Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the governmen ...

CBC Radio CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined belo ...

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French- ...

New Year's Eve In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French- ...

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirte ...

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

Pierre Trudeau Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau ( , ; October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000), also referred to by his initials PET, was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 15th prime minister of Canada from 1968 to 1979 and ...

Martin Bronstein Martin Bronstein (born 1935) is a British-Canadian actor, writer, columnist, broadcaster and journalist. Early life and education Bronstein was born in London, England. Career Bronstein moved to Canada in 1959 and worked as a copywriter, journali ...

Gay Claitman Gay Claitman is a Canadian sketch comedian and writer, who won two ACTRA Awards for Radio Variety Performance and Radio Variety Writing at the 8th ACTRA Awards in 1979 for her work with Nancy White and Robert Cameron on the radio play ''Lies My Mo ...

Roger Abbott Roger Abbott (July 10, 1946March 26, 2011) was an English-born Canadian sketch comedian who was a founding member of the long-lived Canadian comedy troupe ''Royal Canadian Air Farce'', and remained one of its stars and writers until his death. Ea ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

CBC Radio CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined belo ...

The Entertainers ''The Entertainers'' is a one-hour American variety show which aired on CBS from September 25, 1964 through March 27, 1965. Produced by Joe Hamilton, the series featured three hosts: Hamilton's then-wife Carol Burnett, Bob Newhart, and Cater ...

Richmond Hill, Ontario Richmond Hill ( 2021 population: 202,022) is a city in south-central York Region, Ontario, Canada. Part of the Greater Toronto Area, it is the York Region's third most populous municipality and the 27th most populous municipality in Canada. Ric ...

Dave Broadfoot Dave Broadfoot (December 5, 1925 – November 1, 2016) was a Canadian comedian and satirist. He is best known for his performances as a member of the Royal Canadian Air Farce.Cabbagetown Studios. As the troupe became more popular, they frequently travelled throughout the country to record their weekly radio broadcasts, which featured a mixture of political and cultural satire strongly influenced by the style of

Wayne and Shuster Wayne and Shuster were a Canadian comedy duo formed by Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster. They were active professionally from the early 1940s until the late 1980s, first as a live act, then on radio, then as part of ''The Army Show'' that enter ...

. The touring show also often included one or more sketches satirizing local culture or politics, which were not aired on the national radio broadcast. Bronstein ceased performing with the troupe in 1974 to pursue a full-time journalism career, but continued to write for the Air Farce until the late 1970s. Ferguson, who had been a writer on the show's first season, swapped places with Bronstein, becoming a writer-performer. In 1977, non-performing writers Gord Holtam and Rick Olsen joined the crew. In the late 1970s during a trip to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

, Abbott and Ferguson were offered jobs writing for the new television sitcom ''

Taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choic ...

'', but opted to remain with ''Air Farce'' instead.

Recurring character A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who frequently appears from time to time during the series' run. Recurring characters often play major roles in more than one episode, sometimes being the main ...

s included addle-brained hockey player Big Bobby Clobber (Broadfoot), Sgt. Renfrew of the

Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal and national police service of Canada. As poli ...

(Broadfoot), and socialite Amy De La Pompa (Morgan), along with political figures such as

Brian Mulroney Martin Brian Mulroney ( ; born March 20, 1939) is a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the 18th prime minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993. Born in the eastern Quebec city of Baie-Comeau, Mulroney studied political s ...

,

Joe Clark Charles Joseph Clark (born June 5, 1939) is a Canadian statesman, businessman, writer, and politician who served as the 16th prime minister of Canada from 1979 to 1980. Despite his relative inexperience, Clark rose quickly in federal polit ...

, and

Pierre Trudeau Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau ( , ; October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000), also referred to by his initials PET, was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 15th prime minister of Canada from 1968 to 1979 and ...

