Friends of Gilda was a 1993 ninety-minute television special made by CBC Television to benefit the Genesis Research Foundation, the research fundraising arm of the University of Toronto’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Its original air date was 21 November 1993.
The fundraiser was a tribute to Gilda Radner who died of ovarian cancer in 1989 and featured a long list of performers with whom she was friendly. Among these were the "surviving cast members" who had shared the stage with Gilda Radner in the celebrated Toronto production of Godspell which was her professional stage debut. Others appearing in the special knew her from Second City Toronto. Several—including Eugene Levy and Andrea Martin—fell into both those categories.
The special was directed by Martin Short who had dated Radner when they were both in Godspell. Short also appeared in the show itself and shared writing credit with Perry Rosemond. Paul Shaffer, who conducted and played piano for the same Toronto production of Godspell, appeared as music director.
The special included songs from Godspell, backstage footage of the production, several clips from Saturday Night Live, and four comedy sketches:
