This Hour Has 22 Minutes,' a Canadian Sketch Show, Beats American Late Night to the Punchline

This Hour Has 22 Minutes,’ a Canadian Sketch Show, Beats American Late Night to the Punchline

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Fueled by political chaos in Washington and escalating trade friction, the Canadian satirical series This Hour Has 22 Minutes is experiencing a major renaissance on social media. The show has routinely beaten American late-night programs to the punchline since the start of Donald Trump’s second term.

Beating Late-Night Shows to the Punchline on TikTok and YouTube

Hours after Katie Zacharia was fired as White House press secretary just five days into the job, the Canadian sketch comedy show captured the chaos online. By posting polished sketches straight to TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, the series bypassed its weekly Tuesday night broadcast schedule on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and attracted nearly 24 million views.

According to Stacey McGunnigle, a cast member and writer on the show, social media has expanded the program’s reach significantly. Social media has opened up our show beyond what I thought was capable, she said, noting that more young people are regularly watching the program.

The show, running for the last 34 years, has built a reputation for roasting Canadian and American politics. Today, its audience metrics reflect that digital growth. The weekly broadcast averages 571,000 viewers—up 31 percent from 435,000 last season—with 25- to 54-year-olds serving as the leading demographic. Meanwhile, individual digital segments have drawn massive numbers, with the Meet Katie sketch pulling in over 21.5 million views across social media platforms, and the first Karoline Leavitt sketch exceeding 7.8 million views.

Fast-Twitch Newsroom Instincts Amid U.S. Political Chaos

As trade wars, tariffs, and direct insults toward Canada have escalated during Donald Trump’s second term, the show has turned its lens southward. Veterans of the program like Mark Critch, who plays Mr. Trump and is in his 24th season on the show, point out that watching the neighboring political landscape provides endless material.

We’re the quiet house next door, and the house on the other side of the fence, they have a lot of loud parties, and there’s always arguing in the yard. We’re watching over the fence going, ‘Oh, my God, what’s going on?’ We get to observe, which is a good thing for comedy.

Mark Critch, cast member and writer

Executive producer and showrunner Mike Allison noted that audience tuning has climbed alongside rising Canada-U.S. tensions. The writing room frequently targets prominent figures running the U.S. government, such as Kristi Noem and Kash Patel, treating U.S. politics as an extension of Canadian political life.

A Legacy of Knowing Outsiders Looking Across the Border

This satirical dynamic draws on a long-standing tradition of Canadian outsiders analyzing American culture. Graydon Carter, the Canadian-born former editor of Vanity Fair and co-founder of Spy magazine, observed that Canadians are currently feeling an uncharacteristic blush of patriotism driven by impending friction and chaos.

Vanity fair usa

22 Minutes has the DNA of the knowing outsider.

Graydon Carter, former editor of Vanity Fair

That outsider perspective dates back decades, including segments like the 25-year-old Talking to Americans feature. However, the modern iteration of the show relies on fast-twitch reflexes to deploy sketches before American competitors can react—benefiting recently when Saturday Night Live was dark during the week of Ms. Zacharia’s departure.

While some American viewers express frustration over the satirical jabs at their leadership, Mr. Critch notes that many others respond with a familiar refrain. Something I see that’s actually very Canadian is Americans saying they’re sorry, he said. I’m so sorry this is happening. I’m so sorry they’re saying these things about your country. We love Canadians.

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