Red Green: Canadian Comedy TV Series
The Red Green Show started by comedian Steve Smith with a shoestring-budget, on public television. It was the story of a bunch of men, Canadian misfits centred around the Possum Lodge. Red Green, his nephew Harold, and the guys enjoyed doing what men do when women aren't around.
The Red Green Show cast in cartoon form - on Deviant Art.
Keep Your Stick on the Ice - Steve Smith (as Red Green) illustrated on Deviant Art.
"Quando Omni Flunkis Moritati." - When All Else Fails Play Dead
Steve Smith
Born in Toronto, Ontario, Steve Smith's television career started with Smith & Smith based in Hamilton, Ontario.
Smith & Smith, was a sketch comedy series starring Steve and his wife, Morag Smith. The episodes were written and produced by Steve Smith. Peter Keleghan, who would later become Ranger Gord, on The Red Green Show was part of Smith & Smith too. Smith & Smith won several awards including the Iris Award at NATPE '85 in San Francisco.
Steve Smith, along with Pat McKenna, won the 1998 Gemini Award for Best Performance in a Comedy Program or Series. Steve starred in, produced and co-wrote The Red Green Show, with Rick Green.
Rick Green
Rick Green is a Canadian comedian, satirist, writer and science fiction fan. In the 70's Rick Green was a member of the comedy group, The Frantics.
In 1989, Green wrote and hosted TVO’s speculative fiction news magazine series Prisoners of Gravity. He took on the name, Commander Rick for the show.
Rick Green joined Steve Smith to co-create The Red Green Show. He wrote & performed in the show, his character was the bumbling outdoors man, Bill. If there was a bucket Bill would step into it. If there was a rope Bill would get caught in it.
Rick Green co-wrote and illustrated books, DVD’s, CDs and more for the Red Green Show.
Red Fisher: The Original Red Green
The character of Red Green was loosely based on Bernard Herbert "Red" Fisher (1914 - 2006), an American sporting goods retailer, U.S. naval and Coast Guard officer, newspaper columnist, poet, sportsman and Canadian outdoors television icon from 1968 to 1989 on CTV.
When he moved to Canada in 1963, he launched what would become a popular radio talk show program, The Red Fisher Show which moved to television in 1968. The Red Fisher Show was Red Fisher and his guests talking about their adventures, fishing, hunting and generally trekking through the woods, lakes and streams. It was as much a talk show as an outdoor sportsman’s show. The show's TV set was dubbed "Scuttlebutt Lodge, the Tall Tale Capital of the World"
The shows were shot with an old style 10mm video camera on location in the real, great outdoors. The show also promoted nature conservation, game preservation and the "catch and release" mentality when those were still new ideas to sportsmen. Red Fisher was a devoted conservationist who believed fishing was all about camaraderie and having fun with friends while enjoying the outdoors.
The show featured many famous guests including Members of Canadian Parliament and NHL stars. They were all invited to the Skuttlebutt Lodge. Red Fisher also wrote a weekly column, Outdoor Topics, which was read in over 180 newspapers. In 1971, his first book of poems, 'Poems Of Our Great Outdoors', was published. Red Fisher would give each guest on the show a copy of his book of poetry. Red Fisher published 3 volumes of poetry (two in 1971 and the third in 1981).
Red Fisher died in Chatham, Ontario at the age of 92.
Red, Harold and Bill
Links for the Red Green Show
Find the Red Green Show online, both profressionally created and personal fan sites.
- CBC.ca - Personalities - Steve Smith
- The Red Green Shop
- Red Green (realredgreen) on Twitter
- Red Green - Facebook
- Official Red Green Channel - YouTube
- The Classic Red Green Show Page - Weebly
- The New Red Green Page - Fan Page
- The Red Green Show - Wikipedia
- The Red Green Show | PBS
- The Red Green Wiki
- Red Green Show Thrives Thanks To The Internet And A Whole Lot Of Duct Tape | Techdirt
Steve Smith as Red Green
© 2013 Laura Brown