Everything about Allegiance, eh?

Allegiance, Featured, Heartland, Murdoch Mysteries, Saint-Pierre, Wild Cards

CBC renews Allegiance, Wild Cards, Murdoch Mysteries, Heartland and Saint-Pierre

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From a media release:

CBC today announced the renewal of popular original homegrown dramas including CBC’s most-watched new series SAINT-PIERRE for a second season, as well as Canadian Screen Award-nominated series ALLEGIANCE for a third season and enduring hits HEARTLAND and MURDOCH MYSTERIES for their 19th seasons. CBC original blue sky procedural WILD CARDS has also been renewed for seasons three and four. In the past year, all five dramas were among the Top 20 Canadian programs on television, and within the Top 10 series on CBC Gem. Additional CBC renewals across all genres and content areas will be announced later this spring.

“With the renewal of these five hit dramas offering compelling characters, unique stories and a strong sense of place from different regions across Canada, CBC will continue to showcase homegrown storytelling that audiences can’t find anywhere else,” said Sally Catto, General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports, CBC.

Police procedural SAINT-PIERRE (12×60 in Season 2) was CBC’s #1 most-watched new series of the year and one of the top Canadian drama series nationwide. From creators Allan Hawco, Robina Lord-Stafford and Perry Chafe, the series stars Hawco and Josephine Jobert as two seasoned officers – with very different policing skills and approaches – working together to solve unique and exciting crimes in the French territory of Saint-Pierre et Miquelon. The series is produced by Hawco Productions in association with FIFTH SEASON, which handles global distribution.

Set and filmed in Vancouver, WILD CARDS (10×60 for both Seasons 3 and 4) is a blue sky procedural with a comedic twist that follows the unlikely duo of a by-the-book, sardonic cop Cole Ellis (Giacomo Gianniotti) and a spirited, clever con woman Max Mitchell (Vanessa Morgan) who are partnered together to solve crimes. From Blink49 Studios, Front Street Pictures and Piller/Segan in association with The CW, the series is created by Michael Konyves with international distribution handled by FIFTH SEASON. Konyves recently won the 2025 WGC Screenwriting Award in the Drama Series category for his writing on WILD CARDS.

Created by Anar Ali (Transplant), ALLEGIANCE (10×60 in Season 3) is a character-driven police procedural set in Surrey, BC, about identity and belonging, policing and politics, and finding new paths to truth and justice for all. The series is nominated for eight Canadian Screen Awards including Best Drama Series and Best Lead Performer for Supinder Wraich and Best Supporting Performer for Enrico Colantoni, and is produced by Lark Productions in association with Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Set against the glorious backdrop of the foothills of Alberta, HEARTLAND (10×60 in Season 19) is a multi-generational family drama that is much loved by fans of all ages in Canada and around the world. Based on the bestselling series of books by Lauren Brooke, the series follows Amy Fleming (Amber Marshall) and her family as they deal with the challenges of running the Heartland Ranch that has been with them for generations. Star Michelle Morgan is nominated for a Canadian Screen Award in the category of Best Lead Performer. The long-running series is produced by Dynamo Films and SEVEN24 Films.

Available in more than 120 countries and territories around the world, MURDOCH MYSTERIES (21×60 in Season 19) is set in Toronto in the early 1900s during the age of invention, where Detective William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) enlists innovative forensic techniques to solve some of the city’s most perplexing murders. The much-loved series has received 10 Canadian Screen Award nominations including a Best Lead Performer nomination for Hélène Joy and Best Supporting Performer nods for Jonny Harris, Daniel Maslany and Clare McConnell, and is produced by Shaftesbury in association with ITV Studios and UKTV and distributed by Shaftesbury Sales Company and ITV Studios.

