The Vacant Lot are a sketch comedy troupe out of Canada. The members are Rob Gfroerer, Paul Greenberg, Nick McKinney, and Vito Viscomi. Rob, Paul, and Vito knew each other from college (Ryerson in Toronto), where their similar sensibilities drew them together. The three were introduced to Nick at a party. And there you have The Vacant Lot.

They were together almost ten years when they were "discovered" by Lorne Michaels' Broadway Video at Rivioli (a club in Toronto), like the Kids in the Hall before them. Their sketch show debuted in the summer of '94. The show was shot like mini-films and then shown to an audience to get crowd reactions, allowing for more elaborate sets and cameras. Each show also featured a song and a 3-part sketch. The show looked different then the sketch that came before it. However, it, and TVL's material, were frequently compared to the Kids in the Hall. A seemlingly natural comparision, but one which prevented the material to stand on its own. Despite this, The Vacant Lot was a popular show and was headed for renewal by both CBC and Comedy Central, until CBC opted out, in favor of more family-oriented programming. Comedy Central, who was producing the cheaper Exit 57 in house at the time, couldn't support both shows, and went with Exit 57. Thirteen additional TVL shows which were already written, were never filmed.

At this point, "The Vacant Lot" becomes a reference to the individual members of the troupe and their ongoing work, rather than the troupe itself. For instance, "The Vacant Lot" pops up working together on television again in 1997. Paul Greenberg was a cast member on The Jenny McCarthy Show (on MTV), and had a recurring bit with Rob on the show. Nick and Vito were credited on some of these shows as creative consultants. I don't know if The Vacant Lot ever conciously broke up as a troupe, but I still refer to The Vacant Lot in the present tense -- just like a Dana Carvey or Jon Lovitz are still identified with SNL -- once a Lot, always a Lot.