The Tom Green Show: Difference between revisions

*The Tom Green Show*
The Tom Green Show
Genre	Sketch comedy; Surreal humor; Variety
Created by	Tom Green
Written by	Tom Green; Derek Harvie;
Presented by	Tom Green
Starring	Glenn Humplik; Phil Giroux; Derek Harvie;
Opening theme	"This Is The Tom Green Show"
Country of origin	Canada; United States;
No. of seasons	Rogers 22 – 3 seasons (50 ep.); The Comedy Network – 2 seasons (26 ep.); MTV – 3 seasons (29 ep.)
Production
Production locations	Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Running time	30 minutes (with commercials)
Production company	MTV Productions
Original release
Network	Rogers TV; The Comedy Network; MTV;
Release	September 1994 –; March 2000
Related
	The New Tom Green Show; Tom Green Live! / Tom Green's House Tonight

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The Tom Green Show is a television show, created by and starring Canadian comedian Tom Green, that first aired in September 1994. The series aired on Rogers Television 22, a community channel in Ottawa, Ontario until 1996, when a single pilot episode was made for CBC Television. The Comedy Network greenlit the show in 1997 and aired it for 2 seasons from 1998 to 1999.

In January 1999, the show moved to the United States and aired on MTV. The series stopped production in March 2000, due to Green's diagnosis of testicular cancer, but continued to appear on the channel via reruns and other promotional materials. In 2002, it was ranked #41 on TV Guide's 50 Worst TV Shows of All Time.^[1] In 2003, the show was briefly revived as The New Tom Green Show with a more conventional late night talk show format. In 2006, Green launched Tom Green Live, a live call-in show for his website, which was later renamed Tom Green's House Tonight.

Synopsis[edit]

Personalities[edit]

The show was hosted by Tom Green, along with longtime friends Glenn Humplik and Phil Giroux. Derek Harvie, who co-wrote the show with Green, occasionally appeared in the segments. Many of the sketches were targeted at his parents, both of whom appear to be embarrassed and not impressed by their son's antics.

Stunts[edit]

Much of the show's humor was Tom Green's signature brand of shock comedy; numerous sketches featured Green performing bizarre or shocking acts in public, such as sucking on a cow's udder, and throwing plastic baby dolls at passing cars. This content was highly controversial, and the show quickly garnered many detractors. Perhaps most controversial was Green's treatment of his parents, who were often the targets of his pranks. In an infamous sketch, Green woke his parents in the middle of the night by placing a severed cow's head in their bed, a reference to a similar scene in The Godfather. During an interview with his parents for their 30th anniversary, he turned the discussion into asking questions about their sex life.

Despite the show's reputation for scatological and transgressive humor, several sketches featured Green performing in a responsible and respectful way, making fun of his juvenile persona. One of these sketches was "People Helpers", where Green and guest star Bruce McCulloch seriously assisted wheelchair users.

One segment saw Green crash a press conference for Grey Owl featuring Pierce Brosnan and Richard Attenborough. Green proceeded to serenade Brosnan with a song referencing both Remington Steele and The Fourth Protocol. Brosnan, assuming Green was a journalist, advised Green not to give up his day job.

Recurring characters and sketches[edit]

The show also had a few recurring characters and sketches, including Billy Bob (a redneck who loved caramels and shaking his leg), Hockey Guy (a hockey player who would skate up in front of people and clumsily fall down), and a police station sketch.

He also explored the quirks of his friends. Green drew attention to Giroux's unusual laugh and discomfort with the smell of copper. One sketch aired when Glen had to urinate, but couldn't because Tom and the camera crew were in proximity (but still reasonably far away). They aired clips from a lengthy argument of whether a bear or a cougar would win in a fight.

"The Bum Bum Song"[edit]

When the show moved to MTV, Green released a single called "Lonely Swedish (The Bum Bum Song)", encouraging visitors to download the song off his website, burn it onto CDs and distribute it to friends. After airing the music video on his show and appealing to his audience to request it, the song became an instant number one hit on Total Request Live. He quickly called for the video to be retired because "it's not fair to 98 Degrees." Later, in his autobiography, he revealed that MTV had pressured him to do so in order to maintain the image that Total Request Live was, in fact, a live request show (the next week's episodes had been pre-taped on location, and the producers of the show were completely unaware of "The Bum Bum Song" at the time).^[2]

Special episodes[edit]

In one episode that aired in early 2000, Green visited his parents in Ottawa, Ontario with Monica Lewinsky, and used the occasion to fool local reporters into thinking that they would make an important "announcement" together, which turned out to be related to Monica's new interest in designing fabric handbags.

