Tag Archives: CBC

Run the Burbs

Links: Run the Burbs, Season 3

From Aisling Murphy of the Toronto Star:

Link: He’s a dad, a TV star and a sneakerhead: Andrew Phung of ‘Run the Burbs’
It’s easy to draw a road map of Andrew Phung’s adult life when sifting through his sneaker collection. From the pair worn during a final audition for “Kim’s Convenience” to those donned at his wedding, they tell a story about the Canadian comedian who went on to become the face of CBC, first as sidekick Kimchee on the celebrated comedy “Kim’s Convenience” and now as suburban dad Andrew on “Run the Burbs.” Continue reading.

From Elisabetta Bianchini of Yahoo News:

Link: ‘Run the Burbs’ with Andrew Phung, Rakhee Morzaria is so engaging, fans keep pitching their own ideas
“It’s a season focused on family, so for me it was … seeing the ups and downs of family, seeing kids turning 17 and 13, finding their independence, seeing a family dealing with, how do we spend time with each other? How do we find the work-life balance? Having Camille’s dad move into her house, so having multiple generations in a house.” Continue reading.

From Eric Volmers of the Calgary Herald:

Link: Andrew Phung’s very Canadian family sitcom finding audience south of the border
When the American show Access Hollywood recently ran a trailer for the Canadian family sitcom Run the Burbs host Mario Lopez showed enthusiasm for the show even if he was a bit confused geographically. Continue reading.

From Max Goldbart of Deadline:

Link: Hulu Buys Canadian Comedy ‘Run The Burbs’
Canadian comedy Run the Burbs has been picked up by Hulu for its second window in the U.S. Continue reading.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Featured, Push, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Push Season 2 to premiere on CBC and CBC Gem

From a media release:

Produced by Fenix Film & Television and Small Army Entertainment in association with CBC and Accessible Media Inc. (AMI), PUSH Season 2 will premiere on Sunday, January 14th at 7:30 PM on CBC and the free-streaming service CBC Gem. PUSH Season 2 features eight, 30-minute episodes.

The ground-breaking CBC original docu-series, PUSH, is back for a second season. Pulling back the veil on life as a wheelchair user, PUSH once again takes audiences into the inner world of the ‘Wheelie Peeps’, an unlikely group of friends bonded by their shared experience of life on wheels. Season 2 features returning favourites including the group’s fearless and unfiltered leader, Bean Gill; Canada’s favourite potty-mouthed and self-proclaimed redneck, Brian McPherson; concert pianist, entrepreneur and adventure-seeker, Riccardo Baldini; and more! Nothing is off the table as this bold group of friends tackle everything life throws their way. From the logistics and stigmas of sex with a fellow wheelchair user, to navigating new motherhood as a “quad mom”, to facing the people and places who knew them pre-injury, Season 2 has The Peeps confronting their past, facing their demons and supporting new members of the group through the early days of wheelchair life.

Benveet “Bean” Gill is the “mother hen” and unofficial ringleader of the Wheelie Peeps. Bean shares, “After I was paralyzed, I made it my mission to go find my homies, my fellow friends in wheelchairs. After a while, there was a big group of us and we called ourselves the Wheelie Peeps. I believe in having a strong support system around you, and I’m grateful to have one. I went through so many dark days alone and after seeing the power of community, I vowed to never let anyone have a dark day alone again. The Wheelie Peeps have lifted each other up. We help each other when equipment breaks. We laugh with each other, and we have cried many tears together. We learn so much from each other.”

PUSH Season 2 premieres on Sunday, January 14th at 7:30 PM on CBC and the free-streaming service CBC Gem. AMI-tv will additionally air PUSH Season 1 on Monday, January 15th, and Season 2 on Monday, March 18th.

