International dramas include the Exclusive Canadian Premiere of the final season of Idris Elba’s IN THE LONG RUN (Jan. 8), BBC’s acclaimed LES MISÉRABLES dramatic miniseries (Jan. 10), FORTITUDE Season 3 starring Dennis Quaid (Far from Heaven) (Jan. 15), and acclaimed Australian comedy UPRIGHT (Jan. 15)
Emmy® Award-nominated documentary RUMBLE: THE INDIANS WHO ROCKED THE WORLD, charting the history of Indigenous influence on contemporary music, begins streaming January 29
Season 2 of CBC Kids original tween sci-fi enviro-drama ENDLINGS (Jan. 15)
All episodes of CBC original docuseries ANYONE’S GAME, about the world’s top basketball development program, available to stream beginning January 15
New Canadian films to CBC Gem include coming-of-age story ADVENTURES IN PUBLIC SCHOOL (Dec. 31), COLOSSAL starring Academy Award®-winner Anne Hathaway (Les Misérables) (Jan. 8), award-winning drama GREGOIRE (Jan. 15), and slice-of-life comedy WEXFORD PLAZA (Jan. 22)
A collection inspired by Australia Day launches January 26
CBC’s winter 2021 slate of original programming, including over 20 new and returning Canadian series reflecting a diverse range of storytelling and perspectives, launches January 4 on CBC TV and CBC Gem
INTERNATIONAL DRAMAS
- CALL THE MIDWIFE Season 2 (Drama, 8×60 + 2×60, United Kingdom)
Begins streaming Friday January 1
The midwives return to deal with all the problems 1950s London can throw at them as this award-winning drama continues. A very old and dirty woman dressed in rags is fascinated by the newborns, much to the disgust and fear of the mothers. But is there more to this woman than anyone realizes? When a baby is abandoned at Nonnatus House at Christmas, the nuns wonder who would be desperate enough to do such a thing. And word soon spreads that Dr. Turner is trialling the latest painkiller – gas and air. It’s not long before all the women want a taste of it.
- IN THE LONG RUN Season 3 (Comedy, 6×30, United Kingdom)
Begins streaming Friday January 8
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
A period comedy created by Idris Elba (Luther, Beasts of No Nation), IN THE LONG RUN returns for Season 3 with more heart, humour and poignant drama from the new and familiar faces of The Eastbridge Estate, all underpinned by the series’ multicultural authenticity. Starring Elba and Bill Bailey (Hot Fuzz).
- LES MISÉRABLES (Drama, 8×60, United Kingdom)
Begins streaming Sunday, January 10, with two episodes available weekly
Love, death, and the struggle for social justice in early 19th-century France feature in this beautifully faithful retelling of one of the world’s most beloved stories. Starring Lily Collins (Emily in Paris), Dominic West (The Affair), David Oyelowo (Selma) and Oscar®-winner Olivia Colman (The Favourite), and directed by Tom Shankland (The Missing) from screenwriter Andrew Davies (Sanditon).
- FORTITUDE Season 3 (Drama, 4×60, United Kingdom)
Begins streaming Friday, January 15
The death of Governor Munk continues to hang over the town, and the inhabitants of the most staggeringly beautiful place on earth begin to piece their lives back together. But there are new horrors festering in Fortitude and the town’s Sheriff, Dan Anderssen (Richard Dormer, Game of Thrones), will find himself at the heart of them. Also starring Dennis Quaid (Far from Heaven), Sofie Gråbøl (The Killing), and Sienna Guillory (Resident Evil).
- UPRIGHT (Comedy, 8×30, Australia)
Begins streaming Friday, January 15
When family outcast Lucky Flynn (Tim Minchin, Robin Hood, Californication) learns that his mother is dying, he decides to drive to the other side of Australia to see her, packing nothing but an upright piano for the journey. But his plans are soon turned upside down when he meets runaway teenager Meg (Milly Alcock, Reckoning, The Gloaming), who’s dealing with some family demons of her own. Co-written and composed by Minchin and directed by Matthew Saville (Please Like Me).
