CBC’s fall 2022 season continues in December with the world premiere of STAY TOONED (Dec. 2), led by voice actor, Eric Bauza, the voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and others, as he explores the world of cartoons and how they shaped the way we see the world
Acclaimed international series coming to CBC Gem in November include the exclusive Canadian premieres of comedy KID SISTER (Dec. 9) from New Zealand; big budget period drama SISI (Dec. 2); comedy game show QUESTION TEAM with host Richard Ayoade (Travel Man) (Dec. 2); Australian comedy LATECOMERS (Dec. 3) starring Angus Thompson and Hannah Diviney; and AVOIDANCE (Dec. 5) starring Romesh Ranganathan. Also making their CBC Gem premieres this month are the hilarious British mockumentary W1A (seasons 1-3, beginning Dec. 4), seasons 3 and 4 of UK comedy FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER (Dec. 7) and season 11 of beloved british drama, CALL THE MIDWIFE (Dec. 22)
CBC’s The Passionate Eye has three CBC Gem-exclusive documentaries available in December, including the acclaimed MY OLD SCHOOL (Dec. 2), recounting the incredible story of Scottish teen Brandon Lee, and featuring Alan Cumming. Other titles include A ONCE AND FUTURE PEACE (Dec. 9) and MISSION JOY: FINDING HAPPINESS IN TROUBLED TIMES (Dec. 16).
A Living With A Disability collection in honour of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities launches Dec. 1, including: drama RALPH & KATIE, a spin-off of the acclaimed The A Word; and documentaries HAWKING CAN YOU HEAR ME?, ELLIE SIMMONS: A WORLD WITHOUT DWARFISM, and AUGMENTED
Feature films coming to CBC Gem this month include Denys Arcand’s drama THE FALL OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE (Dec. 16) and Philippe Falardeau acclaimed film MY SALINGER YEAR (Dec. 18), starring Margaret Qualley and Sigourney Weaver
Festive features continue into December with a selection of holiday-themed programming including films A VERY NUTTY CHRISTMAS (Dec. 12), CHRISTMAS RESERVATIONS (Dec. 12) and THE CHRISTMAS CHECKLIST (Dec. 12) and holiday cooking and confectionary episodes from JAMIE AND JIMMY’S FESTIVE FEAST (Dec. 27) and THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW (Dec. 28)
ACCLAIMED INTERNATIONAL TITLES
RALPH & KATIE (6×30, Drama, Tiger Aspect Productions/ITV Studios, UK)
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Begins streaming Thursday, December 1 as part of the Living With A Disability collection in recognition International Day of Persons with Disabilities
In this new comedy-drama – an uplifting story from the makers of The A Word – we return to the beauty and splendour of the Lake District to journey with Ralph (Leon Harrop, Brassic) and Katie (Sarah Gordy, The Long Call) as they embark on their first year of married life. Navigating their way through love and independence, Ralph and Katie face many of the challenges faced by all newlyweds… but with the added fact that they both have Down’s syndrome. Supported by some new faces and the odd familiar overbearing parent, join Ralph and Katie on an emotional rollercoaster in this groundbreaking, heartwarming and perception-challenging series.
SISI (6×60, Drama, Story House Pictures, Germany)
*Exclusive English Canadian Premiere*
Begins streaming Friday, December 2
She is an icon, Empress, legendary beauty: Sisi (Dominique Devenport, Night Train to Lisbon), Europe’s first super star. Her love of freedom and the promise to give the Habsburg monarchy a gentler face have captivated Europe. Now, she will enter into a new era. It is a true story full of intrigue and desires. A carefree teenager, Sisi falls head over heels in love with a powerful and desirable man (Jannik Schümann, Call Me Helen). But he has an unspoken dark and dangerous side: love that was not meant to be. Sisi has to choose and accepts the challenge. A coming-of-age story, the tomboy becomes a self-confident, modern woman. She will be able to make difficult decisions, to deal with loss and ultimately to fill an independent role as Empress.
