15th and final season of iconic, hit comedy series launches tomorrow on CBC
Praise for RICK MERCER REPORT:
“In person as well as on camera, the man's a complete charmer, at once witty, laid back and fundamentally real.” – The Globe and Mail on Season 6
“Rick Mercer has carved a comic career out of Canadiana. By now he's as much a part of the Canadian consciousness as his subject matter.” NOW on Season 7
“Rick Mercer has been tickling Canadian funny bones for more than 16 years on CBC Television while being a thorn — a sharp and witty one — in the side of politicians.” – Toronto Star on Season 8
“Mercer has been a staple on Canadian TV since the early 1990s, through This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Made in Canada and now Rick Mercer Report. Lasting 10 years is one thing. But for Rick Mercer Report, lasting 10 years with the original cast truly is "winning." – Sun Media on Season 10
In one of his signature rants, Rick Mercer today announced that RICK MERCER REPORT will launch its 15th and final season (22 x 30) tomorrow (Tues. Sept. 26) at 8 p.m. ET (8:30 NT) on CBC and cbc.ca/watch. Since the launch of the award-winning hit series in 2004, Canadians have followed the political satirist and Newfoundland native across the country for his one-of-a-kind perspective on Canada and the top news of the week. When Season 15 wraps in spring 2018, 277 episodes of the half-hour comedy will have aired since its debut.
"RICK MERCER REPORT has evolved over 15 years but one thing that has always remained consistent is that I have always known that I have the best job in the country,” said Mercer. “That has never changed. I can’t tell you how much fun it’s been. As far as what’s next I have no idea, all I know is that the entire team is hard at work and we have started shooting what I think will be our best season yet."
"For the past 25 years, Rick has been part of the very fabric of CBC and part of the family in homes across this country, helping us laugh at ourselves and define what it means to be Canadian," said Heather Conway, Executive-Vice President, English Services, CBC. "Rick has always made us think as much as he has made us laugh, and we can’t thank him enough for his contribution to public broadcasting."
“Rick has traveled from coast to coast to coast to shine the spotlight on Canadians like never before with incomparable authenticity, warmth and wit,” said Sally Catto, General Manager, Programming, CBC. "We would gladly follow him across Canada for many more years, and congratulate Rick and his entire team on the final season of this remarkable program."
Throughout the final season of RICK MERCER REPORT, Mercer will be back on the road with more cross- country exploits and learning experiences, from the Sea Cadet National Regatta in Kingston, Ontario and a shipwreck Festival in Gjoa Haven, Nunavut, to the Confederation Bridge in PEI and the Calgary Zoo with Jann Arden, to name a few. In tomorrow’s Season 15 premiere, Mercer makes a stop in Ottawa to train with athletes headed for Toronto's Invictus Games before heading to a wildlife rescue centre on Vancouver Island.
Returning this season is one of the most popular features in every show – Mercer's rant - where he expounds on anything that might be on his mind. Also back are regular segments including the creative Photo Challenge, cheeky RMR parodies of TV commercials and political messages, and RMR's weekly target practice on newsmakers, The Front Page.
RICK MERCER REPORT is the recipient of 4 Gemini and 12 Canadian Screen Awards for television writing and performance and, in 2015, Mercer was once again awarded the Canadian Screen Award for Best Performance in a Variety or Sketch Comedy Program or Series.
Mercer began his career in comedy performing and writing in his hometown St John's, Newfoundland with a series of one-man stage shows. In 1993, he launched his television career on CBC as one of the creators, performers and writers on the hit topical weekly show THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES. In 1998, he joined Gerald Lunz and Michael Donovan to create the satirical dramatic series Made In Canada, where he again starred and contributed as a writer. In 2001, his CBC special Talking To Americans became the highest rated Canadian comedy special ever with 2.7 million viewers. On July 1, 2014, it was announced that Rick was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and he was inducted in a ceremony at Rideau Hall in September 2015. This past Canada Day, Mercer hosted the three-hour CBC special Canada Day 150! From Coast to Coast to Coast featuring performances in every province and territory across the country.
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About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. We are Canada’s trusted source of news, information and Canadian entertainment. Deeply rooted in communities all across the country, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also provide international news and information from a uniquely Canadian perspective. In 2017, CBC/Radio-Canada will at the heart of the celebrations and conversations with special 2017-themed multiplatform programming and events across Canada.
For more information, contact:
Sarah Goddard, publicist, CBC
sarah.goddard@cbc.ca
416-205-2983
David McCaughna, media contact, RICK MERCER REPORT
david.mccaughna@cbc.ca
416-205-3030
