Tag Archives: CBC

Featured, Workin' Moms

Preview: Workin’ Moms’ Kate struggles in Season 6 return

Workin’ Moms continues to work it, six seasons in. The story of female friends supporting each other through the trials and tribulations of life has been a truly enjoyable one, thanks to strong writing and performances from everyone involved.

However, I was concerned coming into Season 6. Returning Tuesday at 9 p.m. on CBC, this would be the first without Juno Rinaldi, who announced in September that she had exited Workin’ Moms. Would there be a massive hole in plotlines where Frankie used to be?

Well, no, because there were plenty of storylines to go around for everyone else. When we last left the show, the Season 5 cliffhanger suggested Nathan had a son no one knew about and Kate and Sloane’s relationship had come to a disastrous head.

In Tuesday’s return, “Kate Fosters,” Nathan and Kate are struggling with the realization Nathan may actually be Nathan’s son. How will he fit into the family dynamic? Does he fit into the family dynamic? Is Nathan really Nathan’s kid? A DNA test will confirm it, but the physical characteristics they’re showing have Kate convinced, particularly during a spaghetti dinner that is equally cringy and laugh-out-loud funny.

The office isn’t a respite for Kate either. Sloane’s mind games derail a meeting with a potential client, while Mo is raking them in.

By the episode’s end, things seem to be slowly getting back on track, but I have a feeling things won’t be any easier in the weeks to come for Kate. I look forward to finding out how things shake out for her, and the other ladies, in Season 6.

Workin’ Moms airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on CBC and CBC Gem.

Image courtesy of CBC.

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Featured, Kim's Convenience, Run the Burbs

Andrew Phung returns to CBC with his own creation, Run the Burbs

Like other fans, I was gutted when Kim’s Convenience came to an end. I missed the laughs, the family dynamic, and the diversity I was seeing on my television screen. Thankfully, that hole has been filled by Andrew Phung—Kim’s Convenience‘s Kimchee—in Run the Burbs.

Co-created by Phung and his best bud and collaborator, filmmaker Scott Townend, Run the Burbs—debuting Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. on CBC—follows the Phams, a young Vietnamese-South Asian-Canadian family living on a cul-de-sac in the suburbs.

“Relatable” was the first word that came to mind as I watched the debut episode of Run the Burbs. In those opening moments, I witnessed something I’ve done myself: trying to deliver a trunkful of groceries from the car into my house in one trip. To see the Phams—father Andrew (Phung), mother Camille (Rakhee Morzaria), daughter Khia (Zoriah Wong) and son Leo (Roman Pesino)—draped like pack mules struggling in the heat, made me laugh out loud at them, and myself.

“For this family, in particular, they make these mundane moments big,” Townend says. “And there are the families around them as well. People are going to say, ‘I have a neighbour like that.’ I’ve got neighbours like this, Andrew’s got neighbours like that. It was important to find the comedy in those everyday moments.”

In the works since the summer of 2019, Phung says Run the Burbs came organically and easily, thanks in large part to their longtime friendship and the way they constantly supported each other. By December of that year, Phung was confident what they had created would end up on a network.

“We had something here that was so fun and full of life and energetic,” Phung says. “What’s wild to me is that, through the process, a lot of it has remained the same.”

At the centre of Run the Burbs is Andrew Pham, a whirling dervish of a man who is full of positivity, good-natured humour and truly believes in the good in everyone. Even when there are down moments, like in Episode 1, when a planned block party seems to be going off the rails, it doesn’t last long. And with high-powered and diverse comedic talent in Phung’s co-stars and supporting roles played by Aurora Browne, Ali Hassan, Julie Nolke, Jonathan Langdon, Chris Locke, Samantha Wan, Simone Miller and the late Candy Palmater, the laughs are loud and last long.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have the cast that we do,” Townend says. “It is a powerhouse of comedy and every episode, every actor brought something new to the part. They took what was on the page, directors included, elevated it and made it better.”

Run the Burbs airs Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. on CBC and CBC Gem.

Images courtesy of CBC.

