Every great comedy troupe has a cast member who provides "glue" as well as laughs and for the brilliant cast of SCTV, that "glue" was provided by Joe Flaherty. A bit older than the rest of the cast, Joe was part of the Second City Chicago troupe who went north in the early 1970s to establish one in Toronto. Good move -- that cast attracted young comics such as Dan Ackroyd and Gilda Radner (who would be poached by SNL) and the comedic "murderers row" who joined Joe at SCTV -- Dave Thomas, Eugene Levy, John Candy, Catherine O'Hara and Andrea Martin (later joined by Rick Moranis). Joe served as a mentor, as well as creating some hilarious characters including scary movie host Count Floyd and painfully sycophantic talk show host Sammy Maudlin. After SCTV Joe's career was lower profile but filled with great supporting roles in movies and tv shows, as well as voice acting gigs. Much loved by fellow cast members and fans, later in his career Joe also helped polish future Canadian comedy stars, teaching comedy writing at Humber College in Toronto. As always find extended cuts below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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You can't do a Joe Flaherty episode without Count Floyd -- a loving parody of late night local tv horror movie hosts. https://youtu.be/MEjdt_n1l-4?si=sEavRmMwmg7H-geg

Joe's Sammy Maudlin was a highlight of SCTV -- a wicked parody of dying Vegas culture and "knee slapping" talk show love fests. Add in John Candy as a boot licking co-host and a host of fading stars as guests and you have a comedy classic. https://youtu.be/jBXHFjpoW3o?si=BezMRwMcJ8dmM96j

Joe had many small but key roles in movie comedies in the 1980s and 90s -- here is one with a slightly more serious vibe -- but still unmistakably Joe -- as he sets up a legendary cliff hanger in Back to the Future II. And Western Union got their money's worth from that product placement!https://youtu.be/9S3nJTnDZno?si=DtQWXZVUTW71wt0o

Joe had a juicy role in the cult-classic tv show Freaks and Geeks, playing the Dad, Mr. Weir, with the cringe observations dialed up to 11. https://youtu.be/vOrSZQs2FBU?si=evrEpLmn7-ryaKjv

Time to get your rock and roll shoes on with Tenacious D -- the musical comedy creation of Jack Black and Kyle Gass -- who turned a fun novelty act into an ever more fun worldwide recording and touring machine. When Black and Gass first met in an LA theater troupe they couldn't have known how much their futures would be intertwined. While an early HBO show didn't catch fire, their debut album was a smash -- earning airplay on traditional hard rock stations as well as on comedy shows. The secret is that their music is REALLY good. Both Jack and Kyle are fine musicians and Black is possessed of a voice that would make metal vocalists the world over envious. There is a reason that in their movie "The Pick of Destiny" Jack Black's character (in a flashback to his youth) has a picture of Ronnie James Dio on his wall that he worships (and that talks to him). From there the boys have mixed albums with concert tours and they show no signs of stopping after 30 years. Rock on! And, as always, find extra cuts below (NSFW for sure) and thanks for sharing our shows!

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Tenacious D's first breakout song was Tribute -- and it's perfect that they purport to record this version in one of those cheesy recording booths that pop up at parties and clubs. https://youtu.be/_lK4cX5xGiQ?

The movie The Pick of Destiny really catapulted The D into a new level of fame -- and it included this gem. https://youtu.be/kVbbtuJfgIc?si=qehn_vlPjJhM_S7t

Tenacious D is about nothing if not the love of METAL music. Case in point, this great live version of The METAL!

https://youtu.be/Ceo8E40vdiI?si=r-bFUKLUyRMP-jJz

Sometimes comics start down unusual career paths (at least for a comic). How about accountancy? Bob Newhart famously plied that trade early in life. And today's Legend -- Ray Romano -- figured out his comedy path after studying accountancy in college. We suspect that Ray can hire out for an accountant these days after a career that includes a wildly successful sitcom, juicy voice acting roles, frequent guest spots on television (sometimes in dramatic roles), and a little professional poker tossed in the mix. Ray's family friendly brand of humor has gone down well with audiences since he first emerged in the late 1980s. Everybody Loves Raymond debuted in 1996 and launched him to the next level, along with wining him three Emmy awards over nine seasons. Most recently Ray has started taking dramatic roles as in Martin Scorsese's "The Irishman" and he continues to be a popular draw on the standup stage. As always find extended cuts below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson was legendary for the comics it featured early in their careers. Here's Ray from his first Tonight Show appearance in 1991. https://youtu.be/1VcdnqH0PJc?si=wuX4NQ1GyzRopK6h

Everybody Loves Raymond was a smash focusing on the day-to-day live of a large Italian family. Here are some highlights. https://youtu.be/r6uuxO-sHT0?si=JuYxQDhW_M-kP5FD

Ray is a key part of the Ice Age animated movie franchise playing Manny the Wooly Mammoth with just the right amount of sarcasm and grumpiness! https://youtu.be/mVkDXaeqkHA?si=4_YmPEmIuJ_3M1Hg