If there was any doubt Jordan Foisy was funny, one of the country’s biggest awards shows just silenced it.
In his second year as head writer with This Hour Has 22 Minutes, the Sault-born comedian and his team were recognized with the Canadian Screen Award for “Best Writing, Variety or Sketch Comedy” last week in Toronto.
Formerly known as the Gemini Awards, the Canadian Screen Awards celebrate the country’s film industry annually by recognizing excellence in film, television, and digital media productions.
When SooToday first spoke with Foisy last year, he opened up about his roots in Sault Ste. Marie and shared fond memories of his times on stage with Sault Theatre Workshop and as a student at Sir James Dunn.
After moving away from the Sault to pursue a career in comedy, Foisy worked his way up through the ranks of the comedy scene in southern Ontario before eventually getting hired as a writer with This Hour Has 22 Minutes in 2017.
Three years ago, he got the big promotion to head writer. And now, Foisy has another impressive feat to add to his resume.
“It’s pretty nuts,” he told SooToday. “It feels like a big accomplishment and it’s exciting for sure. We felt we were putting out pretty good stuff, so I felt good about our chances this year. We had a good season, so I had a feeling this was going to be our year.”
On the air for 31 years, the CBC’s long-running show currently reaches upwards of 500,000 cable viewers every Tuesday, combining news parodies and comedy sketches with a focus on Canadian politics.
This Hour Has 22 Minutes is often compared to other like-minded shows in the U.S., including The Daily Show or Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update.
Foisy and his team’s win last Friday marked the first time the show had been recognized for “Best Writing” in years, beating out four other Canadian variety and sketch comedies like Roast Battle Canada, The Legacy Awards 2023, Jann: Alone for the Holidays, and 2022 Scotiabank Giller Prize.
But that wasn’t the only award the show took home.
Recognized for their outstanding achievements during their 30th season last year, This Hour Has 22 Minutes won Canadian Screen Awards in every remaining category they were nominated for, including:
- Best Sketch Comedy Program or Series
- Best Variety or Entertainment Special
- Best Direction, Variety or Sketch Comedy
- Best Performance, Sketch Comedy (Individual or Ensemble)
“We’ve got a great combination of cast members,” Foisy said. “They open up a certain toolbox of performances and sketches and material. Everyone’s working together as a team really well.”
“Some days, it feels like the country is falling apart, so there’s a lot of meat and potato issues that everyone can relate to that are constantly on the front page and worth digging into it,” he added. “There’s lots of targets for good satire and lots of content to pull from.”
While cable viewership has dwindled over the years, the show keeps up with the times by boasting a massive social media presence, especially on Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.
One video had the country, particularly Saultites, belly laughing last year when the show found an opportunity to acknowledge Brent Rouble's pumpkin paddling accomplishment while also poking fun at Sault Ste. Marie.
Perhaps the funniest part of the joke was when Foisy revealed he didn’t even write it.
“I promise we’ll have two to three more Sault Ste. Marie jokes over the next few months,” he laughed.
Wrapping up his third year with the show as head writer, Foisy said he and his team will have loads of content to work with going forward as major social and political events are coming up in the near future, including highly contentious federal elections on both sides of the border.
Regardless of whether or not they win more awards in the future, the former Saultite is focused on doing what’s he’s always strived for: making people laugh.
“I don’t really care about winning it again, although it is really cool,” Foisy admitted. “I just want to keep making the show better and keep it relevant."