QUESTION TEAM (8×45, Game Show, Interstellar, UK)
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Begins streaming Friday, December 2
QUESTION TEAM is a comedy quiz show with a difference – the players are comedians and they have written all the questions. Richard Ayoade, the main host, is joined by three guest comedians, who each take turns leading an original, creative quiz round that reflects their own personality, humour and interests. Nobody taking part knows what the other has prepared, so like the audience watching at home, they expect the unexpected whether it’s a movie quiz brought to life with homemade recreations of famous scenes, a DIY quiz to guess the cord-length of vacuum cleaners, or a pop music quiz delivered whilst performing a skydive. What makes this show unique is that the host is an active participant: joining in the rounds and competing against the other three to be crowned that episode’s winner and take home a money-can’t-buy prize.
LATECOMERS (6×15, Comedy, Lazy Susan Films/Mad One Films, Australia)
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Begins streaming Saturday, December 3 as part of the Living With A Disability collection in recognition International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Loveable larrakin Frank (Angus Thompson, Terrible Pauly) and cynical bookish Sarah (Hannah Diviney) couldn’t be more different, other than the fact they both have cerebral palsy and are both virgins. After their able-bodied carers, kind-hearted heartthrob Elliot (Patrick Jhanur, Riot) and perimenopausal party girl Brandi (Miriama Smith, Harrow), hook up on a night out, Frank and Sarah are forced to get to know one another and confide in each other their sexual inexperience. Frank decides to pursue Sarah but sabotages the relationship when he turns up drunk to their date and insults her (before drunkenly vomiting on her for good measure). But when Elliot is left to clean up the mess, it sets off an unpredictable chain reaction that causes both Frank and Sarah to confront hard truths about disability, misogyny, love, and self-worth.
W1A Seasons 1-3 (15×30, Mockumentary, BBC, UK)
Season 1 begins streaming Sunday, December 4; Season 2 begins streaming Monday, December 12; and Season 3 begins streaming Monday, December 19
After demonstrating their well-meaning ineptitude at the Olympic Deliverance Commission in 2012, Ian Fletcher (Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey) has now joined the British Broadcasting Corporation for W1A, a fictional satirical behind-the-scenes series based at the BBC’s London headquarters. As Ian begins his new job as the BBC’s Head of Values, he encounters a problem. Despite the job having been sold to him as a chance to influence and shape one of the Great British institutions, he soon realises that not only does he not have time to think Big Thoughts, he never has any time to think any thoughts at all. To make matters worse, Ian soon discovers that the board has also decided to hire PR company Perfect Curve’s Siobhan Sharpe as the Ginger Rogers to his Fred Astaire. Massaging presenter egos, deftly handling a BBC ‘Anti-Cornish Bias’ scandal and breaking through mindless creative meetings is all in a day’s work for Ian and the team in this sharply observed comedy, filmed at the BBC’s real offices in Central London.
AVOIDANCE (6×30, Comedy, Ranga Bee/CPL, UK)
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Begins streaming Monday, December 5
Romesh Ranganathan stars in this warm-hearted comedy about a man with severe conflict avoidance issues who is forced to change for the sake of his son, Spencer. Jonathan has always deferred the big and small decisions to his partner Claire (Jessica Knappett). So when Claire asks him to leave, Jonathan realises he has no home, no friends and no ambition. Except one: to make his son happy. Jonathan’s first instinct is to take Spencer and run! Without Claire knowing, he moves into the home of his sister Danielle and her wife Courtney. Over the course of the series, the unlikely foursome become a loving but utterly dysfunctional family unit.
FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER Seasons 3 & 4 (12×30, Comedy, Popper Pictures/Big Talk, UK)
Season 3 begins streaming Wednesday, December 7 and Season 4 begins streaming Wednesday, December 14
Featuring a stellar ensemble cast, the award-winning hit comedy is back for a third series of mayhem at the gloriously idiosyncratic Goodman family’s traditional Friday night dinner. This series, Adam gains a new female admirer – a 9 year old girl, Jonny gets the world’s worst tattoo, Dad gives the boys a graphic lecture on sex education and tries to hide a dead, frozen fox from Mum, Mum practices being a counsellor on her horrified family, Grandma goes back out with the terrifying Mr Morris, neighbour Jim accidentally swallows his dog’s sleeping pills, and… there’s a wedding. Of course every family has its foibles, its rituals and its eccentricities. It’s just that the Goodmans have made something of an art form of theirs.
