Reading of the Will Boot to the Head

"People talking in movie shows
People smoking in bed
People voting Republican
Give them a kicking to the head!"

"And another for Jenny and the wimp!"

Four-man one-act troupe known for a wild just intellectual style highly reminiscent of Monty Python's Flying Circus and The Firesign Theatre, but with a uniquely Canadian flavor. Formed in the late 1970s, the group stayed together until the late 1980s, followed past a reunion in 2004. The core members of The Frantics are Paul Chato, Rick Green, Dan Redican and Peter Wildman, but like their spiritual predecessors, ii women can exist counted amongst their unofficial membership — Mag Ruffman and Carolyn Scott.

Their trademark was off-the-wall and often surreal sketches that took reward of the power of radio and audio recordings to produce imagery that would have been also expensive or only incommunicable in a visual medium, such as the tales of their Canadian superhero, Mr. Canoehead, who had had an aluminum canoe welded to his head by a lightning bolt. (Attempts to recreate these sketches on television only reduced their comedic bear upon.) Their comedy was never dumbed downwards — in fact, they respected and depended upon the intelligence of the audience, as seen in their sketches "You Were Speeding" and "Human Race". They were too talented musicians, every bit demonstrated by their numerous novelty songs. They are perchance all-time known for their routines "Last Volition and Temperament" and "Ti Kwan Leep", both of which brand frequent utilise of their most famous Catchphrase, "Kick to the head!"

The Frantics made their mark initially in Canadian radio; their big break was in 1981, when they were given a regular slot on the CBC Radio show Variety Tonight. The following year they got their ain serial, Frantic Times, which began every bit a brief summer replacement for The Regal Canadian Air Farce but eventually graduated to its own permanent slot. By the fourth dimension it went off the air in 1984, Frantic Times ran for 113 episodes of inspired lunacy.

Between 1984 and 1986, the Frantics fabricated several unsuccessful forays into Canadian boob tube, including an unsold pilot (The No Proper name Testify) for TV Ontario, and a CBC series chosen Four on the Floor that lasted for only a single flavor. (4 on the Flooring would later show up on Commencement in the United States, exposing the Frantics to an entirely new audience.)

Later on their attempts at idiot box success, the Frantics returned to radio for several short series, including a spoof of Anne of Dark-green Gables in 1987 and 1988's viii-part The Frantics Expect at History, after which they appear to have gone their separate means until their 2004 reunion. In betwixt their radio and idiot box efforts, they released several CDs of their sketches and songs. Several of their tracks got extensive play on the syndicated Dr. Demento radio evidence in the 1980s, spurring the nativity of an American following for the group.

The cadre members re-formed the troupe in 2004 for a stage show (which was released on CD equally The Official Homemade CD: Alive at the Tim Sims Playhouse). This was followed by the Older But Wider phase tour, and several appearances on Candian tv set. Since then they take focused on live theatre shows.

Not to be confused with any of several bands who besides have chosen themselves "The Frantics".

For more information, encounter their website or their YouTube channel.

Dr. Demento called them the funniest sketch comedy troupe since Monty Python.

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The Frantics' comedy demonstrates the post-obit tropes:

• Alternative Number System: In "Roman Numerals" a Roman denizen is baffled by the new decimal system.

  Customer: How much is "twoscore-four" in real numbers?

  Shopkeeper: XLIV ^note pronounced "ex-ell-centre-vee".

  Client: Well why don't you lot just say XLIV? Who can remember "forty-four?"

  • This sketch pokes fun at the initial confusion and opposition to Canada's conversion to the metric organisation.
• Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: "Mr. Canoehead—Fighter of crime! Defender of good! Brother of Ted!"
• Bait-and-switch:
  • "Last Will and Temperament", when The Alcoholic brother Hedge is given iii crates of whiskey and the wine cellar... and then is bequeathed a boot to the head.
  • Played straight with Jenny and the Rolls-Royce, Mrs. Mulroy, Mittens the cat...
• Big "SHUT Upward!": Columbus's Catchphrase in "Columbus Discovers America".
• Bullying a Dragon: Ed Gruberman and the Ti Kwan Leep teacher.
• Catchphrase: "Kick to the head!", "Sense of taste gunwale!"
• Coattail-Riding Relative: Mr. Muldoon's sis Jenny in "Final Volition And Temperament".
• Comedic Sociopathy: Probably the entire betoken of "Terminal Will And Temperament".
• Comically Missing the Point: This exchange from "Tai Kwan Spring:"

