Harper once clamoured for his 22 Minutes of fame
Cast reflects on 22 years of skewering Canadian politicians on hit CBC comedy’s retrospective airing Tuesday
TORONTO — When the cast of 22 Minutes reflects on the show’s 22 years of skewering Canadian politicians, there’s one public figure they’ve seen change the most: Stephen Harper. Harper was spotlight- hungry while he was Canadian Alliance leader, often requesting to be a part of the satirical news series in the early 2000s, says comedian Mark Critch.
“When I first started going up there on the Hill, I’d be interviewing somebody else. ... Then he would come over and go, ‘ Hey, you want me to do anything with you?’ I’m like, ‘ No, no, we’re good,’’’ Critch recalled.”
The cast was in Toronto recently to attend a gala celebrating the 22nd anniversary of the hit CBC comedy. A special hour- long retrospective episode of 22 Minutes will air Tuesday.
While Harper was once eager to appear on the show, things changed after he became prime minister, according to the cast.
Susan Kent, the newest cast member of 22 Minutes, pointed to a 2008 incident in which comedian Geri Hall was handcuffed and removed from a Halifax news conference by security guards after trying to approach Harper.
“She doesn’t even get anywhere near him, and she’s taken out,” said Kent. “There’s like three or four security guards. They’re waiting. Right away, they come and get her. That’s the moment. That was the moment it changed.
“If you watch the retrospective, you’ll see Mary ( Walsh) kissing Harper on the lips, Harper wanting to be involved, and then all of a sudden it just shut down.”
Asked about Harper’s apparent reluctance to participate in the show, his spokesman Jason MacDonald replied in an email: “We’re not interested in engaging conflict, we’re focused on the priorities of Canadian families.”
The incident with Hall wasn’t the only time 22 Minutes created headlines. In 2011, then- mayor of Toronto Rob Ford famously made a profanitylaced call to police after Walsh ( dressed as Princess Warrior Marg Delahunty) showed up on his driveway.
Among Critch’s most famous stunts was in 2013 when he offered to smoke a joint with Liberal leader Justin Trudeau in the politician’s office. Trudeau burst out laughing and snatched away Critch’s lighter, saying, “You’re not going to hotbox my office!”
Shaun Majumder said the cast feels a responsibility to say things to politicians that many Canadians wish they could say. “As a satirical show, it’s our job to push those buttons and ask those questions that other people will never be able to,” he said. “There’s no other show on Canadian TV right now that does this. We are it.”