Shot from May to October 2023 in Edmonton, Alberta, Fano, Italy, and Salt Lake City Utah, PUSH Season 2 is executive produced by Sean De Vries and Kaitlan Stewart and produced by Kaitlan Stewart with Benveet “Bean” Gill acting as consulting producer. Dylan Wertz is series showrunner, Frederick Kroetsch and Rebecca Campbell are at the helm as directors and Daniel Ennett as story producer and co-director. 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Bad Blood, Featured, Private Eyes, Wild Cards

Preview: CBC’s Wild Cards is a primetime delight

2 Comments

Watching the first episode of Wild Cards, I was immediately reminded of Private Eyes. Criminally cancelled too soon, the Jason Priestley/Cindy Sampson series had the same spunk and heart Wild Cards has. Turns out that makes sense, as many of the behind-the-scenes folks involved worked on Private Eyes too.

Debuting Wednesday at 8 p.m. on CBC and CBC Gem, Wild Cards is charming, light and full of fun. Created by Michael Konyves (Bad Blood) Wild Cards features demoted big-city detective Cole Ellis (Giacomo Gianniotti, Murdoch Mysteries), who is paired with clever con woman Max Mitchell (Vanessa Morgan, Degrassi, Saving Hope), to solve crimes.

With a whos-who of producers in Private Eyes‘ James Genn, Shawn Piller, Lloyd Segan and writers Alexandra Zarowny, James Thorpe—and Wynonna Earp‘s Noelle Carbone and Coroner‘s Morwyn Brebner—there is plenty to like writing-wise. And the casting and lead cast chemistry is spot-on.

When we first meet Max, she’s plotting to rob a rich woman of her fortune. Caught by the police, Max is hauled into the police station for questioning by Cole, who was called in from harbour duty—the bulk of his days are filled giving tickets to wayward boaters—when the third in a string of high-profile thefts take place. With all hands on deck to solve the crimes, Cole is relegated to handling Max. Overhearing the police chief (Terry Chen) describe the circumstances of the latest heist, Max divulges to Cole what she thinks the thief will do next. She’s right, and the City Commissioner teams the two up. Solve the case, and Cole is back on the beat he wants and Max gets probation. Win-win, right?

While Cole is by the book, Max’s unique set of skills is key to capturing the baddie. I wasn’t even halfway through Wednesday’s pilot, “The Infinity Thief,” and was already enjoying the back-and-forth repartee between Gianniotti and Morgan. Morgan’s Max is sassy and smart, going over the top with clothing, accents and charm to gather intel while Cole tries to keep up.

I won’t ruin the ending of the episode, but the storyline does involve twins, priceless art and one of many appearances by the aforementioned Jason Priestley, who checks in as Max’s dad, George. This new series is wild, and I’m loving it.

Wild Cards airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on CBC and CBC Gem.

Images courtesy of CBC.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Featured, One More Time

CBC unveils winter 2024 streaming and broadcast slate featuring more than 20 series from Canadian storytellers

1 Comment

From a media release:

CBC today announced streaming and broadcast premiere dates for its winter 2024 slate of new and returning programming on CBC Gem and CBC TV, including more than 20 original series from Canadian creators, producers, and storytellers reflecting people, places and perspectives from across the country. The first episode of all series will be available to stream on CBC Gem starting at 9 a.m. ET on their premiere dates noted below, with a new episode available weekly at the same time unless otherwise specified. CBC TV local broadcast times are noted in parentheses (for Newfoundland and Labrador, please add half an hour to all times).

New Canadian Original Series

ONE MORE TIME New Comedy Series (13×30) – Premieres Tuesday, January 9 (9 p.m.)
Stand-up comedian D.J. Demers created and stars in new workplace comedy series ONE MORE TIME as the hard-of-hearing manager of a second-hand sporting goods store.

WILD CARDS New Drama Series (10×60) – Premieres Wednesday, January 10 (8 p.m.)
Comedic crime-solving drama WILD CARDS follows the unlikely duo of Ellis (Giacomo Gianniotti, Grey’s Anatomy), a gruff, sardonic cop and Max (Vanessa Morgan, Riverdale), a spirited, clever con woman, set against the backdrop of beautiful Vancouver. Acclaimed actor Jason Priestley (Beverly Hills, 90210) joins the cast as a recurring guest star, playing Max’s father and master con man, George.

