By Lorelie DeRoose

Like Wayne and Garth of Wayne's World, James Whittingham and Kevin Allardyce have gained some fame, thanks to their cable show, called The James and Kevin Show.

But fame has its drawbacks.

"It makes you paranoid," says Whittingham. "It gets rather unnerving to go out in public when you sec people smiling at you, and you don't know if they recognize you, if they want to kill you or what. Sometimes you'll walk by people and hear "that's James from the James and Kevin show." Then they'll start laughing about some episode."

"Or they're laughing at what we're wearing," quips Allardyce.

Mostly teenage boys and university students watch the show.

"Look Daddy, that's him!" A five-year-old tugs on her dad's sleeve as she points to a lean young man with a goatee and black hair so slicked back, grooves are left by his comb.

"I smiled, said hi and walked by. I guess that means our sense of humour isn't quite as sophisticated as I thought, if five year-olds are watching our show," says Allardyce, a political science and religious studies major at the University of Regina.

A stranger walks up to them and introduces himself as Ryan. "James and Kevin is my favorite show," he gushes. Ryan eagerly pulls out two packages of fruit flavoured Halls and insists Kevin and James take them. "I just have to give these to you," he enthuses.

"It's amazing how many people actually watch the show," says Whittingham.

"Our ratings? We're well into the double digits...l0,12, maybe 15. We're probably the highest rated show on cable," speculates Allardyce.

Between 2,000 and 5,000 people watch the show says Whittingham, a tall man with a black beard who was labelled "John Candy's understudy" in his high school yearbook.

The James and Kevin Show is filmed at various locations in Regina, like a trendy downtown beauty and tanning salon, and The Love Plus store.

The unpaid comic duo met ten years ago on a very short-lived cable show, and were asked back to do a segment on the Regina Exhibition for What's Up, Access Communications's teen show.

"At first, they just more or less turned on the camera and let James and I go," explains Allardyce. "We don't script anything. We sometimes have a vague idea of what it is we're going to do. We know where we're going, and that's's about it."

"And that helps the show work better, the fact that we don't plan anything. The reactions of the people we harass at various places are real. That's's why our show is unique and real," Whittingham explains. "It's basically doing things people don't normally do."

"We have a little bit for everyone. My mother's church minister watches the show and is a big fan, and there are little old ladies who watch us too," says Allardyce.

Even though Whittingham and Allardyce say that fame has its drawbacks, it also has its rewards.

Whittingham, a Film and Video graduate from the University of Regina, wrote his stalking experience into their award winning James and Kevin One Hour Special. James is "shot" by an angry fan, and for the rest of the show Kevin and James remember their best episodes.

'The special was recognized as the best cable productions in the province at the Saskatchewan Film and Video Showcase last November, in Saskatoon.

"It was a big deal for us. It was unexpected and we had a big party with the prize money, and had limousines and a bagpiper," remembers Allardyce.

"Our reception at the showcase was very positive," says Whittingham. "Everybody in The film industry was talking about our show, which is surprising."

Access Communications has entered the special into the Yorkton Film Festival.

"It would be a long shot to get a nomination, but it would be an unprecedented honour," Allardyce says.

"We have a better chance getting struck by lightning," predicts Whittingham.

For now The 10 minute show airs on Fridays at 9:50 p.m. and Saturdays at 10:20 p.m. on Channel 7.*

*(The current half hour series airs Saturdays at 7:30pm in Regina on Channel 7)