In 2000, Green made a one-hour special out of his testicular cancer surgery. It focused on his reaction to the cancer diagnosis, as well as his family's, and footage of the actual surgery was included in one scene. The episode received wide critical acclaim for revealing a vulnerable, human side of an otherwise juvenile television personality.

In March 2002, he also starred in and directed a one-hour special called The Tom Green Subway Monkey Hour, where he harassed strangers in Japan.

The New Tom Green Show[edit]

The show was briefly revived by MTV in 2003 as The New Tom Green Show, which was retooled to have a more standard late-night talk show format, but was cancelled by MTV a few months after its premiere due to plummeting ratings.^[3] The show ran for 51 episodes from June 23, 2003, to September 5, 2003.^[4]

Tom Green Live! / Tom Green's House Tonight[edit]

On June 15, 2006, Tom Green launched Tom Green Live!, a live call-in talk show broadcast on his website TomGreen.com. It began as a partnership between Green and ManiaTV!. In 2008, the show was renamed Tom Green's House Tonight. The show takes place in Green's own living room in the Hollywood Hills overlooking the San Fernando Valley.

Reception[edit]

References[edit]

^ "50 Worst Shows of All Time". TV Guide. 2002.
^ "The Opie & Anthony Show", February 16, 2010
^ "Breaking News - Development Update: September 25 - TheFutonCritic.com". www.thefutoncritic.com.
^ "Tom Green on TV.com". tv.com. Retrieved 2012-12-12.

External links[edit]

[1] "50 Worst Shows of All Time". TV Guide. 2002.

[2] "The Opie & Anthony Show", February 16, 2010

[3] "Breaking News - Development Update: September 25 - TheFutonCritic.com". www.thefutoncritic.com.