GHOSTING WITH LUKE HUTCHIE AND MATTHEW FINLAN New Factual Entertainment Series (8×30) – All episodes available to stream on CBC Gem beginning Friday, January 26
Two actors known exclusively for their work in the horror genre step off script and into their own real-life thriller on their quest to decipher if Canada’s most ghostly places are truly haunted.

FOR THE CULTURE WITH AMANDA PARRIS (6×60) New Documentary Series – All episodes available to stream on CBC Gem beginning Tuesday, January 30
In this documentary series, award-winning writer, executive producer and host Amanda Parris leaves the wars raging on social media to create space for urgent and provocative conversations that centre Blackness and Black folks.

ALLEGIANCE New Drama Series (10×60) – Premieres Wednesday, February 7 (9 p.m.)
Supinder Wraich (Sort Of), Enrico Colantoni (Station Eleven), Stephen Lobo (Continuum), Adolyn H. Dar (Superman & Lois), Brian Markinson (A Million Little Things) and David Cubitt (Virgin River) star in new police procedural ALLEGIANCE, telling the story of a young woman caught between her allegiance to her flag, to her badge, and to her family.

THE GREAT CANADIAN POTTERY THROW DOWN New Factual Entertainment Series (8×60) – Premieres Thursday, February 8 (8 p.m.)
Jennifer Robertson (Schitt’s Creek) hosts this open-hearted competition series that sees ten talented Canadian potters face each other to be crowned Canada’s Top Potter, with help from guest judge Seth Rogen.

Returning Series

CORONATION STREET ongoing (weekdays at 7 p.m.; Fridays at 7:30 p.m.)

FAMILY FEUD CANADA Season 5 (102×30) – Continues Monday – Thursday (7:30 p.m.)

BEST IN MINIATURE Season 3 (8×60) – All episodes available to stream on CBC Gem beginning Tuesday, December 26 (airing Tuesday, December 26 to Friday, December 29 at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on CBC TV)

MURDOCH MYSTERIES Season 17 (24×60) – Continues Monday, January 1 (8 p.m.)

DRAGONS’ DEN Season 18 (16×60) – Continues Thursday, January 4 (8 p.m.)

THE NATURE OF THINGS Season 63 (14×60) – Premieres Thursday, January 4 (9 p.m.) The new season kicks off with A User’s Guide to the Voice (January 4) as host Anthony Morgan puts his own vocal chords to the test in a rollicking exploration of the human voice, and in Mystery of the Walking Whale (January 11), host Sarika Cullis-Suzuki unravels one of the greatest mysteries of evolution – how whales lost their legs!

Feature Documentaries (9×120) – Premieres Sunday, January 7 (8 p.m.)

CBC Docs will spotlight compelling feature-length documentaries, from Canada and around the world, including the following:

SATAN WANTS YOU (directed by Sean Horlor and Steve J. Adams) premieres January 7

MALCOM IS MISSING (directed by Robert Osborne and Jari Osborne) premieres January 14

THE MAN WHO STOLE EINSTEIN’S BRAIN (directed by Michelle Shephard) premieres January 21

COVEN (directed by Rama Rau) premieres January 28

WITHOUT PRECEDENT: THE SUPREME LIFE OF ROSALIE ABELLA (directed by Barry Avrich) premieres February 4

CYNARA (directed by Sherien Barsoum) premieres February 18

SKYMASTER DOWN (directed by Andrew Gregg) premieres February 25

I AM SIRAT (directed by Deepa Mehta and Sirat Taneja) premieres March 3

THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES Season 31 (24×30) – Continues Tuesday, January 9 (8 p.m.)

SON OF A CRITCH Season 3 (13×30) – Premieres Tuesday, January 9 (8:30 p.m.)

