Paramount+ has picked up a third season of SKYMED, the hit medical drama series that follows young medics and pilots who fly air ambulances across the remote skies of Northern Canada. Produced by Piazza Entertainment, production for the nine-episode third season begins Monday, March 25 in Manitoba and Ontario with the ensemble cast returning for more jaw-dropping rescues 20,000 feet in the air. The upcoming season will be available to watch exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and internationally outside of Canada, and on CBC in Canada.
Season three of SKYMED picks up in the aftermath of the dramatic season two finale, when the mounting pressure within the tight-knit SkyMed team – and shocking medical emergency for one of its members – threatens to tear the group apart. Now, faced with more dangerous missions across the wilderness and a few newcomers who arrive at the crew house to shake things up, the medical responders must rely on each other more than ever as they experience heart-pulsing rescues, new love and hard goodbyes on the job.
Returning to SKYMED are series regulars Natasha Calis (Nurses) as Hayley, Morgan Holmstrom (Outlander) as Crystal, Praneet Akilla (Nancy Drew) as Chopper, Mercedes Morris (Ghosts) as Lexi, Thomas Elms (The Boys In The Boat) as Nowak, Kheon Clarke (Riverdale) as Tristan and Sydney Kuhne (Ginny & Georgia) as Stef. Aaron Ashmore (Ginny & Georgia) as Wheezer has also been upped to series regular this season. Returning in recurring roles are “Ace” Aason Nadjiwon (The Twilight Zone) as Bodie and Emilia McCarthy (Zombies) as Madison, with Braeden Clarke (Outlander) returning to guest star as Jeremy.
Anthony Grant (Star Trek: Discovery, Polar) joins the cast in a recurring role as TJ, a fun-loving, social pilot who is easy to crush on but secretly carries some heavy baggage of his own. Nicola Correia-Damude (Shadowhunters, Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent) also joins in a recurring role as Marianne, an appealing city-slicker who struggles to fit in up north despite her electric chemistry with Chopper (Akilla).
SKYMED is produced by Piazza Entertainment in association with CBC and CBS Studios. The series is created by Julie Puckrin and inspired by her sister and brother-in-law, who met flying air ambulances. Puckrin also serves as executive producer, along with Gillian Hormel and Vanessa Piazza. From Manitoba, Rhonda Baker and Carrie Wilkins serve as producers. Outside of Canada, SKYMED is distributed internationally by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
CBC today announced streaming and broadcast premiere dates for its fall 2023 slate of new and returning programming on CBC Gem and CBC TV, including more than 20 original series and specials 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
TELLING OUR STORY New Documentary Series (4×60) – All episodes available Sunday, September 17 on CBC Gem This TIFF 2023 Primetime selection shares the perspectives of the 11 First Peoples in Quebec.
BONES OF CROWS New Limited Drama Series (5×60) – Premieres Wednesday, September 20 (9 p.m.) Limited series BONES OF CROWS brings to life a moving multi-generational epic of Indigenous resilience, survival and the pursuit of justice.
BLACK LIFE: UNTOLD STORIES New Documentary Series (8×60) – First four episodes available Wednesday, October 18 on CBC Gem, with remaining four available on Wednesday, October 25 (CBC TV debut on Wednesday, October 25 at 9 p.m.) Highly anticipated documentary series and TIFF 2023 Primetime selection BLACK LIFE: UNTOLD STORIES reframes the rich and complex histories of Black experiences in Canada.
BLACKBERRY New Limited Drama Series (3×60) – All episodes available Thursday, November 9 on CBC Gem (CBC TV debut on Thursday, November 9 at 9 p.m.) The extended series version of BLACKBERRY, featuring never-before-seen footage, charts the rise and fall of the world’s first smartphone.
SWAN SONG New Documentary Series (4×60) – All episodes available Wednesday, November 22 on CBC Gem (CBC TV debut on Wednesday, November 22 at 8 p.m.) SWAN SONG offers a backstage look at first-time director Karen Kain’s monumental new production of Swan Lake for the National Ballet of Canada on the eve of her retirement from the company.
Bones of Crows; images courtesy of Farah Nosh
Returning Series
CORONATION STREET – ongoing (weekdays at 7 p.m.; Fridays at 7:30 p.m.)
THE PASSIONATE EYE (10×60)– Premieres Wednesday, September 13 (8 p.m.) THE PASSIONATE EYE returns with a new season of thought-provoking original documentaries, beginning with Lin Alluna’s TWICE COLONIZED, following the personal journey of renowned Inuit lawyer Aaju Peter.
FAMILY FEUD CANADA Season 5 (102×30, Monday – Thursday) – Premieres Monday, September 18 (7:30 p.m.) The new season kicks off with a Teachers’ Week that sees teams of high school teachers competing for funds to support their schools’ programs. The season continues with host Gerry Dee welcoming families from across Canada, with all-new episodes Monday to Thursday.
THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES Season 31 (24×30) – Premieres Tuesday, September 19 (8 p.m.)
THE NEW WAVE OF STANDUP (9×30) – All episodes of Season 4 (13×10) available Monday, August 28 on CBC Gem (Seasons 2 and 3 (9×30) premiere Tuesday, September 19 at 9:30 p.m. on CBC TV)
DRAGONS’ DEN Season 18 (16×60) – Premieres Thursday, September 21 (8 p.m.)
STILL STANDING Season 9 (10×30) – Premieres Tuesday, September 26 (8:30 p.m.) Host Jonny Harris embarks on more adventures in small towns across the country, from Dawson City, Yukon to Gander, Newfoundland and everywhere in between.
HEARTLAND Season 17 (10×60) – Premieres Sunday, October 1 (7 p.m.)
THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW Season 7 (9×60) – Premieres Sunday, October 1 (8 p.m.)
SKYMED Season 2 (9×60) – Premieres Sunday, October 1 (9 p.m.)
MURDOCH MYSTERIES Season 17 (24×60) – Premieres Monday, October 2 (8 p.m.)
SORT OF Season 3 (8×30) – Two episodes available weekly on CBC Gem beginning Friday, November 17
Murdoch Mysteries
CBC Gem Originals
ZARQA Season 2 (6×11) – All episodes available to stream on Friday, October 6 Zarqa Nawaz returns for more comic hijinx.
HOW TO FAIL AS A POPSTAR (8×15) – All episodes available to stream on Friday, October 13 The adaptation of Vivek Shraya’s hit play and book.
THE BANNOCKING (6×10) – All episodes available to stream on Friday, October 20 A new Indigenous horror series, available in time for Halloween.
FARM CRIME Season 3 (6×20) – All episodes available to stream on Friday, November 3 Exploring the largely unseen dark side of Canada’s agriculture industry.
I HATE PEOPLE, PEOPLE HATE ME (6×15) – All episodes available to stream in late fall (date to be confirmed) This offbeat comedy and 2023 Tribeca Festival selection created by Bobbi Summers explores queer identity in a time when queerness has not only been mainstreamed, but commodified.
CBC News
BIG: CBC News Original Documentary series (4×60) – Premieres Friday, September 22 at 9 p.m. on CBC TV (Available to stream now on CBC Gem)
CBC NEWS EXPLORE’s PLANET WONDER (9×30) – Premieres Friday, October 6 at 8:30 p.m. on CBC TV (Available to stream now on CBC Gem)
MARKETPLACE Season 51 (17×30) – Premieres Friday, October 13 (8 p.m.)
THE FIFTH ESTATE Season 49 (15×60) – Premieres Friday, October 20 (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)
ABOUT THAT WITH ANDREW CHANG (Weekday mornings on CBC News Explore)
CANADA TONIGHT (Weeknights on CBC News Network)
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 competitions including Artistic Gymnastics World Championships (Antwerp, Belgium, Oct. 1 – 8); Beach Volleyball World Championships (Tlaxcala, Mexico, Oct. 6 – 15); and World Trampoline Championships (Nov. 9 – 19, Birmingham, UK), as international athletes prepare for the Paris 2024 Olympic (July 26 – Aug. 11, 2024) and Paralympic (Aug. 28 – Sept. 8, 2024) Games. Showcasing Canada’s top university and college athletes, the USports Championships (Nov. 1 – 25), including the Vanier Cup (Nov. 25 in Kingston, Ont.), return and the winter season kicks off with Grand Prix of Figure Skating (multiple weekends and locations from Oct. 20 to Dec. 10), Four Continents Short Track Championships (Laval, Que., Nov. 3 – 5) and FIS Women’s Alpine World Cup (Tremblant, Que., Dec. 2 – 3).
Canadian Awards
CBC will feature the following award celebrations this fall, honouring diverse Canadian creators, artists and storytellers:
THE LEGACY AWARDS, The Black Academy’s award show celebrating Black Canadian achievement, will air live on CBC TV and CBC Gem on Sunday, September 24
SCOTIABANK GILLER PRIZE will air live on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio and CBC.ca/books on Monday, November 13
CBC Kids
SPELLBOUND New Series (26×30) – All episodes available to stream Friday, September 1 on CBC Gem A Canadian premiere and CBC Gem exclusive from the creators of Find Me in Paris, tween drama SPELLBOUND follows the adventures of a teen dance student, CeCe Parker-Jones (played by Canadian Hailey Romain), at the Paris Opera Ballet School who discovers that she is a witch.
