This Hour Has 22 Minutes

This Hour Has 22 Minutes is a Canadian television comedy series that airs on CBC Television.

This Hour Has 22 Minutes is a Canadian television comedy series that airs on CBC Television. It premiered on October 11, 1993, and uses news parody, sketch comedy, and satire to comment on Canadian politics and current events. The series is commonly shortened to 22 Minutes.

Premise

The series is structured like a mock newscast, combining satirical editorials, parody commercials, interviews, and sketch comedy. Its humour focuses heavily on Canadian politics and public life.

History

This Hour Has 22 Minutes began in 1993 and was created in the context of the Canadian federal election that year. Over time, it became a long-running staple of CBC comedy programming. The original cast included Cathy Jones, Rick Mercer, Greg Thomey, and Mary Walsh.

Title and format

The full title is a parody of the CBC current affairs program This Hour Has Seven Days. The '22 Minutes' portion refers to the typical amount of content in a half-hour broadcast slot after commercials.

Broadcasting

The series has aired on CBC Television since its debut and has been scheduled in different time slots over the years. CBC currently promotes it as airing on Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m.

Cultural significance

The show is widely identified with Canadian political satire and has had a long influence on television comedy in Canada. CBC has described it as the longest-running TV comedy series in Canadian history. It is one of Canada’s best-known television satire programs and is closely associated with Canadian politics, public affairs, and CBC Television.