HEARTLAND, MURDOCH MYSTERIES and WILD CARDS are also nominated for the 2025 Cogeco Fund Audience Choice Award, which will be announced as part of THE 2025 CANADIAN SCREEN AWARDS. Hosted by Canadian actress and creator Lisa Gilroy, the awards show will stream live in its entirety on Sunday, June 1 beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on CBC Gem. THE 2025 CANADIAN SCREEN AWARDS is Canada’s biggest night in entertainment, with legendary icons and rising stars coming together to honour the very best in homegrown film and television.

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Allegiance, Awards, Featured

Banff World Media Festival unites Gala Awards & Rockie Awards in landmark event

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From a media release:

The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) is thrilled to announce that for the first time, the prestigious Banff Gala Awards and the Rockie Awards International Program Competition will unite in a single, must-attend event—creating an unparalleled celebration of industry excellence. This milestone event will honor both the entertainment industry’s most influential talent and business leaders and the most exceptional content from around the world. The highly anticipated in-person awards show will take place on Monday, June 9th at 5:30pm MT (4:30pm PT/ 7:30pm ET) during the Festival, bringing together industry leaders, talent, and creators for an unforgettable night of recognition and celebration.

The Banff Gala Honours recognize visionary executives, creatives, and changemakers shaping the global media landscape. Gala Honours recipients will be announced at a later date. Meanwhile, the Rockie Awards International Program Competition celebrates the best in television and digital media, with this year’s competition featuring 152 nominees from 22 countries across 30 categories, selected from entries submitted by 45 countries.

The Rockie Awards Grand Jury chooses the coveted Grand Jury Prize, selected from the top-scoring programs across the entire field of nominees. This year’s esteemed Grand Jury includes:

Hojin Kwon
Senior Executive Director
SBS (Seoul Broadcasting System)

Adam Lewinson
Chief Content Officer
Tubi

Meghan Lyvers
Executive Director, Original Scripted UK & Ireland
Sky

Sitarah Pendelton-Eaglin
EVP, Head of Unscripted Series
SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios & Paramount Media Networks

Christian Vesper
CEO, Global Drama and Film
Fremantle

“For the first time ever, we’re bringing together the prestigious Gala Awards and the Rockies into one incredible event. This will be a spectacular night celebrating the industry’s most influential leaders alongside the world’s top creative talent — all in one room, under one roof. With so many groundbreaking creators and executives in attendance, this year’s show promises to be an unforgettable, must-see celebration of excellence in global entertainment,” said Jenn Kuzmyk, Executive Director.

In addition to the Grand Jury Prize, the $25,000 Rogers Prize for Excellence in Canadian Content, awarded to the top Canadian production and the Prix Francophone for the top French language production will also be awarded as well as other special awards including the Carrie Hunter Emerging Talent Prize. In total, 30 awards will be bestowed in the category streams of Documentary & Factual, Arts & Entertainment, Children & Youth, Scripted, and Podcast. This year’s lineup also introduces two new categories – Best Performance in a Drama and Best Performance in a Comedy – which recognize outstanding recurring performances in a scripted comedic and dramatic series.

Leading nominations by company are:
● BBC – 28 nominations
● National Geographic – 7 nominations
● Hulu – 7 nominations
● Disney Television Studios – 5 nominations
● Audible – 5 nominations

Leading nominations by country are:
● USA – 54 nominations
● UK – 52 nominations
● CANADA – 35 nominations
● AUSTRALIA – 7 nominations
● BELGIUM – 5 nominations
● FRANCE – 5 nominations
● SOUTH KOREA – 5 nominations

Additional countries represented in the nominations are:
● CHINA
● FINLAND
● GERMANY
● INDIA
● IRELAND
● ISRAEL
● ITALY
● JAPAN
● MEXICO
● NEW ZEALAND
● NORWAY
● SINGAPORE
● SPAIN
● SWEDEN
● TAIWAN

See all the nominees here, including one for Allegiance‘s Supinder Wraich (pictured above).

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Allegiance, Featured, Murdoch Mysteries, Saint-Pierre, Wild Cards

CBC announces Winter 2025 streaming and broadcast premiere dates

From a media release:

CBC today announced streaming and broadcast premiere dates for its winter 2025 slate of new and returning programming on CBC Gem and CBC TV, including more than 30 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). CBC’s special holiday programming will be announced separately in December.

