Fresh from a Haligonian incubator, a new kind of sketch comedy series is born exclusively to The Comedy Network with the premiere of the original production PICNICFACE. The darkly absurd and hysterically funny new half-hour series premieres Wednesday, September 21 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT following a special sneak peak episode on Wednesday, August 31 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
Known for their stream-of-consciousness style, the sketch comedy collective known as Picnicface mixes contemporary sketch with the absurd and random. The eight-person sketch troupe consists of Andrew Bush, Kyle Dooley, Cheryl Hann, Mark Little, Brian Eldon Macquarrie, Evany Rosen, Scott Vrooman, and Bill Wood.
Describing themselves as “a many-headed comedy Hydra”, PICNICFACE offers a smorgasbord of comedy styles with self-aware and alternative sketches appealing to those who devoured everyone from MONTY PYTHON and THE KIDS IN THE HALL to Andy Samberg’s The Lonely Island and TIM AND ERIC AWESOME SHOW, GREAT JOB! The collaborative ensemble reclaims sketch comedy for the digital age, delivering the goods to a generation obsessed with instant viral gratification.
“PICNICFACE has already amassed an incredible and loyal fan base online,” said Corrie Coe, Senior Vice-President, Independent Production, Bell Media. “We are thrilled to be working with this talented troupe, and can’t wait to see their online success translate to television.”
Check out a behind-the-scenes video of the PICNICFACE promotional photoshoot here.
PICNICFACE will feature elements that fans may recognize from their popular live shows and their steady online presence. In the sneak peak episode airing August 31, the show revisits some of the troupe members’ online viral hits, including Manly Ad Agency and The Button, both of which amassed an incredible following online on College Humour and FunnyorDie.
Later this week, Picnicface attends Montreal’s Just for Laughs comedy festival for a live performance on Thursday, July 28 at 7 p.m. at Place des Arts – Cinquieme Salle. Additionally, the troupe has been busy wrapping their upcoming feature film Roller Town and completing their satirical book entitled Picnicface’s Canada, both set for release later this year.
PICNICFACE is an Ontario-Nova Scotia co-production between Breakthrough Entertainment and Northeast Films in association with The Comedy Network. Executive Producers are Gary Campbell (KIDS IN THE HALL, TODD & THE BOOK OF PURE EVIL, MADTV), Mark McKinney (KIDS IN THE HALL, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE), Ira Levy and Peter Williamson (KENNY VS. SPENNY, LESS THAN KIND); producers are Mark Montefiore (Eating Buccaneers), Bill Niven and Jay Dahl (There Are Monsters, Roller Town); directors are Andrew Bush and Vivieno Caldinelli. For Bell Media, Corrie Coe is the Senior Vice President, Independent Production and Production Executives for PICNICFACE are Sarah Fowlie and Jake Labow.
