George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight is a Canadian television talk show

Talk show

A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....

 broadcast on CBC Television

CBC Television

CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...

 and hosted by George Stroumboulopoulos

George Stroumboulopoulos

George Mark Paul Stroumboulopoulos is a Canadian television and radio personality, best known as the host of CBC Television's George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight and being a VJ for Canadian music television channel MuchMusic...

. Originally known as The Hour from 2005 to 2010, it first aired on January 17, 2005. The program is currently initially broadcast on CBC Television at 11:05 p.m. local time (11:35 p.m. in Newfoundland

Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...

).
Until 2009, The Hour was seen Monday to Friday at 8:00 p.m. ET on CBC Newsworld; the program was discontinued on that channel in October 2009, when CBC Newsworld was revamped as the CBC News Network.

As The Hour, the show was so named, as it was a daily one hour program. For the show's seventh season, the show was renamed and shortened into a daily thirty minute show, George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight, beginning September 20, 2010. In September 2011, the program was again extended to sixty minutes with its current name.

The show's opening theme song is "The Good in Everyone

The Good in Everyone

"The Good in Everyone" is the first single by Canadian rock band Sloan from the band's third studio album, One Chord to Another. The song is featured on the first edition of MuchMusic's Big Shiny Tunes compilation series. An instrumental version of the song is the current theme for the CBC...

" by Canadian rock band Sloan

Sloan (band)

Sloan is a Toronto-based alternative rock quartet from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Throughout their 20-year tenure Sloan has released 10 LPs , two EPs, a live album, a "best of" collection and no less than thirty singles...

. It replaced the formerly used track, "Use It" from The New Pornographers

The New Pornographers

The New Pornographers is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 1997 in Vancouver, British Columbia.-History:The band's first four albums each ranked in the top 40 on The Village Voices Pazz & Jop year-end poll of hundreds of music reviewers. From 2000 to 2006, either a New Pornographers' album or a...

 at the start of the 2008 broadcast season.

The Hour

The Hour generally opened with Stroumboloupoulos standing just outside the studio, where he addressed the camera, giving the audience hints about each of the upcoming guests. Then, he sometimes made a mention of Sloan (the band who performs the theme song) and proceeded to "Start the Show." While the title flash was shown, George would walk into the studio, past some audience members, and sit down in his red armchair. He then would introduce himself to the audience and the viewers by saying, "Welcome to the show, I'm your boyfriend, George Stroumboloupoulos". He then provided an introduction to each of the guests, briefly describing what they will talk about.

Before each guest entered, Stroumboloupoulos would say a few words about them, then the show would cut to "The Bio." The Bio, a short description, consisted of a series of pictures and video clips, with a voiceover directed at George. During this time, the guest would enter the studio, and take their place in the second red armchair.

Show segments on The Hour included:

• "Mile a Minute" touching on current events around the world, with video or images accompanied by Stroumboulopoulos' commentary.
• "The News" a satiric look at the world of entertainment.
• "The List", a primarily satirical
  Satire
  Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
  
   Top 5 list concerning a current news event.
• "Best Story Ever", a segment where a celebrity briefly relates one of their best personal stories to the camera.

On some programs, Stroumboulopoulos read aloud viewer correspondence, in a segment called "George Reads the Mail."

In earlier seasons, segments on The Hour had included:

• "Canada," a segment similar to Mile a Minute, but limited to current events in Canada. This segment aired only during Seasons One and Two.
• "Time Capsule," showing CBC footage from past events related to current events, sometimes with video and audio. At other times George comments on the video footage.
• "The Newsstand," a one-on-one interview between Stroumboulopoulos and a guest, taking place at a newsstand, discussing issues related to various magazine articles.

The final segment of the show was called "The Closer," and consisted of a monologue

Monologue

In theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...

 by Stroumboulopoulos about a particular current event. Since January 2007, this segment has been replaced by "The List." On some programs, the show ends immediately after the final guest, without "The Closer" or "The List."

George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight

Stroumboulopoulos starts with some introductory notes about himself and the content, then usually presents items in The Debrief giving his own opinion about them. Then sometimes a brief interview, followed by an in-depth interview with a major guest beginning with a biography segment in similar format to The Hour. Starting in September 2011, there are two interviews with major guests.

