CBC Radio One satirical current affairs show This Is That will end its nine-year run following this season.
Creators and hosts Pat Kelly and Peter Oldring made the announcement during this morning’s (Sept. 27) show.
New episodes will continue to air Thursdays and Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. (3:30 NT), with the final episode scheduled for Dec. 29.
”After nine seasons on the radio, a best-selling book, a live touring show and an award winning video series, we have decided to hang up our This is That skates,” said Kelly. “The only thing we didn’t do was release one of our episodes on vinyl record. We’ve always wanted to do that.”
“Canada has such a diverse pool of comedic talent, we’re happy that our departure will make room for new up and coming talent,” said Oldring. “CBC Radio One listeners have the greatest ears in Canada.”
The award-winning, satirical send-up of public radio sees Kelly and Oldring improvise the segments, one playing host, the other interviewee. Recorded in Vancouver and edited by longtime producer Chris Kelly, no topic is off-limits from politics and business to culture, justice, science, and religion.
With a nine-year run spanning 165 episodes, 500 stories and more than 50 million views, some of the most unforgettable This Is That satirical news stories were mistaken as real news and covered by national and international media, including headlines like:
● Texas town adds sugar to water supply to encourage residents to drink more water
● ”Bilingual Dog Bylaw proposed in Montreal“
● “Mississauga condo developer forgets to put 120 bathrooms in brand new building”
● “To ensure every child ‘wins’, Ontario athletic association removes ball from soccer”
● “University of Nanaimo sued after refusing to accommodate student with ‘visual allergies'”
Kelly and Oldring will tour Canada with a live show for the 2018/19 season. The show will feature two acts with the first half a mix of the duo performing new and fan-favourite material from the radio show. In the second half, writing responsibilities will be turned over to the audience and they’ll improvise brand new stories on the spot.
Pat Kelly’s career in comedy has spanned over 20 years. The Second City alumnus has appeared at the Just for Laughs Festival. He’s also co-founder of Vancouver-based creative agency Kelly&Kelly and has created award winning TV shows, digital series, branded content and podcast series.
Peter Oldring began his performing career as a teen at the Loose Moose Theatre in Calgary. From there, he studied at the National Theatre School of Canada. He’s performed comedy across the country including at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal and has acted on stage, film and television. He’s been recognized with Canadian Comedy Awards and a Canadian Screen Actors Award.
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