The Hour
The Hour, renamed George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight in 2011, was a late night Canadian Talk Show produced and broadcast by the CBC and hosted by George Stroumboulopoulos, a former VJ from MuchMusic, a Canadian music channel. For obvious reasons, his last name is often shortened to just "Strombo". He also hosted The Strombo Show on CBC Radio 2.
The show ran from 2005 to 2014, when Strombo took the host's chair at Hockey Night in Canada - which has just moved from CBC to rival network Sportsnet.
Not to be confused with the movie/film The Hours. Also not to be confused with The BBC's 2011 drama series The Hour, set at the time of the Suez crisis.
Tropes used in The Hour include:
- Catch Phrase: Always opens with "Welcome to The Hour. I am your boyfriend, George Stroumboulopoulos." Always closes with "That's time."
- Cold Open: Before the show actually starts, there's a short comedic skit of sorts with that night's guest(s) and the writing staff. It continues at commercial breaks and the end of the show. Perhaps a subversion, in that the cold open has nothing to do with the show itself.
- Election Night: As a news/current events show, it obviously deals with this.
- Exactly What It Says on the Tin: See Running Time in the Title
- Sadly, not anymore. As of 2010 the show has been renamed "George Stroumboulopoulous Tonight" and shortened to half an hour.
- Leaning on the Furniture: Worst posture ever.
- Old Media Playing Catch Up: Averted. George is completely New Media-savvy, probably due to his young age compared to many other talk/news show hosts and his experience at MuchMusic and on radio.
- Real Song Theme Tune: Currently "The Good in Everyone" by Sloan, formerly "Use It" by The New Pornographers. Incidentally, both are Canadian bands.
- Running Time in the Title: Each episode is, naturally, an hour long (including commercials).