. Additional characters included Prof. Hieronymus Wombat of the National Research Council and funeral director Hector Baggley. Another recurring character, making vacant-minded political comments, was the Honourable David J. Broadfoot, Member of Parliament for

Kicking Horse Pass Kicking Horse Pass (el. ) is a high mountain pass across the Continental Divide of the Americas of the Canadian Rockies on the Alberta–British Columbia border, and lying within Yoho and Banff national parks. Divide Creek forks onto both s ...

and leader of the New Apathetic Party. Broadfoot had been performing as this character for years, and had appeared on Canadian and American television as "The Honourable Member" as early as the 1950s, long before his tenure with Air Farce. Air Farce Productions Inc., which was incorporated in 1978, is the legal owner of the Royal Canadian Air Farce and owns the troupe's works. John Morgan, Roger Abbott, and Don Ferguson were the long-time business partners. Morgan sold his share of the company to Abbot and Ferguson when he retired in 2001. Since the death of Abbot in 2011, Don Ferguson has been the company's sole owner. Ferguson was the producer of the Air Farce television series since 2004 ; he was the executive producer of the annual Air Farce New Year's Eve specials from 2010 to 2019.

Trying out TV

In 1977, Air Farce writers Abbott, Broadfoot, Ferguson, and Morgan adapted several of their radio sketches for television, in addition to writing new material. The sketches were aired as the first two episodes of the six-part CBC series '' Krazy House'', a compendium of sketch comedy pieces from various Canadian writers and performers that aired in January and February 1977. Broadfoot was the only Air Farce cast member to appear on-camera in these two episodes, which also starred

Billy Van William Allan Van Evera (11 August 1934 – 8 January 2003), known by the stage name Billy Van, was a Canadian comedian, actor, and singer. Biography Van was born in Toronto, Ontario, and dropped out of Bloor Collegiate Institute in Grade ...

, amongst others. The fifth episode of ''Krazy House'' was written entirely by Morgan, and featured Air Farce cast member Luba Goy along with Billy Van, Harvey Atkin, and others. The Farce troupe recorded a one-hour television special in 1980. It was developed as a ten-week series and two sequel specials, in addition to their regular radio series. The shows were performed in front of a live studio audience, mixing fully produced sketches with some sketches that were essentially staged versions of the radio show, featuring the cast members standing around a microphone reading from scripts rather than acting out the roles. Despite the decent ratings for the initial special, staging the radio sketches in such a way did not translate well on television, and the Air Farce faded from CBC TV by 1983. In 1984, the troupe's live Toronto stage show was videotaped as a pay-TV special, and subsequently broadcast on Ontario's

Global Television Network The Global Television Network (more commonly called Global, or occasionally Global TV) is a Canadian English-language terrestrial television network. It is currently Canada's second most-watched private terrestrial television network after C ...

. The troupe continued on radio, though, where they flourished for the next decade. While the first decade of the show was largely recorded before a live audience at CBC Radio's Cabbagetown studio in Toronto, from 1984 to 1992 the show was recorded for broadcast on the road in communities across Canada. In this period, troupe also performed in non-broadcast concert and theatrical performances across North America. Some popular sketches in the late 1980s and early 1990s included "joint broadcasts" by CTV and CBC, overlaying opening theme music. When '' The Journal'' debuted on CBC in 1982, Air Farce spoofed the program's repeated use of the "sounder", and the use of satellite to connect people to talk to one another (including husband in living room to wife in the kitchen), as well as the seeming similarity between original hosts

Barbara Frum Barbara Frum, OC (September 8, 1937 – March 26, 1992) was an American-born Canadian radio and television journalist, acclaimed for her interviews for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Personal life Barbara Frum was born Barbara Rosbe ...

and

Mary Lou Finlay Mary Lou Finlay (born 1947) is a Canadian radio and television journalist, best known for hosting various programs on CBC Radio and CBC Television.

. In the early 1980s, Air Farce's summer radio hiatus periods were filled by another comedy troupe, the Frantics, who later moved on to their own TV series, ''

Four on the Floor ''Four on the Floor'' is a 1999 compilation album consisting of songs by bands on Panic Button Records. It features four tracks by four of the labels bands, Screeching Weasel Screeching Weasel is an American punk rock band consisting of Ben We ...

''. Later summer hiatus periods, however, were filled by Ferguson and Abbott playing classic comedy recordings, or by newer comedy troupes such as Radio Free Vestibule. In the late 1980s, CBC Radio launched another 30-minutes weekly political satire, ''

Double Exposure In photography and cinematography, a multiple exposure is the superimposition of two or more exposures to create a single image, and double exposure has a corresponding meaning in respect of two images. The exposure values may or may not be i ...

