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But even then, Smith only intended to produce a limited number of episodes while he figured what his next project would be (Morag had decided she didn‘t want to do television anymore after 195 the show airs in Canada on the CanWest Global Network as well as more than 70 public telemsion stations in the U.S. The Red Green Fan Club boasts more than 50,000 members, the fan dub office (1â€" 800â€"Yâ€"Possum) receives more than 10,000 telephone calls monthly, and the Red Green home page receives more that 1,000 visits daily The amiable, dryâ€"witted, gravely voiced character was first introâ€" duced to Canadian audiences in the early 1980‘s on the longâ€"runâ€" ning variety television series Smith & Smith, which Smith wrote, produced and starred in along side wife and partner Morag. At the time, Red Green was a parody of Red Fisher, the wellâ€"known huntâ€" ing/fishing television show host. When Smith took his beloved charâ€" acter to the airwaves in his own show in 1990, he knew he had to go beyond "the fishing and hunting thing and have fun with men in general." The syndicated show, which features a fraternity of bumbling characters that epitomize â€" and celebrate â€" male incompetence and male obsessions, has reached a level of success far beyond Smith‘s wnldest imagination. it was almost cancelled after its first season, but huge public outcry kept it alive. Now in its sixth season, secret weapon, duct tape, Red can artfully convert a hot water tank nto a mini submarine, or a revolving dothes line into a children‘s nde, or a refrigerator into a dishwasher. *I took engineering, but I didn‘t take it all â€" | left most 4 # it for the others. | spent : more time at the donut shop ' than | did at school," Smith ® okes during a telephone nterniew from his Hamilton nome. "But my work term a n Gait had more to do with & the Red Green character T than my education. They‘d _ nire engineering students and just make them do anything. So | was welding = and doing electrical work and steam fitting and machine fitting â€" and | was doing everything badity." Those who farthfully watch the hit halfâ€"hour comedy series The New Red Green Show have come to appreciate the way the show‘s ttle character does things, well, resourcetfully. Using the handyman‘s Gotta Iittle known fact about good ‘ole Red Green, the acerbic propnetor and chief, um, handyman of the almostâ€"worldâ€"famous ?ossum Lodge â€" he was born right here in Waterloo Region. Camâ€" ondge, actually, some 30 odd years ago. it was while his alter ego Steve Smith was spending a coâ€"op work term in Gait while studying engiâ€" neering at the University of Naterioo that the seed for the popular telension character, now an unqualihed cult hero, was planted Smith‘s shortâ€"iived (oneâ€"year) engineering education provided (<€ P him with enough technical Q knowledge to turn Red Green m 4 nto the innovative Mr. Fiat aih d that he is. But it was the work _ * .. term experience that taught "in 4 nim, and be extension, Red e Green, to use those skulls 1 Steve Smith‘s alter ego is silly not stupid By Deborah Crandall Ultimately, the popularity of the show is the responsibility of its endearing, opinionated, selfâ€"determined, softâ€"spoken, gentle title character, who shares more than a few personality traits with his creator. 'lMtf\gre‘saggztkmtpv\eM\oieapproachthattowhes "I‘ve had people tell me it‘s a stupid show, but I‘ve never had a smart person tell me that," Smith says. "I don‘t think it‘s stupid at all. I think it‘s silly, but not stupid. There‘s a huge difference." The show is certainly rough and unpolished, but is in no way unprofessional. The humor is razor sharp, albeit dished up with a bit of slapstick and a lot of silliness, and doesn‘t cater to a lowâ€"brow audience. "There‘s Tim Allen in Home Improvement, but that‘s very much a packaged, processed, networkafied show. People will watch for a half hour to see him blow up a stove, but that‘s only 30 seconds of the U# show. For the rest of the show, i ! 