Exclusive: Comic plans to be Canada’s Colbert

Could Just For Laughs’comic Steve Patterson soon be Canada’s answer to Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert? It certainly looks that way...

The host of Canada’s wildly successful radio show The Debaters, revealed to the Bermuda Sun that he is on the verge of launching his own network so he can host a comedy show similar to The Daily Show and Colbert Report. 

Working with a production company based out of Toronto and LA, his show would tap into Canadian and worldwide politics, current affairs and culture while featuring “smart, funny people”.

Speaking exclusively to the Sun about the venture, he said: “I think Canada is ready and deserves this.

“We’ve got lots of satire here but nothing like Colbert. He has his character and talks politics but he talks about other things as well. 

“We don’t have that — something that people who aren’t Canadian would still enjoy. We don’t have their wherewithal to put the
comedians together with the newsmakers such as they do in the UK and American and I don’t know why — we have a lot of smart funny people here. I’m trying to ease Canadians into that.”

So perhaps Bermuda will get to see him before he got really famous at the Just For Laughs show at the City Hall and Fairmont Southampton Resort from January 8 to 11.

He will join Robert Kelly USA, Wil Sylvince (USA), Jonathan Young (Bda) and host Alonzo Bodden (USA), on the stage and promises it will be a well-rounded serving of comedy.

Patterson has been to Bermuda on three or four occasions to visit friends but this is the first time he has performed. Apparently we are in for a treat. This comic has shared the stage with the likes of Steve Martin who famously said of Patterson: “If I knew he was that good, I wouldn’t have booked him!”

Working with Martin was one of the highlights of his career, he says. “During the 2010 gala hosted by Steve Martin I had the best set in my life ‘ it is on my website (see ifno box). I did meet him and talked to him for 15 to 20 minutes and he is definitely one of my heroes. I was nervous that he might not turn out to be the way I pictured him but he was gracious and funny.

 “He is an icon you know you are still on the right track. Then the next year I was introduced by Kermit the Frog at The Muppet Gala and then I really knew I’d
made it.”

Patterson says he likes to stay current and promises there are plenty of current jokes to be had out of Toronto thanks to Mayor Rob Ford. 

“My message is — it used to be very easy to say Canadians are very nice and now it’s changing. Now the message is our a**holes are just as stupid as other a**holes,” he laughs. “The overlying message in my show is don’t be an A**hole!”