This Hour Has 22 Minutes

I can't believe this show hasn't been cancelled yet, as bad as it has gotten over the past many years the last 2 to 3 years have been just pathetic! The cast is tired and old, by that I mean they are doing the same old characters and jokes. The writing is obviously terrible with really bad jokes you are probably already thinking of the punchlines for before they get to them on the show. They just have turned completely into Royal Canadian Air Farce and that should be very embarrassing for a show that once was so much better than that with sharp writing and a great cast that could do many characters and didn't keep doing the same things over and over. I am so tired of looking at these people on this show, they need new blood, new actors and definitely new writers too because these people obviously just don't care any more, but after 20 years or however long it's been who can blame them? They took forever to cancel Royal Canadian Air Farce so please CBC before it gets any worse cancel this show or replace everyone with new people who have new ideas!

I watched this show again a couple of times this season and didn't even know that they had a new cast. Obviously I knew Rick Mercer left but the other guy is also gone. The show was really bad, not funny for even a moment. The sketches are really pathetic and so are the characters. Gavin (one of the newer cast members) can do some okay character pieces but all of the characters are basic stereotypes and annoying. Mark Critch is one of the most annoying people I have ever seen on TV. I hate what CBC is doing now the comedy shows they make are pathetic. Air Farce is gone but now we have Ron James and still 22 Minutes, any comedy that isn't pathetic jokes by Newfoundlanders, CBC? Get rid of Mercer too because even he is not funny any more. I'm ashamed of the shows CBC is making nowadays.

This show is like watching a community players theater group do sketches every week that they think are funny. The impressions are all just terrible....how many times are we supposed to watch Cathy Jones and Susan Kent dress up like men and still find it funny? The correct answer is zero because it's not funny at all. Shawn Majumder and Mark Critch are just not funny and can't do impressions either. Watching Mark Critch pretend to be Al Pacino was one of the most painful experiences of my TV watching life I felt so extremely embarrassed for him and his family it was unbelievable. Who has the idea that these people should still be on TV after all these years doing the same bad impressions and the same bad jokes?

Despite the fact that it's not daily, but weekly, "This Hour Has 22 Minutes" is exactly "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" for Canadians. Just take away unsuspecting citizen guest stars, except for the hilarious "Talking to Americans", where Rick Mercer would travel to America and tell them fictional trivia and ask them questions, now missing from the show due to his leaving and Colin Mochrie's coming.

In fact, "Talking to Americans" just proves: if you're American and you live in America, you probably don't know anything about our politics or politicians, so you probably won't get it. "22 Minutes" is meant for us Canadians. I can't really put it much another way. Many people regard Canada as "peaceful" or "America Jr."(despite the fact we're bigger than you). But we hate our politicians, love to make fun of them just as much, and have many of our own problems, including bad Canadian original programming(this is one of those great shows like "The Simpsons" that makes fun of the very channel it's on), and our unpredictable stock exchange, strange yet incredibly unnecessary-to-mention crimes, and over-spending by the government.

If you lived here, you'd understand.

Let's face it. The daily news is usually boring, upsetting and provokes anger and disappointment with stories presented about government, corporate corruption, etc. etc. The list is endless. This Hour Has 22 Minutes pokes fun at current news events and gives us not only a daily dose of what's happening in Canada and abroad, but how our political leaders and celebrities approach the situations when interviewed impromptu in Ottawa.

Currently on sabbatical, Mary Walsh wasn't shy in character as Marg Delahunty who did a great job hunting down Jean Chretien, Paul Martin, and all the Ministers on their way to their daily meetings. You could see politicians ducking for cover, but she always caught up with them! Mary Walsh and Greg Thomey were also hilarious as Ma & Eddie Reardon, the trailer trash mother and son who hauled their couch to the Gemini Awards to meet their TV celebrities backstage.

Also memorable are the episodes featuring Colin Mochrie doing his Max Pointy routine and he can imitate anyone from any commercial.

The news got you down? Tune into 22 Minutes. The news can be funny!