# Has anyone seen the show \[i\]RedGreen\[/i\]? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 13, 2004, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-seen-the-show-i-redgreen-i/250048 "2004-06-13T00:57:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-seen-the-show-i-redgreen-i/250048/1 "2004-06-13T00:57:18Z")
This show is on PBS late on Saturday nights. I’ve never seen it, but the descriptions in the TV schedule describe it as a couple of weird guys who belong to a lodge. Hmm. Has anyone seen this show and is it good enough to go through the trouble of taping and watching later? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Punkyova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@The\_Punkyova](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Punkyova)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-seen-the-show-i-redgreen-i/250048/2 "2004-06-13T01:14:34Z")
How do you feel about Duct Tape? Red Green and his buddies are in the far north woods, and have adventures involving hunting and internal combustion engines. It is entertaining. Try taping an episode, and if you don’t like it, tape over it. ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-seen-the-show-i-redgreen-i/250048/3 "2004-06-13T01:19:05Z")
Not only have I seen it, I owe a few episodes on DVD. I love it. I recommend taping it and see what you think, as it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. One of my favorite lines though is the Men Anonymous pledge (like AA except these are men trying to beat their stereotypical manlike traits). The pledge goes, “I’m a man and I can change. If I have to… I guess.” ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy154](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ad7895/32.png) [@quiltguy154](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy154)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-seen-the-show-i-redgreen-i/250048/4 "2004-06-13T01:22:14Z")
Remember to call “Rothchild’s Septic and Sewer Sucking Service.” ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-seen-the-show-i-redgreen-i/250048/5 "2004-06-13T01:25:41Z")
It’s from the CBC (that’s Canada, not Christian). It’s funny, but it’s not the most hilarious thing on TV. Personally, I would say that you have to have the right sense of humor. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-seen-the-show-i-redgreen-i/250048/6 "2004-06-13T01:41:58Z")
[Red Green on the Interweb](http://www.redgreen.com) The design is hideous in the obvious way, but if you can deal with the eye searing colours, it’s fairly well done. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-seen-the-show-i-redgreen-i/250048/7 "2004-06-13T02:52:55Z")
“Keep your stick on the ice.” The show has a real goofy charm. Especially good are Handyman’s Corner (“Remember – if a woman can’t call you handsome, the least they can do it call you handy.”) and the “password” quiz. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-seen-the-show-i-redgreen-i/250048/8 "2004-06-13T03:22:16Z")
I used to watch it quite a bit. The early seasons were really quite good, but once Harold (the geeky nephew) left as a main character, it went downhill quickly, IMHO. It degenerated into a predictable repetition of the same jokes over and over and over. And none of the other supporting characters could fill Harold’s shoes, believe it or not. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-seen-the-show-i-redgreen-i/250048/9 "2004-06-13T03:30:24Z")
Don’t forget Ranger Gord. Think of it as a cross between “Home Improvement” and “Lake Woebegon.” "If you enjoy men, tools, and things that go “Bang…” ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-seen-the-show-i-redgreen-i/250048/10 "2004-06-13T03:34:55Z")
I thought that the Handyman’s credo was “If it ain’t broke, you ain’t trying.” I like it but I have a goofie sense of humor and middle age white guy jokes do appeal to me. ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-seen-the-show-i-redgreen-i/250048/11 "2004-06-13T03:37:05Z")
Didn’t Harold return as some bigwig all rich and married at some point? Or did someone tell me wrong? I really like the movie ‘Duct Tape Forever’ ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-seen-the-show-i-redgreen-i/250048/12 "2004-06-13T03:41:52Z")
And remember. Any tool can be the right tool. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-seen-the-show-i-redgreen-i/250048/13 "2004-06-13T03:48:23Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > I used to watch it quite a bit. The early seasons were really quite good, but once Harold (the geeky nephew) left as a main character, it went downhill quickly, IMHO. Harold’s back in the newer episodes - returned in season 11, after leaving in season 10 (and having a limited, non-lodge role in season 9). ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-seen-the-show-i-redgreen-i/250048/14 "2004-06-13T03:52:21Z")
Imdb entry for [Duct Tape Forever](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286915/). EXCELLENT series, and EXCELLENT movie. Hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![pope\_hentai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@pope\_hentai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pope_hentai)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-seen-the-show-i-redgreen-i/250048/15 "2004-06-13T04:32:01Z")
i’ve found when trying to reccomend a humor series the best bet is to give an example of the jokes, so heres my favorite from when i used to watch it. (had to stop cuz of work and vcr dying) Red decides to show you how to installl gullwing doors on a car using duct tape for hinges and a garage door opener to cause the doors to rise. ---
