Once Upon a Time in Hollywood North

What does it take to build a cultural empire when the doors are closed to you?

This episode comes courtesy of The Black Hum, produced by Knockabout Media and hosted by Cindy Charles. In this special feed drop, we bring you the extraordinary story of Rufus Rockhead, a Jamaican immigrant, First World War veteran, railway porter, bootlegger, and visionary entrepreneur who built Rockhead’s Paradise into the beating heart of Montreal’s jazz scene.

If you enjoy this episode, find The Black Hum wherever you get your podcasts and dive into Season 2 for five powerful stories of Canadians who changed the cultural landscape.

*Download our Discussion Questions for your class*

Host Cindy Charles

Writer Nuruddin Qorane

Executive Producer Ryan Barnett

Associate Producer Cindy Charles

Voice Director & Editor Sonia Gemmiti

Researcher Dr. Sarafina Pagnotta

Series Consultants Kathy Grant & Mathias Joost

This series features interviews with Lt. Jerome Downey, Robert Downey, Jr., Michael Marville, Stephen Dame, Mathias Joost, Kathy Grant, Constance Backhouse, Dr. Dorothy Williams

Additional voices by Keith Francis & Matthew Barnett

Featuring "Hello Montreal" performed by Fred Waring & The Pennsylvanians

A Knockabout Media Production

This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program.

*This program and all relevant content is for educational purposes only and to the best of our knowledge is being used under Fair Dealing/Fair Use Act guidelines and within Canadian and United States standards of fair dealing/fair use*

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the early hours of August 2, 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, setting off a chain of events that would draw Canada into the first Gulf War. In this opening episode of Rocket War, we explore how Canada went from peacekeeping posture to active military engagement in the Persian Gulf.

Featuring firsthand accounts from sailors, air force personnel, and military historians, we trace Canada’s early response to the crisis, the political calculations of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, and the rapid deployment of Canadian naval and air assets under Operation Friction. From Halifax Harbour to the Strait of Hormuz, listeners hear what it was like to prepare for war, enforce the UN embargo, and confront the reality of a modern conflict unfolding on live television.

Thirty-five years later, Rocket War revisits the decisions, risks, and human experiences that defined Canada’s role in the Gulf War—beginning with the moment everything changed.

DOWNLOAD OUR DISCUSSION QUESTIONS HERE

Written by William Patterson

Host/Executive Producer Ryan Barnett

This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program.

Featuring original interviews with Tim Courtney, Harold Davis, David Deere, Chris Linford, Donald MacPherson, Dr. Sean Maloney, Nathasha Mohr, Paul Molnar, Jean Morin, Claude St.Onge, and the Honorable Rebecca Patterson 

Voice direction by Sonia Gemmiti 

Series consultant is Jean Morin

An original production of Knockabout Media

*This program and all relevant content is for educational purposes only and to the best of our knowledge is being used under Fair Dealing/Fair Use Act guidelines and within Canadian and United States standards of fair dealing/fair use*

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Before we head into a short break, we wanted to leave you with something special: a curious little detour into a very specific piece of Canadiana—“Tears Are Not Enough,” the all-star charity single that brought together some of the country’s biggest musical names in the 1980s.

In this episode, Ryan is joined by Sean Quinlan—host of Excursions Radio and the voice of John Candy in our John Candy series—to revisit the song, the moment, the cultural weirdness, and the earnestness of it all. It’s a morsel, not a meal.

Consider supporting us here: patreon.com/KnockaboutMedia

Cited:

Tears Are Not Enough (1985), directed by John Zaritsky

'Tears Are Not Enough,’ performed by Northern Lights, written by David Foster, Jim Vallance, and Bryan Adams, with additional French lyrics by Rachel Paiement, released in 1985.

*This program and all relevant content is for educational purposes only and to the best of our knowledge is being used under Fair Dealing/Fair Use Act guidelines and within Canadian and United States standards of fair dealing/fair use*

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Tartaglia, Creative Supervisor for Fraggle Rock, joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about The First Snow of Fraggle Rock and the enduring legacy of Jim Henson’s Fraggle universe.

We talk about John’s extraordinary start as a 16-year-old puppeteer on Sesame Street, the mentors who shaped him, and what it means to inherit a creative tradition built on empathy, humour, and emotional honesty.

