Gerald Lunz has been central to prominent East Coast-rooted comedy series including CODCO, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Made in Canada and The Rick Mercer Report, yet little is known about the veteran television producer, hailed by CBC programming boss Kirstine Layfield as ‘one of the statesmen of comedy in Canada.’

Born in Hamilton, ON and educated in Ottawa, the 55-year-old Lunz has aptly bridged the inter-Canadian gap by harnessing and refining the distinct East Coast voice these shows exude, despite not being rooted in the culture.

At the pinnacle of his 20-year career, Lunz is enjoying immense success as co-creator and executive producer of TRMR, alongside Newfoundland native and host Rick Mercer, his business and life partner. TRMR is currently the highest-rated primetime show on CBC after Hockey Night in Canada, and the only returning scripted series that escaped cutbacks on episodes for its upcoming season.

In addition, TRMR receives the most promotional support of any series on the pubcaster, according to Layfield, who says the comedy is ‘worth every penny.’

‘I believe in promoting and pushing what I consider to be the cornerstones of CBC, and [TRMR] is one of them,’ she affirms.

Lunz is quick to heap praise on Mercer, noting that the success of the show is ‘all Rick’ – though he has been Mercer’s right-hand man from the start of his career, and has shepherded a stellar writing team on TRMR comprised of Mercer, Paul Mather (also supervising producer), Tim Steeves, Chris Finn, Greg Eckler and Irwin Barker.

‘Gerald is really well aware of what an audience wants… he’s a great interpreter and is able to capitalize [on] and showcase Rick’s great comedic talent,’ says Layfield.

Lunz got his first opportunity to work in television alongside a wave of comedic talent from the East Coast, including Andy Jones, Mary Walsh, Greg Malone and Cathy Jones, who were all members of the groundbreaking Newfoundland comedy troupe CODCO – which toured the country and, in 1988, turned into a half-hour comedy program for CBC. Lunz was associate producer.

It was during his CODCO days that Lunz met Mercer, an up-and-coming comedian and satirist who performed in theaters in and around St. John’s.

‘Rick was doing exactly what he does now, only meaner, because he was 19 and feisty,’ recalls Lunz.

In 1992, when CODCO was cancelled, the troupe transformed into sketch comedy This Hour Has 22 Minutes, where Mercer joined the cast and made his mark with his popular ‘Talking to Americans’ routine and trademark rant. After 22 Minutes, Mercer and Lunz moved on to the sitcom Made in Canada, which aired on CBC from 1998 to 2003.

The duo was then approached by CBC executives George Anthony and Slawko Klymkiw to come to Toronto and ‘develop a vehicle for Rick,’ according to Lunz.

The Rick Mercer Report – originally called Rick Mercer’s Monday Report – has been a fixture on CBC since 2004 and recently completed its sixth season run with an average one million viewers (2+) per episode, airing Tuesdays at 8 p.m. It’s the show’s highest-rated season yet, despite airing opposite CTV powerhouse American Idol during the winter months.

Lunz deems his roots in theater (he studied theatrical arts at the University of Ottawa) and his experiences on CODCO – where he shadowed ‘comedy god’ Andy Jones – as the main catalysts of his long career.

He contends that Canadians are naturally good at comedy because they’re one step removed from America, which affords them the opportunity to step back, comment and poke fun at themselves and the rest of the world. ‘Being separated is a way to look at things… that’s why Newfoundlanders are better than most central Canadians [at comedy], because they were another step removed, looking back at Canada,’ he offers.

The crew on TRMR feels pressure to follow up on the success of its sixth season, according to Lunz, who will begin working with the writers on season seven in September.

‘We feed off that [pressure],’ he says, adding that the audience knows what they’re going to get when they turn on TRMR because the formula of the show remains consistent, yet topics are fresh since episodes are shot only a week before airing. ‘We reflect our society today… if it’s February, Rick’s out there [in] 40-below [temperatures],’ he says.

Lunz doesn’t know what the future holds for TRMR but says he will continue to work on the show ‘as long as Canadians want to see it and Rick wants to do it.’

‘The easiest part is that I now have so much faith in my writing and editing staff that I can sleep at night… they know what I want, they know Rick’s voice, and they know the show,’ Lunz adds.

ET CETERA

• Follows basketball ‘like crazy,’ especially NCAA’s March Madness
• Regularly attends Toronto Raptors games
• Among his choice musicians are Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and The Tragically Hip
• Favorite TV shows: Eastbound & Down, The Larry Sanders Show and The Office
• Lists politician Bob Ray and Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion as some of the most memorable guests on TRMR