This Hour Has 22 Minutes

I can't believe some of the comments mentioned here. First of all, no one should listen to a negative comment which tells you that you shouldn't watch something just because they don't happen to like it. Writing in large caps isn't part of constructive criticism either. For the commenter who said he wrote a review for it, I can guess why it 'mysteriously' disappeared. Was it for an actual magazine, or for a high school Journalism class? You should know that comparing 22 Minutes with Tom Green is like comparing apples to oranges. He went to America, anyway.

Secondly, anyone who has any knowledge of Canadian Comedy whatsoever knows that there are three main types: Sketch, Satire, and Dramatic Comedy. Since 22 minutes is Satire, it's not supposed to be hilarious or keep you on the edge of your seat, but it is supposed to make you think and open your eyes to what's around you. I'll admit that sometimes it's not very thought provoking, but watching it after Sept 11, I found it very comforting.

But just because you don't think it's any good doesn't mean that no one else does. Maybe you just don't understand it. I don't like the Royal Canadian Air Force, but I don't deny that it's a Canadian Classic.

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 used to be a good program. It used to walk the fine line between parody & bad taste. The show was always at its best when the wit and satire carried the message. It seems that in the last 2 seasons (or at least since Rick M. left) the writers have to be so much more blatant in the attacks. Yeah I know, it's still better then a lot of other crap on the tube, but really, it has fallen down several notches. I just don't laugh much anymore when I bother to watch. Not that Air Farce is much better. Now we have 2 comedy shows that are passed their prime. Monday Report may miss as many times as it hits, but at least the edge is there...the smartness is there.

The reason why This Hour Has 22 Minutes is not funny is because it tries to pass off its hackneyed stereotypes as legitimate satire. It's pretty hypocritical to take jabs at the ignorance of others considering that the writers and producers obviously know very little, if anything, about their own country west of Thunder Bay. Mike (from Canmore) is a good example of this: the old "Albertans are toothless hicks" gag - nyuk, nyuk, nyuk. I understand the gist of the sketch, but why is Mike from a beautiful, touristy, mountain resort village? I'm going to make my own sketch comedy show featuring crap like "Talking to Newfies" and "Pete (from Halifax)" - Pete will be a grizzled, old pirate with a corn cob pipe in his mouth, a peg leg and a bottle of rum in hand. Yeeehaaaw!!!

I live by the US/Canada border and CBC is on one of the channels I receive. Every once in a while when I channel surf, I come across This Hour Has 22 Minutes. When I watch it, I really do try to look for the humor. Sometimes, there is. A lot of times, there isn't. About half of their jokes revolve America. "Lets make fun of the Americans!"

The Jokes Are Just Not Funny! I am not stating that only because I am a proud, patriotic American who is taking offense. Not at all. I watch many of our American comedy talk shows (such as Jay Leno), where most of the jokes are about our dumb politicians. We know just how dumb they are, and I'll have you know that we can make fun of them ourselves. And do a better, funnier job of it, too. What I want to know is: why aren't there more jokes about Canada and England? Is America just easier to crack jokes at?

I suppose the Canadian commentators were right - it's not something Americans can understand.