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Billy Van

Billy Van

Acting

Biography

Billy Van, originally named Billy Van Evera, was born in Toronto in 1934. At the age of 12, he and his four brothers formed a singing group and began touring North America. In the 1960s, he started his journey to becoming one of Canada's most beloved comedians. He gained national recognition through his appearances on the CBC TV series Nightcap, which was known for its irreverent satire, low budget, and immature humour. Billy Van was a versatile performer who effortlessly portrayed different characters and became the comedic centrepiece of the show. While other comedians like John Candy and Dan Aykroyd achieved great fame, Billy Van's comedy was ahead of its time. His satirical and spontaneous style on Nightcap foreshadowed the success of Saturday Night Live, and his work on Frightenstein, where he parodied popular culture, paved the way for the hit show SCTV. Even though he never reached the same level of fame as his contemporaries, his influence on Canadian comedy cannot be denied. Billy Van passed away in 2003 at the age of 68 after battling lung cancer for a year. His final on-screen role was in the 1995 hockey movie Net Worth, where he played the character "Les" the trainer. It was a fitting end to a career that was characterized by comedy performed with heart, passion, and immense talent.

Known For

Law & Order
7.3

In cases ripped from the headlines, police investigate serious and often deadly crimes, weighing the evidence and questioning the suspects until someone is taken into custody. The district attorney's office then builds a case to convict the perpetrator by proving the person guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Working together, these expert teams navigate all sides of the complex criminal justice system to make New York a safer place.

Law & Order

1990
The Littlest Hobo
7.3

The Littlest Hobo is a Canadian television series based upon a 1958 American film of the same name directed by Charles R. Rondeau. The series first aired from 1963 to 1965 in syndication, spanning six seasons and was revived for a popular second run on CTV from October 11, 1979 to March 7, 1985. It starred an ownerless dog. All three productions revolved around a stray German Shepherd, the titular Hobo, who wanders from town to town, helping people in need. Although the concept was perhaps similar to that of Lassie, the Littlest Hobo's destiny was to befriend those who apparently needed help. Despite the attempts of the many people whom he helped to adopt him, he appeared to prefer to be on his own, and would head off by himself at the end of each episode. Never actually named on-screen, the dog is often referred to by the name Hobo or by the names given by temporary human companions. Hobo's background is also unexplained on-screen. His origins, motivation and ultimate destination are also never explained. Although some characters appeared in more than one episode, the only constant was the Littlest Hobo himself.

The Littlest Hobo

1979
The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
6.7

The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour is an American variety show starring American pop-singer Cher and her husband, Sonny Bono. The show ran on CBS in the United States, when it premiered in August 1971. The show was canceled May 1974, due to the couple's divorce, though the duo would reunite in 1976 for the identically-formatted The Sonny & Cher Show, which ran until 1977.

The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour

1971
Rollin' On The River
10.0

Rollin' On The River 1971-72 - (Rollin 1972-73) was a Canadian Music Variety Series hosted by Kenny Rogers and The First Edition. They were the first pop-rock group to host their own prime-time TV series. - 53 episodes x 60 min - Featured guests included: Tina Turner, Merle Haggard, Bo Diddley, April Wine, Bill Withers, The Raiders, Cheech & Chong, The Stampeders, Bruce Cockburn, The Grass Roots, The Five Man Electrical Band, Lighthouse, Climax, Billy Preston, Jim Croce, Kris Kristofferson, Jose Feliciano, Mac Davis, Ronnie Hawkins, John Kay, Chilliwack, Looking Glass, The James Gang, The Poppy Family, Ian & Sylvia, Pat Paulsen, Helen Reddy, Andy Kim, John Stewart and many others. *Note: The series was an hour long in Canada. In the U.S. it was only half an hour, and Canadian talents were excised from the show for prime-time viewing.

Rollin' On The River

1971
This Is My Life
6.1

Single mom Dottie Ingels sells cosmetics in a department store while dreaming of becoming a comedian. After she inherits some money, she decides to move to New York with her children Erica and Opal in order to begin a stand-up career in small bars. Dottie soon rises to stardom, but while she travels all over the USA, her daughters stay home lonely.