TWEEN
- ENDLINGS Season 2 (Tween, 12×22, Sinking Ship Entertainment, Canada)
Begins streaming Friday, January 15, episodes released weekly
*CBC Kids original series, in partnership with Hulu*
The year is 2041; four kids in foster care, Julia (Kamaia Fairburn), Johnny (Edison Grant), Tabby (Michela Luci), and Finn (Cale Thomas Ferrin), continue to help their extraterrestrial friend Ling save fantastical endlings. But when Ling accidentally shows Tabby a vision of their quest failing, the team learns that the alien’s powers don’t just allow the alien access to their pasts but also their futures – including the capture of Ling. Together, the group makes the choice to confront the pain of their pasts in order to change their futures and save Ling. This decision to fight fate kicks off a season of high-octane adventure where four wounded teens must learn to let their hopes, not their hurts, shape the future.
AUSTRALIA DAY-INSPIRED COLLECTION
Begins streaming Tuesday, January 26
- THE AUSTRALIAN DREAM (1×105, directed by Daniel Gordon)
Begins streaming Friday, January 15
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Directed by Emmy® nominee Daniel Gordon (30 for 30: Soccer Stories, Hillsborough), THE AUSTRALIAN DREAM uses the remarkable and inspirational story of AFL legend and passionate advocate for Indigenous causes, Adam Goodes, as the prism through which to tell a deeper and more powerful story about race, identity and belonging. Winner of Best Documentary at the 2019 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards.
- 8MMM (Comedy, 6×30, Brindle Films/Princess Pictures, Australia)
A comedy about giving Aboriginal people a voice in a country with no ears and why, when all else fails – which it usually does – it’s good to laugh. Created by Sonja Dare (Destiny in Alice) and Trisha Morton-Thomas (The Song Keepers). Starring Shari Sebbens (Thor: Ragnarok), Trisha Morton-Thomas (Redfern Now), Geoff Morrell (Grass Roots), and Ian Meadows (Dead Lucky).
- 600 BOTTLES OF WINE (Comedy, 8×9, Cockatoo CoLab, Australia)
A recently single woman navigates new relationship territory where meaning is ambiguous and expectation is ambitious. Written by and starring Grace Rouvray (Psychoanalysis) and directed by Ainslie Clouston (Other People’s Problems, My Life Is Murder).
- CATALYST Season 18 (Documentary, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia)
Exploring the forefront of science and technology, Catalyst brings viewers compelling stories taking a look at the latest in science – from health and medical breakthroughs to astronomy, the environment and agriculture.- CAN SEAWEED SAVE THE WORLD? (1×60) follows eminent Australian Professor Tim Flannery as he investigates how seaweed is helping to deal with some of our planet’s biggest problems.
- MEET THE AVATARS (1×60): Biomechanical engineer Dr. Jordan Nguyen dreams of creating digital clones – avatars – and he says we have the technology to do it right now in the form of virtual reality.
- THE SECRET TO MAKING BETTER DECISIONS (1×60): From the science of making choices to the solving power of algorithms, mathematician Lily Serna looks at how the logic of mathematics can help viewers make better, smarter decisions.
- SLEEP MATTERS (1×60): Lawrence Leung lives a busy life – he’s an actor, comedian and a dad to a young daughter. He doesn’t always get enough sleep and often wonders if he should be getting more. In SLEEP MATTERS, Lawrence explores the latest science behind sleep to find out what he’s missing out on – and if he needs it at all.
- GROWING UP GRACEFULLY (Comedy, 6×30, Giant Dwarf Productions, Australia)
Sisters Hannah and Eliza Reilly are two misguided twentysomethings who, after rediscovering the 1950s teen-advice book ‘Growing Up Gracefully’, ask themselves: as young women in 2017, how do they learn to grow up? Created by and starring Hannah Reilly and Eliza Reilly (Sheilas).
- HIJABISTAS! WITH YASSMIN ABDEL-MAGIED (Documentary, 6×5, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia)
Engineer, author, broadcaster, and award-winning social advocate Yassmin Abdel-Magied introduces viewers to the world of hijabi fashionistas. The series explores the global fashion industry’s response to this burgeoning market and meets with Australian Muslim women who are breaking stereotypes in style.
- THE HOUSEMATE (Comedy, 6×5-12, directed by Hayden Mustica)
Alex and Gemma get to know a number of potential housemates, narrowing them down to hopefully find the housemate of their dreams. Starring Alexandra Keddie (Utopia), Gemma Bird Matheson (Content), and Drew Weston (Matchmaker Mysteries).
- HOW TO DO STUFF GOOD Season 1 and 2 (Kids, 10×7-9, 14×7-9) Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia)
HOW TO DO STUFF GOOD is packed with recipes, pranks, tips and tricks to make sure kids are never bored again! From how to make a cake with a secret surprise to how to make a watermelon explode, the crew of life hackers have all the answers.
