Kids in the Hall grow up

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — The Kids in the Hall weren't exactly kids when they had their own sketch comedy show from 1988 to 1994. They're sure not kids now.

But Mark McKinney, 51; Scott Thompson, 51; Bruce McCulloch, 49; Kevin McDonald, 49; and Dave Foley, 47, are still way out there. With their own brand of comedy, that is.

And they're back with "Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town," an eight-part comedy series that debuts Friday at 8 p.m. on IFC.

"I thought this experience was one of the best I've had at being a member of the Kids In the Hall," said Foley. "It felt very much like falling right back into our old sort of patterns and jokes, which mostly meant making fun of Scott.

"But it felt great. It felt great to be working in front of cameras again, because we hadn't been in front of cameras together in 15 years."

It's brand-new and yet familiar to Kids in the Hall fans. Lots of strange characters; lots of cross-dressing (the guys play most of the female roles); lots of weird humor.

The residents of a Shucktown, Ontario, Canada — population 27,000 — are awaiting word about their quixotic quest to win the 2028 Olympic Games. What they get, instead, is the arrival of Death, who rides into town on a Greyhound bus.

Soon after, Shuckton's most prominent citizen is murdered (in hilarious fashion), and pretty much everybody in town is a suspect.

If you're a Kids in the Hall fan, you'll be amused. If not, you might think it's strange. Because it is.

It's also perhaps the Kids' most collaborative effort.

"In our 20s and 30s, we were very competitive," McCulloch said. "After a lot of years in Hollywood, having some success, having our (butt) kicked in a certain way, I think we realized the sweetness of being together.

"And I think, with this project, Scott being sick was the center of us all coming together, not competing at all against each other."

(Thompson was in the midst of a successful battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma as "Death Comes to Town" was being filmed.)

The last time the entire troupe appeared together on film was the 1996 film "Brain Candy." And that, apparently, wasn't the best experience of their careers.

"I had a much easier time making this series, even though I was fighting cancer, than I did with 'Brain Candy,' " Thompson said. "It was tougher to fight Paramount. Because, at least with cancer, you can win."