| Genre: | Comedy drama |
| Creator: | Marvin Kaye Chris Sheasgreen |
| Director: | James Dunnison Bruce McDonald Mark McKinney Kelly Makin Douglas Mitchell Henry Sarwer-Foner Shawn Alex Thompson Gary Yates Marvin Kaye Chris Sheasgreen |
| Starring: | Jesse Camacho Wendel Meldrum Benjamin Arthur Nancy Sorel Emma Bambrick Maury Chaykin Brooke Palsson |
| Theme Music Composer: | The Weakerthans |
| Open Theme: | "One Great City!" |
| Composer: | Richard Pell |
| Country: | Canada |
| Language: | English |
| Num Seasons: | 4 |
| Num Episodes: | 48 |
| List Episodes: | List of Less Than Kind episodes |
| Executive Producer: | Mark McKinney Marvin Kaye Chris Sheasgreen Phyllis Laing Ira Levy Peter Williamson |
| Producer: | Jan Peter Meyboom Kirsten Scollie Paula J. Smith |
| Location: | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Cinematography: | David Perrault Mike Marshal |
| Editor: | Gareth C. Scales Paul Winestock Matt Hannam Craig Webster |
| Runtime: | 30 minutes |
| Company: | Buffalo Gal Pictures Breakthrough Films & Television |
| Network: | Citytv |
| Network2: | HBO Canada |
Less Than Kind is a 2008–13 Canadian television comedy-drama series that stars Jesse Camacho as Sheldon Blecher, a teenager growing up in a loving but dysfunctional Jewish family in Winnipeg. The show's cast also includes Maury Chaykin and Wendel Meldrum as Sheldon's parents, Benjamin Arthur as his older brother Josh, and Nancy Sorel as his aunt Clara. The Blechers struggle to operate a driving school out of their home in Winnipeg's fading North End. Less Than Kind made its debut October 13, 2008, on Citytv, and moved to HBO Canada in February 2010.[1]
The ensemble cast of the critically acclaimed series won Canadian Comedy Awards in 2009 and 2010.[2] Less Than Kind received the 2010 Gemini Award for Best Comedy Program or Series[3] and the inaugural award for Best Comedy Series at the 1st Canadian Screen Awards.
The title sequence and logo for Less Than Kind were inspired by an iconic highway sign at Winnipeg's Confusion Corner intersection, depicting arrows pointing in every direction.[4] [5]
The name of the series is found in the first line spoken by Hamlet (Act 1, Scene 2): "A little more than kin, and less than kind."
Less Than Kind was created by Marvin Kaye and Chris Sheasgreen, who loosely based the series on Kaye's successful one-act play, They Have Mayonnaise in Montreal. "I liked the characters and liked that it was kind of based on Marvin's life," said showrunner Mark McKinney. "It had a ring of truth to it, had heart.... It was pretty easy to climb on board."[6]
The series was produced for City by Buffalo Gal Pictures and Breakthrough Films & Television. It was originally announced as part of Citytv's 2007 schedule, but was delayed because CTVglobemedia's acquisition of CHUM Limited and subsequent sale of Citytv to Rogers Media necessitated that the two companies sort out programming rights between Citytv and its former sister network A-Channel. The series made its debut October 13, 2008. For the second season, the show moved to HBO Canada.[7]
Following Chaykin's death in July 2010, the show's producers announced that production on the third season would be delayed, but that the show would continue.[8] Production of the third season began in November 2010,[9] with directors including James Dunnison, Bruce McDonald, Mark McKinney, Kelly Makin, Douglas Mitchell and Gary Yates.[10]
The fourth and final season of Less Than Kind was filmed in Winnipeg May 28 – July 10, 2012, for broadcast in 2013. "We are all thrilled to be doing a fourth season that offers the creative challenge of concluding this story and this wonderful series," said executive producer Mark McKinney.[11] [12]
The first season of Less Than Kind premiered on October 13, 2008, on Citytv. The show's second season premiered on Friday, February 19, 2010, at 8:30 p.m. ET/MT on HBO Canada, a multiplex channel of The Movie Network and Movie Central.[13] In June 2010 it was announced that HBO Canada had picked up the show for a third season.[14]
Distributed by Breakthrough Entertainment, Less Than Kind began airing on South Africa Sony Entertainment Television in the fall of 2009.[15] In late 2009 the series began airing on Anixe HD in Germany.[16]
The US debut was scheduled for DirecTV's Audience Network on November 3, 2011. DirecTV acquired all 3 seasons.[17]
The series' final episode aired on July 14, 2013.[18]
In September 2012, Less Than Kind was one of the three titles chosen to launch Breakthrough Entertainment's newly established online distribution division, Breakthrough Home Entertainment. The first season of the series was offered for sale as a three-disc DVD set available for Canadian purchasers only.[19] [20]
The first episode drew 47,000 viewers.[21]
Over the four seasons of the series, it received 55 nominations, earning 16 wins, including recognition from the Leo Awards, Canadian Comedy Awards, Directors Guild of Canada, Writers Guild of Canada, Gemini Awards, ACTRA Awards, Canadian Cinema Editors awards, Young Artist Awards, and Canadian Screen Awards.
