THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES (24×30), now in its Tuesday 8 pm (8:30 NT) time slot, returned to CBC and CBC Gem for its 29th season on September 14 with new cast members and fresh perspectives reflecting contemporary Canada, which will build on and evolve the show’s iconic brand of razor-sharp commentary, critical savvy and incisive political satire.
22 Minutes is the longest-running comedy series in Canadian history and remains a beloved staple for audiences across the country to engage with the news cycle through humour and satire. On Tuesday, September 21, the night after the Federal Election, the series’ 25-54 audience was the highest to the program since November 9, 2020, the episode which aired after the 2020 U.S. election. With a legacy that has spanned nearly three decades, its reach has also expanded beyond television to cultivate a large and dedicated online following. Since the season 29 premiere, the show’s social media platforms have seen exponential engagement, with the collective audience growing by 355K followers. The show’s TikTok account alone has accumulated over 39 million views, 3.9 million likes, and 1.1 million shares within just two months of use.
22 Minutes welcomes award-winning writer and performer, Stacey McGunnigle, joining previously announced Aba Amuquandoh to round out the main cast, along with series regulars Trent McClellan and Mark Critch (the 22 Minutes veteran is back in Halifax after wrapping production on his new show, Son of a Critch, in St. John’s).
Stacey is an award-winning comedian and writer who has performed in a number of festivals across North America, including Just For Laughs. She was named Best Female Improviser and Best Breakout Artist as an alumnus of The Second City, and most recently won Best Supporting Actress from the Austin Short Film Festival for the award-winning short, Must Kill Karl. She has worked with CBC, MTV, and Corus Entertainment as a digital creator, and also co-hosts her podcast, The Regulars, which recently celebrated two million listens and was featured in Post City’s list of “top 10 Toronto comedy podcasts”.
22 Minutes also confirms the return of acclaimed writer and comedians, Brandon Ash-Mohammed (Now Magazine’s “Breakout Star”) and Leonard Chan (Just For Laughs, Halifax and Winnipeg Comedy Festivals), fan favourite correspondents who work with the Toronto field team to deliver fresh takes on politics and culture. Three-time Canadian Comedy Award-winning sketch comedian, Chris Wilson, continues with the show as a writer and featured player.
The series is filmed in front of a reduced live audience in its new studio and production facilities at the Light House Arts Centre in Halifax, where the show employs an integral and experienced crew across all production disciplines to bring the show to life every week. While 22 Minutes has called Nova Scotia home for the duration of its storied run, it is deeply rooted in the nation’s comedy ecosystem, having always been a showcase and launching pad for some of the best and brightest talent from Canada’s wide net of comedy clubs, improvs, festivals, and television.
The team of writers this season consists of an impressive list of some of the most sought-after and celebrated in the country. Led by Supervising Producer Heidi Brander (Still Standing, Baroness Von Sketch Show), the team includes Canadian Screen Award-winning Head Writer Adam Christie (Baroness Von Sketch Show and winner of SiriusXM’s Top Comic competition at JFL42), Assistant Head Writer Jordan Foisy (Just For Laughs), stand-up comedian and actress Aisha Brown (Aisha Brown: The First Black Woman Ever on CRAVE), comic Nigel Grinstead (SiriusXM’s Top Comic finalist, Just For Laughs/Comedy Network), East Coast comedian Travis Lindsay (who also handles warm-up for the live audience), Meg Mackay (Just For Laughs’ 2021 New Faces of Comedy) and stand-up comedian Jeremy Woodcock (Workin’ Moms, The Amazing Gayl Pile).
“We’re thrilled to be back for another season on CBC,” remarked Michael Donovan, the show’s Executive Producer. “It’s especially exciting to have an expanded order, a new time slot, and such a stellar cast and creative team at this most unusual and volatile time in the news cycle.”
This Hour Has 22 Minutes is produced by IoM Media. The Executive Producers are Mike Allison and Michael Donovan; Producers are Meaghan Clark, Carl Gosine, Tracey Jardine, Dana Landry and Ben Mogil. For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports; Trish Williams is Executive Director, Scripted Content; Sandra Picheca is Director of Current Production, Comedy; and Greig Dymond is Executive in Charge of Current Production and Head of Festivals, Comedy.
