(September 25, 2017 – Toronto, ON) In one of his signature rants, Rick Mercer today announced that when the Rick Mercer Report returns for its 15th season tomorrow night on CBC it will also be the award-winning series last season. Since its launch 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 it first made 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.”
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.
“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 has so far won 4 Gemini and 12 Canadian Screen Awards for television writing and performance and, in 2015, Rick Mercer (pictured above) was once again awarded the Canadian Screen Award for Best Performance in a Variety or Sketch Comedy Program or Series.
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.
