Even though he’s been working as a comedian for several years, Stephen Patterson says having his “Comedy Now!” special air on CTV will finally prove to other people that he has made it.

“It will make my mom think I’m the real deal – even if I’m not,” says Patterson with a laugh. “It’s pretty cool.”

Patterson’s episode, which airs Saturday, Aug. 13 at 10/10C, has the Kingston, Ont.-born comedian, talking about everything from living the high life in a bachelor apartment to the absurdity of being Facebook friends with someone you haven’t seen since elementary school.

“One of the tricks to comedy is we talk about things that other people either think about or talk about in their little circles so (it’s relatable). Facebook is obviously a pretty easy example as almost everyone’s on it and has noticed annoying things about it,” says Patterson.

“Most comedians kind of see the world in a different way but I think more importantly we recognize little things and we think about them a little more than other people.”

The episode was taped last year and Patterson, who is now going by the name Steve Dylan to avoid confusion with another comedian who shares the same name, says the special is a nice way to close off that chapter of his career.

“It’s nice to have a comedy special (with that name). I just finished kind of like my 10 year anniversary about a month ago (and it kind of wraps that up)… now I’ll change it to Steve Dylan and that will be the next chapter.

“And then in 10 years maybe I’ll change it again,” he adds with a laugh.

Before getting into comedy, Patterson attained a degree in Civil Engineering and a Masters in Urban Planning from Queen’s University in Kingston. But he says he realized soon after getting into the work world that it wasn’t his calling and he should try his hand at comedy.

“It was a leap of faith. It was a pretty fun and adventurous thing to do but at the same time I guess I really felt right about it. I felt like I was going to be OK.”

And looking at his comedic resume since then, Patterson has been more than ‘OK.’   

As well as headlining stand-up shows across the country and participating in a variety of comedy festivals, Patterson has scored acting gigs in a variety of films and TV series, including CTV’s “Dan For Mayor.” He has also done comedic writing for shows like “The Jon Dore Television Show” (which he won a Canadian Comedy Award for as part of the writing staff) and “This Hour Has 22 Minutes,” which he received a Gemini nomination for.

Patterson says writing for television shows keeps him sharp and allows him to hone different comedic muscles. But he’s not worried that he’ll use up all his best material on other projects.

“If you’re funny you assume the well isn’t going to go dry. I don’t fully hold back but at the same time writing for other types of shows and different networks and producers, I’m not really writing completely in my own voice so anything I really want that’s in my own voices, I’m kind of writing in my own scripts and TV ideas.”

Although he will be out doing a show on Saturday night and won’t be able to watch his “Comedy Now!” special on TV, he plans to record it and replay it at the most opportune times.

“I’ll keep it on the PVR for a long time and I’ll accidentally put it on when I have company over.”

“Comedy Now!” airs Saturday nights on CTV, with full episodes available online at CTV.ca.

About Sheri Block

Sheri Block has been covering entertainment for CTV.ca since 2008. In addition to covering Will and Kate’s Royal Wedding in London, Sheri’s highlights have included going on tour with “Canadian Idol,” being a stand-in on “Canada’s Next Top Model” and meeting Colin Farrell at the Toronto International Film Festival.Follow her on Twitter!