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"This Hour" survives

7/15/2003

TORONTO and HALIFAX - Alliance Atlantis and CBC Television confirmed today that the award-winning This Hour Has 22 Minutes will return for the 2024-04 television season.

The program, along with others, (see background here) had failed to attain production cash from the Canadian Television Fund, and there was some question as to whether or not it would continue. An announcement today from CBC and Alliance Atlantis' Halifax-based production arm, Salter Street Films, however, says the show will go on.

The show "will start its second decade on CBC Television this fall, continuing its edgy and humorous approach to Canada's news of the day," said a release issued by CBC and Alliance Atlantis.

"This is terrific news," said Slawko Klymkiw, executive director of network programming for CBC Television. "It took some creative financing work by all parties to make it possible, including some welcome financial assistance to CBC from Telefilm Canada, but the result is tremendous."

"All of us at Alliance Atlantis, Salter Street and on the 22 Minutes team are pleased and relieved to see its return for an 11th season," added Michael Donovan, executive producer of the show.

One change to the show, however is Canadian actor and comic Colin Mochrie, who replaced Rick Mercer two seasons ago, has apparently decided not to return.

The series' 11th season will premiere on October 10th at 9 p.m. on CBC Television with a one-hour debut.

Alliance Atlantis' specialty channel, Showcase, is a second-window broadcaster of the series and will begin airing the new episodes in the weeks following the October premiere.

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