When the 91裸聊视频淩ick Mercer Report91裸聊视频� returns to CBC Tuesday night, the opening headline will be 91裸聊视频淔inal Season.91裸聊视频�

The Canadian comedian has decided to end the show in March after 15 seasons and 277 episodes.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, Mercer said there was no 91裸聊视频渟eismic event or epiphany that this should be the end. It91裸聊视频檚 still the best job in the world.91裸聊视频�

It was simply the right time, he said.

Mercer, who turns 48 next month, posted his announcement Monday in a specially taped rant to his 1.3 million Twitter followers.

It will be one of 264 rants he will have performed since the series premiered on Jan. 12, 2004 91裸聊视频� all captured in various graffiti-strewn Toronto alleyways by director of photography Don Spence.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 incredibly proud of the show and everything we91裸聊视频檝e done,91裸聊视频� said Mercer.

To get ready for one last season, he flew thousands of kilometres this summer, taping segments 91裸聊视频渇rom sea to sea to sea.91裸聊视频� One 12-day trip saw him snorkelling in the Arctic Ocean off Cambridge Bay where Canadian underwater archeologists are based.

91裸聊视频淭hey91裸聊视频檙e way up there,91裸聊视频� said Mercer. 91裸聊视频淚t was fantastic.91裸聊视频�

In P.E.I., he hung off the side of the Confederation Bridge with a maintenance crew.

91裸聊视频淚 had nightmares for days afterwards,91裸聊视频� he said.

A message from the alley...

91裸聊视频� Rick Mercer (@rickmercer)

A stop on the B.C. coast saw him helping to release eagles into the wild. In rural Manitoba, he helped seniors paint a grain elevator.

91裸聊视频淭hree coasts and a grain elevator,91裸聊视频� said Mercer. 91裸聊视频淵ou can91裸聊视频檛 get more Canadian than that.91裸聊视频�

All that travel left him with 91裸聊视频渓uggage in my house in various stages of packed and unpacked for 15 years.91裸聊视频�

He praised members of his road crew, including field producer John Marshall, who have been with him from the beginning.

He91裸聊视频檚 proud of all the money raised for causes such as the malaria-prevention 91裸聊视频淪pread the Net91裸聊视频� campaign.

91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 engaged a whole bunch of young people in ways that just keeps on paying dividends,91裸聊视频� said Mercer.

Just how lucky he91裸聊视频檚 been hit him a few years ago when he struck up a conversation with a passenger on a plane.

91裸聊视频淗e revealed to me, sadly, that he didn91裸聊视频檛 have long to live,91裸聊视频� said Mercer. 91裸聊视频淭his man had compiled a bucket list of, like, a hundred things that he was going to do.

91裸聊视频淪o he started explaining his bucket list to me, and I had to stop myself because everything he said, I was like, 91裸聊视频極h, you91裸聊视频檝e got to do that! It91裸聊视频檚 great!91裸聊视频�

Mercer realized that he91裸聊视频檚 been living a bucket list life.

91裸聊视频淵ou don91裸聊视频檛 know how many people you might meet whose fondest dream is to fly in the back of a fighter jet,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频漌ell, I91裸聊视频檝e done that three times.91裸聊视频�

Related:

So why walk away from the best job in television?

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e done this before,91裸聊视频� said Mercer, who was one of the founders of 91裸聊视频淭his Hour Has 22 Minutes.91裸聊视频� That series returns Tuesday night for its 25th season right after the 91裸聊视频淢ercer Report.91裸聊视频�

Mercer was 23 when 91裸聊视频�22 Minutes91裸聊视频� launched and left after eight seasons.

91裸聊视频淎 lot of people said, 91裸聊视频榊ou91裸聊视频檙e mad, why would you walk away from this?91裸聊视频� said Mercer, 91裸聊视频淪ometimes you have to take a chance.91裸聊视频�

What followed was a five-season run on the sitcom 91裸聊视频淢ade in Canada.91裸聊视频� He also scored huge ratings with his 91裸聊视频淭alking to Americans91裸聊视频� comedy special. Factor in 91裸聊视频淢ercer Report91裸聊视频� and he will have been a key part of the CBC schedule for 25 consecutive seasons.

Now that the series is ending, will politicians be clamouring for one last appearance? Mercer shot segments with everyone from former prime ministers Stephen Harper and Jean Chretien to NDP leadership hopeful Jagmeet Singh. He91裸聊视频檚 shied away from that lately, 91裸聊视频渂ut if Bob Rae wants to get naked again for one last skinny dip, he91裸聊视频檚 welcome.91裸聊视频�

He swears he91裸聊视频檚 not leaving to write a book or accept a Senate appointment. He91裸聊视频檚 not angling for a raise or 91裸聊视频渓ooking to spend more time with my family.91裸聊视频� And he promises he won91裸聊视频檛 grow a giant beard like David Letterman.

He doubts he91裸聊视频檒l change his mind, either.

91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 a lot of people who91裸聊视频檝e worked on this show for a long time,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭hey91裸聊视频檙e like family in many ways. They deserve the heads-up.91裸聊视频�

Mercer talked it over with his partner at home and work, executive producer Gerald Lunz. It was their call to go out on top.

91裸聊视频淵ou leave to protect the legacy of the show,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 what you have to do.91裸聊视频�

What will he do next?

91裸聊视频淚 honestly don91裸聊视频檛 know the answer,91裸聊视频� said Mercer. 91裸聊视频淩ight now, I just want this to be the best season ever.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频� Bill Brioux is a freelance TV columnist based in Brampton, Ont.

Bill Brioux, The Canadian Press