This Is My Life

1992
Bits and Bytes
9.0

Bits and Bytes was the name for two Canadian television series, starring Billy Van, who teaches people the basics of how to use a computer. The first series debuted in 1983 and the second series, called Bits and Bytes 2, in 1991. The first series also included popular comedian Luba Goy as the instructor to Van. The intro sequence featured a montage of common computer terms such as "ERROR", "LOGO" and "ROM", as well as various snippets of simple computer graphics and video effects, accompanied by a theme song that very heavily borrows from the 1978 song Neon Lights by Kraftwerk. The series were produced by TVOntario. The Writer-Producers of Both Bits and Bytes and Bits and Bytes 2 were Denise Boiteau & David Stansfield. The original series featured an unusual presentation format whereby Luba Goy as the instructor would address Billy Van through a remote video link. The video link would appear to Luba who was seated in an office on a projection screen in front of her. She was then able to direct Billy who appeared on a soundstage with various desktop computer setups of the era. Popular systems emphasized included the Atari 800, Commodore PET, Tandy TRS-80, and Apple II. Each episode also included short animated vignettes to explain key concepts, as well as videotaped segments on various developments in computing. In the new 1991 series, Billy Van assumed the role of instructor and taught a new female student. As a decade had passed, the new series focused primarily on IBM PC compatibles running DOS and earlier versions of Windows, as well as the newer and updated technologies of that era.

Bits and Bytes

1983
Eureka!
9.0

Eureka! is a Canadian educational television series which was produced and broadcast by TVOntario in 1980. The series was narrated by Billy Van, and featured a series of animated vignettes which taught physics lessons to children. It is currently available online. Eureka! was also broadcast on some PBS stations in the United States.

Eureka!

1980
The Hilarious House of Frightenstein
7.7

The Hilarious House of Frightenstein, was a quirky Canadian sketch comedy TV series from the 1970s that included some genuine educational content among the humour. It featured the talented Billy Van, who played a variety of characters, Fishka Rais played the role of Igor, Guy Big brought Count Munchkinstein to life, and the legendary Vincent Price made special guest appearances as The Host who would start each episode with: “Another lovely day begins, for ghosts and ghouls with greenish skin. So close your eyes and you will find that you’ve arrived in Frightenstein. Perhaps the Count will find a way to make his monster work today. For if he solves this monster-mania, he can return to Transylvania! So welcome where the sun won’t shine, to the castle of Count Frightenstein!”

The Hilarious House of Frightenstein

1971
Bizarre
5.6

A half hour, politically incorrect sketch comedy show that showcased the talents of veteran performers John Byner and Bob Einstein as Super Dave Osbourne.

Bizarre

1980
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9.0

The Ray Stevens Show is an American variety series hosted by Ray Stevens that aired on NBC in the summer of 1970.

The Ray Stevens Show

1970
The Hearst and Davies Affair
4.2

Dramatization of the scandalous, long-time love affair between the powerful but married publisher and the chorus girl he helped turn into a Ziegfeld star and 1930s film personality.

The Hearst and Davies Affair

1985
Net Worth
6.9

The story of the NHL in the 1950's, focusing on the battle between the players, led by Hall of Famer Ted Lindsay, and the owners, over issues of benefits and pensions. A dramatization based on the true story from the book of the same title.

Net Worth

1995
The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show
7.0

American TV variety show hosted by singing group The Hudson Brothers. It ran from 1974-1975.

The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show

1974
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10.0

The Bobby Vinton Show was a Canadian musical variety television series produced for the Canadian Television Network between 1975 and 1978, with a total of 52 episodes broadcast. Featuring Bobby Vinton, a best-selling popular music singer since the early 1960s, the series mixed comedy skits with musical interludes.

The Bobby Vinton Show

1975
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7.7

In this made-for-TV production, Vincent Price and his hunchback sidekick (Billy Van) host a pun-filled salute to the horror film genre from its earliest beginnings all the way up to The Exorcist. Featuring clips from classic horror films and interviews with genre greats like Frank Gorshin, John Carradine, John Astin and SFX legend Bill Tuttle, among others.

The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute

1974
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N/A

No description available.

Circus

1978
For Better or For Worse: The Bestest Present
5.0

The Patterson family learns the true meaning of Christmas when Lizzie loses her stuffed bunny.

For Better or For Worse: The Bestest Present

1985
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N/A

A short video “portrait” of Billy Van, star of the Canadian TV show “The Hilarious House of Frightenstein.”

Return to Transylvania

2008