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CODCO on DVD
May 26, 2006

As the CODCO DVD petition
seems to be exploding in popularity these days,
I thought I'd take a moment to explain my personal reasons for starting it.

I was 10 years old
when the CODCO television series premiered on the CBC
and, understandably, my parents didn't allow me to watch it.
For many years, I experienced the series vicariously through the stories of friends
and got to know the Friday Night Girls and other characters by reputation alone.
As a 12 year-old I felt left out of the jokes, but as a nearly 30 year-old
I feel left out of a key piece of the cultural puzzle.

Research tells me that CODCO legitimized
the long tradition of homemade outport skit-based humour
and was the child of the post confederation Newfoundland renaissance.
Discussions in years since its demise have explored the role the series'
satire played in turning the Newfoundland stereotype on its head.
But research and discussion can only take you so far.

You see, I know CODCO changed the face of
Newfoundland's popular arts and the way we see ourselves
but it's one thing to know it, and completely another to experience yourself.
I'm at the point where I need to experience it... and I don't think I'm alone.
It's time to release the CODCO series to DVD.

Posted by Robert Hiscock @ 5/26/2006 10:22:00 AM / / Share

18 Comments:

At Saturday, May 27, 2006 1:02:00 PM,  John Mutford said...

I'd go further in the praise. Not only did CODCO change the face of Newfoundland's popular arts, it changed the face of Canada's popular arts. I know sketch based, satirical comedy existed in Canada before CODCO (i.e., Wayne and Shuster, etc) but CODCO added whole new life to the genre by being riskier. They aimed their sights a little higher and went for more for the jugular as they approached one taboo after another, ex. homosexuality ("Two Happy Homos"), drug use ("Cooking With Spook"), dysfunctional families ("House of Budgell") and the Catholic church (pretty much anything sketch Andy Jones). CODCO's edginess was no doubt an influence in many shows to follow, such as Kids in the Hall, and This Hour Has 22 Minutes. I'd even venture to say that the already existing Royal Canadian Air Farce had an edgier face lift in the wake of CODCO. It's a quintessential part of Canada's television history and it needs to be acknowledged.

 

At Saturday, May 27, 2006 8:06:00 PM,  Robert said...

Great points. It was the starting point of a whole new sort of television comedy in Canada.

 

At Tuesday, August 15, 2006 7:05:00 PM,  Anonymous said...

I watched Codco faithfully every week and my children who were teens at the time still talk about the show when we're all together. We've watched all the reruns and since the last few years I've been trying to get a CD or Video with at least some of the shows. If anyone has such a copy, please let me know...

 

At Tuesday, August 15, 2006 7:09:00 PM,  Robert said...

We're working on getting you a copy.

 

At Thursday, August 24, 2006 2:27:00 AM,  David said...

I was born and raised in Chicago. I'm gay and suffer from serious bouts of depression from time to time. In 1987, I met and fell in love with a great guy (we're only friends now, sad to say) who had moved from Canada to live in Chicago. Well, eventually we moved out to Seattle to start a new life together, but then one of my depressive episodes occured. I began watching as much comedy as I could find, if only to cheer me up a bit...THAT'S when I came across (if you'll pardon the unintentional pun) this wonderful show, CODCO. I watched every week and loved it so dearly. My most favorite skit was of the faux USA Country singers who were celebrating America. My God! I was in stitches! So true and so funny.
Please. If ever someone hears anything about this show coming to DVD, you got to tell me. Email me right away. Please. It helped me come through a rough patch (there I go again with the puns) and I would love to own the entire series...kinda like my current hubby, who has every freakin STAR TREK DVD ever released. Oy!
Love and kisses to all!
Sincerely,
David St. Michael.
Email can be sent to dstmichael at yahoo dot com.
cheers!

 

At Thursday, August 24, 2006 2:28:00 AM,  David said...

Oh
I forgot to mention that I signed the petition, too.

yea!

 

At Sunday, August 27, 2006 5:23:00 PM,  Robert said...

Great!

