Talking Comedy, Canada and Cancer with the Kids in the Hall

It's been more than 15 years since The Kids in the Hall, the seminal sketch comedy show by the Canadian troupe of the same name, went off the air. In the time since, the group's five members have produced a feature film together (1996's Brain Candy), restaged their most beloved material in a pair of reunion tours, and appeared individually in a host of films, theatrical productions and TV shows. The one thing they haven't done is another TV series of their own -- until now.

Death Comes to Town begins airing Friday, Aug. 20 on IFC at 10 p.m. ET. The eight-episode murder mystery marks not just the Kids' return to the American airwaves -- it has already aired on CBC -- but also their first attempt at the serial form. In a recent sit-down with DailyFinance, two of the troupe's members, Scott Thompson and Kevin McDonald, explained what went into getting the show on the air. They also revealed which contemporary comedians they consider to be their "spiritual heirs" and discussed what it was like not having to censor their Canadianness for once. In Part Three of our video interview below, Thompson talked in detail about the difficulties of shooting a TV series immediately following a five-month regimen of chemotherapy. (He's now cancer-free.)