For years, classic ”SCTV” sketches have lived in low resolution on the edges of the internet, as much of the show’s archive sat scattered in storage lockers and on aging tapes.
But a watch party at The Second City on Tuesday marked a long-awaited streaming revival. All six seasons of the influential Canadian sketch series are now available on Prime Video, giving viewers a chance to revisit — or discover — the show that helped shape a generation of comedy.
A few dozen fans attending shouted requests for episodes featuring the 5 Neat Guys or Bob and Doug McKenzie, while the first appearance of Catherine O’Hara drew cheers. The revival arrives at a moment when Canadian screen comedy is searching for renewed momentum, and when nostalgia for homegrown cultural touchstones feels especially potent.
The 2022 “Kids in the Hall” reboot only lasted one season, and Telefilm Canada reported that the box office for homegrown movies dropped about 41 per cent in 2025. Still, recent successes including ”Schitt’s Creek,” ”John Candy: I Like Me” and ”Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie,” give The Second City hope that Canadians want to see themselves represented, especially right now.
“I don’t know what the comedic Heated Rivalry moment will be… but I think there is definitely room for SCTV,” said Julie Dumais Osbourne, Vice President of Training Centres at the comedy club.
Osbourne told the Star it was a multi-year process bringing the show, which ran in various iterations from 1976 to 1984, to streaming. They had to digitize old files, while producers worked to restore the video quality and clear music rights.
“We’re actually taking a second here to properly celebrate folks, and it’s a good moment too. I mean, we’re really acutely aware that we don’t get these people forever,” Osbourne said. “We have to lean into all that joyful stuff while we can.”
Osbourne said she fell in love with the show because it bottled the live energy that “anything could happen” in improv.
“It changed the way we interacted with sketch comedy,” Osbourne said before showing off a Count Floyd impression.
Kate, 60, and Clare O’Brien, 28, were among the crowd — the kind of mother-daughter duo the streamer is hoping to reach. Kate watched the series during its original run and has spent decades quoting her favourite bits. Tuesday’s watch party was the first time Clare had seen it.
“I recognize a lot of the cast members because they’ve done great things in comedy, so it’s cool to see the origins,” Claire said, surrounded by other viewers several years older than her.
Kate admitted that some sketches from 1976 don’t hold up under current eyes, — including a handful in which white performers portray characters of colour — but said the chemistry of the original cast, including John Candy, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Harold Ramis, Andrea Martin, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas and Joe Flaherty, remains as sharp as she remembered.
Clare mentioned she was especially interested in watching O’Hara after her passing on Jan. 30. The Second City erected a tribute wall in February for the late comedian, who got her start on their stages.
The wall is right beside Candy’s tribute, which had some SCTV memorabilia added for the streaming revival. Both are filled with rare photographs and original scripts. Many of the pieces were even gifted by fans.