''. Broadfoot retired from the troupe in 1989, although he continued to make guest appearances with Air Farce for many years afterward, on both radio and TV.

Barbara Budd Barbara Budd (born May 23, 1951) is a Canadian actress, narrator and radio announcer. Between 1993 and April 30, 2010, she was the co-host of CBC Radio One's ''As It Happens''. Early life Budd was born in St. Catharines, Ontario. She studied th ...

was also a frequent guest of the troupe, appearing in many radio episodes of the 1980s and early 1990s, although she was never an official cast member.

Success with TV

In 1992, Air Farce took a second plunge into television with ''1992: Year of the Farce'', a satirical

New Year's Eve In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...

special. This time, the troupe elected to perform all their sketches in a more traditional (if low-budget) TV style, rather than performing some of them in front of a radio microphone. A ratings smash, the special led the troupe to produce another weekly television series, which debuted in 1993. However, this time the move to television was permanent. The radio series continued alongside the TV show for four seasons until May 1997, when it was discontinued. The practice of having a show on New Year's Eve continued to the end of the program, and such episodes were typically titled "Year of the Farce". In recent years, Air Farce also had the honour of counting down the seconds before the New Year on CBC. Recurring characters on the TV series included the slow Albertan Mike, from Canmore (Morgan) and angry Scot Jock McBile (Morgan), self-righteous movie critic Gilbert Smythe Bite-Me (Abbott), and chain-smoking bingo player Brenda (Goy). Though these characters would occasionally feature in sketches of their own, usually they were used at the beginning of the show to deliver a stream of one-line jokes commenting on the news of that week. The show also featured frequent sketches with politicians, who were portrayed as various extreme

caricature A caricature is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or other artistic drawings (compare to: cartoon). Caricatures can be either insulting or complimentary, ...

s of their most infamous personality quirks. Notable re-occurring figures included Prime Minister

Jean Chrétien Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien (; born January 11, 1934) is a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 20th prime minister of Canada from 1993 to 2003. Born and raised in Shawinigan, Shawinigan Falls, Quebec, Chrétien is a law gradua ...

(Abbott), who could barely speak a single sentence of English without committing at least a dozen outlandish pronunciation and grammatical errors; the nasally voiced

Preston Manning Ernest Preston Manning (born June 10, 1942) is a Canadian retired politician. He was the founder and the only leader of the Reform Party of Canada, a Canadian federal political party that evolved into the Canadian Alliance in 2000 which in tur ...

(Ferguson) who loved to shout "REFOOOOOOORM!"; a screaming, bitchy

Sheila Copps Sheila Maureen Copps (born November 27, 1952) is a former Canadian politician who also served as the sixth deputy prime minister of Canada from November 4, 1993, to April 30, 1996, and June 19, 1996, to June 11, 1997. Her father, Victor Copps, ...

(Goy); the tyrannical

Lucien Bouchard Lucien Bouchard (; born December 22, 1938) is a Canadian lawyer, diplomat and retired politician. Minister for two years in the Mulroney cabinet, Bouchard then led the emerging Bloc Québécois and became Leader of the Opposition in the Ho ...

; the dopey and overly image conscious

Stockwell Day Stockwell Burt Day Jr. (born August 16, 1950) is a Canadian former politician who led the Canadian Alliance from 2000 to 2001, and a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. A provincial cabinet minister from Alberta, Day served as ministe ...

; the strutting, clucking, pompous

Joe Clark Charles Joseph Clark (born June 5, 1939) is a Canadian statesman, businessman, writer, and politician who served as the 16th prime minister of Canada from 1979 to 1980. Despite his relative inexperience, Clark rose quickly in federal polit ...

; and the power-hungry

Paul Martin Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006. The son ...

