22 YEARS OF 22 MINUTES. THE NEW SEASON BEGINS THIS TUESDAY AT 8:30 P.M. (9 P.M. NT)

The award-winning, record-breaking, Canadian comedy institution THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES, is back for its 22nd year beginning Tuesday, Oct. 7 at 8:30 p.m. (9 p.m. NT) with more savage satire each week. This season promises to be bigger than ever with special guests, live events, an hour-long retrospective special and a nation-wide contest in addition to weekly episodes on CBC-TV.

Mark Critch, Shaun Majumder, Susan Kent and Cathy Jones return to bring their unique brand of comedy to the beloved 22 MINUTES program that has kept Canadian viewers laughing (and Canadian politicians cringing) since 1993. This season’s schedule includes 19 new episodes plus the retrospective special.

The first season cast included Rick Mercer, Greg Thomey, Mary Walsh and Cathy Jones, who continues on the series. Other Canadian comedy standouts to grace the 22 MINUTES anchor desk over the past 22 years include Colin Mochrie, Gavin Crawford, Geri Hall, Jonathan Torrens, Jennifer Robertson, Kathy Greenwood and many more.

In honour of the iconic comedy’s 22nd year, CBC is celebrating THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES throughout the season with live events and a retrospective TV special. CBC will host a star-studded This Hour Has 22 Years - Live in Toronto event on Dec. 4th in celebration of the program, its stars, and the legacy it has built over the years as an anchor of Canadian comedy. This red-carpet event will feature some of the biggest names and brightest stars that Canada has produced in the world of comedy.

This Hour Has 22 Years - Live in Toronto is also featured in a newly launched #FALLforCBC Superfan social media contest. Between now and Nov. 23rd, viewers are encouraged to send a message to @CBC on Twitter or Instagram, using #FALLforCBC, explaining what makes them “fall for CBC” for the chance to win great prizes, including the grand prize of a VIP experience at the event on Dec. 4th, including flights and accommodations. Fans who include a photo with their message will also have the chance to see themselves on CBC during prime-time broadcasts throughout the fall season. For more information, visit cbc.ca/connects/contests.

A special retrospective episode of 22 MINUTES will air Tuesday, Dec. 16th, looking back at some of the best moments from the show over the past 22 years with interviews with cast members recalling what has made it a staple of the network’s schedule for more than two decades. In early 2015, 22 MINUTESwill travel to Ottawa, the epicentre of Canadian politics, for a special live taping. More information about these events will be available in the coming weeks. Fans of the show can get their comedy fix between episodes by following @22_minutes on Twitter and @22minutescbc on Instagram, both using #22at22 and by liking 22 Minutes on Facebook.

THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES is created and produced by DHX Media (Executive Producers Michael Donovan and Peter McBain; Producers Jenipher Ritchie, Steven DeNure and Mark Gosine). The series is written by Mark Critch, Susan Kent, Shaun Majumder, Cathy Jones, Bob Kerr, Michael Allison, Greg Thomey, Ron Sparks, Jon Blair, Sonya Bell, Tim Polley, Heidi Brander, Adam Christie, Kevin Shustack, Jeremy Woodcock and Patrick Dussault. The series is directed by Vivieno Caldinelli and Michael Lewis.

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DHX Media Ltd. (www.dhxmedia.com), is a leading broadcaster, creator, producer and marketer of entertainment programming. The Company markets and distributes its library of more than 10,000 episodes of programs worldwide, and licenses its owned properties through its dedicated consumer products business. DHX Media Ltd.‘s full-service international licensing agency, Copyright Promotions Licensing Group Ltd. (CPLG), represents numerous entertainment, sport and design brands. Owner of Family Channel, DHX Media Ltd. has offices in Toronto, Vancouver, Halifax, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Barcelona, Milan, Munich and Amsterdam, and is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker DHX.

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages.

A space for us all is CBC/Radio-Canada’s new strategy to modernize the public broadcaster and ensure that it continues to fulfill its mandate for Canadians and for future generations. Through to 2020, it will increase its investment in prime time television programming, and continue to create radio programs of the highest quality, while promoting the development of digital and mobile platforms and content.

For more information including series synopses, press releases, hi-res images, video clips and bios, please visit the CBC Media Centre at cbc.ca/mediacentre. Follow CBC’s publicity team on Twitter @CBC_Publicity.

Simon Bassett, publicist, CBC

simon.bassett@cbc.ca 416-205-8533 (office) 416-988-1590 (mobile)

Jonathan Schwartz, director of communications, 22 Minutes

prprcommunications@rogers.com 416-873-0096 (mobile)