RUN THE BURBS Season 3 (13×30) – Premieres Tuesday, January 9 (9:30 p.m.)

BOLLYWED Season 2 (10×30) – Premieres Sunday, January 14 (7 p.m.)

PUSH Season 2 (8×30) – Premieres Sunday, January 14 (7:30 p.m.)

CBC News

MARKETPLACE Season 51 (17×30) – Continues on Fridays (8 p.m.)

ABOUT THAT WITH ANDREW CHANG (14×30) – Premieres Friday, January 5 at 8:30 p.m. on CBC TV (Weekday mornings on CBC News Explore and available now on CBC Gem)

ABOUT THAT delves deeper into daily news by expanding our understanding of the stories everybody’s talking about, featuring a blend of frank conversation, explainers and feature interviews.

THE FIFTH ESTATE Season 49 (15×60) – Continues on Fridays (9 p.m.)

THE NATIONAL – ongoing (live at 10 p.m. weekdays and Sundays on CBC TV and CBC Gem)

CBC’s flagship national newscast with Chief Correspondent Adrienne Arsenault (Monday – Thursday) and Ian Hanomansing (Friday and Sunday)

CBC MORNING LIVE WITH HEATHER HISCOX (Weekday mornings on CBC TV and CBC News Network)

CANADA TONIGHT WITH TRAVIS DHANRAJ (Weeknights on CBC News Network)
With new host Travis Dhanraj taking the helm on Monday, January 15, CANADA TONIGHT will continue to go beyond the headlines to bring context and diverse perspectives from across the country on top news stories that matter most to Canadians, with a recently expanded time slot of two hours from 7 to 9 p.m. ET.

POWER & POLITICS (Weeknights on CBC News Network)

ROSEMARY BARTON LIVE (Sundays on CBC TV and CBC News Network)

CBC Sports

CBC SPORTS PRESENTS – ongoing (live on Saturday and Sunday afternoons on CBC TV and CBC Gem)

CBC SPORTS brings audiences all the action from the world of high-performance sport with key competitions including: World Aquatics Championships (Doha, Qatar, Feb. 2 – 18), World Speed Skating Championships (Calgary, Feb. 15 – 18), Bobsleigh & Skeleton World Championships (Winterberg, Germany, Feb. 22 – Mar. 2), World Athletics Indoor Championships (Glasgow, Scotland, March 1 – 3), World Allround & Sprint Speed Skating Championships (Inzell, Germany, March 8 – 10) and World Figure Skating Championships (Montreal, March 18 – 24). Canada will also host international competitors at the following World Cup events: Freestyle Skiing Moguls World Cup (Val Saint-Côme, Que., Jan. 20 – 21), Freestyle Ski Cross World Cup (Nakiska, Alta., Jan. 20 – 21), Speed Skating World Cup (Quebec City, Feb. 2 – 4), Freestyle Skiing Aerials World Cup (Calgary, Feb. 10 – 11), Freestyle Skiing Halfpipe World Cup (Calgary, Feb. 17 – 18), World Aquatics Diving World Cup (Toronto, Feb. 26 – Mar. 3) and Snowboard Cross World Cup (Mont-Sainte-Anne, Que. Mar., 23 – 24). Visit cbcsports.ca for the full schedule.

CBC Kids

DINO RANCH Season 3 (26×22) – Premieres Saturday, January 6 on CBC Gem and CBC TV, with a new episode available weekly In a new season of the preschool animated series, the Dino Ranchers and their dinosaurs take care of their home and herds with creative problem-solving and the support of their family.

GANGNAM PROJECT New Series (10×30) – Premieres Friday, March 8 on CBC Gem, with a new episode available weekly
A new tween dramedy series set in the world of K-pop, GANGNAM PROJECT tells the story of Hannah Shin, a Canadian-Korean tween with dreams of becoming a K-pop star and connecting with her Korean heritage. One summer, she accepts a job as an English tutor at an elite K-pop training school and ends up getting much more than she bargained for.

