Tag Archives: Rick Mercer

Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

New Production “Stand Up For Canada Starring Rick Mercer” goes to camera this week

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From a media release:

Producers Bruce Hills Entertainment, Counterfeit Pictures, and Hemmings Films are pleased to announce that they will go into production on Stand Up For Canada Starring Rick Mercer, a new one-hour comedy special set to premiere on CBC and CBC Gem. Timing for the premiere will be confirmed at a later date.

Set to film in front of a live audience in Saint John, New Brunswick on October 17, the special will capture a night on Rick Mercer’s wildly successful coast-to-coast comedy tour, which continues through October 2025, and is presented by MRG Live and Bruce Hills Entertainment. Mercer is joined by Canadian comedians Sophie Buddle, Mayce Galoni and Julie Kim, and performed 28 shows across 20 cities, with 24 sold-out venues and more than 40,000 tickets sold.

The Stand Up For Canada Starring Rick Mercer special promises to deliver a funny, insightful and heartfelt celebration of Canada through the comedy of one of the country’s most beloved voices, as well as a new generation of rising stand-up stars. Together, Mercer, Buddle, Galoni and Kim will shine a light on the diverse perspectives, stories and humour that make Canada’s comedy scene one of the richest in the world.

Stand Up For Canada Starring Rick Mercer is produced by Bruce Hills Entertainment, Counterfeit Pictures, and Hemmings Films, in association with CBC.

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Industry News

Ring in the new year with Rick Mercer, host of CBC’s coast-to-coast New Year’s Eve celebration

From a media release:

This New Year’s Eve, join CBC and Rick Mercer to ring in 2023 with a national celebration featuring fireworks and performances from across the country. CANADA’S NEW YEAR’S EVE: COUNTDOWN TO 2023 will be broadcast on CBC TV and CBC Gem on Saturday, December 31 at 11 p.m. (11:20 p.m. AT, 11:50 p.m. NT).

Hosted by Rick Mercer from The Blue Mountains in beautiful Grey County, the all-Canadian lineup includes performances by Devon Cole, JJ Wilde and OKAY TK from Halifax, NS; Vincent Vallières from Quebec City, QC; Chad Price, Kardinal Offishall, and Savannah Ré from The Blue Mountains, ON; James Barker Band from Saskatoon, SK and Leela Gilday from Aurora Village, NWT. There will be fireworks from cities across the country, including Kelowna, BC and St. John’s NL.

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Featured

Preview: Rick Mercer returns to CBC with Comedy Night

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Rick Mercer is back on the CBC, and all is right in the world.

I’ve felt a Mercer-sized hole in the network’s primetime schedule since 2018, when The Mercer Report made its final, well, report. Since then, there has been a global pandemic, dozens of political gaffes and untold silly situations that could have used Mercer’s wry take on.

Let’s get things out of the way first. His first series back on the CBC, Comedy Night with Rick Mercer is not The Mercer Report. The veteran funnyman isn’t behind a desk, by himself, reporting on the world while starring in short skits. And that’s totally OK.

Debuting Tuesday at 9 p.m. on CBC, the eight-episode Comedy Night with Rick Mercer is a great comedy showcase, with Mercer stalking the stage of theatres across Canada, performing standup.

“I’ve done two tours of Comedy Night in Canada, and they are big tours, going from St. John’s to Victoria, 28 rooms, 1,000 to 2,000 seats,” Mercer says.

These tours and this show, of course, offer him the chance to talk about what’s been going on with his life since COVID-19 emerged and observations about the world at large. And, it’s a showcase for Canadian comedians, who perform sets in front of the live audience before sitting down with Mercer for one-on-ones. The project is something Mercer has been doing for years, albeit the first with cameras rolling for TV.

“We’re not reinventing the wheel here,” Mercer says. “There have always been comedy showcases. The difference is, there hasn’t been a comedy showcase in primetime in a very long time.”

Comedy Night with Rick Mercer airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

Images courtesy of JFL.

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Industry News

Join Rick Mercer to say goodbye to 2020 with CBC’s New Year’s Eve special

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From a media release:

This New Year’s Eve, join CBC and Rick Mercer to (finally) ring in 2021 with a national celebration that Canadians can enjoy from home. CANADA’S NEW YEAR’S EVE – A COUNTDOWN TO 2021 will broadcast on CBC TV and the free CBC Gem streaming service on Thursday, December 31 at 11 p.m. in every time zone. 

Hosted by Rick Mercer, the all-Canadian lineup includes performances by multi-platinum recording artist Tyler Shaw joined by Simone Denny; alt-pop duo Neon Dreams from Halifax, NS; folk singer-songwriter William Prince from Winnipeg, MB; Alan Doyle and friends from around Newfoundland and Labrador; folk/rock group The Jerry Cans and special guests from Iqaluit, NU; pop icon Lights and producer Felix Cartal performing together in Vancouver, BC; country star Brett Kissel from Flat Lake, AB; hip-hop/electro trio Random Recipe from Montreal, QC; and the Maritime Bhangra Dancers from Halifax, NS.

The annual special will also include a look into some of the intimate celebrations Canadian families are having across the country this year.

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Rick Mercer Report

Link: Rick Mercer’s last rant

From Tony Wong of the Toronto Star:

Link: Rick Mercer’s last rant
“I have chairs. Do you want some chairs?”

Rick Mercer points to the studio floor, then looks at me expectantly with that famously arched eyebrow.

We are seated at his anchor desk in the 10th-floor studio at CBC’s Toronto headquarters. “I can sell you them for $20 each. After this week, they have to go.” Continue reading.

 

 

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