AUNTY B’S HOUSE New Series (20×7) – All episodes available to stream Monday, September 4 on CBC Gem (CBC TV debut on Monday, September 11 with new episodes airing Monday – Saturday) A groundbreaking live action CBC Kids original sitcom for kids about a foster home full of heart, humour, music and unconditional love.
HELLO KITTY: SUPER STYLE! New Series (52×11) – Premieres Monday, September 4 on CBC Gem and CBC TV, with a new episode airing daily, Monday – Saturday The iconic Hello Kitty helps her friends find happiness while putting on the most appropriate (and cutest) outfits to face each situation in this animated series for kids.
Paramount+, CBC and Piazza Entertainment today announced that production has begun on the sophomore season of the high-stakes medical drama series SKYMED. Filming in Ontario and Manitoba, Canada, the young medics and pilots flying air ambulances return for more life, death and drama in the skies of remote Northern Canada.
The original series will be available in Canada on CBC TV and CBC Gem, and streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and internationally in the UK, Australia, Latin America, Brazil, Italy, France, and Germany.
Produced by Piazza Entertainment in association with CBC and CBS Studios, SKYMED’S second season promises new hookups, break ups and heartbreaks as the medevac service expands into new territory, throwing the flight crew into intense new emergencies at work and in their personal lives.
The series is created by Julie Puckrin and inspired by her sister and brother-in-law who met flying air ambulances. Returning to SKYMED is Natasha Calis as ‘Nurse Hayley Roberts,’ Aason (Ace) Nadjiwon as Golden boy pilot ‘Captain Austen Bodie,’ Morgan Holmstrom as no-nonsense ‘Nurse Crystal Highway,’ Praneet Akilla as ‘First Officer Chopper,’ Thomas Elms as icy-cool pilot ‘Captain Nowak,’ Mercedes Morris as ‘First Officer Lexi Martine,’ and Kheon Clarke as ‘Nurse Tristan Green’. Braeden Clarke reprises his recurring role as Crystal’s charming on-again-off-again love interest, ‘Jeremy Wood,’ and Aaron Ashmore returns as ‘Wheezer,’ the wise-cracking big brother that everyone looks up to.
Cast joining the second season includes Sydney Kuhne (“Ginny & Georgia”) as fiery new flight medic ‘Stef,’ Ryan Ali (“The Hummingbird Project”) as handsome young pilot ‘Reese,’ and Nadine Whiteman-Roden (“Faith Heist”) as Dr. Yana Noah.
SKYMED is produced by Piazza Entertainment in association with CBC, Canada’s national public broadcaster, and CBS Studios. The series is created by Julie Puckrin, who also serves as Executive Producer along with Gillian Hormel and Vanessa Piazza. Outside of Canada, SKYMED will be distributed internationally by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
Piazza Entertainment announced today production is underway on the new original drama series SKYMED for CBC and Paramount+, the streaming service for ViacomCBS. Created by Julie Puckrin, the serialized character-driven series features an ensemble cast of young talent including Natasha Calis (Nurses), Ace (Aason) Nadjiwon (Batwoman), Morgan Holmstrom (Siberia), Praneet Akilla (Nancy Drew), Thomas Elms (The Order), Mercedes Morris (Between), Kheon Clarke (Riverdale), Rebecca Kwan (Taken), Braeden Clarke (Outlander), and Aaron Ashmore (Killjoys). The series is now in production, filming in Manitoba and Ontario. SKYMED, produced by Piazza Entertainment in association with Paramount+, CBS Studios and CBC, will premiere in 2022-23.
Life, death, and drama at 20,000 feet, SKYMED weaves together intense character journeys and high stakes medical rescues as we follow the triumphs, heartbreaks and tribulations of budding nurses and pilots flying air ambulances in remote Northern Canada. They’re all in over their heads, and on their own, with no one to rely on but each other.
“This show was inspired by the real-life experiences of my sister and brother-in-law, who met flying air ambulances in the north,†says Puckrin. “Together with a talented team of writers, we created relatable characters full of hope, compassion, and resilience. I am thrilled to be working with such an incredible and diverse cast to bring these exciting, emotional stories to life.â€
“Julie has brilliantly imagined these characters who are not only dealing with demanding, high-pressure circumstances, they’re also dealing with the ups and downs of their lives as they come into their own,†said Vanessa Piazza, Executive Producer, Piazza Entertainment. “We are proud to partner with Paramount+, CBS Studios and CBC and look forward to introducing these characters to audiences.â€
SKYMED is produced by Piazza Entertainment. The series is created by Julie Puckrin who also serves as Executive Producer along with Vanessa Piazza and Ron Murphy. Steve Adelson serves as pilot director. From Manitoba, Kyle Irving and Lisa Meeches serve as Executive Producers for Eagle Vision. Jennica Harper and Nikolijne Troubetzkoy serve as Co-Executive Producers. Outside of Canada, the series will be distributed internationally by ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group.
