Arguably the ugliest member of the History Bites Team, Danny DiTata is the proud owner of a semi-professionally framed BAA in Radio and Television Arts from Ryerson Polytechnic University. Recognized early on as a comedic prodigy, Danny was named by Playback magazine as "One To Watch." He spent the ensuing years developing a career in television, as well as a deep-seated paranoia that he is, indeed, being watched. And in a sense, he is - having played everyone from the Crocodile Hunter, to Wyatt Earp, to Jesus on History Bites.

With creative collaborator Jeremy Winkels, Danny has served as writer and story editor on several other TV series. The duo are currently developing several feature-length projects, a comedy series, and a mysterious rash. Danny is a Capricorn whose turn-ons include ALF and the collected works of Twisted Sister.

A founding member of the Toronto based comedy troupe The Frantics, Rick wrote and performed on stage, record albums, radio, and television. Frantic Times, their CBC radio series ran for five seasons and was nominated for 7 ACTRA Awards. In 1987, Rick won two ACTRA awards, "Best Performer, Entertainment Feature" and "Best Writer, Entertainment Feature" for The Frantics Look At History, a 13 part series on CBC.

The Frantics TV series Four on the Floor aired on ShowTime Network (USA), CBC (Canada) and Channel 4 (Britain) during 1985, and made a household name out of Mr. Canoehead.

In 1988 Rick embarked on a busy solo career, writing and performing stage productions and radio series, while writing and story editing for a number of Canadian comedy series.

Starting in 1989, he wrote 139 episodes of Prisoners of Gravity, and hosted as Commander Rick. This quirky literary series garnered Aurora Awards, a New York Festival Award, and several Gemini Award nominations during its five season run on TVOntario.

While writing and hosting Prisoners of Gravity, Rick joined Steve Smith to create The Red Green Show. Rick then co-wrote the show for eight seasons, directed four seasons, and performed in 173 episodes as the hapless klutz "Bill." The Red Green Show is still seen on CBC and PBS and remains one of the longest running prime time series in North America. In addition to the television series, Rick co-wrote and illustrated several Red Green books.

While working on The Red Green Show, Rick developed his newest venture, an innovative Canadian comedy series called History Bites, for History Television. Each episode focuses on a different historical event, and then imagines "What if television had been there to cover the story?" This fast-paced series channel surfs through the ancient past, spoofing current TV shows to send up the modern media, while exploring the darkest and weirdest moments of human history. As creator, writer, director and performer, Rick proves that his energy has no bounds. Now starting a fifth season, this clever series is a hit on the air, and in classrooms!

Over the years, Rick has performed in New York and Los Angeles, written and directed both corporate videos and television commercials, and also written for many stand up comedians. Drawing on his producing, writing and directing skills, he created several video presentations that are part of the Founders' Hall Museum in P.E.I. He has written dozens of humourous articles for magazines and newspapers and taught classes in writing, and physical comedy. Along the way Rick has lectured on many topics from teaching history through humour to science and science fiction. After being nominated for over a dozen Gemini Awards he vows to be properly grateful if he ever wins one.

Currently, Rick is developing a number of new series that will combine his love of comedy with his knack for teaching.

Never one to take "get out of my office!" for an answer, Eric has been persistent in his efforts to come up with funny ideas. Even as a child he earned a reputation with neighbourhood kids and medical specialists alike as 'the funny kid'. Eventually Eric turned his knack for comedy into a career, though initially this was a career in optometry. After several years of laughing patients and less amusing lawsuits, Eric decided to begin writing professionally. He has been writing for History Bites for all four seasons of its existence and has also co-written several episodes of Hoze Houndz and John A, with fellow collaborators Duncan and Amy McKenzie, though it is unlikely they will ever admit this. In winning the prestigious Charles Israel Screenwriting Prize last year, Eric confirmed to those around him and, more importantly, to himself, that the evaluation skills of some awards judges should fall under serious question. Eric is currently working on several feature length screenplays, as well a progressive addition multifocal contact lens.

