Rick Mercer Report
Encyclopedia
Rick Mercer Report is a Canadian
television
comedy series which airs on CBC Television
. Launched in 2004 and hosted by comedian Rick Mercer
, the weekly half-hour show combines news parody
, sketch comedy
, visits to interesting places across Canada, and satirical
editorials, often involving Canadian politics. The show's format is similar in some respects to satirical news
shows like Mercer's prior series, This Hour Has 22 Minutes
, and to Jon Stewart
's The Daily Show
– however, the Mercer Reports on-location segments are usually played relatively straight in comparison to those on the other shows, since participants are usually aware of Mercer's identity and purpose.
The first two seasons aired on Monday nights – hence the original name, which was likely also a pun on the then-current name of CBC's main Sunday news broadcast, Sunday Report (now the Sunday edition of The National). The Mercer Report now airs Tuesday nights at 8:00 p.m. on CBC. Repeats air regularly on both CBC and The Comedy Network
.
The programme is filmed in front of a live audience at the Canadian Broadcasting Centre
in Toronto
, Ontario
, except for the on-location and rant segments. These segments are shown to the studio audience during taping, with their reactions recorded for broadcast.
and the CBC
. The show has been produced in HD since its third season.
Reruns of the programme have aired on the Comedy Network since October of 2006.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
comedy series which airs 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...
. Launched in 2004 and hosted by comedian Rick Mercer
Rick Mercer
Richard Vincent "Rick" Mercer is a Canadian comedian, television personality, political satirist, and blogger.Mercer first came to national attention in 1990, when he premiered his one man show Show Me the Button, I'll Push It, or Charles Lynch Must Die at the Great Canadian Theatre Company in...
, the weekly half-hour show combines news parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
, sketch comedy
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
, visits to interesting places across Canada, and 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...
editorials, often involving Canadian politics. The show's format is similar in some respects to satirical news
News satire
thumb|right|220px|[[The Daily Show with Jon Stewart]] is a news satire program.News satire, also called fake news , is a type of parody presented in a format typical of mainstream journalism, and called a satire because of its content...
shows like Mercer's prior series, This Hour Has 22 Minutes
This Hour Has 22 Minutes
This Hour Has 22 Minutes is a weekly Canadian television comedy that airs on CBC Television. Launched in 1993 during Canada's 35th general election, the show focuses on Canadian politics, combining news parody, sketch comedy and satirical editorials...
, and to Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
's The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
– however, the Mercer Reports on-location segments are usually played relatively straight in comparison to those on the other shows, since participants are usually aware of Mercer's identity and purpose.
The first two seasons aired on Monday nights – hence the original name, which was likely also a pun on the then-current name of CBC's main Sunday news broadcast, Sunday Report (now the Sunday edition of The National). The Mercer Report now airs Tuesday nights at 8:00 p.m. on CBC. Repeats air regularly on both CBC and The Comedy Network
The Comedy Network
The Comedy Network a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media specializing in comedy programming.The channel operates two time shifted feeds, East and West ....
.
The programme is filmed in front of a live audience 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...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, except for the on-location and rant segments. These segments are shown to the studio audience during taping, with their reactions recorded for broadcast.
Segments
- Monologue — At the beginning part of each show, Mercer covers Canadian politics and comedy during a monologue. In the most recent episodes the opening monologue is rarely more than an outline of the on-location segments to come, punctuated with a related joke or two.
- On-location — On each programme Mercer travels to one or more different parts of Canada, often to communities that are currently in the news or celebrating some event, and collects opinions, reactions, and quotes from people on the street. Oftentimes Mercer will participate in some demonstration related to the location (e.g. driving a TTCToronto Transit Commission-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
bus while visiting the agency's bus compound), with comic results. Two on-location segments (sometimes different locations in the same area, sometimes two distant locations; occasionally one may be a direct continuation of the other) appear in a typical episode. - Ad spoofs — Mercer does a parody ad, often spoofing a real one. Usually appears at least once per episode, right before a commercial break.
- The Front Page — Mercer makes comical comments on certain photos of famous people in the world. Normally seen at the start of segment 2.