Consider supporting us by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/cw/knockaboutmedia

Written & Hosted by Ryan Barnett

Produced by Ryan Barnett & Sonia Gemmiti

A Knockabout Media Production

*This program and all relevant content is for educational purposes only and to the best of our knowledge is being used under Fair Dealing/Fair Use Act guidelines and within Canadian and United States standards of fair dealing/fair use*

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we explore the 50-year legacy of Toronto’s kids’ programming — from Uncle Chichimus and Canadian Howdy Doody to Razzle Dazzle, Today’s Special, The Kids of Degrassi Street, and the birth of YTV. Ed and Ryan discuss the early days of CBC children’s programming, the influence of Sesame Street, Francophone broadcasting in Ontario, and even the role of Christian programming in shaping the media landscape.

If you love production history, nostalgia, and behind-the-scenes stories of classic CanCon, this episode is for you.

Consider supporting us by becoming a Patron: www.patreon.com/knockaboutmedia

Order Ed’s book, Imagination: The Golden Age of Toronto Kids’ TV, from Dundurn Press or your favourite bookseller.

Written & Hosted by Ryan Barnett

Produced by Ryan Barnett & Sonia Gemmiti

A Knockabout Media Production

Archival audio courtesy of Retrontario.

*This program and all relevant content is for educational purposes only and to the best of our knowledge is being used under Fair Dealing/Fair Use Act guidelines and within Canadian and United States standards of fair dealing/fair use*

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if your middle school English project became a published book? That’s exactly what happened to Gordon Korman. At just 12 years old, he turned a classroom assignment into This Can’t Be Happening at Macdonald Hall—the start of a legendary career in children’s literature.

Featuring insights from cultural historian Ed Conroy (Retrontario) and Gordon Korman himself, this episode is a nostalgic, funny, and inspiring look at how a kid from Thornhill, Ontario became a household name in children’s literature.

For more reading:

Snoop by Gordon Korman here.

Consider supporting us by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/cw/knockaboutmedia

Follow us on our socials: Instagram, Bluesky, LinkedIn, YouTube

Written & Hosted by Ryan Barnett

Produced by Ryan Barnett & Sonia Gemmiti

Recorded by Tyler Rauman

Featuring Gordon Korman & Ed Conroy

A Knockabout Media Production

Additional audio material:

Newspapers.com, CBC

*This program and all relevant content is for educational purposes only and to the best of our knowledge is being used under Fair Dealing/Fair Use Act guidelines and within Canadian and United States standards of fair dealing/fair use*

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rejecting Monty Python: This week, we bring you this episode from our friends at We Regret to Inform You: The Rejection Podcast.

Lo! Upon the first breath of Monty Python’s Flying Circus o’er the enchanted waves of BBC One, scribes within the castle walls did trade many a curious whisper and scroll, to wit:

“This episode contained two really awful sketches.”

“The treatment of the national anthem is not amusing.”

 “Parts of this…are disgusting.”

And, “The death sequence was in appalling taste.”

Prithee, join us.

Listen to PART II

Major sources for this episode include:

TV Series: “Monty Python: Almost the Truth (Lawyer’s Cut)”  

BBC: “Monty Python at 50”

The Guardian: “Monty is 30”

The Sunday Post: “The Story of Monty Python” 

BBC: “‘It was a magical chemical balance’: How Monty Python and the Holy Grail became a comedy legend”

Smithsonian Magazine: “And Now For Something Completely Different”

Screen Online: “The Roots of Monty Python”

Vulture: “John Cleese on The Goon Show, His Earliest Comedy Influence”

Writer & Host: Sidney Hirst-O’Reilly

Executive Producer & Co-Host: Terry O’Reilly

Researcher & Series Producer: Allison Pinches

Director: Callie O’Reilly

Supervising Producer: Debbie O’Reilly

Engineer: Geoff Devine

Theme music: Casey Pick, Jeremiah Pick & James Atin

Tunes: APM Music

*This program and all relevant content is for educational purposes only and to the best of our knowledge is being used under Fair Dealing/Fair Use Act guidelines and within Canadian and United States standards of fair dealing/fair use*

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Consider supporting us by becoming a Patron: www.patreon.com/knockaboutmedia

Author Paul Myers talks about his new book John Candy: A Life in Comedy—exploring what made Candy funny, with anecdotes about Chevy Chase, Richard Pryor, Dave Thomas, and more.

