I attended the Vancouver gala of the Gemini Awards last night, which was interesting to say the least.

Sometimes I wish we Canadians would take ourselves a little more seriously, like the Americans do. Maybe then we’d do better at creating a star system that fawns over our local celebrities. Isn’t that the answer?

Not for guys like Mark McKinney. He’s resolutely Canadian, even while trying to make Studio 60 funny, which means being a bit self-deprecating.

Last night, McKinney was the star of the show, as he picked up a Gemini for best actor in a dramatic series (Slings & Arrows) to go with the Gemini he won two weeks ago for best individual performance in a comedy series (Robson Arms).

Read my take on McKinney’s career in this special, Gemini edition of Channel Changer.