54 you know he‘s going to be at # home in a domestic situation, P g, '. and his kids will have trouble at i« school, and all that stuff," Smith T says. "Where as we are totally â€" 5 unprocessed â€" we‘re just raw, § we‘re rough. We‘re like oil that hasn‘t made it through the refinâ€" ery yet. Some people have said to me, ‘You look like people who shouldn‘t be on television‘ and | think that‘s exactly right â€" we shouldn‘t be on television, and that‘s why people like us." episodes of Smith & Smith followed by 60 episodes of the Gemini Award winning Comedy Mill). He never really intended the show to amount to much. "I thought Red Green would last one season. in 1990 we shot these shows and really had a lot of fun, but if was just really a bit of a stopâ€"gap for me," Smith says. "But it‘s just been an incredible sucâ€" cess story. in terms of television successes, this is not a big one. But in terms of the odds against it succeeding at all, it‘s an absolute mirâ€" ade. I mean, we have one of the biggest fan dubs in the world. We shoot in front of a live audience, and we have more Ameriâ€" P cans in the audience than ommc ninatasite T s a nerve" with millions of viewers, but he suspects it represents a group of peoâ€" ple (garden variety inept men) that isn‘t typically repâ€" resented on television. Smith says he‘s not sure why the show has "touched In LE IFATASLE 4 The New Berlin Chamber Ensemble will perâ€" form Nov. 13 at 12:30 p.m. at Conrad Grebel Chapel as part of the college‘s free noon hour recital series. The ensemble is comprised of four classically trained woodwind musicians â€" Robert Carli, Jennifer Rodrigues, Elaine Sweeney, David Wifâ€" fen â€" who came together as a result of their shared befidthatmwkmhr.nmmpes and forms. * Next Wednesday at Conrad Grebel Chapel, the ensemble will perform Blue Rondo A La Turk by Dave Brubeck, selections from Bizet‘s Carmen, Scherzo from Mendelssohn‘s A Midsummer Night‘s Dream, Lush Life by Billy Strayhorn, . Three Preludes for Piano by George Gershwin, and March Past from Oscar Peterson‘s Canadiâ€" New Berlin Chamber Ensemble gives free noon hour recital The band‘s 10â€"member lineâ€"up features the original nucleus of Paul Hoffert (keyboards), Skip Prokop (drumsh and Raiph Cole (guitar), and is highlighted by an allâ€"star horn section and new lead singer Dan Clancy. _ Tickets for Lighthouse‘s performance at Lulu‘s are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Call the box office at 650â€"0000 for reservations. Doors open at 7 p.m. Show starts at 11 p.m. One of Canada‘s bestâ€"loved bands, Lightâ€" house, will be in Kitchener Nov. 9 for a perforâ€" mance at Lulu‘s Concert Club. Lighthouse is back with a Top 40 hit Rememâ€" ber the Times from its recently released album Song of the Ages. in concert, the band will perâ€" form new material, but will also delight fans with classic hits such as Sumny Days and One Fine Morning. Lighthouse comes to Lulu‘s throwi otestâ€" e and wmmenc _ CEMTMMANEI! arrests leave the +‘ tourists stranded at the embassy and wondering* how they‘ll get back home. Don‘t Drink the Water is presented Nov. 7 through Nov. 9. Dinner (catered by the Stone Crock) is served at 7 p.m., followed by the show,. Tickets are $30 and are available at Read‘s Decoâ€" rating Centre, Elmira. To order, call Charlotte at 519â€"669â€"3658. "WP EYE CR UEE 0 taking pictures of _ ol a relentiess officer e for inadvertently _ ,%7 military installaâ€" from bombâ€" The time is the cold war era of the late ‘605. The place is an American embassy in a small communist country. The embassy is staffed by a collection of eccentric characters under the leadâ€" ership of the inept son of the absent ambas sador. Three American tourists seek refuge after being pursued by > Elmira Theatre Co. serves up dinner show The Elmira Theatre Company‘s production of the hit Woody Allen play Don‘t Drink the Water continues this week at the St. Jacobs Community MNKIANIBININGaGm mc e.. in °o DAE Tiberâ€"mant w cally, when she tur comic shows up in | is Conrad: a fourâ€"m ing the established Conrad lives in C: of cookbooks and r husband. She does soul, but it sure is ¢ a light touch that c There is somethir world in a book. Re began, and to the 1 and places around | ally read. Moving a was a real treat. In addition, the c people. That may b murder is so chilling people. Ross moves "steep and lonely to leave the comt brief she book. I have been : off and on ever sin it is true, as I am Chick through the third Street. An art show ner, people sat on We were there for We offer vegetable of 6 DAE