Failed real estate developer Michael Valmont-Selkirk (Mike Wilmot, centre) lets his corrupt nature prevail when he takes over a well-funded charity in The Foundation. (Showcase)

Water desalination plants in Africa, literacy initiatives in Central America, gluten-free environments for Catholic school kids in Saskatoon — there are many noble causes that would benefit from the R.J. Selkirk Foundation. After all, it is dedicated to “the betterment of humankind worldwide.” But this non-profit organization is devoted first and foremost to the advancement of its director, Michael Valmont-Selkirk.

Played by Canadian comic Mike Wilmot in the new TV series The Foundation, Valmont-Selkirk is conniving and corrupt. Whether he’s scamming a pesky auditor to cover up the funds he’s been embezzling, or trying to fix a cross-Canada race for wheelchair athletes, altruism is the last thing on Michael’s mind.

In this age of Bono and Brangelina, the idea of a comedy that spoofs do-gooders seemed like a natural.

Despite it all, the character is so craven and insecure, you somehow want to see his schemes succeed. Of course, that’s not in the cards, which is why The Foundation is the funniest thing to hit Canadian TV since we met Ricky, Julian and Bubbles.

“We like to say that in a world full of need, he’s the neediest one of all,” says series creator Michael Dowse. A Calgary-bred writer and filmmaker, Dowse won the loyalty of comedy fans and headbangers alike with his hard-rocking 2002 mock-doc FUBAR. The Foundation marks his inaugural venture into TV.

In a recent interview from his home in Montreal, Dowse chalks up his character’s appeal to the actor who plays him.

“[Wilmot] can play this despicable character, but you love him the way he is,” says Dowse, “partially because he’s so creative about how despicable he is, too.”

The fact that the part fits Wilmot so well is no accident. Dowse and partner Jennifer Wilson developed The Foundation with Wilmot in mind after working with the popular stand-up comedian on Dowse’s 2004 film It’s All Gone Pete Tong. “[Wilmot] deserves his own show,” says Dowse, “if not 20 more shows.”

In this age of Bono and Brangelina, the idea of a comedy that spoofs do-gooders seemed like a natural when Dowse and Wilson began talking to Showcase about developing a show five years ago.

“There was a big focus on charity,” says Dowse. “A lot of these suspect foundations that were popping up seemed more like celebrity vehicles — we couldn’t really see any true altruism in them.We thought foundations are these mysterious places where rich people put their money to feel better. What do these things actually do?”

Dowse says The Foundation is not intended to make fun of charities per se. Rather, the satirical targets are people who use charitable acts to disguise less honourable intentions.

“A lot of people do have pure interests,” Dowse says, “but for others it’s like automatic guilt relief. We wanted to get in behind what makes them tick.”

Martin Sims and Rebecca Northan play key members of Michael Valmont-Selkirk’s team, and FUBAR’s Paul Spence gets a recurring part as the foundation’s new spokesperson, a music star named Apollo. Each episode of the series culminates in a charity event, and while the characters remain the same, the causes can vary wildly.

Dowse and his writers have discovered that scams and situations they created in jest had a tendency to happen in the real world.

“We came up with the show about the race across Canada show years ago,” he says, “and sure enough, there was news of a wheelchair athlete with a cocaine problem in the news a year and a half ago. Then there was news of an accountant at the Salvation Army who bilked all this money off them. A lot of our stories come right out of the headlines.”

Indeed, as wild as Michael’s schemes get, The Foundation feels like it could take place in the real world. Eschewing the hermetic, one-setting format of most sitcoms, Dowse prefers to send his characters into a variety of milieus, from posh restaurants to homeless shelters. Unmistakably set in Montreal, the show makes great use of the city’s vast pool of Anglo and French-speaking comedic talent (including many of the young performers known collectively as Kidnapper Films).

With its wide scope, bustling pace and hapless protagonist, The Foundation may remind viewers of Curb Your Enthusiasm, but Dowse thinks another recent HBO fave had more impact on the series.

Michael Valmont-Selkirk likes being wealthy and admired, but doesn't like having to work for it. (Showcase) “The parallels aren’t that strong, but The Wire is influencing everything,” Dowse says. “We looked at that just in the way they used narrative formats. And their investment in their characters is amazing. I’m not saying [The Foundation] is close to that, but we definitely love that show, and it just gives me hope in longer narratives, especially for comedy.”

It’s not such a far-out comparison. As on The Wire, the characters principally reveal themselves through their actions and behaviour.

Says Dowse, “It’s a continual battle in film or television, deciding how to explain things to people without being boring or pedantic. You want them to discover things for themselves. You always like to assume intelligence on the part of the audience member. Some people don’t agree, but I really stick by that.”

Dowse will find out whether viewers appreciate his confidence in them when the five completed episodes air on Showcase. In the meantime, Dowse’s third feature film, Young Americans, a comedy starring Topher Grace and Anna Faris, is out in January.

As for The Foundation, there’ll be more episodes if enough people support the noble cause of quality Canadian TV comedy.

“There haven’t been that many funny Canadian sitcoms,” says Dowse, “and we always say we’re not reinventing the wheel here. There’s a huge opportunity for people to take advantage of all the talent that’s out there, trust their own sense of humour and make something that’s actually funny.”

The Foundation airs Sundays on Showcase starting Sept. 13.

Jason Anderson is a writer based in Toronto.