- MAKING MURIEL (Documentary, 1×60, directed by Nel Minchin)
Go behind the scenes in the process of writing, casting and producing a major stage musical based on P.J. Hogan’s iconic film Muriel’s Wedding. The stage show starring Maggie McKenna went on to win five Helpmann Awards in 2018.
- REDFERN NOW Seasons 1 and 2 (Drama, 6×60, Blackfella Films, Australia)
REDFERN NOW is a kaleidoscopic drama that explores an inner city suburb and the people who inhabit it. A highly celebrated drama series written, directed and produced by Indigenous Australians, the series was nominated for a cumulative 13 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards, and won in four categories, including Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama [Leah Purcell] (2013) and Best Television Drama Series (2014).
- RESTORATION AUSTRALIA Season 1 (Lifestyle, 7×60, ABC TV, Australia)
Architect and historian Stuart Harrison follows homeowners across the country as they restore Australia’s greatest buildings. Nominated for the 2020 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Award for Best Lifestyle Program.
- SURFING THE MENU: NEXT GENERATION (Lifestyle, 13×30, Noma Films, Australia)
Dan Churchill and Hayden Quinn are good mates who share a love of cooking, surfing, fresh food, travel and adventure, which is exactly what SURFING THE MENU: NEXT GENERATION is all about.
- WARUMUK – IN THE DARK NIGHT (Live Arts Performance, 1×37, directed by Stephen Page)
From the evening to the morning star, the Indigenous myths that resonate within the night sky are expressed from a contemporary perspective. Stephen Page, Artistic Director of Bangarra Dance Theatre, leads this collaboration with The Australian Ballet.
- YOU CAN’T ASK THAT (Factual, 10×15-18, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia)
Diverse Australians confront prejudice and discrimination head-on. YOU CAN’T ASK THAT asks the hard questions, and turns the answers into surprising moments of honesty and heart-warming humour. Nominated for four Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards between 2018 and 2020, including Best Factual Entertainment Program, and the format on which CBC based its popular factual series of the same name.
LIFESTYLE
- GRAND DESIGNS: NEW ZEALAND Season 1 (Lifestyle, 8×60, Imagination Television, Fremantle Australia)
Begins streaming Friday, January 29
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Fans of striking architecture and brilliant personal documentary keep coming back season after season for outstanding design and engaging stories, as celebrated architect, designer, urbanist and philosopher Chris Moller meets the brave Kiwis building their own extraordinary homes all over the country, following them from start to finish.
CANADIAN FEATURE DOCUMENTARIES
- GENIUS FACTORY (1×90, directed by Daryl Stoneage)
Begins streaming Friday, January 8
In 1980, Robert Graham, a 73-year-old eccentric millionaire, got the idea to create a Nobel prize-winning sperm bank. He was labelled a sexist, a racist, an elitist, a eugenicist, a white supremacist and a Nazi. Nevertheless, the “Genius Factory” ran for 20 years and produced over 200 children. Graham died before he got to see if the experiment worked. GENIUS FACTORY tracks the children 30 years later, to find out if they’re geniuses, and answer the age-old question of nature vs. nurture.
- NO LIMITS (1×90, directed by John Zaritsky)
Begins streaming Friday, January 15
Academy Award®-winning director John Zaritsky (The Fifth Estate: Just Another Missing Kid) picks up the stories of Thalidomide survivors for his third film on the subject and finally unveils a sinister and long-hidden complicity by the drug manufacturer.
- THE DEVIL’S TRAP (1×90, directed by Mitchell Stafiej)
Begins streaming Friday, January 22
Lane, an ex-member of a cult called the Exclusive Brethren, attempts to reunite with his estranged family who excommunicated him from the cult when he was 18 years old.
- RUMBLE: THE INDIANS WHO ROCKED THE WORLD (Documentary, 1×83, directed by Catherine Bainbridge and co-directed by Alfonso Maiorana)
Begins streaming Friday, January 29
RUMBLE: THE INDIANS WHO ROCKED THE WORLD tells the story of a profound, essential, and, until now, missing chapter in the history of contemporary music: the Indigenous influence. The Emmy® Award-nominated film, executive produced by international guitarist Stevie Salas and former Associate Director for Museum Programs/Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, Tim Johnson, had its World Premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, where it picked up the Special Jury Prize for World Cinema – Documentary, and won the Audience Awards for Best Canadian Documentary and Best Documentary at Hot Docs 2017.