New Canadian Original Series

SAINT-PIERRE New Drama Series (10×60) – Premieres Monday January 6 (9 p.m.)

Fitz (Allan Hawco, Republic of Doyle, Jack Ryan) and Arch (Joséphine Jobert, Death in Paradise) – two seasoned officers with very different policing skills and approaches – are forced to work together to solve unique crimes in Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, the French territory just off the coast of Newfoundland.

NORTH OF NORTH New Comedy Series (8×30) – Premieres Tuesday, January 7 (9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., before continuing at 9 p.m. as of January 14)

Filmed in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Inuk actor Anna Lambe (True Detective, Trickster, The Grizzlies) stars as Siaja, a young Inuk woman who dreams of reinventing herself in her tiny Arctic community of Ice Cove, a town where everybody knows your business. After a spontaneous — and extremely public — exit from her marriage, Siaja finds herself navigating the unpredictable, and often hilarious, highs and lows that come with relationships, motherhood, a new job, and finding your way.

SMALL ACHIEVABLE GOALS New Comedy Series (8×30) – Premieres Tuesday, February 25 (9 p.m.)

Baroness von Sketch Show’s Jennifer Whalen and Meredith MacNeill star as two wildly different women in the throes of menopause, thrust together to produce a podcast. The pair embark on an unpredictable journey of transformation, helping each other through workplace challenges and office politics, dating disasters and relationship drama, and some serious health concerns. This comedy follows them on a hormonal adventure where their friendship is the key to finding solace, strength, and a new way forward.

Allegiance

Returning Series

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

FAMILY FEUD CANADA Season 6 (64×30) – Premieres Monday, December 30, airs Mondays – Thursdays (7:30 p.m.)

DRAGONS’ DEN Season 19 (12×60) – Continues Thursday, January 2 (8 p.m.)

THE NATURE OF THINGS Season 64 (11×60) – Premieres Thursday, January 2 (9 p.m.) The new season tears down stereotypes of TEENAGERS (Jan. 2) across the species, breaks into a SWEAT! (Jan. 9) exploring the complex cooling system of humans, and investigates the FOODSPIRACY (Jan. 16) behind ultra processed foods.

SKYMED Season 3 (9×60) – Premieres Sunday, January 5 (9 p.m.)

MURDOCH MYSTERIES Season 18 (22×60) – Continues Monday, January 6 (8 p.m.)

THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES Season 32 (24×30) – Continues Tuesday, January 7 (8 p.m.)

SON OF A CRITCH Season 4 (13×30) – Premieres Tuesday, January 7 (8:30 p.m.)

WILD CARDS Season 2 (13×60) – Premieres Wednesday, January 8 (8 p.m.)

HALIFAX COMEDY FEST Seasons 27 and 28 (6×30) – Premieres Tuesday, January 14 (9:30 p.m.)

ALLEGIANCE Season 2 (10×60) – Premieres Wednesday, January 15 (9 p.m.)

STUFF THE BRITISH STOLE Season 2 (8×30) – Premieres Friday, January 24 (8:30 p.m.)

CANADA’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE Season 3 (7×60) – Premieres Thursday, February 27 (8 p.m.)

WINNIPEG COMEDY FESTIVAL Season 22 and 23 (5×60) – Premieres Sunday, March 9 (9 p.m.)

YOU’RE MY HERO Season 2 (6×15) – All episodes available to stream on CBC Gem beginning Friday, March 14

BOLLYWED Season 3 (8×30) – Premieres Thursday, March 20 (9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.)