[newtgshowepisodes-4] "Tom Green on TV.com". tv.com. Retrieved 2012-12-12.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Multiple issues|
+{{refimprove|date=November 2023}}
+{{unreliable sources|date=November 2023}}
+{{original research|date=November 2023}}
+}}
+{{Short description|Television series}}
+{{About|the cable network prank show|the Web-based late-night talk show|Tom Green's House Tonight}}
 {{Infobox television
-| show_name          = The Tom Green Show
+| image       = Tom_green_show.png
+| runtime     = 30 minutes (with commercials)
-| image              = Tom_green_show.png
+| company     = MTV Productions
-| runtime            = 30 minutes (with commercials)
+| genre       = [[Sketch comedy]]<br>[[Surreal humor]]<br>[[Variety show|Variety]]
-| company            = MTV Productions
+| creator     = [[Tom Green]]
-| genre              = {{unbulleted list|[[Sketch comedy]]|[[Variety show|Variety]]}}
-| creator            = [[Tom Green]]
+| presenter   = [[Tom Green]]
+| starring    = {{unbulleted list|[[Glenn Humplik]]|[[Phil Giroux]]|[[Derek Harvie]]}}
-| presenter          = [[Tom Green]]
+| opentheme   = "This Is ''The Tom Green Show''"
-| starring           = {{unbulleted list|Glenn Humplik|Phil Giroux|[[Derek Harvie]]}}
+| location    = [[Ottawa]], [[Ontario]], Canada
-| opentheme          = "This Is ''The Tom Green Show''"
-| location           = Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
+| country     = {{unbulleted list|Canada|United States}}
-| country            = {{unbulleted list|Canada|United States}}
+| writer      = {{unbulleted list|[[Tom Green]]|[[Derek Harvie]]}}
-| writer             = {{unbulleted list|[[Tom Green]]|[[Derek Harvie]]}}
+| network     = {{unbulleted list|[[Rogers TV]]|[[The Comedy Network]]|[[MTV]]}}
+| first_aired = {{start date|1994|9}}
-| network            = {{unbulleted list|[[Rogers TV]]|[[The Comedy Network]]|[[MTV]]}}
+| last_aired  = {{end date|2000|3}}
-| first_aired        = September 1994
+| related     = ''[[The Tom Green Show#The New Tom Green Show|The New Tom Green Show]]''<br />''[[The Tom Green Show#Tom Green Live! / Tom Green's House Tonight|Tom Green Live! / Tom Green's House Tonight]]
-| last_aired         = March 2000
+| num_seasons = Rogers 22 – 3 seasons (50 ep.)<br>The Comedy Network – 2 seasons (26 ep.)<br>MTV – 3 seasons (29 ep.)
-| related            = ''[[The Tom Green Show#The New Tom Green Show|The New Tom Green Show]]''<br />''[[The Tom Green Show#Tom Green Live! / Tom Green's House Tonight|Tom Green Live! / Tom Green's House Tonight]]
-| num_seasons        = 3
-| website            =
 }}
-'''''The Tom Green Show''''' is a Canadian-American television show, created by and starring Canadian comedian [[Tom Green]], that first aired in September 1994.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162828/|title=The Tom Green Show|publisher=|via=www.imdb.com}}</ref> The series aired on [[Rogers TV|Rogers Television 22]], a [[Community channel (Canada)|community channel]] in [[Ottawa]], [[Ontario]], until 1996, when it was picked up by [[The Comedy Network]]. The second season began airing on December 4, 1998. (In 1996, [[Tom Green]] also produced a pilot episode for [[CBC Television]], although the CBC did not pick up the series.)
+'''''The Tom Green Show''''' is a television show, created by and starring Canadian comedian [[Tom Green]], that first aired in September 1994. The series aired on [[Rogers TV|Rogers Television 22]], a [[Community channel (Canada)|community channel]] in [[Ottawa]], [[Ontario]] until 1996, when a single pilot episode was made for CBC Television. [[The Comedy Network]] greenlit the show in 1997 and aired it for 2 seasons from 1998 to 1999.
-In January 1999, the show moved to the United States and aired on [[MTV]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162118/|title=The Tom Green Show|publisher=|via=www.imdb.com}}</ref> The series stopped production in March 2000, due to Green's diagnosis of [[testicular cancer]], but continued to appear on the channel via reruns and other promotional materials. In 2002, it was ranked #41 on ''[[TV Guide]]''{{'}}s 50 Worst TV Shows of All Time.<ref>{{cite journal |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |year=2002 |title=50 Worst Shows of All Time |journal=[[TV Guide]] |volume= |issue= |pages= |publisher= |doi= }}</ref> In 2003, the show was revived as ''The New Tom Green Show''. In 2006, Green launched ''[[Tom Green Live]]'', a live call-in show for his website, which was later renamed ''[[Tom Green's House Tonight]]''.
+In January 1999, the show moved to the United States and aired on [[MTV]]. The series stopped production in March 2000, due to Green's diagnosis of [[testicular cancer]], but continued to appear on the channel via reruns and other promotional materials. In 2002, it was ranked #41 on ''[[TV Guide]]''{{'}}s 50 Worst TV Shows of All Time.<ref>{{cite journal |year=2002 |title=50 Worst Shows of All Time |journal=[[TV Guide]] }}</ref> In 2003, the show was briefly revived as ''The New Tom Green Show'' with a more conventional late night talk show format. In 2006, Green launched ''[[Tom Green Live]]'', a live call-in show for his website, which was later renamed ''[[Tom Green's House Tonight]]''.
