| Season Number: | 6 |
| Bgcolour: |
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| Network: | Amazon Prime Video |
| Num Episodes: | 8 |
| Episode List: | List of The Kids in the Hall episodes |
The sixth season of Canadian sketch comedy series The Kids in the Hall aired in 2022; it was a revival, after 27 years, of the original series, which aired for five seasons from 1988 to 1995. Unlike the first five seasons, which aired on CBC in Canada and HBO, then CBS, in the United States, the sixth season aired on the Amazon Prime Video streaming service. It was greenlit and produced by Amazon Prime Video Canada, and was that subsidiary's first original series.[1] The revival was announced in early 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, filming did not commence until mid-2021.
Unlike the previous seasons, season six was not filmed in front of a live audience, nor is it presented with a laugh track. Characters from previous seasons appear in the sixth season, along with a host of new ones.[2] The new season also features a variety of guest stars, the majority of which take part in a recurring segment called "Friends of Kids of the Hall".[3] The season is again executive produced by Lorne Michaels.[4] The Canadian band Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet took part in the filming of the new season's opening to play the show's theme song, an instrumental version of "Having an Average Weekend" though the original recording was used instead.[5]
See also: List of The Kids in the Hall episodes.
Following five seasons of The Kids in the Hall and the 1996 follow-up film, , the comedy troupe would reunite for a series of live shows. In 2010, they created the dark comedy mini-series . Instead of comedy sketches, Death Comes to Town centers around one continuous storyline with the troupe performing an array of original characters.[6] Several of The Kids in the Hall characters appear in cameo roles: Chicken Lady, Paul Bellini (in his signature towel) and tweaked versions of Bruce McCulloch and Mark McKinney's police officers characters.[7] Talks of a Kids in the Hall reboot followed. In 2018, Dave Foley reached out and had lunch with Britta von Schoeler at Broadway Video. Foley mentioned that 2018 marked the 30th anniversary of the original series. This led to discussions about having the show return.[8] In March 2020, Amazon Prime Video Canada announced that it had ordered a new season of the original Kids in the Hall sketch show.[1]
Production on the new season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Filming commenced in late May 2021 in Toronto, Canada under the code name "Sweater Vest".[2]
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating for the sixth season, based on 23 reviews, with an average rating of 8.30/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "The Kids in the Hall have become seasoned comedy veterans without missing a beat, delivering a fresh set of sketches that will delight longtime fans."[9] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 83 out of 100 based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[10] Total Film praised the new season, writing that "skeptic fans of the flagship show will be delighted to see that not only have the Kids maintained their strange sense of humor, but have become absolute masters of their craft – reminding everyone who the true kings of comedy really are."[11]
| Award | Category | Recipient(s)/Nominee(s) | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Hollywood Critics Association[12] | Best Streaming Variety Sketch Series, Talk Series or Special | The Kids in the Hall |