Guests

Some of the previous guests have included: The Tragically Hip

The Tragically Hip

The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as The Hip, is a Canadian rock band from Kingston, Ontario, consisting of Gordon Downie , Paul Langlois , Rob Baker , Gord Sinclair and Johnny Fay . Since their formation in 1983 they have released 12 studio albums, two live albums, and 46 singles...

, M.I.A.

M.I.A. (artist)

Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam , better known by her stage name M.I.A. , is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, painter and director of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. Her compositions combine elements of hip hop, electronica, dance, alternative and world music. M.I.A...

, Eckhart Tolle

Eckhart Tolle

Eckhart Tolle is a German-born Canadian resident, best known as the author of the The Power of Now and A New Earth, which were written in English. In 2011, he was listed by the Watkins Review as the most spiritually influential person in the world...

, Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin

Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...

, Wyclef Jean

Wyclef Jean

Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...

, Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho

Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...

, Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise

Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....

, Bill Maher

Bill Maher

William "Bill" Maher, Jr. is an American stand-up comedian, television host, political commentator, author and actor. Before his current role as the host of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, Maher hosted a similar late-night talk show called Politically Incorrect originally on Comedy Central and...

, James Cameron

James Cameron

James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...

, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Marlee Matlin

Marlee Matlin

Marlee Bethany Matlin is an American actress. She is the only deaf actress to win the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, which she won for Children of a Lesser God. Her work in film and television has resulted in a Golden Globe award, with two additional nominations, and four Emmy...

, Tim Robbins

Tim Robbins

Timothy Francis "Tim" Robbins is an American actor, screenwriter, director, producer, activist and musician. He is the former longtime partner of actress Susan Sarandon...

, Spike Lee

Spike Lee

Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....

, Ricky Gervais

Ricky Gervais

Ricky Dene Gervais is an English comedian, actor, director, radio presenter, producer, musician, and writer.Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his television series The Office and the subsequent series Extras, both of which he co-wrote and co-directed with friend and frequent collaborator...

, Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....

, Greg Kinnear

Greg Kinnear

Gregory "Greg" Kinnear is an American actor and television personality who first rose to stardom in 1991. He has appeared in more than 20 motion pictures, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in As Good as It Gets.-Early life:Kinnear was born in Logansport, Indiana, the son of...

, John Legend

John Legend

John Roger Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career...

, David Byrne

David Byrne

David Byrne may refer to:*David Byrne , musician and former Talking Heads frontman**David Byrne , his eponymous album*David Byrne , Irish footballer*David Byrne , English footballer...

, former President of the United States Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter

James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...

, Larry King

Larry King

Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....

, LeBron James

LeBron James

LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...

, Henry Rollins

Henry Rollins

Henry Rollins is an American singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, writer, comedian, publisher, actor, and radio DJ....

, Evangeline Lilly

Evangeline Lilly

Evangeline Lilly is a Canadian actress, best known for her role as Kate Austen in the ABC drama, Lost.-Early life:...

, former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan

Scott McClellan

Scott McClellan is a former White House Press Secretary for President George W. Bush, and author of a controversial No. 1 New York Times bestseller about the Bush Administration titled What Happened. He replaced Ari Fleischer as press secretary in July 2003 and served until May 10, 2006...

, Alanis Morissette

Alanis Morissette

Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...

, Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell, CM is a Canadian journalist, bestselling author, and speaker. He is currently based in New York City and has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1996...

, Richard Branson

Richard Branson

Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate, best known for his Virgin Group of more than 400 companies....

, Howard Zinn

Howard Zinn

Howard Zinn was an American historian, academic, author, playwright, and social activist. Before and during his tenure as a political science professor at Boston University from 1964-88 he wrote more than 20 books, which included his best-selling and influential A People's History of the United...

, Kings of Leon

Kings of Leon

Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion, Oklahoma but formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill , Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion,...

, Kylie Minogue

Kylie Minogue

Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...

, Daniel

Daniel Sedin

Daniel Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League , and serves as an alternate captain for the Canucks during home games. His identical twin brother Henrik also plays for the Canucks, and is the team captain...

 and Henrik Sedin

Henrik Sedin

Henrik Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . His identical twin brother Daniel also plays for the Canucks. Having played together throughout their careers, the pair are known for their effectiveness playing off one...

