 On
July 13, 2003, Will Dyess had the privilege of interviewing 1981
cast member Mike Lyon about his time on YCDTOTV. Below is the transcript.
How
did you get your job on the show?
I
got the job on the show because I looked like Kevin Schenk, believe
it or not. They (CJOH) were making a made for TV movie about a kid
who steals a car, and then the cops arrest the wrong kid because
they look the same. Roger Price was going to have Kevin as the main
character and they needed someone who looked a lot like him to be
in the movie. Roger saw me and thought I looked a lot like Kevin,
and asked me if I wanted to be in a movie. I laughed and told him
to buzz off, then he gave me his card and I had my parents check
it out. After that, I met Kevin, and the make-up lady, Liz. She
said no problem making kevin and I look the same. The movie rights
were sold to CBC so we never did it. Roger then said do you want
to
be on TV anyway, and I said sure, and next thing you know, I was
on YCDTOTV.
Funny thing is a friend of mine from high school made the movie
with CBC
and it was a real stinker.
How old were you when the show began?
I was 15.
Do you recall any particular scene\scenes
of which the making of was notable, or something, anything that
happened behind the scenes, etc.?
Drugs episode. I poured slime on myself. It was ice-freezing cold.
I was
supposed to act like I was all high on drugs, and the slime was
so cold, it
made me shiver and the scene worked really well -- thanks to the
slime, not
me.
You were on the local, live version
of the show. Do you recall any live mistakes, bloopers, etc. that
you were a part of?
Only
one live blooper, really, but very small, and hardly worth mention.
Let's try some name association. What
comes to mind when you think of the following people:
Les Lye: Great guy always treated
the kids with respect, unlike many of the
other "TV" stars at the studio
Christine
McGlade: She was always funny, perhaps funnier behind the
camera
than in front of it
Kevin
Schenk: Talented artist, and very talented all-around guy
Angie
Coddett: Always smiling ear-to-ear
Rodney
Helal: Rodney is a real charmer, and he seemed to always
get what he wanted
Darryl
Lucas: Just your average guy. Hard-working and a loyal
kind of guy
What was it like to work with Geoff
Darby and Roger Price?
Geoff was a real slave driver, always trying to
meet deadlines and rushing
around like a mad man. He thought Roger was always moving too slow,
but he
got the best out of everyone, and, looking back, I would say he
probably was
good at his job. Roger price was/is a real character. He had a huge
impact
on my life in a very short time span. He spoiled me rotten, tried
to make me
wear a dress and paid us lots of money for doing silly things that
we all
would have liked to do for free anyway. He is a good family man,
and a big
kid himself at heart.
How did your parents feel about you
being on the show?
They were all for it. They checked out Roger and CJOH very carefully
before
they let me go on, but they were happy for me.
You
only appeared in two episodes-was this based on your decision, or
management?
I
was just having so much fun. I hung around the studio every day
after
school, even if I was not in the episode. I guess it was management
who
decided who was in what shows and so forth. I know Mr. Darby didnt
like me too
much, well at least I didnt think he did back then. Who knows for
sure,
really?
Do you still keep in touch with some
of the cast\crew you worked with?
Just one person, really. I became best friends with Randy Akiwenzie.
He
lives far away from Ottawa now so we dont really speak much.
What have you been doing with your
time since YCDTOTV?
M mm...well, high school, then university. Then, I did many odd
jobs, most
of them working with kids and youth. Now, I manage a recreation
centre that
runs programs for kids and youth, trying to keep them off of the
streets. I
also work at the largest reptile zoo in Canada in my spare time,
handling
giant snakes, lizards and alligators and doing educational presentations
on these
animals for the public!
Thanks again, I really appreciate it!
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