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Featured, Son of a Critch, This Hour Has 22 Minutes

Mark Critch’s childhood comes to life in the heartfelt and hilarious Son of a Critch

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CBC was delivered a one-two punch to its primetime comedy lineup when Schitt’s Creek and Kim’s Convenience both ended. Thankfully, the huge holes left by those two wonderful series are being filled by equally special projects this winter, Son of a Critch and Run the Burbs.

Debuting Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. on CBC and CBC Gem, Son of a Critch—co-created by Mark Critch and Tim McAuliffe—brings Critch’s childhood to life in a hilarious and truly relatable way. Based on the award-winning, best-selling memoir by Critch, the comedy tracks 11-year-old Mark (played by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) as he heads off to a new school in 1980s St. John’s, Newfoundland.

As a child of the 80s, I was immediately drawn in and related to Young Mark and what he was going through. What kid hasn’t felt out of place in his own skin, and tried mightily to fit in? Throw in a rocking soundtrack of 80s tunes complemented by music from Keith Power and Alan Doyle, a cast that includes Critch as his own father, Mike, Claire Rankin as his mother, Mary, Malcolm McDowell as his grandfather, Pop, and Colton Gobbo as his brother, Mike Jr., and Son of a Critch is instantly enjoyable.

“It was very strange,” Critch says of being on the set of the television show for the first time. His family home, torn down in the 1990s, was recreated from his sketches and memories. And parts of his wardrobe, as Mike Sr., were his father’s.

“I remember looking down at one point and seeing my grandmother’s wicker chair in my peripheral vision, the radio that I listened to every day during the winter to see if it was going to be a snow day and wearing my Dad’s jacket and thinking, ‘I’m inside a memory.’ And then looking over and seeing Malcolm McDowell and saying to myself, ‘You sick fool, you should be talking to a therapist about this!'”

McDowell is just the tip of the iceberg in a stunning cast assembled for Son of a Critch. It all starts with Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, who puts everyone else on his back to carry the series as Young Mark. The British actor, who most recently appeared in The Haunting of Bly Manor, pulls in viewers with his large, soulful eyes and sensitive performance.

“I’ve never seen anybody better than Benjamin,” Critch says. “I’ve never had that Hollywood experience, where he was doing his audition and I said, ‘Stop, we need to get that guy. Here are my keys and my house, just get that guy!'”

Son of a Critch airs Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. on CBC and CBC Gem.

Images courtesy of CBC.

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Coroner, Featured, Industry News, Pretty Hard Cases, Still Standing, Tallboyz, The Porter, Workin' Moms

CBC announces winter premiere dates

From a media release:

CBC today announced broadcast and streaming premiere dates for its winter 2022 slate of programming, including over 20 new and returning original series from Canadian creators, producers and storytellers across all genres. The new winter primetime schedule launches Sunday, January 2 on CBC TV and the free CBC Gem streaming service.

WINTER 2022 SCHEDULE – CBC TV & CBC GEM:

All following times local with the exception of Newfoundland, please add half an hour to all times.

MONDAYS
7:30PM – FAMILY FEUD CANADA

8PM – MURDOCH MYSTERIES; Season 15 continues January 3

9PM – THE PORTER premieres February 21

TUESDAYS
8PM – THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES; Season 29 continues January 4

8:30PM – SON OF A CRITCH premieres January 4

9PM – WORKIN’ MOMS returns for Season 6 on January 4

9:30PM – The TALLBOYZ are back for a third season on January 25,

WEDNESDAYS
8PM – STILL STANDING returns for Season 7 on January 5

8:30PM – RUN THE BURBS premieres January 5

9PM – PRETTY HARD CASES returns for Season 2 on January 5

THURSDAYS
8PM – CORONER Season 4 premieres January 6

9PM – THE FIFTH ESTATE continues January 6

FRIDAYS
8PM – MARKETPLACE continues on January 7

8:30PM – ARCTIC VETS returns for a second season on January 7

9PM – THE NATURE OF THINGS continues on January 7

CBC GEM ORIGINAL SERIES:

Hosted by Madison Tevlin, WHO DO YOU THINK I AM? begins streaming Friday, January 7, featuring Maddie as she chats with guests one-on-one and connects with people who, like herself, are often misinterpreted and misperceived.