  Primary: Can anyone tell us what lesson has been learned here?
  Student #3: Aye, principal. Not a unmarried 1 of us could defeat you.
  Master: You gain wisdom, child.
  Student #three: So we'll hafta gang up on ya! Get 'im guys!
  [Primary proceeds to wipe the floor with all of them.]

• Disgusting Public Toilet: The song "Gas Station Washroom" is all nigh one of these.
• Dude, Where's My Advantage?: In "Columbus Discovers America", the sailors on Columbus'due south send are very focused on getting prizes for doing things right, such as answering questions correctly or spotting land (fifty-fifty a dinky little desert island). They're less than pleased to find that he doesn't do that.
• Evil Lawyer Joke: Presumably why the lawyer in "Concluding Will And Temperament" got a live, rabid Tasmanian Devil in his trousers instead of a boot to the head like everyone else; he must accept done something to deserve it. ^note Based off the comments in the will leading upward to it, it may be considering he was willing to typhoon a will that involved booting so many people in the head
• Explicate, Explain... Oh, Crap!: The lawyer in "Terminal Will and Temperament" has a moment of this when he reads that his client left him a live, rabid Tasmanian devil to exist stuffed down his trousers.
• Finger Poke of Doom: Boot to the head!
• Apartment-Earth Atheist: The sailors on Columbus's ship don't consider not falling off the World equally being proof that the Earth isn't flat.
• Funny Bruce Lee Noises: Made by Ed Gruberman in "Ti Kwan Leep".
• Gold Digger: Jenny and Hank in "Last Will and Temperament", who both feigned sorrow about Muldoon'due south death in order to get to his fortune. Information technology's likewise stated that they mooched off of him constantly. This is presumably why they all got the nigh boots to the heads.
• Homage: Writers of Ranma ½ fanfiction dear referencing, or fifty-fifty incorporating whole, the "Ti Kwan Leep" sketch. And YouTube has videos of martial arts classes playing out Ti Kwan Leep. Some versions include an extended ho-hum motion fight scene between the Primary and the students.
• Hurricane of Puns: In "You Were Speeding", mixing the terminologies of thought/education and driving/ticketing.
• Jerkass:
  • Ed Gruberman of "Ti Kwan Leep".
  • Arthur Durham Muldoon, the late gentleman whose will is read in "Last Will And Temperament," can count as well. Giving the "nasty" family members a boot to the caput is one affair. But when the 1 who read the will, who had aught to do with the family antics, was given "a rabid Tasmanian Devil... to exist placed in his trousers?! AAAAGH!!" And everyone else who are not in the skit gets a lifetime supply of water ice cream... boot-to-the-head flavored. Mrs. Mulroy in detail did nothing to deserve this treatment. Quite the opposite, in fact; she was the one person who treated Arthur with constant respect and kindness, and fifty-fifty says she doesn't want anything of Arthur's. She gets a boot to the head like anybody else.
• Karma Houdini: Hedge, the alcoholic brother from "Last Will And Temperament", counts a little. Everyone else (fifty-fifty the sweet Mrs. Mulroy) gets cypher but a Kick To The Head. Hedge is not exempt from this, but actually gets something - Muldoon'due south vino cellar and iii crates of fine whiskey. Maybe considering Hedge is unrepentantly honest about who and what he is, not fifty-fifty bothering at the reading of his brother's will to disguise that he is anxious to head to the nearest bar. With all the dishonest money-grubbers around, Muldoon probably constitute his attitude refreshing. Though actually giving him the cellar and whiskey was probably simply equally much a tactic to make Hedge predictably driblet his guard since Muldoon knew his brother was smart plenty to have precautions later on seeing Jenny and her hubby go booted. Hedge doesn't seem to be all that happy, though, considering he calls the volition "disgraceful" at the finish.
• Kicking the Son of a Bitch:
  • The "boot to the head" that Jenny, Hank, Hedge and Ralston received are more or less literal examples. Subverted with Mrs. Mulroy, who did aught to deserve it.
  • Ed Gruberman is another literal example.
• Lampshaded Double Entendre: The "Dirty Words" sketch.
• Lightning Tin Practice Anything: Like weld a canoe to a person's head...

