Humber College Comedy: Writing and Performance

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The Humber School of Comedy (Comedy: Writing and Performance program) was founded in 1999, at Humber College in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the first and only post-secondary degree program in comedy in the English-speaking world.

One of the Comedy students' mandatory course requirements is to perform at Yuk Yuk's comedy club's Toonie Tuesday nights.

1 Faculty
2 Guest speakers
3 Advisory Committee
4 Previously proposed reality show
5 References and footnotes
6 External links and references

[edit] Faculty

Yuk Yuk's founder Mark Breslin, SCTV's Robin Duke, Cindy Block, Shawn Campbell, Canada's foremost comedy historian Andrew Clark, David Flaherty, Writer Lorne Frohman, Comedian Larry Horowitz, choreographer Jen Johnson, multiple Dora Award-nominee Melody A. Johnson, Mike Kennard, Frank McAnulty, Laura McGhee, David Talbot, Robert Trick.

Former faculty members include SCTV's Joe Flaherty, Dora Award-winner Linda Kash, Andy Massingham, Paul O’Sullivan, CTV executive producer of drama Martin Lager, Allan Guttman, Cindy Block, Frank McAnulty, Shawn Campbell, Nick Johne, Robert Trick Johnston, Mike Kennard, Mark Schoenberg.

[edit] Guest speakers

1998: Seinfeld's executive producer George Shapiro and former co-producer and lead writer Carol Leifer
1999: Anne Beatts, Joe Flaherty, Beth Lapides
2004-05: Andrea Martin, Colin Mochrie, Joan Rivers, The Smothers Brothers, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara
2005-06: (incomplete) Billy Crystal, Eugene Levy
2006-07: Colin Mochrie, Mark Breslin, Russell Peters

[edit] Advisory Committee

Chaired by Mark Breslin, the committee consists of Joe Flaherty, Bruce Jay Friedman, Eugene Levy, Rick Moranis, Perry Rosemond, George Shapiro, Marlene Smith, and Dave Thomas.

[edit] Previously proposed reality show

Merv Griffin Productions and Creative Artists Management started pre-production on a reality show based on the course. Course founder Joe Kertes was quoted as saying that "We're very excited. This is a huge opportunity for students. If they end up on an American national show, 10 or 12 could catapult to international stardom overnight, like American Idol finalists."

However, the show was met with criticism. Maureen Wall, the faculty union president, told school newspaper Humber EtCetera that "I really think it could potentially be affecting the quality of education and what we're supposed to be all about here as a college." With such opposition, the show eventually ceased production.

The show would have set a precedent, by giving individuals in the series control over the footage used in the show's final edit. Generally the genre of reality is known for airing the most controversial or embarrassing footage available.

Before this, 60 Minutes, the BBC, and more than two dozen independent film producers had contact Kertes before-hand, but Merv Griffin Productions was the first to make a "serious bid".