TRUE DATING STORIES returns with Season 3 on Friday, January 28. Whether it’s true romance or a night gone horribly wrong, this series offers the greatest real dating stories ever told, reenacted by performers with all the drama, romance and comedy they deserve.

BEST IN MINIATURE is a unique competition series premiering Friday, February 11. Hosted by Aba Amuquandoh (This Hour Has 22 Minutes), the show follows 11 competitors from around the world as they build their dream homes in miniature form.

CBC SPORTS:

As Canada’s Olympic and Paralympic Network, CBC will provide the compelling coverage and award-winning storytelling that audiences have come to expect, leading up to, during and after the OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES BEIJING 2022 (February 4 – 20) and PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES (March 4 – 13). In addition to Olympic coverage, CBC SPORTS will continue to keep Canadians connected to the world of high-performance sport through weekly staple ROAD TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES, available on CBC TV and CBC Gem, as well as live streams of key competitions on cbcsports.ca and the CBC Sports app. Upcoming events include: The Alpine Skiing World Cup, kicking off this weekend in Lake Louise; and the Canadian National Figure Skating Championships in January where Canada’s Olympic Team will be determined.

CBC KIDS:

Hosted by musician Melanie Doane and premiering Saturday, January 8, new original series UKULELE U encourages young viewers at home to sing, move, and learn along with a cast of kids known as the UKE TROUPE.

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Caught, Moonshine, Republic of Doyle

East Coast dramedy Moonshine set to return for Season 2 on CBC next fall, with Allan Hawco joining the cast

From a media release:

Following last week’s Season 1 finale of original east coast Canadian family dramedy series Moonshine (8×60), CBC is revealing casting and production details for Season 2. Created by Sheri Elwood (Lucifer, Call Me Fitz) and produced by Six Eleven Media and Entertainment One (eOne), the series follows the Finley-Cullens, a dysfunctional clan of adult half-siblings battling for control of their family business – a ramshackle summer campground called The Moonshine. Production on the eight-episode second season recently wrapped in Nova Scotia and is set to premiere on CBC in fall 2022, with the entire first season now available to stream on CBC Gem.

The new season will see renowned Canadian star, Allan Hawco (Republic of Doyle, Caught, Frontier, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Another Life) join the cast as biker Gale Favreau, following his steamy meeting with Lidia (Jennifer Finnigan) in the Season 1 finale. Picking up where the first season ends, Season 2 will include epic dance routines, dirty bingo, snow crab-jacking and a high stakes turf war with a band of outlaw bikers. Fate will manifest very differently for the entire family, with characters fighting their destiny tooth and nail as Lidia goes to extremes to save the business from financial ruin.

Moonshine stars Jennifer Finnigan (Salvation), Anastasia Phillips (Reign), Emma Hunter (Mr. D), Tom Stevens (Wayward Pines), Alexander Nunez (Avocado Toast), Corrine Koslo (Anne with an E), Peter MacNeill (This Life), Erin Darke (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Farid Yazdani (Suits), Allegra Fulton (The Shape of Water), James Gilbert (Salvation), Celia Owen (A Small Fortune), and Calem MacDonald (Umbrella Academy).

Guest stars rounding out the cast in Season 2 include Jonathan Silverman (Weekend at Bernie’s), Shelley Thompson (Trailer Park Boys), Jonathan Torrens (Mr. D), Leigh Ann Rose (The Young and the Restless), Ernie Grunwald (Call Me Fitz), Joe Cobden (The Sinner), and Kirstin Howell (Diggstown).

A CBC original series, Moonshine is produced by Six Eleven Media and eOne. Created by Sheri Elwood, who is also showrunner, the show is executive produced alongside Six Eleven Media’s Charles Bishop. Jocelyn Hamilton serves as executive producer for eOne. For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports; Trish Williams is Executive Director, Scripted Content; Sarah Adams is Executive in Charge of Production; and Gosia Kamela is Executive in Charge of Production, Drama. The series is produced with the assistance of the Government of Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Film & Television Production Incentive Fund. Additionally, funding comes from the Canada Media Fund, Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit and the Canadian Film or Video Tax Credit. Moonshine is distributed internationally by eOne.

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