, Sean Avery

Sean Avery

Sean Christopher Avery is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He formerly played for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Dallas Stars and New York Rangers. Prior to the NHL, Avery played for the Owen Sound Platers and the...

, former Canadian Prime Ministers Paul Martin

Paul Martin

Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....

 and Brian Mulroney

Brian Mulroney

Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...

, P!nk

P!nk

Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....

, Smashing Pumpkins, David Suzuki

David Suzuki

David Suzuki, CC, OBC is a Canadian academic, science broadcaster and environmental activist. Suzuki earned a Ph.D in zoology from the University of Chicago in 1961, and was a professor in the genetics department of the University of British Columbia from 1963 until his retirement in 2001...

, Mike Holmes

Mike Holmes

Michael James Holmes is a Canadian professional contractor. He is the host of television show Holmes on Homes, where he rescues homeowners from renovations gone wrong; and its successor TV series, Holmes Inspection...

, Douglas Coupland

Douglas Coupland

Douglas Coupland is a Canadian novelist. His fiction is complemented by recognized works in design and visual art arising from his early formal training. His first novel, the 1991 international bestseller Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, popularized terms such as McJob and...

, Naomi Klein

Naomi Klein

Naomi Klein is a Canadian author and social activist known for her political analyses and criticism of corporate globalization.-Family:...

, Richard Dawkins

Richard Dawkins

Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL , known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author...

, Christopher Hitchens

Christopher Hitchens

Christopher Eric Hitchens is an Anglo-American author and journalist whose books, essays, and journalistic career span more than four decades. He has been a columnist and literary critic at The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, Slate, World Affairs, The Nation, Free Inquiry, and became a media fellow at the...

, Daniel Tammet

Daniel Tammet

Daniel Tammet is a British writer. His best selling 2006 memoir, Born On A Blue Day, about his life with high-functioning autism and savant syndrome, was named a "Best Book for Young Adults" in 2008 by the American Library Association.Tammet's second book, Embracing the Wide Sky, was named one of...

, David Thewlis

David Thewlis

David Thewlis is an English actor of stage and screen. His most commercially successful role to date has been that of Remus Lupin, in the Harry Potter film series...

, Larry Charles

Larry Charles

Larry Charles is an American writer, director, and producer. He is best known as a staff writer for the American sitcom Seinfeld for its first 5 seasons, contributing some of the show's darkest and most absurd storylines...

, Dana White

Dana White

Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...

, Tony Robbins

Tony Robbins

Anthony "Tony" Robbins is an American self-help author and motivational speaker. He became well known through his infomercials and self-help books, Unlimited Power: The New Science Of Personal Achievement and Awaken The Giant Within...

, Gordon Ramsay

Gordon Ramsay

Gordon James Ramsay, OBE is a Scottish chef, television personality and restaurateur. He has been awarded 13 Michelin stars....

, Dave Salmoni

Dave Salmoni

Dave Salmoni is a Canadian animal trainer, entertainer and television producer. He has his own production company, Triosphere, which is based in South Africa and specializes in wildlife films.-Personal life:...

 and Adrien Brody

Adrien Brody

Adrien Brody is an American actor and film producer. He received widespread recognition and acclaim after starring in Roman Polanski's The Pianist . Winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2003 at age 29, he is the youngest actor to do so...

.

George conducted the last public interview granted by journalist and social activist June Callwood

June Callwood

June Rose Callwood, was a Canadian journalist, author and social activist. She was born in Chatham, Ontario and grew up in nearby Belle River.-Early life and career:...

 before her death.

In 2007, The Hour ran a Christmas Special featuring musical performances on set. On June 6, 2008, the show featured an hour-long special with British band Coldplay

Coldplay

Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...

, on December 9 an hour-long special with actor Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise

Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....

 and on December 31, 2008 ran a New Year's Eve Special featuring an interview with former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin

Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...

.