THE HISTORY OF COMEDY Season 2 (6×60, Comedy, Herzog & Co and Hazy Mills Productions, US)
Begins streaming Thursday, December 8
From stand-up and sitcoms, to late-night hosts and improv troupes, THE HISTORY OF COMEDY explores what makes the comedic mind tick. Featuring hilarious archival footage alongside current interviews with both comedy legends and modern stars, the series examines what makes us laugh and how comedy has affected the social and political landscape throughout hist
KID SISTER (6×30, Comedy, Greenstone TV, New Zealand)
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Begins streaming Friday, December 9
Lulu (Simone Nathan) is a young Kiwi woman in her prime but in the Jewish world she is careening towards ‘Spinster’. Now on the verge of 30 years old, Lulu’s parents’ attempts at pushing her off the shelf into the arms of a Nice Jewish Boy leave her clinging on for dear life. But in a city like Auckland, at the far end of the diaspora, this isn’t so simple. Added to that, Lulu has just found out she’s pregnant by her on-again off-again very non-Jewish boyfriend, Ollie (Paul Williams, Taskmaster NZ). She has to make some big calls and fast. As Lulu digs herself deeper and deeper into a ‘shituation’, she is forced to face the question she’s been avoiding her entire adult life: how can she do what she wants while also making everyone else happy? KID SISTER is a super personal comedy about the joys and troubles that arise when old-world meets new.
CALL THE MIDWIFE Season 11 (8×60, Drama, Neal Street, UK)
Begins streaming Thursday, December 22
Season 11 starts off set on Easter 1967. Celebrations are underway for a colourful Easter Bonnet parade outside Nonnatus House. Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parftt, Up the Women) and Reggie (Daniel Laurie, Stella) are excited about the Eurovision song contest and Nancy (Megan Cusack, The Cherry Orchard), having just passed her midwifery examinations, is about to don her red cardigan for the first time.
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UNSCRIPTED
STAY TOONED (6×22, Unscripted, Fathom Film Group, Canada)
*World Premiere*
Begins streaming Friday, December 2
STAY TOONED follows voice actor, Eric Bauza, the voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and others, as he explores the world of cartoons and how they shaped the way we see the world. Eric explores his rich cartoon legacy along with key experts who help him delve into different eras to consider the underlying themes of the classics, not-so classics and everything in between. Packed with surprising insights, humour, personal revelations and cultural critique, STAY TOONED examines not only what cartoons mean to us, but also what they have to say about the changing world around us. Featuring Ben Schwartz, Lake Bell, Ken Jeong, Bobby Moynihan, Tara Strong, Russell Peters, Lamorne Morris, Cree Summer, James Adomian, and others.
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LIFESTYLE
FOUR SENSES Season 4 (13×22, Lifestyle, Varner Production, Canada)
Begins streaming Thursday, December 1 as part of the Living With A Disability collection in recognition International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Celebrity chefs Christine Ha and Carl Heinrich team up with special guests for an exciting cooking show with an accessibility twist. Guest chefs featured this season include: design duo Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan; fashion icon, Jeanne Beker; designer Kimberley Seldon; comedienne Luba Goy; CBC News host Dwight Drummond; vegan food blogger Lauren Toyota; comedienne Jessica Holmes; model Monika Schnarre; celebrity cook, Kary Osmond; health journalist Dr. Marla Shapiro; Television presenter Kevin Brauch; Television and radio personality Steve Anthony; and restaurateur Ezra Braves.
DOUBLE TAP TV Season 3 (43×19-24, 1×60, 3×30-43, Lifestyle, AMI-TV, Canada)
Begins streaming Thursday, December 1 as part of the Living With A Disability collection in recognition International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Double Tap TV provides viewers with the latest technology news from an accessibility point-of-view. Join hosts Steven Scott (Royal National Institute of Blind People) and Marc Aflalo (SiriusXM) as they help viewers better understand how technology can assist in everyday life. The show celebrates the 10th anniversary of VoiceOver, examines the best home smart speakers and pays a visit to Sight Village, an event focused on accessibility.
NADIYA’S EVERYDAY BAKING (6×30, Lifestyle, Wall To Wall Media, UK)
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Begins streaming Thursday, Dec. 1
In this series, Nadiya Hussain inspires us to bring the joy of baking into our everyday lives, creating extraordinary meals from simple bakes you could whip up any day of the week.
ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRY Season 27b (13×60, Lifestyle, Boundless, UK)
*Canadian Premiere*
Begins streaming Tuesday, December 13
ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRY continues to fulfil the dreams of city dwellers looking to start a new life in the British countryside. A cast of knowledgeable hosts support prospective buyers on their house hunt, finding them three to four country properties that meet their needs, along with a ‘mystery house’ which challenges their preconceptions about what they think they want from their new home. The series also celebrates country life, as well as the architecture, heritage and beauty of British rural and coastal landscapes.
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DOCUMENTARIES
MY OLD SCHOOL (1×104, directed by Jono McLeod, USA/Scotland)
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Begins streaming Friday, December 2, a streaming-only release from CBC’s The Passionate Eye
In 1993, 16-year-old Brandon Lee enrolled at Bearsden Academy, a secondary school in
a well-to-do suburb of Glasgow, Scotland. What followed over the next two years would
become the stuff of legend. Brandon had been privately tutored in Canada while he accompanied his mother, an opera diva, on tour before her tragic death. The preternaturally bright student surprised teachers by blazing toward his goal of entering medical school, displaying a wealth of knowledge beyond his years. Brandon found friends despite his initial awkwardness, taking bullied students under his wing, introducing classmates to seminal retro bands, and even starring in the school’s production of South Pacific. But then his unbelievable secret was revealed. Filmmaker Jono McLeod returns to his old school for a nostalgic look at the strange but true story of his former classmate, Brandon Lee. Utilizing playful, period-specific animation, a pitch-perfect soundtrack, the memories of students and teachers, and the talents of Alan Cumming to bring the tale to life, MY OLD SCHOOL offers more than one surprise along the way.
HAWKING: CAN YOU HEAR ME? (1×90, directed by Oliver Twinch, UK)
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Begins streaming Thursday, December 1 as part of the Living With A Disability collection in recognition International Day of Persons with Disabilities
HAWKING: CAN YOU HEAR ME? is the remarkable human story of Stephen Hawking. For the first time unseen archive and personal testimonies by his closest family reveal both the scale of Hawking’s triumphs and the true cost of his disability and success.
ELLIE SIMMONS: A WORLD WITHOUT DWARFISM (1×60, directed by Kate Monaghan, UK)
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Begins streaming Thursday, December 1 as part of the Living With A Disability collection in recognition International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Ellie Simmonds, five-time gold Paralympics winner, is used to an environment where difference is celebrated; but now she’s investigating a controversial new drug that some people argue could bring an end to dwarfism. A pioneering drug is coming on the market that promises to make children with Achondroplasia – Ellie’s form of Dwarfism – grow closer to average height. Achondroplasia is a genetic condition that is the most common type of dwarfism in the UK, and the new treatment raises the question: if cutting edge medicine can stop disability in its tracks – should we use it? Travelling around the UK and US, Ellie Simmonds will explore all sides of this contentious debate, following currently available treatments for dwarfism, meeting families embarking on the drug trial, others who feel treatment would have positively impacted their lives as well as those who are proud of their identity and question the aims of the drug.
AUGMENTED (1×54, directed by Matthew Orr, USA)
Begins streaming Thursday, December 1 as part of the Living With A Disability collection in recognition International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Follow the dramatic personal journey of Hugh Herr, a biophysicist working to create brain-controlled robotic limbs. At age 17, Herr’s legs were amputated after a climbing accident. Frustrated by the crude prosthetic limbs he was given, Herr set out to remedy their design, leading him to a career as an inventor of innovative prosthetic devices. Now Herr is teaming up with an injured climber and a surgeon at a leading Boston hospital to test a new approach to surgical amputation that allows prosthetic limbs to move and feel like the real thing. Herr’s journey is a powerful tale of innovation and the inspiring story of a personal tragedy transformed into a life-long quest to help others.
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HOLIDAY
A VERY NUTTY CHRISTMAS (1×90, Holiday, directed by Colin Theys, USA)
strong>Begins streaming Monday, December 12 as part of a Holiday collection
It’s almost Christmas and Kate Holiday (Melissa Joan Hart) is the hard-working owner of Dancing Flours Bakery. Right now, she has more cookie orders than she has time to fill and she’s missing out on the joy of Christmas. When her boyfriend, who’s the local high school drama teacher, and the town Santa Claus, breaks up with her, she just wishes Christmas would be over. Kate decides not to go too overboard this Christmas and buys a simple Christmas tree and a box of second-hand ornaments from “Uncle Drosselmeyer’s Treasures”. After Kate hangs the last ornament on the tree, a Nutcracker, Kate goes to bed, but is soon awakened by a handsome soldier in her living room, a man who may or may not be the Nutcracker Prince from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker.
