably the 1988–1995 TV series The Kids in the Hall. He played Pastor Dave in That '70s Show, and also starred as a co-pilot in the 2011 web comedy series Papillon. He also does voice work in animation, most notably for providing the voices of Agent Wendy Pleakley in the Lilo & Stitch franchise, Waffle in Catscratch, and the Almighty Tallest Purple in Invader Zim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Family Channel (Canadian TV channel)</span> Canadian cable channel

Family Channel is a Canadian English-language discretionary specialty channel owned by WildBrain. The network primarily airs children's television series, teen dramas, as well as other programming targeting a family audience. Despite having its own headquarters in the Brookfield Place office in Financial District, the channel is transmitted from Corus Quay.

Gary Pearson is a Canadian comedian, and television writer-producer. His writing credits include MAD TV, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Corner Gas, and That's So Weird!. He is co-creator of the television series Sunnyside.

The Winnipeg Comedy Festival (WCF) is an annual national comedy festival, held in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

<i>Hiccups</i> (TV series) Canadian TV series or program

Hiccups is a Canadian television series created by Corner Gas star Brent Butt, who is also the writer, show runner, and executive producer of the program. The series was produced by Laura Lightbown and David Storey and airs on CTV and The Comedy Network. The pilot was shot in late March 2009 with the rest of the series to begin shooting in September 2009. The show premiered on CTV on March 1, 2010; the same night as Dan for Mayor, a series starring fellow Corner Gas alumnus Fred Ewanuick. Hiccups returned for a second season on May 30, 2011 at 8pm ET. CTV did not renew Hiccups and Dan for Mayor for a third season.

Jackie Torrens is a Canadian actress, writer and filmmaker based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

<i>Picnicface</i> Canadian sketch comedy troupe

Picnicface was a Canadian sketch comedy troupe based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, consisting of Mark Little, Andrew Bush, Kyle Dooley, Cheryl Hann, Brian MacQuarrie, Evany Rosen, Scott Vrooman and Bill Wood. Formed in 2006, the group were most noted for a 13-episode sketch comedy television series which aired on The Comedy Network in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheryl Wagner</span>

Cheryl Wagner, is a Canadian puppeteer, producer, director and writer, who is the creator of the TV series The Big Comfy Couch, is a Gemini Award and Emmy award- winning Canadian children's television writer, showrunner and producer who began her career as a performer in both theatre and on the screen. Her Halifax-based touring Merrytime Clown and Puppet Company in which Wagner worked as a clown and puppeteer from 1977 to 1980 provided a fertile ground for her later work as a producer and writer in children's entertainment.

<i>Mr. D</i> Canadian TV series or program

Mr. D is a Canadian television series starring comedian Gerry Dee. The series follows the misadventures of an underqualified schoolteacher named Gerry Duncan, nicknamed Mr. D. It debuted on the CBC on January 9, 2012 and concluded after eight seasons on December 19, 2018.

The Vestibules, formerly known as Radio Free Vestibule, is a Canadian comedy troupe composed of Terence Bowman, Paul Paré, and Bernard Deniger.

WildBrain Studios is the in-house television studio arm of Canadian entertainment company WildBrain based in Vancouver, British Columbia, which was established in 2016 as DHX Studios.

The Canadian Screen Award for Best Reality/Competition Series is an annual Canadian television award, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to the best Canadian reality television series. Previously presented as part of the Gemini Awards, since 2013 it has been presented as part of the Canadian Screen Awards.

The Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series or Program is an annual Canadian television award, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to the best supporting performance by an actor in a Canadian dramatic television series or television film. Previously presented as part of the Gemini Awards, since 2013 it has been presented as part of the Canadian Screen Awards.

Evany Rosen is a Canadian comedian and actress, most noted as a founding member of the comedy troupe Picnicface and as co-creator with Kayla Lorette of the Crave original series New Eden.

The Gemini Award for Best Individual Performance in a Comedy Program or Series is a defunct award category, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television from 2001 to 2010 as part of its Gemini Awards program.

The Gemini Award for Best Performance in a Comedy Program or Series (Individual or Ensemble) is a defunct award category, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television from 1992 to 2000 as part of its Gemini Awards program.

The Gemini Award for Best Ensemble Performance in a Comedy Program or Series is a defunct award category, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television from 2001 to 2011 as part of its Gemini Awards program to honour ensemble performance in comedy programs. Winners and nominees were typically either sketch comedy shows, or the collective cast of a scripted narrative comedy series.

References

  1. "DHX Media signs new broadcast license deals for That's So Weird!" (Press release). DHX Media Ltd. 2010-04-01. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
  2. 1 2 3 Brioux, Bill (2010-10-05). "That's So Weird parody draws the tweens". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
  3. 1 2 Halliday, Chris (2010-09-07). "Orangeville native in running for Canadian Comedy award". Orangeville Banner. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
  4. Ryan, Andrew (2011-03-07). "TV: Five shows worth watching tonight: March 8". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
  5. Brioux, Bill (2009-09-21). "St. Francis blessed with more weird kids". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
  6. 1 2 Oliveira, Michael (2010-08-31). "Flashpoint leads with 15 Gemini nominations". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  7. 1 2 "25th Annual Gemini Awards – All Category Winner List – November 2, November 3 and November 13, 2010" (PDF) (Press release). Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. 2010-11-13. Retrieved 2011-12-31.