(all Ferguson). Many of the real politicians also made guest appearances on the show, often interacting directly with their parodic counterparts: for example, in one sketch late in the show's run, Ferguson played

Jack Layton John Gilbert Layton (July 18, 1950 – August 22, 2011) was a Canadian academic and politician who served as the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2003 to 2011 and leader of the Official Opposition in 2011. He previously sat on To ...

answering questions at a press conference; midway through the sketch he requested a moment to consult with his "top advisor", and out came the real Jack Layton. However, Colonel "Teresa" Stacy (Ferguson) quickly emerged as the show's most popular character—each time he appeared, Stacy would load up the Chicken Cannon and fire rubber chickens and other assorted projectiles at whomever he deemed the most annoying public figure of the week (or year). Morgan retired from Air Farce in 2001, and the remaining three members carried on with a rotating stable of guest stars until

Jessica Holmes Jessica Holmes (born August 29, 1973) is a Canadian comedian and actress. She is best known for her work with the '' Royal Canadian Air Farce'', which she joined in 2003, after starring in her own show, ''The Holmes Show'' in 2002. She is marri ...

joined the show in 2003. Holmes added celebrity figures such as

Paris Hilton Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981) is an American media personality, businesswoman, socialite, model, and entertainer. Born in New York City, and raised there and in Beverly Hills, California, she is a great-granddaughter of Conrad ...

and

Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli is among a rare group of performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy ...

, and Canadian politicians such as

Belinda Stronach Belinda Caroline Stronach (Born May 2, 1966) is a Canadian businesswoman, philanthropist and a former Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons of Canada from 2004 to 2008. Originally elected as a Conservative, she later crossed the fl ...

, to the troupe's roster of characters. Later, in 2005, after a lockout at CBC, Air Farce gained two new cast members, who had previously appeared on the show as recurring guest stars:

Alan Park Alan John Park (November 5, 1962 – November 10, 2022) was a Canadian comedian and political satirist best known for his appearances on the ''Royal Canadian Air Farce'' where he gave humorous commentary on current events. Though originally not ...

and

Craig Lauzon Craig Lauzon is a Canadian actor, writer, comedian, and member of the Royal Canadian Air Farce. His main caricatures on the Farce include George Stroumboulopoulos, John Baird, Justin Trudeau and Stephen Harper. Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Lauzon is ...

. The addition of these two newcomers brought the total number of performers in the troupe to six. Park initially only signed on to do rant-like segments, saying in interviews that he'd never play a character, but ended up taking on roles including

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

. Lauzon regularly portrayed Canadian Prime Minister

Stephen Harper Stephen Joseph Harper (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015. Harper is the first and only prime minister to come from the modern-day Conservative Party of Canada, ...

, taking his stiff public persona and creating a generally

robotic Robotics is an interdisciplinary branch of computer science and engineering. Robotics involves design, construction, operation, and use of robots. The goal of robotics is to design machines that can help and assist humans. Robotics integrate ...

character. While the show was held up as ''de facto'' Canadian tradition, some critics felt that the television show's quality had diminished over the past few seasons, especially since the breakdown of the original four-actor quartet. However, it still continued to draw solid ratings each week. On March 30, 2007, Air Farce celebrated its 300th episode by doing the show on live television (except in Western Canada) for one hour. Roger Abbott and Luba Goy began the show with a brief history of the show, closing with "the scariest three words on television: AIR FARCE LIVE!". After this experimental episode, CBC announced that the 15th season of the series would be aired live for the entire season, with a name change to ''

Air Farce Live ''Royal Canadian Air Farce'' (broadcast as ''Air Farce Live'' during 2007, and ''Air Farce—Final Flight!'' in 2008), and often credited simply as ''Air Farce'', was a Canadian sketch comedy series starring the comedy troupe Royal Canadian Air F ...

''. With the new live format,

Penelope Corrin Penelope Anne Corrin (born 28 November 1975) is a Canadian actress and writer. Corrin was born in Ottawa, Ontario. She was seen nationally on CBC Television's '' Royal Canadian Air Farce'' comedy broadcasts for nine years, originally as a repl ...

, who filled in for Holmes during her pregnancy in early 2007, officially joined the troupe, increasing its number to seven. Abbott, Morgan, Goy, Ferguson, and Broadfoot had cameo appearances in '' The Red Green Shows movie spinoff ''

Duct Tape Forever ''Duct Tape Forever'' is a 2002 comedy film based on '' The Red Green Show''. It was written by Steve Smith, the actor who plays Red Green. Plot When property developer Robert Stiles' limousine gets stuck in a sink hole on Possum Lodge's prop ...

