Take Off, Eh?

The good news: We’re finally going to see Bob and Doug MacKenzie on TV again. This time the iconic Canadian hoser duo, made famous on SCTV and in the cult movie Strange Brew, are back in a half-hour animated series called Bob and Doug.

The bad news: Rick Moranis (Bob) won’t be joining Dave Thomas (Doug) in voicing the character that made him a star. Moranis, who is clearly a very, very busy actor, will serve as “executive producer” but won’t appear on the show.

The worse news: They hired Dave Coulier to take his place.

I hate Dave Coulier. I hate his smarmy comedy routines and his “lovable doofus” act. I hate how he pretends to do impressions but really just does that voice he came up with for whatever Muppett movie he worked on. He calls himself an impressionist, but he always just sounds like Dave Coulier. Go ahead. Watch one of those old Real Ghostbusters cartoons, and listen to Dave Coulier voicing a Venkman who sounds just like Dave Coulier.

Here are some little-known facts about Dave Coulier:

• Dave Coulier was the inspiration for Alanis Morrissette’s breakthrough hit You Oughtta Know. Yup. He was the ex-boyfriend she screams at in that hate-filled song.
• Dave Coulier was also the inspiration for Harry in Dumb and Dumber. Seriously. They told Jeff Daniels “We need you to be a moron, so just act like Dave Coulier, and it’ll work.”
• Dave Coulier is not Canadian, which is bad, and appeared on Full House, which is worse.
• I might have made up one of those.

Anyway, I’m not objecting to the recasting. In fact, I’ve been vocal about my support for recasting classic characters; I’m okay with the new Star Trek and Magnum, and with most other projects. I’m not hung up on that. No, what I object to is bad recasting.

I’m a Canadian, and I’m 40, so Bob and Doug mean something to me. I can tell you this: the first time I hear Dave Coulier doing his stock Dave Coulier joke voice, a little bit of my culture and heritage will die on the vine.

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