- Rant — Mercer does a 'streeter'-style tongue-in-cheek monologue about current issues, using the same format that he popularized on 22 Minutes with a long takeLong takeA long take is an uninterrupted shot in a film which lasts much longer than the conventional editing pace either of the film itself or of films in general, usually lasting several minutes. It can be used for dramatic and narrative effect if done properly, and in moving shots is often accomplished...
and camera tilting. These are almost always taped while Mercer walks up and down a graffiti-strewn Toronto alleyway. Usually used to begin segment 3. - Newsdesk — Additional topical jokes, similar to the newsdesk segments on 22 Minutes, are sometimes seen in the latter part of the programme to pad time.
- Conclusion — During the brief final segment, Mercer invites the audience to visit his website with his blog, video clips and photo challenge. He then mentioned a local event happening in a (usually) small town somewhere in Canada.
Recurring or discontinued
- Daryn Jones — Correspondent Daryn JonesDaryn JonesDaryn Jones is a Canadian comedian and television personality. In 2006 he became the host of MTV Canada's flagship series MTV Live, alongside co-hosts Nicole Holness and Paul “The Intern” Lemieux....
goes out and checks out cool things. This segment was discontinued in Season 3. - Celebrity Tip — A Canadian celebrityCelebrityA celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
gives how-to advice to the audience, such as Geddy LeeGeddy LeeGary Lee Weinrib, OC, better known as Geddy Lee , is a Canadian musician, best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush...
showing viewers how to properly ride a toboggan, Shirley DouglasShirley DouglasShirley Jean Douglas, OC is a Canadian television, film and stage actress and activist. Her acting career combined with her family name has made her recognisable in Canadian film, television and politics.-Personal life:...
demonstrating how to boost a car's battery, Pierre BertonPierre BertonPierre Francis de Marigny Berton, was a noted Canadian author of non-fiction, especially Canadiana and Canadian history, and was a well-known television personality and journalist....
demonstrating how to roll a jointJoint (cannabis)Joint is a slang term for a cigarette rolled using cannabis. Rolling papers are the most common rolling medium among industrialized countries, however brown paper, cigarettes with the tobacco removed, and newspaper are commonly used in developing countries. Modern papers are now made from a wide...
or Conrad BlackConrad BlackConrad Moffat Black, Baron Black of Crossharbour, OC, KCSG, PC is a Canadian-born member of the British House of Lords, and a historian, columnist and publisher, who was for a time the third largest newspaper magnate in the world. Lord Black controlled Hollinger International, Inc...
demonstrating how to wax a maple leafMaple leafThe maple leaf is the characteristic leaf of the maple tree, and is the most widely recognized national symbol of Canada.-Use in Canada:At the beginning of the eighteenth century, the settlements of New France had attained a population of about 18,000...
. The humour in this segment often comes from the juxtaposition between the celebrity and their ability to demonstrate something the viewing public might not have expected them to know how to do. Currently airs sporadically. - Monitor Piece — Occasionally Mercer will perform a "lecture"-type monologue in-studio, usually standing next to a TV screen and waving a metal pointer, attempting to explain a complicated issue or point out the absurdity of a particular policy. Typically the piece will end with an instrumental version of "O CanadaO CanadaIt has been noted that the opening theme of "O Canada" bears a strong resemblance to the "Marsch der Priester" , from the opera Die Zauberflöte , composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and that Lavallée's melody was inspired by Mozart's tune...
" playing in the background. This is a continuation of a sketch style Mercer also used from time to time on 22 Minutes, most famously for the Stockwell DayStockwell DayStockwell Burt Day, Jr., PC, MP is a former Canadian politician, and a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. He is a former cabinet minister in Alberta, and a former leader of the Canadian Alliance. Day was MP for the riding of Okanagan—Coquihalla in British Columbia and the president of...
/ Doris DayDoris DayDoris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
petition sketch.
Production details
Rick Mercer Report is produced by Island Edge IncIsland Edge Inc
Island Edge Inc. is a Canadian television production company founded by Rick Mercer and Gerald Lunz in 1998.It has produced Talking to Americans and Made in Canada and Rick Mercer Report for CBC Television....
and the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
. The show has been produced in HD since its third season.
Reruns of the programme have aired on the Comedy Network since October of 2006.