''. On April 1, 2008, the CBC and Air Farce jointly announced that the Royal Canadian Air Farce would wrap up its weekly television show in the 2008/2009 season. The plan as announced was for nine new Air Farce shows to be produced for the fall of 2008, and then the series would end with a New Year's Eve special at the end of 2008.

New Year's Eve reunion specials

Air Farce returned on December 31, 2009, for a New Year's special, featuring the return of most of the original cast (excluding Jessica Holmes, who had a theatrical commitment). As well, long-time writers, Holtham and Olson retired, and did not write for this or any subsequent reunion show. The first reunion special featured guest appearances by Peter Mansbridge, ''

Battle of the Blades ''Battle of the Blades'' (or ''BOTB'' for short) is a Canadian figure skating reality show and competition that airs on CBC Television. The show originally aired for four seasons between 2009 and 2013. It was revived for a fifth season in 2019. ...

'' winners

Jamie Salé Jamie Rae Salé (born April 21, 1977) is a Canadian former competitive pair skater, and a current motivational speaker and conspiracy theorist. With her former husband David Pelletier, she is the 2002 Olympic Champion and 2001 World Champion ...

and

Craig Simpson Craig Andrew Simpson (born February 15, 1967) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger who played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers and the Buffalo Sabres. He is currently a bro ...

, and the Dragons of ''

Dragons' Den ''Dragons' Den'' is a reality television program format in which entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to a panel of venture capitalists in the hope of securing investment finance from them. The program originated in 2001 in Japan, where it is k ...

''. The special also featured the successor to the Chicken Cannon, the "F-Bombs," which were dropped onto photographs from the top of the atrium of the

Canadian Broadcasting Centre The Canadian Broadcasting Centre, also known as the CBC Toronto Broadcast Centre, is an office and studio complex located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It serves as the main broadcast and master control point for the Canadian Broadcasting Corp ...

. A further special aired on December 31, 2010, with Jessica Holmes reuniting with the rest of the cast. She would leave again, and not return to Air Farce until 2016. Roger Abbott died of leukemia on March 26, 2011. While the troupe had originally not planned to do a special that year due to his death, they were coaxed by producers and the CBC to continue. The 2011 special—the ''Air Farce Not The New Year's Eve Special—''aired on January 1, 2012 (moving to New Year's Day due to ''

Hockey Night in Canada CBC Television has aired National Hockey League (NHL) broadcasts under the ''Hockey Night in Canada'' (often abbreviated ''Hockey Night'' or ''HNiC'') brand that is primarily associated with its Saturday night NHL broadcasts throughout its hi ...

'') and featured a new cast member,

Arnold Pinnock Arnold Pinnock (born 1967) is a Canadian actor who is perhaps best known for his appearance as Paul Greebie, Casey's guidance counselor, in ''Life with Derek''. Pinnock was born in Birmingham, England. His career began with sketch comedy at Toro ...

, who became a regular member of the troupe, and returned during the subsequent 2012–13 edition. Pinnock elected not to return for the 2014 special. After a talent search, stand-up comic

Aisha Alfa Aisha Alfa is a Canadian comedian and actress, best known for her recurring role as teacher Ms. Grell in the ''Degrassi'' franchiseBrad Oswald, "The farce is with her". '' Winnipeg Free Press'', January 27, 2014. and her appearances as a reporter o ...

and '' Second City''-alumni Darryl Hinds were added. The following year (2015), Park and Corrin left, and Emma Hunter was added to the cast. The year after that Holmes returned, bringing the cast back up to seven. In 2017 the Air Farce taped two specials; one for Canada Day in celebration of the

150th anniversary of Canada The 150th anniversary of Canada, also known as the 150th anniversary of Confederation and promoted by the Canadian government as Canada 150, occurred in 2017 as Canada marked the sesquicentennial of Canadian Confederation. Planning Major pl ...

, the other was the troupe's traditional New Year's Eve show. While ratings for the specials remained strong, drawing over a million viewers in 2017 and 2018, the CBC informed the troupe in May 2019 that due to budgetary constraints, the 2019 year-end special would be the final edition in the series. Broadcast on December 30, 2019, the special included new topical material as well as highlights of the troupe's history, including tributes to deceased members John Morgan,

Roger Abbott Roger Abbott (July 10, 1946March 26, 2011) was an English-born Canadian sketch comedian who was a founding member of the long-lived Canadian comedy troupe ''Royal Canadian Air Farce'', and remained one of its stars and writers until his death. Ea ...