| Award | Category | Name | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leo Award 2009 | Best Supporting Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series | Benjamin Arthur, "Top of the Class" | ||
| Canadian Comedy Award 2009 | Best Performance by an Ensemble – Television | Less Than Kind | ||
| Canadian Comedy Award 2009 | Best Performance by a Female – Television | Wendel Meldrum | ||
| DGC Craft Award 2009 | Outstanding Achievement in Direction | Shawn Alex Thompson, "French is My Kryptonite" | ||
| Gemini Award 2009 | Best Comedy Program or Series | Less Than Kind | ||
| Gemini Award 2009 | Best Direction in a Comedy Program or Series | James Dunnison, "Fun" | ||
| Gemini Award 2009 | Best Direction in a Comedy Program or Series | Kelly Makin, "The Daters"[26] | ||
| Gemini Award 2009 | Best Direction in a Comedy Program or Series | Henry Sarwer-Foner, "Pakikisama" | ||
| Gemini Award 2009 | Best Direction in a Comedy Program or Series | Shawn Alex Thompson, "French is My Kryptonite" | ||
| Gemini Award 2009 | Best Writing in a Comedy Program or Series | Mark McKinney, "Careers Day" | ||
| Gemini Award 2009 | Best Individual Performance in a Comedy Program or Series | Brooke Palsson, "French is My Kryptonite" | ||
| Gemini Award 2009 | Best Individual Performance in a Comedy Program or Series | Benjamin Arthur, "Pakikisama" | ||
| Gemini Award 2009 | Best Achievement in Casting | Susan Forrest, Sharon Forrest and Jim Heber, "The Daters" | ||
| WGC Screenwriting Award 2010 | Best Episodic half-hour | Garry Campbell, "The Daters" | ||
| WGC Screenwriting Award 2010 | Best Episodic half-hour | Jenn Engels, "Fun" | ||
| WGC Screenwriting Award 2010 | Best Episodic half-hour | Marvin Kaye and Chris Sheasgreen, "Happy Birthday, Sheldon" | ||
| WGC Screenwriting Award 2010 | Best Episodic half-hour | Mark McKinney, "Careers Day" | ||
| DGC Team Achievement Award 2010 | Best Television Series – Comedy | "Third Death's the Charm" | ||
| Canadian Comedy Award 2010 | Best Direction – Television Program or Series | Kelly Makin | ||
| Canadian Comedy Award 2010 | Best Writing – Television Program or Series | Garry Campbell | ||
| Canadian Comedy Award 2010 | Best Writing – Television Program or Series | Mark McKinney | ||
| Canadian Comedy Award 2010 | Best Performance by a Female – Television | Jennifer Irwin | ||
| Canadian Comedy Award 2010 | Best Performance by a Female – Television | Wendel Meldrum | ||
| Canadian Comedy Award 2010 | Best Performance by a Male – Television | Dave Foley | ||
| Canadian Comedy Award 2010 | Best Performance by an Ensemble – Television | Less Than Kind | ||
| Gemini Award 2010 | Best Comedy Program or Series | Less Than Kind | ||
| Gemini Award 2010 | Best Direction in a Comedy Program or Series | James Dunnison, "First Nighters" | ||
| Gemini Award 2010 | Best Writing in a Comedy or Variety Program or Series | Jenn Engels, "Fatso Loves Lesbo" | ||
| Gemini Award 2010 | Best Writing in a Comedy or Variety Program or Series | Marvin Kaye and Chris Sheasgreen, "Third Death's the Charm" | ||
| Gemini Award 2010 | Best Individual Performance in a Comedy Program or Series | Benjamin Arthur, "That's Somebody's Knish!" | ||
| Gemini Award 2010 | Best Individual Performance in a Comedy Program or Series | Lisa Durupt, "Road Trip" | ||
| Gemini Award 2010 | Best Individual Performance in a Comedy Program or Series | Wendel Meldrum, "I Am Somewhere" | ||
| Gemini Award 2010 | Best Achievement in Main Title Design | Trevor Hembrey, Adam Shaheen, Ian Tucker | ||
| ACTRA Toronto Award 2011 | Outstanding Performance — Male | Maury Chaykin | ||
| WGC Screenwriting Award 2011 | Best TV Comedy | Chris Sheasgreen, "Coming Home" | ||
| WGC Screenwriting Award 2011 | Best TV Comedy | Garry Campbell and Jen Beasle, "The Deluge" | ||
| WGC Screenwriting Award 2011 | Best TV Comedy | Jenn Engels, "Fatso Loves Lesbo" | ||
| Canadian Comedy Award 2011 | Best TV Show | Less Than Kind | ||
| Canadian Comedy Award 2011 | Best Performance by a Female – Television | Brooke Palsson | ||
| Canadian Comedy Award 2011 | Best Direction – Television Program or Series | James Dunnison, "That's Somebody's Knish!" | ||
| DGC Team Achievement Award 2011 | Best Television Series – Comedy | "That's Somebody's Knish!" | ||
| Young Artist Awards 2011 | Best Leading Young Actor – Television Comedy or Drama | Jesse Comacho | ||
| Leo Award 2012 | Best Supporting Performance in a Music, Comedy, or Variety Program or Series | Benjamin Arthur, "March Fourth" | ||
| Canadian Comedy Award 2012 | Best Performance by an Ensemble – Television | Less Than Kind | ||
| Canadian Comedy Award 2012 | Best Direction – Television Program or Series | Mark McKinney, "March Fourth" | ||
| Directors Guild of Canada Award 2012 | Best Television Series — Comedy | "Fugue State" | ||
| Directors Guild of Canada Award 2012 | Best Picture Editing — Television Series | "Fugue State" | ||
| Canadian Screen Award 2013 | Best Comedy Series | Less Than Kind | ||
| Canadian Screen Award 2014 | Best Direction in a Comedy Program | Kelly Malkin, "Fight and Flight" | ||
| Canadian Screen Award 2014 | Best Actress - Comedy Series | Nancy Morel, "Before The End Begins" | ||
| Canadian Screen Award 2014 | Best Actress - Comedy Series | Wendel Meldrum, "I'm Only Nineteen" |