GHOSTING WITH LUKE HUTCHIE AND MATTHEW FINLAN Season 2 (8×30) – All episodes available to stream on CBC Gem beginning Friday, March 21

Ghosting with Luke Hutchie and Matthew Finlan

CBC News

ABOUT THAT WITH ANDREW CHANG (15×30) – Continues Friday, January 10 at 8:30 p.m. on CBC TV (Weekday mornings on the CBC News streaming channel and available now on CBC Gem)

MARKETPLACE Season 52 (14×30) – Continues Friday, January 24 (8 p.m.)

THE FIFTH ESTATE Season 50 (14×60) – Continues Friday, January 24 (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)

POWER & POLITICS WITH DAVID COCHRANE (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)

With the Olympic Winter Games Milano-Cortina 2026 on the horizon, CBC SPORTS brings audiences all the action from the world of high-performance sport with key competitions including: FIS Alpine Skiing Men’s Downhill (Jan. 25 in iconic Kitzbuhel, Austria); FIS Alpine World Ski Championships (Feb. 4 – 16, Saalbach, Austria); FIL Luge World Championship (Feb. 8, Whistler, Canada); IBSF Bobsleigh & Skeleton World Championships (Mar. 6 – 16, Lake Placid, USA); ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships (Mar. 14 – 16, Beijing, China); ISU World Speed Skating Single Distances Championships (Mar. 13 – 16, Hamar, Norway); FIS Snowboard & Freestyle Skiing World Championships (Mar. 17 – 30, Engadin, Switzerland); and ISU World Figure Skating Championships (Mar 26 – 30, Boston, USA). Canada will also host international competitors at the following World Cup events: ISU World Cup Speed Skating (Jan. 24 – 26, Calgary); FIS World Cup Freestyle Skiing (Jan. 25 – 26, Lac-Beauport, Que.); FIS World Cup Freestyle Skiing Moguls (Jan. 31 – Feb. 1, Val Saint-Côme, Que.); FIS Snowboarding World Cup (Feb. 15 – 16, Val Saint-Côme, Que.); FIS World Cup Freestyle Skiing Slopestyle (Feb. 20 – 22, Stoneham, Que.); FIS Snowboarding World Cup (Feb 21 – 22, Calgary); and FIS World Cup Freestyle Ski Cross (Mar. 12 – 15, Craigleith, Ont.). Visit cbcsports.ca for the full schedule.

CBC Kids

THE BRAVEST KNIGHT Season 2 (13×11) – Premieres Friday, December 13 on CBC Gem and Sunday, January 12 on CBC TV

Sir Cedric – a former pumpkin farmer turned knight, now grown up and married to the prince of his dreams – shares the story of his transformative journey with his 10-year-old adopted daughter, Nia. Through his stories, Nia, who is herself training to become a knight, learns important chivalric values such as honour, justice and compassion. Alan Cumming and Jane Lynch joining returning voice actors TR Knight, Christine Baranski, Wilson Cruz, Steven Weber and Bobby Moynihan.

LANA LONGBEARD New Animated Series (52×11) – Premieres Friday, December 20 on CBC Gem, with weekly episodes continuing to roll out on CBC Gem as of Friday, January 3

Twelve-year-old Lana Longbeard yearns to join her father Captain Andar on his heroic adventures at sea and leave her home island behind. When Andar decides he’s ready to hang up the hammer and retire Lana takes matters into her own hands, hijacking her father’s ship. After catching up with her Andar is inspired to continue to quest, now together with Lana on a father-daughter voyage of adventure. Set sail with LANA LONGBEARD as she sails across the ten realms with the ragtag crew of the Mighty Windbreaker ship in pursuit of glorious quests, fabulous treasure and delicious pancakes!

GANGNAM PROJECT Season 2 (10×30) – All episodes available to stream on CBC Gem beginning Monday, March 3

Season 2 follows the young K-pop performers as they transition from One Mile Entertainment trainees through the excitement and make-or-break journey of becoming professional K-pop idols. But while the highs are high, the lows can be even lower – it’s not easy suddenly being in the spotlight. With pressure from OME, expectations from the fans, and dealing with creative differences as a group, friendship and commitment are tested like never before.

Images courtesy of CBC.