, and

Dave Broadfoot Dave Broadfoot (December 5, 1925 – November 1, 2016) was a Canadian comedian and satirist. He is best known for his performances as a member of the Royal Canadian Air Farce.Roger Abbott Roger Abbott (July 10, 1946March 26, 2011) was an English-born Canadian sketch comedian who was a founding member of the long-lived Canadian comedy troupe ''Royal Canadian Air Farce'', and remained one of its stars and writers until his death. Ea ...

(1973–2011) Remained with the Air Farce until his death, at the age of 64, on March 26, 2011. *

Dave Broadfoot Dave Broadfoot (December 5, 1925 – November 1, 2016) was a Canadian comedian and satirist. He is best known for his performances as a member of the Royal Canadian Air Farce.Luba Goy (1973–2019) * John Morgan (1973–2001) Retired in 2001, died at the age of 74 on November 15, 2004. *

Martin Bronstein Martin Bronstein (born 1935) is a British-Canadian actor, writer, columnist, broadcaster and journalist. Early life and education Bronstein was born in London, England. Career Bronstein moved to Canada in 1959 and worked as a copywriter, journali ...

(1973–1974), stopped performing with the troupe to focus on journalism and other broadcasting interests such as conducting interviews on ''

The Entertainers ''The Entertainers'' is a one-hour American variety show which aired on CBS from September 25, 1964 through March 27, 1965. Produced by Joe Hamilton, the series featured three hosts: Hamilton's then-wife Carol Burnett, Bob Newhart, and Cater ...

'', but continued with the troupe as a writer until the late 1970s. Returned to the UK permanently in 1982. * Don Ferguson (1974–2019) Initially a writer 1973-74, became a writer/performer after Bronstein stopped performing.

Later additions

*

Jessica Holmes Jessica Holmes (born August 29, 1973) is a Canadian comedian and actress. She is best known for her work with the '' Royal Canadian Air Farce'', which she joined in 2003, after starring in her own show, ''The Holmes Show'' in 2002. She is marri ...

(2003–2008, 2010, 2016–2019), did not appear in 2009. Returned in 2016 after a six year hiatus. *

Craig Lauzon Craig Lauzon is a Canadian actor, writer, comedian, and member of the Royal Canadian Air Farce. His main caricatures on the Farce include George Stroumboulopoulos, John Baird, Justin Trudeau and Stephen Harper. Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Lauzon is ...

(2004–2019), supporting member during 2003, became full member in 2004. *

Alan Park Alan John Park (November 5, 1962 – November 10, 2022) was a Canadian comedian and political satirist best known for his appearances on the ''Royal Canadian Air Farce'' where he gave humorous commentary on current events. Though originally not ...

(2004–2014), supporting member during 2003, became full member in 2004. *

Penelope Corrin Penelope Anne Corrin (born 28 November 1975) is a Canadian actress and writer. Corrin was born in Ottawa, Ontario. She was seen nationally on CBC Television's '' Royal Canadian Air Farce'' comedy broadcasts for nine years, originally as a repl ...

(2007–2014), filled in during Holmes' maternity leave during the first two months of 2007, returned for the live season finale, joined cast for 2007/2008 season. *

Arnold Pinnock Arnold Pinnock (born 1967) is a Canadian actor who is perhaps best known for his appearance as Paul Greebie, Casey's guidance counselor, in ''Life with Derek''. Pinnock was born in Birmingham, England. His career began with sketch comedy at Toro ...

(2012–2013), addition after the death of

Roger Abbott Roger Abbott (July 10, 1946March 26, 2011) was an English-born Canadian sketch comedian who was a founding member of the long-lived Canadian comedy troupe ''Royal Canadian Air Farce'', and remained one of its stars and writers until his death. Ea ...

, debuted on 2012 New Year's Day Special. *

Darryl Hinds Darryl Hinds is a Canadian actor and sketch comedian, best known as a cast member of Royal Canadian Air Farce's annual New Year's Eve specials in the 2010s."Brampton's Darryl Hinds will add comedic excellence to Air Farce's New Year's eve special". ...

