Yes, there is a Canadian version of Family Feud and yes, it is hosted by Canadian comedian Gerry Dee, who previously had a sitcom called Mr. D where he played a schoolteacher named Gerry D. This is the state of Canadian television. There’s a reason why I (a Canadian) was surprised that Schitt’s Creek was good. But what Family Feud Canada lacks in Steve Harvey, it more than makes up for in pure entertainment value. Take, for example, the final round from Thursday night’s episode, which saw Eve from the Lorette, Manitoba Dubois family face off against Logan of the Waterloo, Ontario Tomlins. Dee asks, “What’s Popeye’s favorite food?†Eve confidently slaps the button, answers “chickennnn†and does a victory dance. Cut to her family slumping in disappointment, someone off-camera groaning “oh my God,†and Logan Tomlin swooping in with, “Show me spinach, Gerry,†for 10,000 Canadian dollars.
There is irony to Dubois flubbing the Popeye question, which is that she so uncannily channels the energy of Popeye’s cartoon contemporary, Betty Boop. When Dubois realizes she got the answer wrong, she does a hand gesture that can only be described as Boop-esque. When she explains to Dee “I thought you meant Popeyes chicken!†I want you to close your eyes and tell me that’s not pure Boop. This woman is a cartoon character, and she’s a star, and if Popeyes had a lick of business acumen, they’d sign her to a multimillion-dollar contract immediately.
But wait: It gets better. The next morning, the official Family Feud Canada YouTube channel posted a blooper reel of the entire sudden-death round. As it turns out, the “chicken†moment wasn’t even the best moment — it was just the only usable clip. First, neither of the contestants could answer the top answer for “something in your house that creaks.†The answer was “floor,†but Eve guessed “rocking chair†because she is, again, a cartoon character from the 1930s. Next, Dee tried the question: “Name something people dye,†to which Logan Tomlin answered: “gun shot.†Not die of, Logan. Jeez. Then Dubois’s bracelet fell off, which caused more commotion, and neither contestant could guess the top answer for “something you might see in the sky on a clear night.†(Dubois guessed “helicopter.â€)
Global News interviewed Eve’s mom Stephanie about her daughter’s viral moment, and she said, “It’s all going to her head right now,†adding, “She’s been saying, ‘At least I’m pretty.’â€
AT. LEAST. I’M. PRETTY.
A star is born.