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Mr. Science
SKETCH-O-VISION
A VERY GOOD USE OF YOUR TIME.
The setup
Watch on YouTube
Watch onYouTube
The premise
Here’s the bit.
On the SCTV children's programme Mr. Science, a hungover Johnny LaRue (John Candy) is roused from his couch by his young pupil Donald (Donald Cowper) and declares that today's lesson will be making coffee. While Donald boils the kettle and prepares the cup, LaRue lights a cigarette to demonstrate combustion, rambles about lungs and keeps hurrying the boy along. Once he has his coffee he tries to dismiss Donald, then settles for a lesson about television that amounts to switching the set on and offering nonsense explanations. Closing captions credit LaRue as the show's writer and producer, with the proceeds going to his own foundation.
The funny people
Meet the cast. 2
Say it with us
Highly quotable.
And that end gets hot, and that's combustion.
I know where one of mine is. It's in a hospital in a jar.
Because there's scanners in there. Use your head.
Behind the scenes
The people who made it.
A little extra
Notes from the archive.
First broadcast in SCTV's first series, in show 1-6 (10 February 1977). This upload is the version rerun in the Network 90 repeat show of 19 June 1981, including that broadcast's network logo and bumpers. The SCTV Guide lists it as "Mr. Science: Coffee" and credits Dave Thomas as the off-screen announcer. Donald Cowper is John Candy's real-life nephew.
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