Tag Archives: The Nature of Things

Dragons' Den, Featured, Heartland, Murdoch Mysteries, The Nature of Things

CBC sets fall 2025 premiere dates for more than 30 new and returning original Canadian series

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From a media release:

CBC today announced streaming and broadcast premiere dates for its fall 2025 slate of new and returning programming on CBC Gem and CBC TV, including more than 30 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

LOCALS WELCOME New Factual Series (10×30) – Premieres Sunday, October 5 (9 p.m.)

LOCALS WELCOME is a celebration of the lesser-known food places that make up the fabric of Canada’s rich and diverse communities. Hosted by food writer Suresh Doss, the series puts food back where it belongs: in a take-out container. Outside a strip mall. On the hood of a parked car. From his home base of Scarborough, Suresh will zig zag across Toronto, explore Montreal and even journey to Richmond, BC – all in service of helping Canadians understand the fascinating and transformative power of the foods that connect us all. Featured special guests include Matty Matheson, Ann Pornel and David Schwartz.

THE ASSEMBLY New Factual Series (6×30 on CBC Gem, 3×60 on CBC TV) – Premieres Thursday, November 6 (9 p.m.)

In each episode of this unique entertainment series based on the hit international format, one of Canada’s most popular celebrities and public figures faces a group of 30 atypical interviewers, all on the autism spectrum. Featured celebrity guests include Jann Arden, Allan Hawco, Howie Mandel, and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, with more to be announced.

Returning Series

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

THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES (21×30) Season 33 – Premieres Tuesday, September 16 (8 p.m.)

JUST FOR LAUGHS GAGS (11×30) – Premieres Tuesday, September 16 (8:30 p.m.)

THE NEW WAVE OF STANDUP Season 6 (4×30) – Premieres Tuesday, September 16 at 9:30 p.m. on CBC TV (all episodes available beginning Friday, August 29 on CBC Gem)

THE PASSIONATE EYE (9×60 + 1×120) – Premieres Wednesday, September 17 (8 p.m., 9 p.m. beginning September 24)

THE PASSIONATE EYE returns with a new season of thought-provoking original documentaries, beginning with LILITH FAIR: BUILDING A MYSTERY, telling the story of and challenges faced by the groundbreaking music festival started by iconic Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan and her team in the late 1990s.

DRAGONS’ DEN Season 20 (12×60) – Premieres Thursday, September 25 (8 p.m.)

In this milestone 20th anniversary season, DRAGONS’ DEN welcomes Celebrity Guest Dragon, Drew Scott, Property Brother and Co-Founder of Scott Brothers Global, and revisits some of the most memorable deals from the past two decades, spotlighting exciting new innovations and sharing stories from entrepreneurs that represent the best of Canada.

PLAN B Season 3 (6×60) – Premieres Thursday, September 25 at 9 p.m. on CBC TV (streaming now on CBC Gem)

HEARTLAND Season 19 (10×60) – Premieres Sunday, October 5 (7 p.m.)

THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW Season 9 (8×60) – Premieres Sunday, October 5 (8 p.m.)

FAMILY FEUD CANADA – (64×30) Season 7 – Premieres Monday, October 6 (7:30 p.m.), airing four nights a week, Monday to Thursday

MURDOCH MYSTERIES Season 19 (21×60) – Premieres Monday, October 6 (8 p.m.)

THE NATURE OF THINGS Season 65 (14×60) – Premieres Wednesday, October 29 (8 p.m.)

FOR THE CULTURE WITH AMANDA PARRIS Season 2 (6×60) – All episodes available beginning November 28 on CBC Gem

Heartland

CBC News

ABOUT THAT WITH ANDREW CHANG (11×30) – Premieres Friday, September 19 at 8:30 p.m. on CBC TV (Available weekday mornings on CBC Gem and the CBC News streaming channel)

MARKETPLACE Season 53 (15×30) – Premieres Friday, September 26 (8 p.m.)

THE FIFTH ESTATE Season 51 (14×60) – Premieres Friday, October 10 (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), guest hosts on Friday and Ian Hanomansing on Sunday.

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

After 20 years of bringing Canadians the news they need as they start their day, on November 6 Heather Hiscox bids farewell in front of a live audience at the CBC Broadcast Centre in Toronto. More details to be announced soon.

POWER & POLITICS WITH DAVID COCHRANE (Weeknights on CBC News Network)

HANOMANSING TONIGHT (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)

Looking ahead to Team Canada’s participation at the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, CBC SPORTS will continue to follow high-performance winter sport athletes including at Skate Canada International (Oct. 31 – Nov. 2 in Saskatoon) and IBSF Bobsleigh & Skeleton World Cups (Nov. 21 – Jan. 18 across various European venues). The fall season also includes the World Boxing Championships (Sept. 4-14 in Liverpool), 2025 World Athletics Championships (Sept. 12-21 in Tokyo), World Rowing Championships (Sept. 20-28 in Shanghai) and the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup (Oct. 23-25 in Toronto). CBC SPORTS will once again offer coverage of the U Sports Championships (Oct. 29 – Nov 22 and March 5-22), including the Vanier Cup (Nov. 22 in Regina), showcasing Canada’s top university and college athletes, as well as the remaining games of the Northern Super League inaugural season, including the first-ever NSL championship game (Nov. 15 in Toronto).

The Assembly

CBC Kids Originals

HEY JOOJO! New Live-Action Series – Premieres Monday, September 1 on CBC TV

A brand new live-action short-format series for kids aged 4-6 that peeks into the everyday adventures of Joojo (Joojo Paintsil), his cousin Gary the Unicorn, and their friendly neighbours in their funky apartment home, with guest stars including Canadian icon Mike Myers, and kids TV veteran Patty Sullivan.

THE UNSTOPPABLE JENNY GARCIA New Tween Series (8×12) – All episodes available beginning Friday, September 5 on CBC Gem

Written by Catherine Hernandez (novel Scarborough and its film adaptation) for a tween audience, THE UNSTOPPABLE JENNY GARCIA follows a 13-year-old hip-hop dancer as her life is disrupted by the news that she has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and she must navigate a new path full of treatments and hospital stays while trying to make room for friends and fun.

TOOPY & BINOO – FABULOUS ADVENTURES Animated Series Reboot (39×7) – Premieres Saturday, October 25 on CBC TV and CBC Gem

A reboot of the iconic Canadian preschool buddy comedy for CBC/Radio-Canada brings back the delightful duo of Toopy, the clumsy mouse, and Binoo, the quiet cat. This 2D-animated series will introduce new imaginative stories and whimsical adventures to a fresh generation of viewers, continuing the legacy of the original.

DINO RANCH: ISLAND EXPLORERS New Animated Series (26×22) – Premieres Saturday, November 8 on CBC TV and CBC Gem

This DINO RANCH spinoff sees the Cassidy Kids, also known as The Dino Ranchers, embark on the adventure of a lifetime on legendary Dino Island, a lost world teeming with undiscovered dinosaurs and mysterious locations.

IT’S ANDREW! (formerly known as ANDREW THE BIG BIG UNICORN) New Animated Series (40×7) – Premieres Friday, December 5 on CBC Gem and Wednesday, December 10 on CBC TV

This new animated series for CBC/Radio-Canada and ABC Australia follows Andrew, a wide-eyed, joyful young rhino bursting with creativity as he navigates life as a big BIG unicorn in the ever-surprising world of Hornsby Downs.

Returning Kids Series

MINI-JON AND MINI-MAPLE Season 3 (36×4) – Premieres Monday, September 1 on CBC Gem and Monday, September 8 on CBC TV

JEREMY & JAZZY Season 3 (22×2) – Premieres Monday, September 1 on CBC Gem and Monday, September 8 on CBC TV

PLAYING WITH STU Season 2 (11×1) – Premieres Monday, September 1 on CBC Gem and Monday, September 8 on CBC TV

GO TOGO Season 2 (31×5) – Premieres Monday, December 1 on CBC Gem and CBC TV

Images courtesy of CBC

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Featured, The Nature of Things

Preview: The Nature of Things “I am the Magpie River” spotlights a waterway with personhood rights

Can nature have rights? That’s the question at the heart of Thursday’s new episode of The Nature of Things.

In “I am the Magpie River,” airing Thursday at 9 p.m. on CBC and CBC Gem, filmmaker Susan Fleming answers the question with a resounding yes. The 200-kilometre river, in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, flows from the Labrador Plateau into the north shore of the St. Lawrence River near Sept-Îles, Quebec.

The waterway is sacred to the Innu First Nation, who call it Mutuhekau Shipu, and they’ve depended on it as a major highway and food source for centuries. And that’s why, as of 2021, the Innu Council of Ekuanitshit and the Minganie Regional County Municipality had the river declared a legal person. The result? The river has nine rights, including the right to flow, to be free from pollution, and to sue.

Gorgeously filmed, with aerial drone shots capturing the rugged river in its savage glory through the seasons and up-close footage of the area’s unique flora and fauna (including herds of caribou), Fleming shows the awesome strength of the waterway during the spring melt. And it’s the power of the Magpie that Hydro Quebec—which is the fourth largest producer of hydropower on the planet—would love to have a piece of. And that’s the point of personhood: to protect the river from being changed, being taken advantage of, and being tamed.

The Magpie River may be the first in Canada to be granted personhood, but it is just the latest in many around the world. Indigenous-led campaigns like that done by the Innu in Canada have saved the Klamath River in the U.S., the Whanganui River in New Zealand, and the Amazon in Columbia.

The Nature of Things, “I am the Magpie River,” airs Thursday at 9 p.m. on CBC and CBC Gem.

Image from “I am the Magpie River.“

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Featured, Podcast

TV, Eh? Podcast Episode 254: Production on Murdoch Mysteries spinoff, Run the Burbs and The Hardy Boys

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Welcome back to another bi-weekly (ish) chat about the latest news in Canadian TV! First, Greg and Amy go through debuts and returns on the Canadian TV calendar.

