CBC Radio One’s groundbreaking satirical current affairs show THIS IS THAT today announced that it will bid listeners farewell at the end of this season. The announcement was made by creators and hosts Pat Kelly and Peter Oldring during this morning’s show. Since its debut in 2009, Kelly, Oldring and producer Chris Kelly have introduced audiences to the voices and stories that give Canada character in this improvised send-up of public radio. New episodes will continue to air Thursdays and Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. (3:30 NT), with the final episode scheduled for December 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.”
“Congratulations to Pat, Peter, Chris and the whole team at This Is That for an outstanding nine-year run,” said Susan Marjetti, Executive Director of Radio and Audio, CBC. “The show has consistently kept listeners laughing. They leave behind a remarkable legacy.”
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 such as:
- 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”
Hosts Pat Kelly and Peter Oldring will be touring Canada with a live show for the 2018/19 season. The show is in two acts: The first half is a mix of the duo performing new and fan-favourite material from the radio show. In the second half, they turn the writing responsibilities over to the audience and improvise brand new stories on the spot.
THIS IS THAT is an award-winning current affairs program that doesn’t just talk about the issues, it fabricates them. Kelly and Oldring improvise the segments, one playing host, the other the interviewee, which is recorded in Vancouver, and edited by longtime producer Chris Kelly. Nothing is off-limits – politics, business, culture, justice, science, religion. If it’s relevant to Canadians, the dynamic duo will find out the “this” and “that” of the story.
Pat Kelly’s career in comedy has spanned over 20 years. He is an alumnus of The Second City, has appeared at the Just for Laughs Festival and once met Paul McCartney in a steam room. As the co-founder of the Vancouver based creative agency Kelly&Kelly, he has created award winning television shows, digital series, branded content and podcast series.
Peter Oldring began his performing career as a long haired teenager at the Loose Moose Theatre in Calgary. From there he studied at the National Theatre School of Canada where he cut his hair. He’s performed comedy across the country including at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal where he briefly entertained a perm but a friend convinced him otherwise. He’s acted on stage and in both film and television where he’s sported anything from frosted tips, to high fades and even the Jennifer Aniston. He would be considered a triple threat if only he could sing and dance, but as a mono threat he’s thrilled to have been recognized with Canadian Comedy Awards and a Canadian Screen Actors Award as well.
