CBC changes mind, plans to reair the Tragically Hip’s momentous hometown concert

By The Canadian Press

TORONTO – The Tragically Hip’s momentous final show of last year’s “Man Machine Poem” tour is getting an encore broadcast on CBC-TV next month.

The national broadcaster says it plans to reair “The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration” commercial-free on June 24.

Running nearly three hours, the Kingston, Ont., concert last August featured the band performing their biggest hits to a sold-out hometown crowd.

It was widely believed to the Hip’s final show as lead singer Gord Downie battles terminal brain cancer.

The show also proved a ratings boon for the network. It drew an average of 4.04 million viewers, making it the CBC’s most popular broadcast last year.

It also ranked among the most-watched events across all of the Canadian networks. Viewership came in behind only the 2016 Super Bowl and Academy Awards telecasts, according to data supplied by ratings agency Numeris.

Fans hosted viewing parties across the country and some local communities held public screenings and afternoon entertainment in the lead-up to the show.

The CBC had originally told viewers the concert would be a one-time event that wouldn’t be rebroadcast again or made available on demand.

Sally Catto, general manager of programming at CBC Television, says the network changed its mind, deciding another showing would be the “perfect way to kick off the summer.”

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