Paul Myers is a Canadian writer and musician living in Berkeley, California. His previous books include The Kids in the Hall: One Dumb Guy, which was the source for the Canadian Screen Award-winning documentary The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks from Amazon Studios, and the critically acclaimed A Wizard a True Star: Todd Rundgren in the Studio; It Ain’t Easy: Long John Baldry and the Birth of the British Blues; and Barenaked Ladies: Public Stunts, Private Stories.

More About:

John Candy: A Life in Comedy

Drawing on extensive research and exclusive interviews with many of Candy’s closest friends and colleagues, including Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Tom Hanks, Ron Howard, Steve Martin, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, and many more, John Candy: A Life in Comedy celebrates the comedian’s unparalleled talent, infectious charm, and generosity of spirit. Through ups and downs, successes and failures, and struggles with anxiety and self-doubt, Candy faced the world with a big smile and a warm demeanour that earned him the love and adoration of fans around the world.

Get the book!

Written & Hosted by Ryan Barnett

Produced by Ryan Barnett & Sonia Gemmiti

Recorded by Tyler Rauman

A Knockabout Media Production

*This program and all relevant content is for educational purposes only and to the best of our knowledge is being used under Fair Dealing/Fair Use Act guidelines and within Canadian and United States standards of fair dealing/fair use*

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What makes a John Candy classic? Ryan Barnett invites Joe Ramoni (Hats Off Entertainment) and Tracey Morgan (author of Searching for Candy) to take a joyous, laugh-filled tour through John Candy’s entire filmography — from beloved hits to forgotten gems. Along the way, they debate, reminisce, and wrestle with the impossible task: narrowing it all down to the 10 essential John Candy movies. Biting The Big Picture's beloved format, this special episode is a celebration of heart, humour, and the man who could make anyone smile.

Consider supporting us by becoming a Patron: www.patreon.com/knockaboutmedia

About our guests:

Tracey Morgan is an animal lover and John Candy biographer. She lives in Shrewsbury, UK, with her cats, boyfriend and chicken.

Joe Ramoni is a filmmaker and content creator, presenter of Hats Off Entertainment on YouTube and Co-host of Almost Cult Classics the podcast.

See John in Career Opportunities here!

John Candy: The Lou Gehrig of Comedy is a series that honours the timeless humour and heartfelt performances of John Candy, star of hits like Splash, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and Home Alone.

Follow us on our socials: Instagram, Bluesky, LinkedIn, YouTube & Substack

Written & Hosted by Ryan Barnett

Produced by Ryan Barnett & Sonia Gemmiti

Recorded by Tyler Rauman

A Knockabout Media Production

*This program and all relevant content is for educational purposes only and to the best of our knowledge is being used under Fair Dealing/Fair Use Act guidelines and within Canadian and United States standards of fair dealing/fair use*

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the late ’80s, John Candy's hit a rough patch with a string of underwhelming films—Hot to Trot, Speed Zone, and Who’s Harry Crumb. But a creative reunion with John Hughes soon put him back on track, leading to some of the most memorable roles of his career. In this episode, we chart Candy’s quiet resurgence and surprising pivot into sports ownership, as he becomes a co-owner of the Toronto Argonauts and proves there’s always more than one way to steal the show.

John Candy: The Lou Gehrig of Comedy is a series that honours the timeless humour and heartfelt performances of John Candy, star of hits like Splash, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and Home Alone.

Consider supporting us by becoming a Patron: www.patreon.com/knockaboutmedia

Written & Hosted by Ryan Barnett

Produced by Ryan Barnett & Sonia Gemmiti

Recorded by Tyler Rauman

Additional voices by Matthew Barnett & Sean Quinlan

A Knockabout Media Production

Additional audio material:

Later with Bob Costas, Late Night with David Letterman, Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Columbia Pictures, CBC. CityTV

*This program and all relevant content is for educational purposes only and to the best of our knowledge is being used under Fair Dealing/Fair Use Act guidelines and within Canadian and United States standards of fair dealing/fair use*

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.