Then, we cover the latest Canadian TV news, which includes production beginning on a Murdoch Mysteries spinoff; Season 2 of Run the Burbs; the final season of The Hardy Boys; casting for CBC’s new series, Essex County; and David Suzuki retiring from The Nature of Things. We finish the podcast by getting into the Halloween spirit with Are You Afraid of the Dark?

This podcast brought to you by Candy Corn Cocktails and Pommies Cider.

[Editor’s Note: Greg erroneously said that Anthony Q. Farrell was the showrunner for Diggstown. Anthony Q. Farrell was the showrunner for Overload and the Underwoods, The Parker Andersons/Amelia Parker and the upcoming Shelved. He apologizes for the error.]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary, The Nature of Things

David Suzuki announces retirement as host of CBC’s The Nature of Things

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From a media release:

World-renowned environmentalist and science broadcaster David Suzuki will retire next spring after 43 years as host of CBC’s THE NATURE OF THINGS, which he has hosted since October 24, 1979. Suzuki announced his decision tonight during an interview with Ian Hanomansing on The National, discussing his legacy, meaningful moments and hopes for the future. TV’s longest-running science series, The Nature of Things’ 62nd season will launch on Friday, January 6, 2023, with Suzuki’s final episode set to air in the spring. New hosting plans for the series after Suzuki’s departure will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

“I have been fortunate to have been endowed with good health which has enabled me to remain the host of the series long after my ‘best before date’,” said Suzuki. “Aging is a natural biological process that creates opportunity for fresher, more imaginative input from younger people and for years, I have warned that to ensure the continuation of The Nature of Things, we must prepare for the transition when I leave. That moment is now.”

“I am so grateful to Canadians who have kept us on air and to the CBC for sticking with me,” added Suzuki. “The Nature of Things is a unique series that stems from an ecocentric rather than anthropocentric perspective, a critical understanding of how we got into the mess we are in and how to move out of it.”

“David has made science more accessible to countless viewers in Canada and around the world, finding new ways to demystify our complex world and illustrate how the future of humanity and the natural world cannot be separated — long before climate change became a hot topic, “ said Barbara Williams, Executive Vice President, CBC. “We thank David for challenging and inspiring so many of us to look at ourselves and our planet in new ways, and look forward to celebrating his indelible legacy and final season next year.”

Before his life as a broadcaster, Suzuki was a distinguished professor and geneticist. He has authored more than 50 books, received several honorary degrees and awards, and has been recognized by the UN for his environmental leadership. Suzuki is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a Companion of the Order of Canada. He also founded the non-profit David Suzuki Foundation.

THE NATURE OF THINGS presents dramatic and insightful stories that are driven by a scientific understanding of the world. THE NATURE OF THINGS continues to inspire and entertain audiences by engaging with the people and personalities behind the science and phenomena that shape our world. From the search for other life in the universe to the psychology of babies, and from the furry animals that invade our backyards to the consequences of human progress, THE NATURE OF THINGS throws open the door to the wonder and accomplishments of science, making it accessible to viewers of all ages.

The 62nd season of THE NATURE OF THINGS will broadcast Friday nights at 9 p.m. (9:30 NT) starting January 6 on CBC TV and CBC Gem. More information about the lineup of documentaries this coming season will be available here closer to the premiere.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: TNoT’s “Nature’s Big Year” explores what happens when a pandemic sends humans inside

Do you recall those first few weeks into the pandemic, when humans were told to stay home and animals were seen more frequently outside? I remember the cellphone videos posted on social media of coyotes trotting down residential streets and sheep galloping around neighbourhoods overseas amid jokes of nature taking the land back.

Were these just a handful of coincidental instances, or something that was really happening while we sat inside, looking out the window? And, was nature better off?

“Nature’s Big Year,” airing Friday as part of The Nature of Things, aims to find out.

Writer, director and producer Christine Nielsen and producer Diana Warmé tell an incredible story spanning 11 locations around the globe—during the pandemic—of nature doing a reboot.

In Bighorn Backcountry, Alberta, wildlife ecologist Jason Fisher and his colleagues were delayed by COVID-19 from accessing trail cameras they’d set up before the world shut down. What they saw in the footage was surprising.

Meanwhile, in Juno Beach, Florida, research manager Sarah Hirsch relates how the lockdown helped loggerhead turtles nest more successfully in an area humans usually trampled around in. And, in Nottinghamshire, UK, wildlife biologist Lauren Moore investigates whether or not a drop in traffic during the pandemic would cause the endangered hedgehog to rebound.

And, not surprisingly (I know this first-hand from observing my feeder), birds were more plentiful during the lockdown. What was a surprise for researchers was that birdsong became louder, more varied, and birds were attracted to areas where there were stricter lockdowns.

Beautifully filmed, “Nature’s Big Year” is the well-told tale of what happens to nature when we interact with it less.

“Nature’s Big Year” airs as part of The Nature of Things, Friday at 9 p.m. on CBC.

Image courtesy of CBC.

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