Jan 12 2022
If you grew up on raunchy 2000s humour, there’s a pretty good chance your TV watching routine included the twisted competitive frenemy relationship of bickering Toronto roommates Kenny Hotz and Spencer Rice.
Running from 2003 to 2010, Kenny vs. Spenny grew from an early cult following to become one of Canada’s greatest comedy exports, pitting evil genius Hotz against everyman and perpetual runner-up Rice in a mano a mano format that changed the face of reality television.
For those unfamiliar with how far the two pushed their friendship on the show, in the infamous “who can wear a dead octopus on their head the longest” challenge (trust me, this is about to get far more ridiculous) Kenny greased the wheels of victory by spiking Spenny’s orange juice with actual LSD.
If you think that’s dark, maybe don’t look into how Hotz won the “Who is funnier?” episode.
After a dozen years without the pair’s hilariously toxic dynamic on the airwaves, co-star and creator Kenny Hotz (who was also a Gulf War photographer and later worked as a writer on South Park) is tantalizing fans with the promise (or threat, from co-star Spenny’s perspective) of a whole new season.
Like, Retweet and Reply
if you want to see
a new season
of Kenny Vs. Spenny pic.twitter.com/OoIS4ByH92— Kenny Hotz (@kennyhotz) January 12, 2022
A tweet teasing a new season has fans in a frenzy of excitement, responses pouring in begging, pleading with Hotz to deliver on what currently amounts to little more than a hint of something to come.
I’ve never retweeted or responded to anything on here but this. I need this.— Alex Krysowaty (@AKrysowaty) January 12, 2022
The legend himself, Kenny Hotz, took the time to talk to blogTO about a potential restart of the beloved series, opening with his trademark sarcastic charm, saying, “fans are continuing this, but I’ve been trying to end it for years. It just won’t stop.”
In reality, Hotz seems puzzled that the show hasn’t been picked up for a new season, acknowledging that the fan base has grown to global proportions, saying, “it’s probably one of the most anticipated shows in comedy that people would love to return.”
Do it pic.twitter.com/eLcTMnEkOK— Christoph H. (@ChrisHorns) January 12, 2022
Even with a fan base that has kept growing since the show’s final season, Hotz expressed doubts that the format could work in today’s climate, noting continued scrutiny of the controversial content, but arguing “to me, the show is highly moralistic.”
Still, he admits that “there is a resurgence, and I have no idea what’s going on. We haven’t been on television since 2010, and I have never sold out more shows.”
Fans did indeed get a window into the pair’s continued post-KvS relationship in a CBC special called Kenny & Spenny: Paldemic, though there is a clear demand for the competition format of the original show, complete with Hotz’s signature rule-bending and devastating humiliations for the loser of that episode’s competition.
Don’t toy with me, Kenneth— new pear’s resolution (@thetullyvision) January 12, 2022
The comedian has been stoking fans’ thirst for the show in other ways, recently releasing original KvS episodes in 4K on his YouTube channel.
He did it. The crazy son of a bitch did it.@kennyhotz was so preoccupied with whether or not he could, he didn’t stop to think if he should.
He just did.
4K Kenny vs Spenny episodes on Youtube.https://t.co/ap5ta7tQEl— Jon Liedtke (@jonliedtke) January 12, 2022
Other older shows are earning new fans through re-releases on paid streaming services, often accompanied by lucrative deals. But Hotz, never one for conformity, just gave it all away to fans.
That doesn’t mean he has no ambitions to have the series live on a streaming platform, saying, “I’ve been systematically trying to sell this thing since day one. Even if people think we’re too old or it’s been too long, I think that’s what makes it funnier.”
“The older we are, the more pathetic, the better the comedy.”
Now well into their 50s, it’s anyone’s guess what kind of antics the pair would be up to in a 2020s revival of the classic.
Who can earn the most crypto
Who can get the most tiktok views
Who can pluck the most grey hairs
Let’s go!— Nigel MacQuillan (@nigelmacquillan) January 12, 2022
Maybe their challenges will involve forgoing critical medication for their aging bodies or staying up past midnight, and perhaps their post-defeat humiliations will see the pair have to suffer the indignity of missing the early bird special, among other old-age ideas.
Hotz has his own ideas in mind, with challenges like “first guy to knit a sweater or who can smoke more cigarettes.”
If a new season does indeed move forward, we would like to express our sympathy in advance to Spenny, who would no doubt suffer immensely at the hands of Kenny Hotz for our entertainment like he did a dozen years before.
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