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451:, are given a topical and sometimes complex matter to debate, with one serving as an advocate to the resolution while the other takes the contrary side. At the end of the debate, the host appeals to the live audience for applause for each debater, based on a mix of "funny and fact", and then declares a winner, almost always the debater who received the most applause. In instances where the host believes the audience response indicates that they enjoyed both debaters equally, "ties" have also been declared.
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knowledge of the subject, with the debaters trying to provide either the correct or most amusing answer. Finally, each debater is given the opportunity to deliver a one-minute summation of their arguments. The live audience then votes by applauding for who they thought had the best combination of "laughs and logic".
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There are four rounds to each debate: the first allows the comedian to state their position on the issue, which is followed by the "bare-knuckle round" where the two debaters spar with each other directly. This is followed by the "firing line" round, in which the host quizzes the debaters on their
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did it first, debating himself on the topic of "Mixed
Marriages" (S01E09). That is also the only time the show deliberately had one debater debate themself on any topic. Ron Sparks also debated himself on the topic of "Optimism vs. Pessimism", after his debating partner's flight to the show was
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The "Should We Marry?" debate (S12E26) recorded at the 2018 Winnipeg Comedy
Festival on April 15, 2018 and airing May 5, 2018 had high stakes, with anti-wedding Dana Smith agreeing to marry her opponent/boyfriend Tim Gray if he won the debate. He did, and they did just that after the show.
305:. The winner is chosen by audience reaction at the end of the debate. Each season has approximately 33 new episodes. These are recorded in front of live audiences in studios, theatres and clubs across Canada.
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There have also been several debates featuring more than one person arguing for one side. Most are musical duos (The Doo Wops and The
Williamson Playboys), but also a set of twins.
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Each show is 30 minutes in length, and consists of two debates which are roughly each 15-minutes in length. Two guests, usually
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During each episode, two debates take place between two sets of two contestants. The topics are deliberately comedic, such as
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There have been two special double-length debates (full-length episodes featuring just one debate instead of two). "
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nominations for both its radio and television versions, including two wins for Best Radio
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is a
Canadian radio comedy show currently hosted by
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686:. Podyssey
590:References
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