CANADIAN SHORT DOCS
- THIRTY EIGHT MINUTES (1×14, directed by Shasha Nakhai and Rich Williamson)
Begins streaming Wednesday, January 13
A snapshot into a brief moment in time when paradise was lost – a diverse cast of characters re-enact and reflect on the spur-of-the-moment decisions they made during Hawaii’s false missile alert.
- BECOMING NAKUSET (1×12, directed by Victoria Anderson-Gardner)
Begins streaming Friday, January 15
This intimate and personal film tells the story of Nakuset, a survivor of the Sixties Scoop who was adopted into an affluent Jewish family in Montreal. Told through personal archives and stitched together with kinetic editing, Nakuset guides us through her life and introduces us to her abuse, confusion and struggles to reclaim her identity. A story of hope and resilience, this short documentary chronicles how Nakuset, with the help of her Bubby (her Jewish grandmother), transformed her life and became a powerful advocate for her people. BECOMING NAKUSET had its World Premiere at imagineNATIVE 2020 where it won the Audience Choice Award.
- SAKHI-PITIYAHTE [BRIGHT LIGHT COMES FORTH FROM IT] (1×20, directed by Carr Sappier, Tobique First Nation, New Brunswick)
Begins streaming Friday, January 29
*Part of the CBC Creative Relief Fund Short Documentary Collection, ALONE TOGETHER: PERSONAL STORIES FROM THE PANDEMIC
Inspired by the landscapes of the Wolastoqey community of Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation), the film captures the importance of nature, culture, and storytelling during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE (1×20, directed by Tiffany Hsiung, Toronto, Ontario)
Begins streaming Friday, January 29
*Part of the CBC Creative Relief Fund Short Documentary Collection, ALONE TOGETHER: PERSONAL STORIES FROM THE PANDEMIC
With his industry on lockdown and no end in sight, Toronto chef Luke Donato tries to keep his culinary passion alive during the COVID-19 pandemic, even if it means teaching a group of misfits online.
NEW CANADIAN FILMS TO CBC GEM
- ADVENTURES IN PUBLIC SCHOOL (Comedy, 1×86, directed by Kyle Rideout)
Begins streaming Thursday, December 31
Socially awkward, Liam (Daniel Doheny, Alex Strangelove) has been homeschooled his entire life. When he falls in love with a popular one-legged girl, he abandons his mother’s suffocating love and enrolls in public school, getting a crash course in sex, drugs and social mayhem.
- COLOSSAL (Comedy, 1×109, directed by Nacho Vigalondo, USA, Canada, Spain, and South Korea)
Begins streaming Friday, January 8
Gloria (Oscar®-winner Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables, The Devil Wears Prada) is an out-of-work party girl forced to leave her life in New York City and move back home. When reports surface that a giant creature is destroying Seoul, she gradually comes to the realization that she is somehow connected to this phenomenon.
- GREGOIRE (Drama, 1×106, directed by Cody Bown)
Begins streaming Friday, January 15
Four young adults in Fort McMurray, Alberta, struggle to deal with the consequences of their actions and how they affect their friends and families. Winner of Best Canadian Feature at the 2017 Calgary International Film Festival, and a winner of three awards from the Vancouver Film Critics Circle.
- WEXFORD PLAZA (Comedy, 1×80, directed by Joyce Wong)
Begins streaming Friday, January 22
A misunderstood sexual encounter unravels the life of a lonely female security guard and her deadbeat paramour in this slice-of-life comedy set in a dilapidated strip mall. Nominated for Best Narrative Feature at the 2017 Slamdance Film Festival and nominated for the Discovery Award [Joyce Wong and Matt Greyson] at the 2018 Canadian Screen Awards.
THE BEST OF CBC:
Past and current seasons of CBC series including BATTLE OF THE BLADES; MURDOCH MYSTERIES, FRANKIE DRAKE MYSTERIES, HEARTLAND, STILL STANDING, TALLBOYZ, KIM’S CONVENIENCE, BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW, and SCHITT’S CREEK; and classic CBC hits like THE KIDS IN THE HALL and BEING ERICA.
COMING IN FEBRUARY:
- BLACK STORIES COLLECTION
- HIP HOP: SONGS THAT SHOOK AMERICA
- OLD STONE
- SHERMAN’S SHOWCASE