**Author:** ![ReadMore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ccd318/32.png) [@ReadMore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReadMore)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-seen-the-show-i-redgreen-i/250048/16 "2004-06-13T04:37:47Z")
Yeah… we’ve got a fondness for Red Grren. When Red Green actors/writers appeared on U.S. public television pledge drives the past few years, Iowa Public Television (IPTV) viewers responded by stomping the rest of the country in meeting PTV funding goals first. In return, Steve Smith (“Red” himself) and crew made live appearances here and premiered their movie “Duct Tape Forever” in Des Moines. Pretty fun. For Iowans I wonder if it’s the rural yet techy connection… We’re in a small town (1100 or so) a few miles from the largest Amish/Mennonite community west of the Mississippi (Kalona and surrounding area), the official Future Birthplace of Captain Kirk (Riverside), and the University of Iowa (Iowa City)… and we have a T1 line running to our house via a local cooperative. Gotta love it. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-seen-the-show-i-redgreen-i/250048/17 "2004-06-22T03:42:59Z")
I LOVE this show! It takes a while to get into it, but it’s a true gem. I like the fact that there are no women in the cast. That way, they can do all kinds of dumb-men jokes, but the humor is in the way the men are in denial, not in a female character getting fed up with them. One of the best sketches was a “Possum 911”. Harold and Red get a call on the ham radio. One of the characters, I think Dougie Franklin, hems and haws and doesn’t want to say what his emergency is. Eventually, he starts asking about the landscape around the lodge: where’s the lake relative to the highway, or something like that. He’s lost, of course, so Red plays along, supposedly correcting his geography but really giving directions. “And we’re having some electrical short-circuits here at the lodge… [flips outside lights on and off] You can probably see it from where you’re at!” The campfire songs are a trip, too. Long ago, on AOL, I had one for my sig. “Sometimes I get to thinkin’/About all the mistakes I’ve made/All the people I’ve hurt/And all the bills I haven’t paid/Sometimes I get to thinkin’/I should change and get on the ball…/But then I turn on the ol’ TV and I don’t get to thinkin’ at all!” I love the storylines, too. It’s not all sketches; they intercut four scenes (usually) with just Red and Harold, developing some concept. Like “Harold needs a project for the school science fair” or “Red forgot Bernice’s birthday and has six hours to get her a gift”. There was one where Red wanted to make a film. Harold had to audition to play himself, and Red called “cut” on his screen test right after he said his name. Then Dalton Humphries auditioned to play Harold, and his impersonation was so dead-on, I couldn’t get up from the floor for about five minutes. Of course, it ended with Red and Harold returning from the premiere splattered with thrown tomatoes. Harold rants at Red about how his egotism ruined the film, and Red’s voice breaks as he says, “They didn’t give that movie a chance…” Spontaneous “Awww…” from the audience. And the Possum Lodge word game is priceless, too. Word: “Lonely”. Red, to Ranger Gord: “Describe yourself.” “Virgin!..No, wait…” Word: “Father”. Red, to Mike Hammer: “The man who slept with your mother.” “Could you be more specific?” Word: “Breakfast”. Red, to Buzz Sherwood: “On your birthday, your girlfriend brings you something in bed.” “You want me to say THAT?” Word: “Tool”. Dalton, to Red: “A handyman always blames his—” “Nephew.” “No, but, okay, describe Harold.” Harold: “Hey…I’m IN THE ROOM!” Red: “[whispers]” Dalton: “Close enough.” And the all time best. Word: “Sex”. Red is supposed to guess; Dalton has to cue him. Harold: “Okay, Mr. Dalton Humphries has thirty seconds to get my uncle Red to say this w—” Sees word, immediately goes into spasms. Finally sets card down and points to Dalton because he can’t say “Go”. Dalton coughs and clears throat. Red sighs and says, “Sex?” Steve Smith is good, but Patrick McKenna is one of the best comedic actors I’ve seen in my lifetime, and that includes numerous SNL lineups. Every word, every gesture, every facial expression is geared towards the character. I’ve seen a few episodes of “Traders” as well, and you just would not believe it’s the same person. Not just the character, but his appearance as well. An article on RG had one of the crew members saying that it’s flat-out unbelievable how McKenna can actually change his face for Harold. The RG cast has done PBS beg-a-thons a few times, in character; I saw one once where an operator was giving McKenna the stats on how much they’d raised so far. Meanwhile, her phone rang, and McKenna jumped as if a bee had stung his butt and screeched, “AAA! Don’t tell me that now—get that call! Yeeks!” Later, he took a call, still as Harold, and they broadcast both sides of the conversation, with “Harold” getting more and more obnoxiously whiny until the caller ended up pledging almost twice what he’d originally meant to give! ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-seen-the-show-i-redgreen-i/250048/18 "2004-06-22T03:52:55Z")
I love that show. My favorite was the one with the linoleum, the self stick kind. Great show. And occasionally they had Paul Gross!!Yummy! ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-seen-the-show-i-redgreen-i/250048/19 "2004-06-22T04:14:16Z")
My favorite character is Edgar Montrose, played by Graham Greene. He loves his dynamite, though he’s not careful with it and there is always some part of his clothes still smoking. After Greene was nominated for a Best Supporting Oscar (Dances With Wolves) they got some mileage out of that, too. The show is funny because, well, it’s true. I know these guys. Hell, I grew up with guys just like them and may be one myself. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-seen-the-show-i-redgreen-i/250048/20 "2004-06-22T04:23:25Z")
I’ve only seen about one season’s worth of “Red Green”, but it was enough to give the phrase “secret weapon” a whole new meaning for me. I quickly progressed from “the handyman’s secret weapon- duct tape” to “the exotic dancer’s secret weapon- baby wipes”. I periodically manage to come up with a new “secret weapon” special for the occasion, but I can never remember them afterwards. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-seen-the-show-i-redgreen-i/250048.md?page=2)