• Oh, Crap!: The second student from "Ti Kwan Leep", who tries to make it the first shot and...

  Main: You missed.

  Educatee #2: Um.. yep.

• Onetime Master: "Ti Kwan Leep".
• Passed-Over Inheritance: Anybody of Arthur Muldoon'southward relatives in "Last Will and Temperament" (except his brother, Hedge who gets his wine cellar and 3 crates of whiskey). Though Arthur does leave them all a lifetime supply of water ice cream. Its "kick to the head" flavored.
• Pet Heir: Subverted in "Concluding Will and Temperament".

  "And and so, to my cat Mittens, I leave my entire, vast (Beat out) kicking to the head." <whump!> "NREEEEEEEOW!!!!"

• Pet the Domestic dog: Arthur Muldoon of "Last Will and Temperament" gives boots to the caput to literally everyone he knows (except his lawyer, who got a rabid Tasmanian Devil in his trousers), but he does finish up giving his entire ten million dollar fortune to the proficient people of Calgary so they tin beget to move somewhere decent!
• Place Worse Than Expiry: "And I leave my entire estate of ten 1000000 dollars to the people of Calgary and so they can beget to move someplace decent."
• Quote-to-Quote Combat: In "Ti Kwan Leep":

  Instructor: The only use of Ti Kwan Leep is self-defense. Do you know who said that? Ki Lo Ni, the great teacher.
  Ed Gruberman: Yeah? Well "the best defense is a good criminal offense", you know who said that? Mel, the cook on Alice.

• Running Gag: "And 1 for Jenny and the wimp", in "Last Will and Temperament".
• The Scrappy: In-universe; Mr. Muldoon actually hated his sister Jenny and her wimpy husband Hank. Not without reason, mind you, since they were very patently aureate diggers.

  The Lawyer: And one for Jenny and the wimp!

  Jenny: OW!

  Hank: OW!

• Shoe Slap / Armed Legs: "Kick to the caput!"
• Sound-to-Screen Adaptation
• Spiteful Will: Arthur Muldoon's volition in "Final Volition and Temperment" mostly consists of giving his most hated relatives a kick to the head (or several, in the case of Jenny and Hank).
• Super Hero: Mr. Canoehead.
• Surrounded by Idiots: Christopher Columbus in "Columbus Discovers America".
• Take That!:
  • "The story of Mr. Canoehead is and then incredible that merely Mormons would believe it!"
  • Arthur Muldoon bequeathed 10 million dollars "to the people of Calgary then they tin can afford to motility somewhere decent".
• That Poor Cat: Mittens, in "Last Volition and Temperament".
• Toilet Humour: "Gas Station Washroom", "A Piece of Pie", "Out-Grossing"
• Ungrateful Bounder: In "Last Will and Temperament", after emphasizing in his will how Mrs. Mulroy took care of him faithfully for years, Arthur Muldoon leaves her a boot to the caput.
• Viewers Are Geniuses: Appears to exist a cadre value of their comedy.
• The Voiceless: "Nib from Bala".
• What the Hell, Hero?: Anybody gathered in "Last Will and Temperament" aside from the lawyer is not peculiarly pleased about the handling they received and the fact that the family and faithful maid got nigh cypher aside from boots to the caput. After asking if that'south all there is, Hedge of all people (the only person who got anything of substance and was laughing at Jenny and her married man'southward treatment at the starting time) snaps "that'south disgraceful!" With everyone else murmuring in agreement.

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*WHAM!* ^notation And some other for Jenny and the wimp. *thump* *thump*

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Source: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Radio/TheFrantics

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