Timeslot history

Name	Season	Period	First broadcast	Repeat
The Hour	1 2	2005 2006	Monday to Thursday 8 p.m. ET  on CBC Newsworld	Monday to Thursday 11 p.m. ET  on CBC Newsworld
The Hour	3 4 5	Oct 2006 - Sept 2007 Oct 2007 - Sept 2008 Oct 2008 - Sept 2009	Monday to Friday 8 p.m. ET  on CBC Newsworld	Monday to Friday 11 p.m. local time (11:30 p.m. NL Newfoundland Standard Time Zone Newfoundland Standard Time ' is a geographic region that keeps time by subtracting 3½ hours from Coordinated Universal Time , resulting in UTC−3:30, or 2½ hours during daylight saving time... ) on CBC Television CBC Television CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
The Hour	6	Oct 2009 - 2010	Monday to Friday 11:05 p.m. local time (11:30 p.m. NL Newfoundland Standard Time Zone Newfoundland Standard Time ' is a geographic region that keeps time by subtracting 3½ hours from Coordinated Universal Time , resulting in UTC−3:30, or 2½ hours during daylight saving time... ) on CBC Television CBC Television CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...	Tuesday to Saturday 5 a.m. local time (5:30 a.m. NL Newfoundland Standard Time Zone Newfoundland Standard Time ' is a geographic region that keeps time by subtracting 3½ hours from Coordinated Universal Time , resulting in UTC−3:30, or 2½ hours during daylight saving time... ) on CBC Television
George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight	7	Sept 2010 -	Monday to Friday 11:05 p.m. local time (11:30 p.m. NL Newfoundland Standard Time Zone Newfoundland Standard Time ' is a geographic region that keeps time by subtracting 3½ hours from Coordinated Universal Time , resulting in UTC−3:30, or 2½ hours during daylight saving time... ) on CBC Television	Tuesday to Saturday 5 a.m. local time (5:30 a.m. NL Newfoundland Standard Time Zone Newfoundland Standard Time ' is a geographic region that keeps time by subtracting 3½ hours from Coordinated Universal Time , resulting in UTC−3:30, or 2½ hours during daylight saving time... ) on CBC Television

• In addition, CBET
  CBET
  CBET, channel 9, is the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's owned-and-operated television station in Windsor, Ontario. The station's signal also covers the Detroit, Michigan area across the international border in the United States, and is counted as a Detroit station for the purposes of...
  
   in Windsor, Ontario
  Windsor, Ontario
  Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
  
   had an additional showing of The Hour at 5 p.m. ET during the sixth season, in lieu of a local newscast at that hour.
• The Friday shows are usually the best guest interviews repackaged into one show.

Taping locations

The program typically tapes at the Canadian Broadcasting Centre

Canadian Broadcasting Centre

The Canadian Broadcasting Centre, located in Toronto, Ontario, is the broadcast headquarters and master control point for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's English-language television and radio services...

 in Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

, Monday to Friday in front of a live studio audience, then is broadcast at 11:05pm (ET).

The show has gone on location to Vancouver

Vancouver

Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...

, Calgary

Calgary

Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...

, Montreal

Montreal

Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

, and St. John's

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...

, and has twice broadcast from London, U.K.

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

.

One remote broadcast came out of an interview with enterprising trader Kyle MacDonald

One red paperclip

The website One red paperclip was created by Kyle MacDonald, a Canadian blogger who bartered his way from a single red paperclip to a house in a series of online trades over the course of a year. MacDonald was inspired by the childhood game Bigger, Better, and the site received a considerable...

 who said the only limitation to his activities would be that he would not make any trade with the citizenry of a small village called Yahk, British Columbia

Yahk, British Columbia

Yahk is an unincorporated hamlet in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. Yahk Provincial Park borders the village to the south. Yahk is located on the Moyie River.CBC Television talk show The Hour taped a live episode in Yahk on February 9, 2006...

. When the citizens protested the exclusion by writing letters to the show, the trader accused Stroumboulopoulos of hypnotizing him into making that statement and he would only go to that town if the show went there first. On February 9, 2006, the producers broadcast an episode from that village.

Awards

The Hour has won six Gemini Award

Gemini Award

The Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...

s:

• 2006 - Viewer's Choice Award
• 2006 - Best Host
• 2007 - Best Talk Series
• 2007 - Best Host
• 2007 - Best Production/Design (Callum MacLachlan for The Hour)
• 2008 - Best Host