CHRISTMAS RESERVATIONS (1×90, Holiday, directed by Deanne Foley, USA)
Begins streaming Monday, December 12 as part of a Holiday collection
It’s Christmas at the Treeline Ski Resort, where Holly (Melissa Joan Hart) is the event coordinator at her family lodge. She plans every event and keeps all the guests happy. But when her college sweetheart, (Ricardo Chavira) now widowed with two children, checks in, Holly discovers she has her own reservations about life and love.
THE CHRISTMAS CHECKLIST (2×88, Holiday, directed by Anne De Lean, Canada)
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Begins streaming Monday, December 12 as part of a Holiday collection
Emily Robertson takes a leave of absence from work and her bustling city-life, returning to her quaint, Colorado hometown after her mother Ruby’s unfortunate passing. It is Emily’s first Christmas alone where she now faces a daunting task of fulfilling her mother’s last wish — completing a twelve-task Christmas Checklist before December 25th. Up for the challenge and the distraction, Emily meets Noah, a freelance writer who decides to cover her compelling story for the local paper. As Emily emotionally heals and works through the remaining list, Noah’s article turns from vividly inspiring to personally cherished. Just in time for Christmas Eve, their time together ultimately reveals that Ruby’s twelfth and final checklist wish has been in front of them the whole time.
JAMIE AND JIMMY’S FESTIVE FEAST (1×60, Lifestyle, Fresh One Productions, UK)
Begins streaming Tuesday, December 27 as part of a Holiday collection
This year, for the first time, The Jamie Christmas Special takes place by the sea on Southend pier, with best friend Jimmy Doherty and family. Packed with festive cheer, Jamie and Jimmy will host a party like no other, creating the perfect Christmas feast.
THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW Season 12 New Year Special (1×60, Lifestyle, Love Productions, UK)
Begins streaming Wednesday, December 28 as part of a Holiday collection
The Great British Baking Show welcomes in the New Year in style as Noel, Matt, Prue and Paul return to the tent with some familiar faces from Baking Show past. Joining them this year are runner up Kim-Joy and fellow 2018 baker Jon, as well as Hermine and Rowan, who entered our first Baking Show bubble in 2020. They’ll be battling it out over three seasonal challenges to see who will win the first Star Baker crown of 2022.
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FEATURE FILMS
THE FALL OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE (1×90, Drama, directed by Denys Arcand, Canada)
Begins streaming Friday, December 16
Pierre-Paul Daoust, 36, an intellectual with a PhD in philosophy is forced to work as a deliveryman to afford a decent living. One day, while delivering a parcel, he gets caught in a hold up gone terribly wrong: two dead and millions in money bags laying on the ground. Pierre-Paul is confronted with a dilemma: leave empty handed, or take the money and run? This Denys Arcand film takes a witty yet touching look at, as only Arcand knows how, the predominance of money in a society where all other values seem to have crumbled.
MY SALINGER YEAR (1×100, Drama, directed by Philippe Falardeau, Canada/Ireland)
Begins streaming Sunday, December 18
In New York City in the late ’90s, Joanna (Margaret Qualley) is a young aspiring writer who lands a day job at J.D. Salinger’s literary agency. While her eccentric, old-fashioned boss Margaret (Sigourney Weaver) assigns her to answer Salinger’s voluminous fan mail, Joanna struggles to find her own voice.
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THE BEST OF CBC
Past and current seasons of CBC series including ARCTIC VETS, BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW, HEARTLAND, KIM’S CONVENIENCE, MURDOCH MYSTERIES, PRETTY HARD CASES, TALLBOYZ, THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW, THE PORTER, RUN THE BURBS, SCHITT’S CREEK, SKYMED, SON OF A CRITCH, SORT OF, STILL STANDING; and classic CBC hits like BEING ERICA.
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COMING IN JANUARY
DEATH AND NIGHTINGALES
BUMP Season 3
THE U.S. & THE HOLOCAUST