Harvest Gold Memories: Catherine O'Hara

A half-century ago, a Toronto, Canada-based sketch comedy show on a shoestring budget with terrible sets and as some media outlets describe them "pretty much no idea of what they were doing" became the birthplace of some comedy legends whose names became quite well-known in Hollywood. Indeed, in a new movie, cast member Eugene Levy recalled "In the first season, we had no writers on the show. We had no idea what writing for television was."

That sketch comedy show was then known as SCTV, which was the acronym for "Second City Television". Among the cast of SCTV included the late John Candy, Martin Short, Rick Moranis, Eugene Levy, the late Catherine O'Hara, Andrea Martin and Joe Flaherty. SCTV ran before such breakout movies/shows including: "Splash", "Three Amigos", "Ghostbusters", "Schitt's Creek", "Beetlejuice", "Home Alone", "Stripes" and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" turned the entire cast into global entertainment superstars. Many, but not all of the cast, were Canadian (for example, Andrea Martin was born in the U.S. state of Maine). But SCTV being based in Toronto was undoubtedly one factor behind its success. SCTV ran for an impressive six seasons between 1976 and 1984, and at the time, the show was sometimes compared to Saturday Night Live.

A new documentary called "SCTV: The Greatest Show You've Never Heard Of" premiered on Netflix on October 30, 2026 is all about the scrappy SCTV show and how the cast moved on to global stardom.

The movie was executive-produced by Jimmy Kimmel, and it takes a funny and yet emotional look back at the groundbreaking series that launched some of comedy's biggest careers. The SCTV documentary also celebrates the legacy of Catherine O'Hara who passed away earlier this year (on January 30, 2026) at age 71 and along with other performers on SCTV whose work helped to shape the show. Of course, John Candy predeceased Catherine O'Hara, having passed away March 4, 1994 at age 44.

NPR described it this way: "SCTV, on the other hand was ... well, more than anything else, it was Canadian. If SNL was a smirking upperclassman in a rumpled private-school uniform, SCTV was a lovable dirtbag in a denim jacket and jeans."

When I use the term scrappy to describe SCTV, I'm not kidding. According to TV Line, Eugene Levy said "With a budget of just $7,000 per episode (if that) in the early seasons, SCTV wasn't exactly swimming in cash" adding "This is not per person. The entire budget of the show was $7,0000."

Through interviews and a Toronto reunion of most of the original SCTV cast including Catherine O'Hara, viewers hear most of the original cast members reflect on their shared experiences and the friendships they built over the years. One of the film's more enduring themes seems to be how those friendships have endured for more than 50 years.

"SCTV: The Greatest Show You've Never Heard Of" shares personal memories and stories that have not been told publicly before, while rare old footage helps viewers understand what made the show different.

John Candy's and Catherine O'Hara's deaths remind us that while they are not routine, creative outlets such as SCTV do occasionally emerge, and the reality that the cast of that TV show remained close with one another for decades after they all became successful in entertainment is a true testament to SCTV's unique contribution to popular culture in North America. While mass entertainment consolidates with debt-laden mergers such as Paramount's acquisition of Warner Brothers Discovery and boot-licking from a Silicon Valley Tech Bro Nepo Baby to a would-be authoritarian turn a regulatory blind eye to the ill-fated combo, we should not assume that will be the end of the story.

As SCTV proves, creative innovation from outside the Hollywood establishment (in this case, Canada) means cash doesn't guarantee viewers will necessarily follow, creativity does that.

The official trailer for "SCTV: The Greatest Show You've Never Heard Of" can be viewed below, or by visiting https://youtu.be/5vri0LVrMIE?si=SsDtLOsmXfJr99As: