MUST-WATCH TITLES FOR APRIL
APRIL 1 – NIGHT RAIDERS *Canadian Movie Premiere*
- Nominated for 11 Canadian Screen Awards, Danis Goulet makes her feature film debut with NIGHT RAIDERS, a searing thriller set in the near future. After a destructive war across North America, a military occupation seizes control of society. One of their core tactics: taking children from their families, and putting them into State Academies, or forced-education camps. Niska (Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers) is a Cree mother desperate to protect her daughter Waseese (Brooklyn Letexier-Hart), but events force mother and daughter to separate, leading Niska to join a group of Cree vigilantes to get her daughter back. NIGHT RAIDERS is available for streaming on Crave on Friday, April 1 in English, French, and Cree.
APRIL 7 – HBO Max’s TOKYO VICE *Series Premiere*
- The HBO Max Original crime drama series, TOKYO VICE, from Endeavor Content and Japan’s WOWOW, debuts on Thursday, April 7. Loosely inspired by American journalist Jake Adelstein’s non-fiction first-hand account of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police beat, the crime drama series, filmed on location in Tokyo, captures Adelstein’s (played by Golden Globe® nominee Ansel Elgort) daily descent into the neon-soaked underbelly of Tokyo in the late ‘90s, where nothing and no one is truly what or who they seem. The eight-episode series, executive produced and pilot directed by Michael Mann (Heat, Manhunter), drops with three episodes on April 7, followed by two episodes debuting every subsequent Thursday.
APRIL 15 – Crave Original Special PAUL RABLIAUSKAS: UNCLE *Canadian Special Premiere*
- Poplar River First Nation comedian Paul Rabliauskas hits the stage in Montréal for one night of laugh-out-loud stand-up comedy, in this Crave Original half-hour special from Just For Laughs. Rabliauskas, who created and stars in the upcoming CTV Comedy Channel series, ACTING GOOD, brings his hilarious observational humour to Montréal where he talks everything from white people and land acknowledgements, to being single during the pandemic in this uproariously funny special. The special drops Friday, April 15 on Crave and is the first in a series of seven, new Crave Original stand-up specials premiering over the coming months.
APRIL 17 – SHOWTIME’s THE FIRST LADY *Series Premiere*
- SHOWTIME’s new anthology series THE FIRST LADY is a revelatory reframing of American leadership through the lens of the First Ladies. Starring Viola Davis as Michelle Obama, Michelle Pfeiffer as Betty Ford, and Gillian Anderson as Eleanor Roosevelt, THE FIRST LADY delves deep into the ladies’ personal, and political lives. Exploring everything from their journeys to Washington, family life, and world-changing political contributions, the impact of the White House’s women is no longer hidden from view. The 10-episode series debuts Sunday, April 17 and follows a weekly release schedule with new episodes dropping Sundays.
APRIL 24 – HBO’s BARRY *Season 3 Premiere*
- The Emmy® winning dark comedy series BARRY, starring Emmy® winner Bill Hader, returns for its eight-episode, third season Sunday, April 24 at 10 p.m. ET. Desperate to leave his violent past behind in favour of his newfound passion, Barry (Hader) is attempting to untangle himself from the world of contract killing and fully immerse himself in acting. But getting out is messy. While Barry has eliminated many of the external factors that pushed him towards violence, he soon discovers they weren’t the only forces at play. What is it about his own psyche that led him to become a killer in the first place? Season 3 finds Barry and the other characters trying to make the right choice. The series follows a weekly release schedule with new episodes dropping Sundays at 10 p.m. ET.
APRIL 24 – STARZ’s GASLIT *Limited Series Premiere*
- STARZ’s GASLIT is a modern take on Watergate that focuses on the untold stories and forgotten characters of the scandal – from Nixon’s bumbling and opportunistic subordinates to the deranged zealots aiding and abetting their crimes, to the tragic whistleblowers who would eventually bring the whole rotten enterprise crashing down. The story centres on Martha Mitchell (Julia Roberts), a big personality with an even bigger mouth. Martha is a celebrity Arkansan socialite, and wife to Nixon’s loyal Attorney General, John Mitchell (Sean Penn). Despite her party affiliation, she’s the first person to publicly sound the alarm on Nixon’s involvement in Watergate, causing both the Presidency and her personal life to unravel. As Attorney General, John Mitchell is Nixon’s most trusted advisor and best friend. Temperamental, foul-mouthed and ruthless – yet hopelessly in love with his famously outspoken wife – he’ll be forced to choose between Martha and the President. GASLIT is based on the first season of the critically acclaimed “Slow Burn” podcast, and premieres Sunday, April 24. The eight-episode series follows a weekly release schedule with new episodes dropping Sundays.
APRIL 24 – SHOWTIME’s THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH *Series Premiere*
- Based on the Walter Tevis novel of the same name and the iconic 1976 film that starred David Bowie, THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH follows a new alien character (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who crashes deep into the oilfields of New Mexico with a mission: he must find the brilliant scientist Justin Falls (Naomie Harris), the one woman on earth who can help save his species. Even as he struggles to adapt to our world and to become more “human,” her faith in humanity couldn’t be lower. An unlikely duo, together they discover that in order to save his world, they must first save ours. The 10-episode series premieres on Sunday, April 24 followed by a weekly release schedule with new episodes dropping Sundays.
APRIL 25 – HBO’s WE OWN THIS CITY *Limited Series Premiere*
- HBO’s new limited drama series WE OWN THIS CITY, from George Pelecanos and David Simon (THE WIRE, SHOW ME A HERO, TREME), and directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, debuts Monday, April 25 on Crave. The six-episode series is based on the book by Baltimore Sun reporter Justin Fenton, and chronicles the rise and fall of the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force, and the corruption and moral collapse that befell an American city in which the policies of drug prohibition and mass arrest were championed at the expense of actual police work. The cast includes Jon Bernthal (THE WALKING DEAD, SHOW ME A HERO), Josh Charles (THE GOOD WIFE, IN TREATMENT), among others. The series follows a weekly release schedule with new episodes dropping Mondays at 9 p.m. ET.
APRIL 27 – HBO’s THE SURVIVOR *Movie Premiere*
- The HBO Original film THE SURVIVOR marks award-winning filmmaker Barry Levinson’s return to HBO. Based on the incredible true story of Harry Haft, the film reunites Levinson with award-winning actor Ben Foster. Foster stars in the title role as Haft who, after being sent to Auschwitz, survives not only the unspeakable horrors of the camp, but the gladiatorial boxing spectacle he is forced to perform with his fellow prisoners for the amusement of his captors. Unbeknownst to those who try to destroy him, Haft’s will to survive is driven by his quest to reunite with the woman he loves. An examination of one man’s journey from unspeakable horrors to freedom, forgiveness, and redemption, THE SURVIVOR debuts Wednesday, April 27 at 8 p.m. ET, in honor of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day).
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HIGHLIGHTS
APRIL 8 – HBO’s A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW *Season 3 Premiere*
- The Emmy®-winning sketch comedy series A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW returns for its third season Friday, April 8 at 11 p.m. ET. The narrative sketch comedy series features a core cast of Black women living relatable, hilarious experiences in a magical reality that subverts traditional expectations. Season 2 received eight Primetime Emmy nominations.The six-episode season follows a weekly release schedule with new episodes streaming Fridays at 11 p.m. ET.
APRIL 15 – HALLOWEEN KILLS *Movie Premiere*
- Minutes after Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), her daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) left masked monster Michael Myers caged and burning in Laurie’s basement, Laurie is rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, believing she finally killed her lifelong tormentor. But when Michael manages to free himself from Laurie’s trap, his ritual bloodbath resumes. As Laurie fights her pain and prepares to defend herself against him, she inspires all of Haddonfield to rise up against their unstoppable monster. The Strode women join a group of other survivors of Michael’s first rampage who decide to take matters into their own hands, forming a vigilante mob that sets out to hunt Michael down, once and for all. The film drops Friday, April 15.
APRIL 15 – WELLINGTON PARANORMAL *Season 4 Premiere*
- WELLINGTON PARANORMAL follows the adventures of Officers O’Leary (Karen O’Leary, What We Do In The Shadows) and Minogue (Mike Minogue, What We Do In The Shadows), hard-working members of the Wellington constabulary’s paranormal unit who, under the supervision of Sergeant Maaka (Maaka Pohatu, Savage), investigate supernatural occurrences that arise in the capital of New Zealand on a surprisingly regular basis. All six episodes of Season 4 drop Thursday, April 15.
APRIL 21 – HBO Max’s THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT *Season 2 Premiere*
- Season 2 of the critically acclaimed HBO Max Original series, THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT, finds Cassie Bowden (Kaley Cuoco) living her best sober life in Los Angeles, while moonlighting as a CIA asset in her spare time. But when an overseas assignment leads her to inadvertently witness a murder, she becomes entangled in another international intrigue. The eight-episode Season 2 premieres with two episodes on Thursday, April 21, followed by a weekly release schedule with new episodes streaming Thursdays.
APRIL 20 – Crave Celebrates National Canadian Film Day
- Crave celebrates some of the best Canadian cinema with the National Canadian Film Day Collection. Dropping in conjunction with National Canadian Film Day, the collection features several acclaimed Canadian films including: BEANS, INCENDIES, MONKEY BEACH, POSSESSOR, BEST SELLERS, NIGHT RAIDERS, and more.
APRIL 24 – HBO’s THE BABY *Series Premiere*
- The eight-episode horror comedy limited series, THE BABY, presents a darkly funny, raw examination of motherhood, from the perspective of a woman who doesn’t want to be one. Michelle De Swarte (THE DUCHESS) stars as 38-year-old Natasha, who is furious that her closest friends are all having babies. But when she is unexpectedly landed with a baby of her own, her life dramatically implodes. Controlling, manipulative, but incredibly cute, the baby twists Natasha’s life into a surreal horror show. As she discovers the true extent of the baby’s deadly nature, Natasha makes increasingly desperate attempts to get rid of it. She doesn’t want a baby, but the baby definitely wants her. The series drops Sunday, April 24 at 10:30 p.m. ET and follows a weekly release schedule with new episodes streaming Sundays.