A popular comedy team is reportedly being split up, at least in its animated incarnation. The Canadian Press brings word that Full House star Dave Coulier will replace Rick Moranis as the voice of Bob McKenzie in the upcoming cartoon series The Animated Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie. Dave Thomas will continue to play the role of Doug Mckenzie. He is the founder of the Emmy-winning Van Nuys-based animation company Animax, which is producing the show for Canada’s Global Televison. A total of 15 episodes have been ordered for air in 2009. The FOX network supported production of the pilot and may end up adding the comedy to its animation lineup as well.
The McKenzie Brothers were born in 1980 when the Emmy Award-winning SCTV ran on CBC and NBC. Originally designed as filler segments aimed at Canadian viewers, the ‘Great White North’ skits quickly became the most popular part of the show and spawned a platinum selling, Grammy-nominated comedy album and a cult-favorite movie titled Strange Brew. More recently, Moranis and Thomas did a moose version of the act in the 2003 Disney animated feature Brother Bear.
The Animated Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie is set in the fictitious Canadian town of Maple Lake, where the title duo mix it up with their addled mom, their cousin Rupert and his girlfriend Mary Beth, their arch enemies the LeDoux brothers, wanton neighbors and even a raging reverend. Fans will also get to see the brothers on the job and holding court at the Skate N’ Bowl.
Coulier was already signed to the voice cast, along with fellow Canadians Colin Mochrie (Whose Line is it Anyway?), Pat McKenna (Best Ed), Derek McGrath (Grossology), Ron Pardo (World of Quest), Jayne Eastwood (Ricky Sprocket, Showbiz Boy) and Ho Chow. Moranis is still involved with the show as exec producer, but apparently wasn’t interested in participating in the recording sessions.
