History Bites
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History Bites | |
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History (Canada) | |
Release | 1998 2004 | –
History Bites is a
Typically, a significant historical event was chosen and mock news, sports and entertainment programming was created around it. Each episode included several segments of Green offering historical background of the episode's chosen era and otherwise showed frequent shifts from one comedy sketch to another (as well as returning to certain sketches repeatedly) representing a
Synopsis
Contemporary movies, television shows and personalities (
By far, the earliest setting for an episode has been 6000 BC, in which viewers were advised on pre-
The show's production values improved over the five seasons, increasing and refining the use of sets, costumes and props. Never Lost was Green's message (stated explicitly in the first episode and alluded to in the closing of each episode) that fond nostalgia is misplaced and that the lives of our ancestors were rife with oppression, ignorance (including casually held
Episodes
Parodies
Films, television programs and personalities parodied on History Bites include:
Recurring
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Individual
- American Justice, as Medieval Justice to tell the story of the Knights Templar
- The French Revolution
- A Beautiful Mind, adapted to tell the story of Sir Isaac Newton
- .
- The Day the Earth Stood Still, adapted to tell the story of Christopher Columbus
- 47 Ronin
- The Olympic Games
- The Jerry Springer Show, adapted to tell the story of Mary, Queen of Scots
- Law & Order, adapted to depict an investigation and prosecution of the murder of Thomas Becket
- The Osbournes, adapted to tell the story of Pope Alexander VI
- Pokémon/Sailor Moon, adapted to tell the story of The Borgias as well as Leonardo da Vinci's inventions.
- Scooby-Doo, adapted to tell the story of Mountain Meadows Massacre
- Thelma and Louise, adapted to tell the story of Boudica
Animation
The fifth season of History Bites and most of the specials feature cartoon segments in a wide variety of styles animated by
and 1950s educational films as well as original material and styles in the specials. The cartoons are short but ambitious considering the modest budget of the show.Specials
- History Bites "The End Of The World" was a one-hour special on how people reacted to the first new millennium on December 31, 1999.
After the end of the 5th season, History Bites continued with a series of one-hour specials. These episodes did not feature the channel-surfing theme that earlier episodes did.
- History Bites "Mother Britain", airing on Canada Day, July 1, 2005, covering the history of the relationship between Canada and Britain from the first explorers to the patriation of the Constitution. It featured actors portraying all 21 Canadian Prime Ministers up to that point.
- History Bites "Uncle Sam", about the history of U.S./Canada relations.
- History Bites "The Separatists", a special that aired June 24, 2007 on the history of separatists movements in Canada from the Upper and Lower Canada Rebellions to the Clarity Act.
- History Bites "Celine Dion", aired on Feb. 10, 2008, examined the history of Canadians moving to the United States for fame and money.
- History Bites "Sex & Power", aired in 2008, about the intertwining of sex and politics throughout history.
Actors
Regulars on the show (along with the characters they played/parodied) include:
- Sir Isaac Newton.
- Rick Green: Ron MacLean, Hugh Downs, Timmy the Jeopardy! contestant, Dating Game contestant, interviewed monk.
- Bob Bainborough: period newscaster, game show host, infomercial lawyer, Andy Rooney, Tamerlane, Galileo Galilei, Nostradamus, John Calvin, Oliver Cromwell, Pythagoras, Neolithic doctor, Shakespearean actor, Samurai, Vlad the Impaler, Alexander the Great's general.
- Empress Theodora, period on-location newscaster, interviewed noblewoman.
- Puritan woman, Hatshepsut.
- ), Dating Game contestant, dating infomercial host, interviewed rebellious teenager.
- Sarah Lafleur: video show host, Elaine Benes (Seinfeld), dating game contestant, Joan of Arc.
- , interviewed common man.
As well, members of the show's writing staff were frequently used as extras or in bit roles, and as the series progressed, the writers (especially Danny DiTata) began to be featured in larger roles:
- Danny DiTata (writer): Steve Irwin, Wyatt Earp, Jesus, Richard Simmons, George Costanza (Seinfeld), leper.
- Jeremy Winkels (writer): Paul Shaffer, common man.
- Eric Lunsky (writer): Charles the Simple, Native American, Egyptian architect, interviewed merchant, interviewed peasant.
- Amy McKenzie (writer): Judge Judy, Shakespearean actor (not actress), interviewed peasant.
- Duncan McKenzie (writer): Abraham Lincoln, William Farel, Leonard the Jeopardy! contestant.
Notable guest stars include:
References
- ISBN 978-1-55238-160-1.
External links
- History Bites at IMDb