This Hour Has Seven Days

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

This Hour Has Seven Days was a bold Canadian CBC public affairs TV show that ran from October 4, 1964, to May 8, 1966. It was created by Patrick Watson and Douglas Leiterman to push the boundaries of TV journalism and cover the week’s major social and political stories more deeply and frankly than typical newscasts.

The program debuted with hosts John Drainie, Laurier LaPierre, and Carole Simpson (who was later replaced by Dinah Christie). In the second season, Watson took over as co-host after Drainie fell ill. The show combined satirical songs and sketches with serious news interviews, reports, and documentary-style films, all in a one-hour format. It used two main approaches: film essays that followed a direct-cinema documentary style for in-depth public-interest issues, and lively interviews designed to hold public figures to account in what they called the “Hot Seat.” A studio audience joined some segments in what was called the “Small World” portion.

Seven Days, as the show was sometimes described, sought to tackle topics that traditional TV news rarely touched. It featured ambitious, sometimes confrontational reporting and hoped to bring Canadian and international voices into the conversation. The program often experimented with format and content, occasionally prompting controversy.

Among its notable contributions were films and reports that shed light on important issues of the day, including the Munsinger affair, and dramatic on-air moments such as Zolf’s confrontation with a politician at his doorstep. The show also used striking, sometimes provocative stunts—like ambushing public figures to press for answers—and it sometimes drew criticism for its edge.

Each month, Seven Days was briefly replaced by Document, a single-item documentary series. One of Document’s notable works, The Mills of the Gods: Viet Nam, helped establish a lasting impact of the era’s war reporting.

In April 1966, CBC fired Watson and LaPierre, citing concerns about the show’s approach to the news. The firing sparked public outcry, editorials, and a parliamentary inquiry led by Prime Minister Lester Pearson appointing a special investigator. The inquiry found “mistakes made on both sides,” and the CBC board reaffirmed the firings—though the episode highlighted tensions between the network’s management and its production team. After a public dispute over contracts, Seven Days ended, and CBC’s English programming would later produce new investigative programs like W5, 60 Minutes, and The Fifth Estate. The show also inspired the later Canadian sketch series This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

Despite its early termination, Seven Days left a lasting mark on Canadian television journalism. Patrick Watson continued to produce acclaimed documentaries and later served as CBC chairman, while Laurier LaPierre went on to the Senate. Dinah Christie and other contributors kept working in TV and arts. The program was re-aired in the late 1980s, honored as a MasterWorks program in 2002, and remains a notable early example of bold, accountability-driven broadcasting.