 ==Synopsis==
@@ Line 29: / Line 34: @@
 ===Stunts===
-Much of the show's humor was Tom Green's signature brand of shock comedy; numerous sketches featured Green performing bizarre or shocking acts in public, such as sucking on a cow's udder, and throwing plastic baby dolls at passing cars. This content was highly controversial, and the show quickly garnered many detractors. Perhaps most controversial was Green's treatment of his parents, who were often the targets of his pranks. In an infamous sketch, Green woke his parents in the middle of the night by placing a severed cow's head in their bed, a reference to a similar scene in ''[[The Godfather (film)|The Godfather]]''. During an interview with his parents for their 30th anniversary, he turned the discussion into asking questions about their sex life.
+Much of the show's humor was Tom Green's signature brand of [[shock humour|shock comedy]]; numerous sketches featured Green performing bizarre or shocking acts in public, such as sucking on a cow's udder, and throwing plastic baby dolls at passing cars. This content was highly controversial, and the show quickly garnered many detractors. Perhaps most controversial was Green's treatment of his parents, who were often the targets of his pranks. In an infamous sketch, Green woke his parents in the middle of the night by placing a severed cow's head in their bed, a reference to a similar scene in ''[[The Godfather (film)|The Godfather]]''. During an interview with his parents for their 30th anniversary, he turned the discussion into asking questions about their sex life.
-Despite the show's reputation for scatological and transgressive humor, several sketches featured Green performing in a responsible and respectful way, making fun of his juvenile persona. One of these sketches was "People Helpers", where Green and guest star [[Bruce McCulloch]] seriously assisted wheelchair users.
+Despite the show's reputation for [[toilet humour|scatological]] and transgressive humor, several sketches featured Green performing in a responsible and respectful way, making fun of his juvenile persona. One of these sketches was "People Helpers", where Green and guest star [[Bruce McCulloch]] seriously assisted wheelchair users.
+One segment saw Green crash a press conference for ''[[Grey Owl (film)|Grey Owl]]'' featuring [[Pierce Brosnan]] and [[Richard Attenborough]]. Green proceeded to serenade Brosnan with a song referencing both ''[[Remington Steele]]'' and ''[[The Fourth Protocol (film)|The Fourth Protocol]]''. Brosnan, assuming Green was a journalist, advised Green not to give up his day job.
 ===Recurring characters and sketches===
@@ Line 43: / Line 50: @@
 ===Special episodes===
-In one episode that aired in early [[2000 in television|2000]], Green visited his parents in Ottawa, Ontario with [[Monica Lewinsky]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0726071/|title=Tom Brings Monica Lewinsky to Canada|date=14 February 2000|publisher=|via=www.imdb.com}}</ref> and used the occasion to fool local reporters into thinking that they would make an important "announcement" together, which turned out to be related to Monica's new interest in designing fabric handbags.
+In one episode that aired in early [[2000 in television|2000]], Green visited his parents in Ottawa, Ontario with [[Monica Lewinsky]], and used the occasion to fool local reporters into thinking that they would make an important "announcement" together, which turned out to be related to Monica's new interest in designing fabric handbags.
-In 2000, Green made a one-hour special out of his testicular cancer surgery.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0331000/|title=The Tom Green Cancer Special|date=23 May 2000|publisher=|via=www.imdb.com}}</ref> It focused on his reaction to the cancer diagnosis, as well as his family's, and footage of the actual surgery was included in one scene. The episode received wide critical acclaim for revealing a vulnerable, human side of an otherwise juvenile television personality.
+In 2000, Green made a one-hour special out of his testicular cancer surgery. It focused on his reaction to the cancer diagnosis, as well as his family's, and footage of the actual surgery was included in one scene. The episode received wide critical acclaim for revealing a vulnerable, human side of an otherwise juvenile television personality.
-In March 2002, he also starred in and directed a one-hour special called ''The Tom Green Subway Monkey Hour'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0316706/|title=Subway Monkey Hour|date=24 March 2002|publisher=|via=www.imdb.com}}</ref> where he harassed strangers in [[Japan]].
+In March 2002, he also starred in and directed a one-hour special called ''The Tom Green Subway Monkey Hour'', where he harassed strangers in Japan.
 ==''The New Tom Green Show''==
-The show was briefly revived by MTV in 2003 as ''The New Tom Green Show'', which was retooled to have more of a late-night talk show format, but was cancelled by MTV a few months after its premiere due to plummeting ratings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2003/09/25/development-update-september-25-16184/6174/|title=Breaking News - Development Update: September 25 - TheFutonCritic.com|website=www.thefutoncritic.com}}</ref> The show ran for 51 episodes from June 23, 2003 to September 5, 2003.<ref name="newtgshowepisodes">{{cite web|url=http://www.tv.com/people/tom-green-1/|title=Tom Green on TV.com|publisher=tv.com|accessdate=2012-12-12}}</ref>
+The show was briefly revived by MTV in 2003 as ''The New Tom Green Show'', which was retooled to have a more standard [[late-night talk show]] format, but was cancelled by MTV a few months after its premiere due to plummeting ratings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2003/09/25/development-update-september-25-16184/6174/|title=Breaking News - Development Update: September 25 - TheFutonCritic.com|website=www.thefutoncritic.com}}</ref> The show ran for 51 episodes from June 23, 2003, to September 5, 2003.<ref name="newtgshowepisodes">{{cite web|url=http://www.tv.com/people/tom-green-1/|title=Tom Green on TV.com|publisher=tv.com|access-date=2012-12-12}}</ref>
 ==''Tom Green Live!'' / ''Tom Green's House Tonight''==
-On June 15, 2006, Tom Green launched ''[[Tom Green Live!]]'', a live call-in talk show broadcast on his website TomGreen.com. It began as a partnership between Green and [[ManiaTV!]]. In 2008, the show was renamed ''[[Tom Green's House Tonight]]''. The show takes place in Green's own living room in the [[Hollywood Hills]] overlooking the [[San Fernando Valley]].
+On June 15, 2006, Tom Green launched ''[[Tom Green Live!]]'', a live [[phone-in|call-in]] talk show broadcast on his website TomGreen.com. It began as a partnership between Green and [[ManiaTV!]]. In 2008, the show was renamed ''[[Tom Green's House Tonight]]''. The show takes place in Green's own living room in the [[Hollywood Hills]] overlooking the [[San Fernando Valley]].
+==Reception==
-==Rumored Hitler segment==
+{{empty section|date=November 2023}}
-A frequent rumor says that the show was cancelled because of an alleged segment where Green shows up at a [[Bar Mitzvah]] dressed as [[Adolf Hitler]]. Green, however, has repeatedly denied that such a segment exists.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/tomgreen.htm|title=FACT CHECK: Tom Green Hitler Bar Mitzvah|publisher=}}</ref> He mentions the rumor in his 2004 autobiography, ''[[Hollywood Causes Cancer]]'', stating that it started when some Boston teenagers were caught videotaping themselves performing that particular stunt and, when asked by security, they used the name "Tom Green".  Green says, "I would never do a mean-spirited, anti-Semitic joke like that—it's both abhorrent and not funny...To this day I still get asked about it, and it's annoying. So again, for the record, it didn't happen.  There is nobody on this planet that has ever seen this bit on tape because it does not exist. If it did exist, it would have certainly reared its ugly, hateful head on the Internet by now.  But it won't, because it doesn't exist. I've never put on a Hitler costume.  In fact, I've never even been to a Bar Mitzvah."
 ==References==
@@ Line 70: / Line 77: @@
 {{MTVNetwork Shows}}
-{{DEFAULTSORT:Tom Green Show}}
+{{DEFAULTSORT:Tom Green Show, The}}
 [[Category:1990s American sketch comedy television series]]
 [[Category:2000s American sketch comedy television series]]
+[[Category:1990s American television talk shows]]
+[[Category:2000s American television talk shows]]
 [[Category:1990s Canadian sketch comedy television series]]
 [[Category:2000s Canadian sketch comedy television series]]
-[[Category:American television talk shows]]
 [[Category:1990s Canadian television talk shows]]
-[[Category:MTV original programming]]
+[[Category:2000s Canadian television talk shows]]
 [[Category:1994 American television series debuts]]
 [[Category:1994 Canadian television series debuts]]
 [[Category:2000 American television series endings]]
 [[Category:2000 Canadian television series endings]]
-[[Category:Canadian community channel television programs]]
+[[Category:MTV original programming]]
-[[Category:Rogers TV]]
+[[Category:Canadian community channel television shows]]
-[[Category:The Comedy Network shows]]
+[[Category:Rogers TV original programming]]
+[[Category:Television shows filmed in Ottawa]]
+[[Category:CTV Comedy Channel original programming]]
 [[Category:Television controversies in Canada]]
 [[Category:Television controversies in the United States]]
+[[Category:Obscenity controversies in television]]

v t e Tom Green
Television and film	The Tom Green Show The New Tom Green Show Freddy Got Fingered Tom Green's House Tonight
Albums	Not the Green Tom Show (as MC Face) Prepare for Impact Huh!? Stiffenin Against the Wall (with Organized Rhyme) Basement Jams
Related	"Lonely Swedish (The Bum Bum Song)" Organized Rhyme Hollywood Causes Cancer (autobiography)