Amy McKenzie was a founding/writing member of the sketch comedy troupe The Six Flying Hamsters, performing in clubs and festivals around Toronto which years ago was dubbed "the rudest group in the city" by Toronto Star reviewer Craig McInnes. Try to explain that to your mother. The group produced and performed topical news sketches broadcast nationally on CBC Radio, and the quirky dinner theatre show, Cupid's Private Dick. When the group disbanded, Amy fled to the calmer waters of series development and fetal gestation.

At present, she is the only woman writer (nobody's noticed so far) on Rick Green's Gemini-nominated, History Bites, now in its fourth season on History Television.

• History Bites Writer: Seasons 1-4, Principal, 4 eps. 1998-2001
• Nominated for Writing: Canadian Comedy Awards, 2000 and 2002
• Civil War Documentary: A Documentary (short film) Voice Over: Mary Walnut, 2001 (Featured during HOT DOCS, 2001)
• Hindsight 20/60: Producer (Comedy short) 1997
• This Just In: Writer (for Dan Redican/Diane Flacks) Development script for CTV/BATON 1995
• John A: Creator/Co-writer (3 development scripts for CBC Dramatic Series, Producer: David Goorevitch) 1994
• Molson Re-Leaf Festival: Featured in "Women of Comedy" night, 1991
• Six Flying Hamsters: Wrote/Performed news-based sketches for CBC Radio 1990-91
• TheatreSports Toronto: Improv Actor/Teacher (1988-92)

Duncan McKenzie was born in Plymouth, England in 1960. Three years later, John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Skeptics say this is just coincidence, but can we really be sure?

Duncan has been involved in comedy for longer than anyone cares to remember. He spent two years as Artistic Director and regular performer with Toronto Theatresports, the improvisational theatre group that gave rise to such comedic talents as The Kids in the Hall, Sandra Shamas, and many many more - although none spring readily to
mind.

In 1989, he started the The Six Flying Hamsters - "Arguably the world's finest comedy troupe". They performed at the Rivoli, the Pilot, and all the usual Toronto spots, and were proud to be chosen as the first act on opening night of Mark Breslin's "Sketch Pad", as well as on its final night a few months later.

He wrote, produced and performed in a series of topical radio sketches on CBC Radio. He also worked on a three-script development deal with CBC Television for a sitcom "John A", as well as contributing material to a number of humour books.

He has spent the last few years working on History Bites, writing lots of sketches, creating graphics and animated segments, and humming loudly. He also writes for the cartoon series, Hoze Houndz, but don't tell anyone.

The newest addition to the History Bites writing team, Jason Taniguchi has enjoyed a long and fruitful career of combining his natural talent for comedy with his keen insights into history: a comedy-and-history-combining career that pretty much consists, so far, of four episodes of History Bites.

A graduate of the University of Toronto with a non-comedy-related B.A., and a former member of the non-history-related comedy troupe Six Flying Hamsters (he was the seventh member), Jason has, for several years, been editor of the Canadian Directory to Foundations and Grants, a neither funny nor historical publication.

Jason is a fixture at the Toronto science-fiction convention Ad Astra, where he can be seen every year performing one of his infamous one-man semi-improvised plays parodying such epics as The Phantom Menace or Fellowship of the Ring - plays that have earned him a nomination for the Aurora Award, but through some inexplicable oversight not the Aurora Award itself. He is also the author of "Jason Taniguchi's Very Sensible Stories and Poems for Grown Persons", published by Kelp Queen Press. Almost immediately upon its publication last year, the book met with the great acclaim of the author's mother.

But perhaps foremost in dubiousness among his accomplishments, Jason is the founder of the Serial Diners, a club that has, since 1989, been pursuing the persistently pointless task of visiting all the restaurants in Toronto's Yellow Pages, in alphabetical order, at the rate of one a week: a venture that is itself a fine example of making history in a most comedic way.

In addition to History Bites, Jeremy has written and story edited numerous other television series with his writing partner, Danny DiTata. They are currently developing several feature-length projects, and a comedy series with absolutely no redeeming social value. Jeremy is a Scorpio whose turn-ons include pretty sunsets and tire fires.