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Allegiance, Featured

Production underway in British Columbia on Season 2 of CBC’s Allegiance

From a media release:

Lark Productions and CBC today announced that Season 2 of police drama ALLEGIANCE (10×60) is currently shooting across BC’s Lower Mainland through December 5, 2024. 

Premiering in winter 2024, ALLEGIANCE was CBC’s most-watched new series of the 2023-24 season.* The high-octane police drama uniquely set in Surrey, BC, is a CBC Original series from Lark Productions in association with Universal International Studios, starring Supinder Wraich (Sort Of) as Sabrina Sohal and Enrico Colantoni (English Teacher) as Vince Brambilla. Season 2 welcomes Samer Salem (The Expanse, The Boys) to the ensemble cast as a series regular, portraying Detective Corporal Zak Kalaini. Plus, showrunners Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern (Flashpoint, X Company) are back at the helm of ALLEGIANCE, a series created by Anar Ali (Transplant).

The series focuses on identity and belonging, policing and politics, and finding truth within the heart of a flawed justice system. Season 2 will be rooted in a powerful set of engaging and topical storylines including online gambling, tech janitors and international schools. Lead character Sabrina Sohal (Wraich) joins the Serious Crimes Unit of the CFPC and has six months to prove she’s got what it takes to be a detective. She’s paired with a newly transferred partner who has a decade more of experience compared to her and a very different approach to the job. While navigating a complex love life and an equally complicated family life, Sabrina is determined to take down the man responsible for framing her father.

“Audiences embraced Allegiance, and we are excited for viewers to see the next instalment on CBC this winter. Our creative team continues to raise the bar this season and we are grateful for the opportunity to continue to explore the lives of our characters and tell these important stories,” said Erin Haskett, President, Lark Productions. 

Returning series regulars include Stephen Lobo, Adolyn H. Dar, David Cubitt, Crystal Balint, Toby Levins, Melanie Papalia, and Andres Joseph.

A CBC Original series, ALLEGIANCE is produced by Lark Productions in association with Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group, with NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution handling global sales. Stephanie Morgenstern, Mark Ellis and Anar Ali serve as Executive Producers alongside Lark Productions’ Erin Haskett, Nicole Mandes, David Valleau, Tex Antonucci and Season 2 director, Nimisha Mukerji.

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Allegiance

Links: Allegiance, Season 1

From M.L. Witkowicz of Broadview:

Link: New police drama ‘Allegiance’ explores how injustice can make you rethink your identity
On its surface, Allegiance, which premiered on Feb. 7, is a gripping, fast-paced crime drama. As the show progresses, Allegiance delves into the Sikh Punjabi community in the heart of Surrey, portraying the experiences of a South Asian woman and her family as they navigate issues of identity, belonging and the complexities of the justice system. Continue reading.

From Aparita Bhandari of The Globe & Mail:

Link: Supinder Wraich’s new CBC series, Allegiance, explores family bonds and the badge
“There’s something about this relationship between the father and daughter. This is a family who’s been in service for generations. I thought that was really cool. Because I have never seen Sikh Punjabi history on screen, forget the fact that I have never seen a family like this, right?” Continue reading.

From Eric Volmers of the Calgary Herald:

Link: ‘Make more room at the table’: Calgary writer deepens immigrant story with cop drama, Allegiance
Anar Ali thinks she can pinpoint the moment when her mother got over her uneasiness about her daughter becoming a writer. Continue reading.

From Kate MacDonald of That Shelf:

Link: Allegiance Review: A Proudly Canadian Police Procedural
Allegiance, the new series premiering on CBC and CBC Gem, takes that foundation and expands it into something even greater by introducing fresh perspectives on the justice system. Continue reading.

From Alex Nino Gheciu of The Canadian Press:

Link: Wraich, Colantoni on breaking cop show tropes with Surrey-set drama ‘Allegiance’
Supinder Wraich says starring in CBC’s new police drama “Allegiance” feels personal on several levels. Continue reading.

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