View source for Bob and Doug McKenzie

{{Short description|Canadian comedy duo portrayed by Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas}}
{{Infobox character
| name        = Bob and Doug McKenzie
| image       = Bob and Doug McKenzie.jpg
| caption     = Promotional still from ''Strange Brew''<br />with Bob (left) and Doug McKenzie (right)
| creator     = [[Rick Moranis]] and [[Dave Thomas (actor)|Dave Thomas]]
| portrayer   =
*'''Bob''' - Rick Moranis (most appearances), [[Dave Coulier]] (''Bob & Doug'')
*'''Doug''' - Dave Thomas
| gender      =
| first       = [[Second City Television|SCTV]] ''(September 19, 1980)''
| occupation  = Television hosts, bottling line inspectors, garbage men
| nickname    = "Hoser", "Hosehead", "Knob"
| nationality = [[Canadians|Canadian]] 
}}

'''Bob and Doug McKenzie''' are a pair of fictional Canadian brothers who hosted "Great White North", a [[Sketch comedy|sketch]] that was introduced on ''[[Second City Television|SCTV]]'' for the show's third season when it moved to [[CBC Television]] in [[1980 in television|1980]].  Bob is played by [[Rick Moranis]] and Doug is played by [[Dave Thomas (actor)|Dave Thomas]]. Although created originally as [[Filler (media)|filler]] to both satisfy and mock network [[Canadian content]] demands, the duo became a [[popular culture|pop culture]] phenomenon in both Canada and the [[United States]]. The characters became the focus of a bestselling comedy album, ''[[The Great White North (album)|The Great White North]]'', in 1981 and starred in a feature film, ''[[Strange Brew]]'', in 1983. They were later revived for an animated series, ''[[Bob & Doug (TV series)|Bob & Doug]]'', which premiered on [[Global Television Network|Global]] in 2009.<ref>Von Riedemann, Dominic. "Global Television Show Reunites SCTV's Dave Thomas, Rick Moranis." Article at Suite101.com on July 17, 2008.</ref>

==History==
[[List of Bob & Doug McKenzie appearances on SCTV|"Great White North"]] (originally known as "Kanadian Korner") is a panel show that played upon [[Culture of Canada|Canadian stereotypes]].  Bob and Doug, two dim-witted [[beer]]-swilling brothers wearing heavy winter clothing and [[tuque]]s, would comment on various elements of [[Culture of Canada|Canadian life and culture]], frequently employing the [[interjection]] "[[Eh]]?" and derisively calling each other "[[hoser]]."  Among the topics discussed were snow routes, the [[Canadarm]], the inappropriateness of bedtime stories about dog fights, flat tires, and "why there aren't enough parking spaces at take-out doughnut shops."<ref name="PeopleSCTV">"With Beer, Back Bacon and Banter, 'SCTV's Bob & Doug Mine Comedy Gold in the 'Great White North'." Article in ''People'' magazine, February 1, 1982. [http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20081357,00.html]</ref>

The sketch was conceived when ''SCTV'' moved to the CBC television network. Due to the difference in the amount of time allocated for commercials, each episode to be broadcast on that network was two minutes longer than those [[Television syndication|syndicated]] to the United States. The CBC network heads asked the show's producers to add specifically identifiably [[Canadian content]] for those two minutes, in line with government broadcast regulations. [[Rick Moranis]] and [[Dave Thomas (actor)|Dave Thomas]] thought that this was a ridiculous request, given that the show had been taped in Canada, with a mostly Canadian cast and crew, for two years.<ref name="PeopleSCTV" /> The request inspired them to create a [[parody]] that would incorporate every aspect of the humorous stereotype of Canadians.<ref name="AskMenSCTV">{{cite web|url=https://www.askmen.com/top_10/entertainment/308_top_10_list.html|title=SCTV Skits|first=Ryan|last=Murphy|website=AskMen}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/02/10/interview-with-dave-thomas-part-1-of-5 | title=Interview with Dave Thomas (Part 1 of 5) | date=10 February 2000 }}</ref>

The segments were videotaped at the end of a day's shooting, with just Thomas and Moranis and a single camera operator. The sketches were for the most part improvised on the set, after which they would select the best ones for use on the program.<ref>Second City Television (SCTV) at The Museum of Broadcast Communications website [http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=secondcityt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091010060747/http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=secondcityt|date=2009-10-10}}</ref>

Moranis recalled, "We went on the stage with no preparation, and did 15 [sketches]. Two of them were lousy, in three we cracked up and fell apart... maybe six were keepers."<ref name="AskMenSCTV" />  Added Dave Thomas in a 2000 interview, "Rick and I used to sit in the studio, by ourselves – almost like happy hour – drink real beers, cook [[back bacon]], literally make hot snack food for ourselves while we improvised and just talked. It was all very low key and stupid, and we thought, 'Well, they get what they deserve. This is their Canadian content. I hope they like it.{{' "}}<ref name="DTinterview">Plume, Kenneth. "Interview with [[Dave Thomas (actor)|Dave Thomas]] (Part 1 of 5)" at movies.img.com, February 10, 2000.</ref>

To their shock, the comedians found that this filler material had become the most popular part of the show.  Though initially intended for Canadian TV only, some of the two-minute "Great White North" segments would find their way into U.S. versions of the 30-minute shows due to a shortage of content that week. When NBC ordered the 90-minute shows for the 1981 season, they specifically cited good affiliate feedback on the "two dumb Canadian characters" and requested that the characters be included in every program.<ref name="DTinterview" />

They rode the crest of a fad, peaking in 1982–83, that produced one comedy album, ''[[The Great White North (album)|The Great White North]]'', and a movie, ''[[Strange Brew]]''. The album released by [[Anthem Records]] in Canada and [[Mercury Records]] in the US, went platinum in sales, won a [[Grammy]] nomination and broke the Top 10 on [[Billboard's]] Top LPs and Tapes list in March, 1982. It is noted for the song "Take Off" which featured fellow Canadian [[Geddy Lee]] of the rock group [[Rush (band)|Rush]] chorusing between the McKenzies' banter. The song was #1 for 2 weeks on the [[CHUM Chart]]s, December 12 and 19, 1981.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chumtribute.com/chumtribute-charts-81.html| title=CHUM tribute site - 1981}}</ref> On this album, they also sing their own improvised version of "[[The Twelve Days of Christmas (song)|The Twelve Days of Christmas]]", which is frequently played on the radio around the holidays in both Canada and the United States. While hugely popular in the U.S., the album was also #1 in Canada for six weeks, suggesting that Canadians appreciated the duo as an affectionate self-parody.

The ''[[Strange Brew]]'' movie was released by [[MGM]] in 1983. While receiving only minimal praise from critics, it performed fairly well at the box office — earning $8.5 million in the U.S. alone to cover its $4 million budget. After its theatrical release, ''Strange Brew'' remained a popular home-video title with a strong college cult following.

A [[Strange Brew (soundtrack)|second album]], a "soundtrack" to their movie ''Strange Brew'', was released in 1983.  The album featured dialogue and music from the film, as well as new skits made specifically for the album that centred around the movie. The lead off track was appropriately entitled "This Isn't Our Second Album". The album sold poorly and was out-of-print soon after.<ref name="PeopleSCTV"/><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.0434&issue_dt=December%2019%201981&type=1 |magazine=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]] |date=19 December 1981 |access-date=2008-10-27 |title=RPM 50 Albums |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090503020520/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.0434&issue_dt=December%2019%201981&type=1 |archive-date=3 May 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.0451&issue_dt=January%2030%201982&type=1 |magazine=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]] |date=30 January 1982 |access-date=2008-10-27 |title=RPM 50 Albums |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090503020525/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.0451&issue_dt=January%2030%201982&type=1 |archive-date=3 May 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The sketch's signature "Coo loo coo coo, coo coo coo coo"{{dubious|reason=not what I hear|date=September 2025}}theme, according to Dave Thomas in an interview on ''[[CBC News: The Hour]]'', is an exaggeration{{citation needed|reason=own work?|date=September 2025}} of the [[flute]] music used in 60-second Canadian television nature vignettes, such as ''[[Hinterland Who's Who]]''.<ref>[http://www.hww.ca/index_e.asp Hinterland Who's Who website] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100504142122/http://www.hww.ca/index_e.asp |date=May 4, 2010 }}.</ref>{{failed verification|date=September 2025}}

In 2023, Thomas and Moranis revived the characters for a [[Beer Canada]] commercial advocating for a freeze on new federal taxes on beer.<ref>[https://broadcastdialogue.com/radio-podcast-news-124/ "Radio & Podcast News – CRTC finds Yellowknife can’t support additional station"]. ''Broadcast Dialogue'', February 16, 2023.</ref>

==Appearances on ''SCTV''==
{{main|List of Bob & Doug McKenzie appearances on SCTV}}

The duo had a total of 41 original segments on SCTV. Presumably filmed several at a time, most "Great White North" segments featured one two-minute sketch per SCTV episode. 25 segments were aired in the third season (1980–81).

Most of Season 4, Cycle 1 (1981) was made up of "Great White North" repeat segments. The only new appearances were in episodes 4/1-2 and 4/1-9, the final episode of the cycle. The final episode included a wraparound storyline which heavily featured the characters.

Growing in popularity, the characters returned for nine new segments in the second cycle of season 4. Cycle 2 (1981–82) featured a new "Great White North" segment in each episode.

Season 4, Cycle 3 (1982) was the last season to feature the characters. The first episode's plot revolves around the growing popularity of Bob and Doug, and they are given their own variety show on ''SCTV'', which turns into a catastrophe. The characters returned in the next episode for a new segment in their traditional studio set, but it had been cut to one minute (the episode's storyline owing the reduced air time to their disastrous variety show). The two are then featured in three more new segments, each back to two minutes long, before Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas left ''SCTV'' to film ''Strange Brew''.

==Legacy==
The duo revived the act in two award-winning [[television commercial]]s for [[Pizza Hut]] in 1984 and 1986 and a two-year campaign for the [[Molson]] Brewing Company in 1999 and 2000 consisting of more than a dozen television and radio commercials which aired nationally in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbkOI6Q9dQ0|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110224071145/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbkOI6Q9dQ0|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 February 2011|title=YouTube - Molson Ice commercial with Bob and Doug McKenzie and Guy Lafleur| website=[[YouTube]] |date=24 February 2011}}</ref>

[[McFarlane Toys]] produced [[McFarlane Toys#The McKenzie Brothers|Bob and Doug McKenzie action figures]] in September 2000.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spawn.com/toys/series.aspx?series=7 |title=>> Toys >> Movies >> The Mckenzie Brothers |publisher=Spawn.Com |access-date=2010-06-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100623033005/http://www.spawn.com/toys/series.aspx?series=7 |archive-date=2010-06-23 }}</ref>

In the 2000 video game [[Spyro: Year of the Dragon]] (and the [[Spyro Reignited Trilogy|2018 remaster]]), the polar bear NPCs at the start and end of Icy Peak are named Bob and Doug.

In 2003, the fastest computer in Canada, which is used by the Department of [[Astronomy]] and [[Astrophysics]] at the [[University of Toronto]], was named after Bob and Doug. The $900,000 computer is being used to simulate supermassive black holes and collisions of galaxies. The machine, nicknamed McKenzie, has 268 gigabytes of memory and 40 terabytes of disk space, and consists of two master nodes (Bob and Doug), 256 compute nodes, and eight development nodes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.execulink.com/~bobnet/news/bobdoug.html|title=BobNET - Bob and Doug McKenzie News|website=www.execulink.com}}</ref>

They played a variant of the act for the [[Walt Disney Pictures]] [[animated]] [[feature film]] ''[[Brother Bear]]'' and its [[Brother Bear 2|sequel]], with their characters being the voices of a pair of goofy bull [[moose]] named Rutt and Tuke. They also recorded a commentary for the movie that is seen on the [[DVD]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/06/movies/these-two-talking-moose-let-their-antlers-down.html|title=These Two Talking Moose Let Their Antlers Down (Published 2004)|first=Neil|last=Genzlinger|date=July 6, 2004|work=[[The New York Times]] | access-date=December 13, 2020 | url-access=limited }}</ref>

A new special, ''[[Bob & Doug McKenzie's Two-Four Anniversary]]'', aired on May 20, 2007, on [[CBC Television]]. It is a retrospective on the history of the characters and their popularity, featuring interviews with various celebrities, classic clips, and new material featuring the pair. It includes an introduction by former Canadian [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]] [[Paul Martin]] and a cameo appearance by [[Rush (band)|Rush]] lead singer [[Geddy Lee]]. On November 20, 2007, the special was released on DVD. The DVD, re-edited by Thomas himself, was twice as long as the broadcast and featured several classic McKenzie sketches from SCTV in their entirety, new footage filmed on the Great White North set and an hour's worth of bonus features. A Bob and Doug McKenzie bottle opener was included with every DVD.<ref name="SCTVmacleans">"Take off, eh?" Review of ''Two-Four Anniversary'' special at www.macleans.ca {{cite web |url=http://www.macleans.ca/culture/entertainment/article.jsp?content=20070507_105097_105097 |title=Take off, eh! Eh? &#124; Macleans.ca - Culture - Entertainment |access-date=2008-11-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214053129/http://www.macleans.ca/culture/entertainment/article.jsp?content=20070507_105097_105097 |archive-date=2009-02-14 }}</ref>

In 2007, on [[Rush (band)|Rush]]'s [[Snakes & Arrows Tour]], a short film of Bob and Doug McKenzie was shown as an intro to the song "[[The Larger Bowl (A Pantoum)|The Larger Bowl]]".<ref>"Rush out for latest Rush Concert DVD Snakes & Arrows." Review at www.epinions.com on December 5, 2008.</ref>

[[Animax Entertainment]], whose interactive division is currently headed by Dave Thomas, began producing a new animated series for the [[Global Television Network]] based on the characters debuting on April 19, 2009, simply entitled ''[[Bob & Doug (TV series)|Bob & Doug]]''. Thomas reprised the character of Doug in the new series. Moranis chose not to voice the character of Bob. The part was instead voiced by [[Dave Coulier]]. Moranis was, however, involved in the series as an executive producer.<ref name=star>Rob Salem, [https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/Television/article/620381 "Bob & Doug taking off again"]. ''[[Toronto Star]]'', April 19, 2009.</ref> The show aired 15 episodes.

They returned to the Great White North at a charity event held in Toronto in 2017 to help raise money for patients with spinal cord injuries. Jake Thomas, son of musician [[Ian Thomas (Canadian musician)|Ian Thomas]] and Dave's nephew had been in a snowmobile accident that paralyzed him from the waist down. Raising money for the family was reason enough to convince Moranis, known for keeping a low profile, to reprise his role as Bob for the first time in 10 years. With celebrity friends such as Dan Aykroyd, Martin Short, Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara performing skits, the gig was sold out.<ref name="Jul 19">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/how-s-it-going-eh-bob-and-doug-mckenzie-help-raise-325k-in-special-show-1.4210544|title='How's it going, eh?' Bob and Doug McKenzie help raise $325K in special show|date=July 19, 2017|first=Salimah|last=Shivji|website=CBC|language=en|access-date=2019-03-26}}</ref> Over $325,000 was raised and will go towards the Jake Thomas's Road to Recovery GoFundMe campaign and the Spinal Cord Injury Ontario, in order to help others who have sustained spinal cord injuries.<ref name="Jul 19"/>

The [[SYFY]] network show [[List of Z Nation episodes#Season 4 (2017)|"Z-Nation" Season 4, Episode 8]] - 'Crisis of Faith', featured the main characters entering Canada, and running into RCMP officers, a Hockey team bearing the Canada logo and of course, zombies very reminiscent of Bob & Doug McKenzie.  The cast members who confront the look-alikes used the GWN catch phrases "eh", and "hoser" among others.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Z Nation proves that Canadian zombies can be much more polite|first=Alex|last=McLevy|date=November 17, 2017|website=[[The A.V. Club]]|url=https://www.avclub.com/z-nation-proves-that-canadian-zombies-can-be-much-more-1820525273}}</ref>

On March 24, 2020, a statue of Bob and Doug McKenzie was erected in [[Edmonton, Alberta]], where the SCTV series was taped during most of the early 1980s. It depicts Bob and Doug enjoying a beer on a bench, and is near the [[Rogers Place|Rogers Place arena]]. The statue was the result of a collaboration between local sculptor Ritchie Velthuis, the non-profit SCTV Monument Committee, and Calgary's Bronzart Casting. Actors Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas provided input throughout the process.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bob and Doug McKenzie return to Edmonton as statues during COVID-19|url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/bob-and-doug-mckenzie-return-to-edmonton-as-statues-during-covid-19/|last=Griwkowsky|first=Fish|date=March 25, 2020|website=Edmonton Journal|access-date=May 13, 2020}}</ref>

Astronauts [[Robert L. Behnken]] and [[Douglas Hurley]] are likened to the McKenzies because of their friendship when they participated in the first commercial astronaut launch on 30 May 2020, SpaceX [[Crew Dragon Demo-2]].<ref name=NYT-20200527>{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/27/science/bob-behnken-doug-hurley.html |title= Meet Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, SpaceX's First NASA Astronauts |first=  Kenneth | last=Chang |date= 27 May 2020 |newspaper= [[The New York Times]] }}</ref><ref name=CTV-1.4961760>{{Cite news |url= https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/bob-and-doug-best-friends-on-historic-spacex-nasa-mission/ |title= Bob and Doug: best friends on historic SpaceX-NASA mission |author= Ivan Couronne |date= 30 May 2020 |agency= AFP |publisher= CTV News }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/bob-doug-spacex-mckenzie_ca_5ed2cfd6c5b66149dcc834e7 |title= Bob And Doug, SpaceX Astronauts, Remind Canadians Of Iconic SCTV Duo |first= Lisa | last=Yeung <!-- HuffPost staff -->  |date= 30 May 2020 |work= [[Huffington Post]] | location=Canada }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/canada-s-bob-and-doug-take-off-eh-on-social-media-with-spacex-rocket-launch-1.5592020 |title= Canada's Bob and Doug take off — eh! — on social media with SpaceX rocket launch |author= Chad Pawson |date= 30 May 2020 |publisher= Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |work= [[CBC News]] }}</ref>

==Opinions of the creators==
In Dave Thomas's behind-the-scenes book on ''[[Second City Television|SCTV]]'', he reports that he and Moranis disliked the characters because they felt the network forced the characters on them and that they, as actors, were overly identified with the dimwitted, beer-drinking duo.  However, in an interview accompanying the ''Two-Four Anniversary'' premiere, Thomas credited the McKenzie Brothers as a successful comedic creation of which he was quite proud.<ref name="SCTVmacleans" />

==Discography==
*''[[The Great White North (album)|Bob & Doug McKenzie: The Great White North]]'', 1981
*''[[Strange Brew (soundtrack)|Bob & Doug McKenzie: Strange Brew]]'', 1983

==See also==
*[[List of one-hit wonders in the United States]]
*[[Beer in Canada]]
*[[Canadian English]]
*[[Canadian humour]]
*''[[The Red Green Show]]''
*''[[Trailer Park Boys]]''
*''[[MacLean & MacLean]]''

==References==

{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|qid=Q7621346|title=Strange Brew}}
* [http://sctvguide.ca/episodes/sctv_s3.htm Season 3 of SCTV]
* [http://www.bobanddoug.com/ BobAndDoug.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060718151737/http://www.bobanddoug.com/ |date=2006-07-18 }}
* [http://www.execulink.com/~bobnet/hoser/ The Hoser Newspaper]

{{Bob & Doug McKenzie}}
{{SCTV}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mackenzie, Bob and Doug}}
[[Category:Bob and Doug McKenzie| ]]
[[Category:Anthem Records artists]]
[[Category:Canadian comedy duos]]
[[Category:Culture of Canada]]
[[Category:Canadian identity]]
[[Category:Comedy sketches]] <!-- applies really to "The Great White North" -->
[[Category:Comedy television characters]]
[[Category:Male characters in television]]
[[Category:Fictional characters from Ontario]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Canadian people]]
[[Category:Fictional siblings]]
[[Category:Fictional duos]]
[[Category:Juno Award for Comedy Album of the Year winners]]
[[Category:Television characters introduced in 1980]]
[[Category:Television duos]]
[[Category:Second City Television characters]]