Jonny Harris 'Still Standing' hits milestone 100th episode with new Season 9

Murdoch Mysteries star Jonny Harris is hitting an epic Canadian milestone with Season 9 of the CBC series Still Standing (premiering Sept. 26), which includes the 100th episode of the show, shot in Dawson City, Yukon.

Harris said reaching this massive feat feels "remarkable."

"It's unbelievable to think that we've done 100 of these," Harris told Yahoo Canada. "I worried in the early days that the one issue that the show would run into before too long was that it would get repetitive, and that hasn't been the case at all."

Watch Still Standing on CBC Gem

For anyone unfamiliar with Still Standing, each season Harris travels to smaller towns across Canada, often "struggling" communities. After really experiencing what all these areas have to offer, he puts on a stand-up comedy routine in each location, celebrating and roasting the community.

"Each place you get to, once you start to chew into it and get some of the personal stories from the town, and get a slice of their history, they ... truly have their own personality," Harris said.

Dawson City initially 'didn't really fit the bill as a struggling town'

To mark the 100th episode of Still Standing, Harris got the opportunity to go to a Canadian town that was always of interest for the show, but Dawson City only became appropriate for the series after COVID-19.

"We've wanted to go to [Dawson City] for a long time, but it didn't really fit the bill as a struggling town," Harris explained. "But with COVID what they've seen, even more than other places, is a decline in the workforce."

Harris explained that there are usually a lot of young people who travel to Dawson City to work during the summer tourist season, which was impacted by the pandemic.

He added that the history of the Klondike Gold Rush and the fact that it's a "breathtakingly beautiful town," makes Dawson City particularly appealing.

'We always see examples of the worst bringing out the best in people'

One of the great experiences the Still Standing audience can have is being able to see all these places across Canada, many of which most people will never get the opportunity to travel to themselves.

"I think a great thing about the show is it's just a little reminder to everybody how other people are doing things and the struggles that other people are overcoming, and they're unique everywhere," Harris said.

"We always see examples of the worst bringing out the best in people."

Watch Still Standing on CBC Gem

In terms of the reactions Harris gets in these communities, there is a lot of excitement when the Still Standing crew comes to town.

"There was a little bit of an acknowledgement of hard times, if you're going to be featured on Still Standing, but we're there to celebrate the place and we're looking for a good survivor story," Harris said. "We're going to show off the best, anything that's unique and interesting, and fun and optimistic and promising about that town."

"I find sometimes communities that are quite ... distant from other places, they have a special kind of pride and they're excited to show it off, and tell you about it."

The importance of Harris' stand-up comedy throughout each episode also can't be underestimated, and allows the viewers to take a particularly unique journey through these towns. While we meet real people and get their real stories, including moments of hardship, there's a brightness that comes from Harris' comedy.

"If we've got really fascinating material to work with, then I get excited," Harris said. "I think to celebrate a place and the efforts that people have made, it doesn't need to be lip service, it doesn't need to be pandering or patronizing."

"I think going through the lens of comedy is particularly important these days. I feel like when it comes to being 'offensive,' ... people are just waiting for words that they can sort of pounce on. ... I think I try to put that out of my mind. .... Because I think it's important to be saucy and to be cheeky. ... As long as I'm doing it, it will always be that way."

Throughout 10 episodes of Still Standing Season 9, Harris will travel to the following towns:

• Amherstburg, Ont.

• Gracefield, Que.

• Southport, Man.

• Slave Lake, Alta.

• Dawson City, Yukon

• Temagami, Ont.

• High River, Alta.

• M’Chigeeng First Nation

• Gander, Nfld.

• Membertou First Nation

How to watch 'Still Standing' with Jonny Harris

The CBC show Still Standing Season 9 will premiere at Sept. 26 at 8:30 p.m. ET, streaming on CBC Gem

Full episodes of Season 1 to Season 8 are available to stream on CBC Gem.