 

At Tuesday, October 03, 2006 1:23:00 AM,  Anonymous said...

There is a video release of some CODCO stuff. It's probably out of print, but they might have it at Capitol Video on Military Road in St. John's.

Also a lot of the CODCO plays are published, check out the MUN library.

It is certainly high tiime for a DVD release, I agree.

 

At Sunday, December 31, 2006 5:35:00 PM,  ratch said...

Its all good, I too needs a fix of CodCo fer the upcoming hard wintur eh! I fingered it'd be on da' net somewhere... Christmas brought it all back to me this year with "check the balls on that big collie, fa la la la la, la la la la. Any way I'z be on a mission, somewhere somehow it exists. What tv station sponsored it? CTV broadcast it, that I don' recall. Regards Ratch on the little rock Cape Breton.

 

At Wednesday, March 21, 2007 8:09:00 AM,  Crystal said...

I watched Codco as a teenager. I didn't miss a week. Then when it aired on The Comedy network in the late 90's I watched them all over again. I think it's the best show ever. I would really love to have all the seasons on DVD. I think a lot of people feel the same way as I do about this series. It was priceless needless to say, and no show can be compared to it in my opinion. If you ever hear of it coming out on DVD, please let me know as I would pay a lot of money for this one!

 

At Thursday, August 30, 2007 2:34:00 PM,  Anonymous said...

I haven't analyzed profound cultural impacts as a result of Codco. I just remember that it was extremely funny. The funniest episode I remember was when the guy who looks like Jack Black was explaining how to be an actor. He then imitated a possible reaction in the dentist chair. He, as the dentist, got grossed out on the patient's breath and (in the skit) threw up into the patient's mouth. Magnificent! And then he did a magistral bow to the imaginary audience. Yes - it would be worth a lot of money to be made to laugh like that again! I might even feel young again.

 

At Thursday, November 22, 2007 10:55:00 AM,  My nation faces yours said...

Best........idea.....ever.....

I too was about 10 when I first saw Codco, living in rural southern Ontario the only channel we got was CBC and my parents had a penchant for odd humour. To this day nothing has made me and my two older sisters laugh harder than "Git off here if ya wants it!" from the Friday Night Girls. If today's comedy shows had half the character, we'd all be laughing that much harder.

Sometimes it just takes a newfie.

 

At Wednesday, March 19, 2008 10:58:00 PM,  Anonymous said...

I watched Codco every week!! My son was 4 and we loved "Friday Nite Girls" and we were able to tape a few shows, I especially love the one with Tommy singing & dancing "My Dad Was Killed By Friendly Fire"
It was the best. But they're on VCR tapes now!!!
I would love to get DVD's of the shows.

 

At Thursday, July 31, 2008 12:16:00 PM,  Anonymous said...

I'd buy the whole series just to see the music video sketch "Bingin' and Purgin' by Dusty Springroll and the New Bulemics" again!
Every other TV show in the world seems to have been released on DVD, or at least rebroadcast, why not CODCO?

 

At Friday, December 12, 2008 11:07:00 AM,  Anonymous said...

Where can I find a clip of the Christmas skit where you hear...

It's not bad enough I have to be yer gd mudder and stick me hand up de turkey's arse, but I have to be yer gd fadder too and get drunk and kick down the christmas tree!

 

At Sunday, January 25, 2009 3:22:00 PM,  Anonymous said...

What is the latest update on this - are we ever going to see cODCO ON dvd?

 

At Monday, September 21, 2009 1:47:00 PM,  Anonymous said...

omplexdoes anyone remember a skit with Greg Melone as a televangelist? and no I don't mean the one about Jim and Tammy Fay Bakker.

 

At Tuesday, September 22, 2009 11:17:00 PM,  Anonymous said...

So funny that you mentioned "Friday Night Girls" that was my absolute favorite segment. Oddly when I did come face to face with Cathy Jones many years later at a BBQ of all places, we chatted about that segment for the better part of the night. This needs to be on DVD, it is part of Canadiana, and one of my fondest memories growing up gay in Halifax.

 

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