BooksCanadian

Son of a Critch

Comedian Mark Critch's story of family, getting into trouble, and finding ones place in the world

Mark Critch

CBC Books Posted: Oct 10, 2018 12:18 PM EDT | Last Updated: January 4, 2022

What could be better than growing up in the 1980s? How about growing up in 1980s Newfoundland, whichas Mark Critch will tell you was more like the 1960s. Take a trip to where it all began in this funny and warm look back on his formative years.

Here we find a young Mark trick-or-treating at a used car lot, getting locked out of school on a fourth-floor window ledge, faking an asthma attack to avoid being arrested by military police, trying to buy beer from an untrustworthy cab driver, shocking his parents by appearing naked onstage and much more.

Best known as the "roving reporter" for CBC's This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Mark Critch has photo-bombed Justin Trudeau, interviewed Great Big Sea's Alan Doyle (while impersonating Alan Doyle), offered Pamela Anderson a million dollars to stop acting, and crashed White House briefings. But, as we see in this playful debut, he's been causing trouble his whole life.

Son of a Critchcaptures the wonder and cluelessness of a kid trying to figure things out, but with the clever observations of an adult, and the combination is perfect. (From Penguin Canada)

From the book

As I write this I'm sitting in the prime minister's plane en route to Vietnam. I'm travelling with the Canadian media to cover Justin Trudeau's first official visit there, but I'm not a journalist. I'm a comedian. For the past fifteen years I've been a writer and performer on Canada's longest-running TV comedy, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, now in ts twenty-fifth season.

My time on 22 Minutes has allowed me to do things I'd never have had the opportunity to experience otherwise. It's brought me to Afghanistan, where my show for the troops was interrupted by a Taliban rocket attack. It brought me to China, where I pretended to be a Canadian premier and was given the same private show at the famous Lao She Teahouse that they gave Presidents Nixon and Bush I. I planted a giant Canadian flag in the middle of Red Square. I laid claim to it based on their rules and was questioned by the Politsiya.

From Son of a CritchbyMark Critch2018. Published by Penguin Canada.

Interviews with Mark Critch

How isolation inspired Mark Critch

6 years ago

12:47

Canadian comedian Mark Critch says the isolation of his childhood growing up in St. Johns inspired him. Critch spoke with Rosemary Barton before the release of his memoir Son of a Critch.

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