(2014–2019) *

Aisha Alfa Aisha Alfa is a Canadian comedian and actress, best known for her recurring role as teacher Ms. Grell in the ''Degrassi'' franchiseBrad Oswald, "The farce is with her". '' Winnipeg Free Press'', January 27, 2014. and her appearances as a reporter o ...

(2014–2016) * Emma Hunter (2015–2016) *Isabel Kanaan (2017–2019) *Chris Wilson (2017–2019) *Lisa Gilroy (2017)

Frequent guest

*

Barbara Budd Barbara Budd (born May 23, 1951) is a Canadian actress, narrator and radio announcer. Between 1993 and April 30, 2010, she was the co-host of CBC Radio One's ''As It Happens''. Early life Budd was born in St. Catharines, Ontario. She studied th ...

(1984–1991), frequent appearances as a "special guest" on the radio show

Announcer

* Allan McFee was the show's announcer on radio and would occasionally participate in sketches when the programme was taped in Toronto in its first decade. Died on December 12, 2000 at age 87.

Members of the Jest Society

* John Morgan (1970–1973) co-founder *

Martin Bronstein Martin Bronstein (born 1935) is a British-Canadian actor, writer, columnist, broadcaster and journalist. Early life and education Bronstein was born in London, England. Career Bronstein moved to Canada in 1959 and worked as a copywriter, journali ...

(1970–1973) co-founder *

Roger Abbott Roger Abbott (July 10, 1946March 26, 2011) was an English-born Canadian sketch comedian who was a founding member of the long-lived Canadian comedy troupe ''Royal Canadian Air Farce'', and remained one of its stars and writers until his death. Ea ...

(1970–1973) *Patrick Conlon (1970–1971), later a journalist, author and broadcaster, died in 2019 *

Gay Claitman Gay Claitman is a Canadian sketch comedian and writer, who won two ACTRA Awards for Radio Variety Performance and Radio Variety Writing at the 8th ACTRA Awards in 1979 for her work with Nancy White and Robert Cameron on the radio play ''Lies My Mo ...

(1970–1971), later a comedy writer, comedienne, and actress *Steve Whistance-Smith (1971), later a film and television actor * Don Ferguson (1971–1973) * Luba Goy (1971–1973)

Discography

The Air Farce released eight comedy albums during its radio days, all of which are available on the Air Farce website. * '' The Air Farce Comedy Album'' (1978) * ''Air Farce Live'' (1983) * '' The Air Farce Green Album'' (1990) * '' To Air Is Human, To Farce Divine'' (1990) * ''Farce On A Stick'' (1991) * '' Year of the Farce'' (1991) * ''Twenty Twenty'' (1993) * '' Unplugged and Uncorked'' (1994)

Awards

Royal Canadian Air Farce has received the following awards and nominations: * the

Governor General's Performing Arts Award A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

(1998) * a star on

Canada's Walk of Fame Canada's Walk of Fame (french: link=no, Allée des célébrités canadiennes) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of Canadians who have excelled in their respective fields. It is a ...

(2000) * a

Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall o ...

for Comedy Album of the Year * Don Ferguson and Roger Abbott were given a special

Gemini Award The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in the United States ...

for "Humanitarians of the Year" *

Maclean's ''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian pers ...

Honour Roll of "Canadians Who Make a Difference" * the Earle Grey Award for lifetime achievement in Canadian television * nominated for thirteen

Canadian Comedy Awards 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. T ...

from 2000 to 2005, but have not won

References

External links

AirFarce.com
Air Farce's first TV special (1980)
Royal Canadian Air Farce - Canadian Communication FoundationInductee Page at the Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Royal Canadian Air Farce CBC Radio One programs CBC Music programs 1973 establishments in Canada 1973 radio programme debuts 1997 radio programme endings 2019 disestablishments in Canada Canadian radio sketch shows Juno Award for Comedy Album of the Year winners Canadian comedy troupes Annual television shows 2019 Canadian television series endings Canadian Comedy Award winners

History

Theatre revue and radio years

Trying out TV

Success with TV

New Year's Eve reunion specials

Later additions

Frequent guest

Announcer

Members of the Jest Society

Discography

Awards

See also

References

Further reading

External links