Previewing The Jon Dore Television Show

In a story I broke last week, tonight sees the American premiere of The Jon Dore Television Show on IFC at 10:00. The show is hard to describe as it is a little mix of things. You really cannot call it a reality show on Dore’s life because some of the bits are obviously scripted, we even get to see inside the writers room. But it also seems to be heavy on improve especially his “interviews” that are reminiscent of the ones conducted by The Daily Show where the interviewer are not being all that seriously though acting like it while the interviewees are trying to give the most serious answer they can come up with.

IFC will be show the first two seasons of The Jon Dore Television Show straight, twenty-six episodes in all, as they have already aired in Canada. Being a Canadian show be warned there are a lot of Canadianisms like people mispronouncing words like “aboot.” Oh, those silly Canadians. The first episode follows Dore while he goes to a fertility clinic to see if he can have kids. Later in the series Jon battles alcoholism, smoking, STD’s and even tries to get in shape in order to audition for a softcore porn role. And dude had a serious spare tire that he disturbingly likes to show off.

The Jon Dore Television Show is a quirky series that is reminiscent of another Canadian comedy import, Tom Green, but more polite, less annoying and better budget. When it is on, there is plenty of chuckling, but it seems if Dore would have done better in short form of a webseries that featured his interviewing skills as the episodes do go a little song for a twenty-two minute show with Dore taking many pit stops, much that are not as funny as the interviews, on his episode journey.

The Jon Dore Television Show airs Tuesdays at 10:00 on IFC and is repeated Saturdays also at 10:00.