THE NEXT STEP Season 6 (26×30) All episodes available to stream on CBC Gem beginning Friday, March 1
The Next Step has another shot at Regionals. This season, the dancers face some tough decisions as they decide whether their own aspirations are more important than that of A-Troupe as a whole.

THE NEXT STEP Season 8 (26×30) Two episodes available weekly on CBC Gem beginning Friday, March 8 (Season 7 available to stream now) Despite the odds being stacked against them, some dancers at The Next Step want nothing more than to continue on the road to Nationals, while others learn dreams can grow and change into something totally new and unexpected.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

CBC competition series Best in Miniature returns for Season 3 on December 26

From a media release:

BEST IN MINIATURE (8×60) is back with 10 exceptionally talented miniaturists from Canada and abroad, promising a season of unrivaled creativity and innovation. Season 3 premieres Tuesday, December 26, with all episodes available to stream at 9 am ET on CBC Gem, followed by daily back-to-back episodes on CBC TV beginning Tuesday, December 26 through Friday, December 29 at 8 pm (8:30 NT) and 9 pm (9:30 NT).

This season, the 10 miniaturists will unleash their creative superpowers, crafting petite wonders in 1/12 scale, as time ticks away. In each episode, the judges will decide whose delicate dreams have come to an end, and who’s got what it takes to move forward for the chance to claim a prestigious residency and $10,000. The miniaturists better not get worked up over the minor details because if they survive the chopping block, they’ll score the ultimate prize.

Actor and stand-up comedian Aba Amuquandoh returns as host, alongside judges, UK miniature expert Emma Waddell, and esteemed Canadian interior designer and entrepreneur Micheal Lambie.

Meet the Season 3 competitors vying to be crowned Best in Miniature, including five Canadians:

Shelley Acker from Kentville, Nova Scotia has been making miniatures for almost 25 years and is the owner of Freedom Miniatures, a full-service miniatures and hobbies store. Shelley’s skills in miniatures were showcased as one of two Art Directors on the 2022 multi-award-winning documentary feature film Bernie Langille Wants to Know what Happened to Bernie Langille.

Jen Arnold from Winnipeg, Manitoba is a full-time social worker, who finds her strength in the time she spends building hand-held memories, and considers her art as her own form of self-care. Her work has been featured in The Winnipeg Free Press, Global News Morning Winnipeg, Winnipeg radio station 680 CJOB, CBC Radio Information Morning, as well as in the Lac Du Bonnet and Manitoba Clipper.

Lance Cardinal from Bigstone Cree Nation in Alberta is a First Nations 2-Spirit artist, designer and television personality, who has quickly become one of the province’s leading First Nation artists and entrepreneurs. His 30-year journey has allowed him to work with world-class organizations all over Canada, including The Edmonton Oilers, IKEA Edmonton, Kunitz Shoes, Rugby Canada, Unbelts, Telus World of Science, Rogers Place, Fort Edmonton Park, and Re/Max Field.

Tiffany Monk is originally from England and now lives in Sutton, Quebec. Tiffany is a versatile multidisciplinary artist with a background in prop making, sculpting and model making for film. She has worked on a number of diverse film and TV projects in both England and Canada including John Carter, The 100 and a number of independent stop-motion animation films and projects.

Arline Smith is from the UK and now lives in Port Hope, Ontario. She is a many-faceted artist and has spent the past fifty years creating everything from a pea to an elephant. After graduating from Liverpool College of Art, she joined The Royal Shakespeare Company as a costumier and worked alongside Sir Ben Kingsley and Dames Helen Mirren and Judy Dench.

In the lead up to the Season 3 premiere, Miniature enthusiasts can catch up on Seasons 1 & 2 on CBC Gem.

BEST IN MINIATURE is produced by marblemedia, a Blue Ant Media company, in association with CBC. Matt Hornburg, Mark Bishop, Diane Rankin and Donna Luke are executive producers; Erica Lenczner is series producer; the series is created by development producer Kelsey Espensen. 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail