Monday, November 4, 2024

Streaming February 2023 on CBC Gem

International series coming to CBC Gem in February include the fourth season of BAFTA-nominated supernatural sitcom GHOSTS (Feb 10), available exclusively in Canada on CBC Gem; compelling dramas THE FALL seasons 1-3 (Feb. 15) starring Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan and the exclusive Canadian premiere of hit Swedish drama THIN BLUE LINE Season 2 (Feb. 17); and the third season of MISADVENTURES OF ROMESH RANGANATHAN (Feb. 3)

Four Black History Month collections showcase Black voices and stories including Season 2 of the star-studded mockumentary/variety show executive produced by John Legend, SHERMAN’S SHOWCASE (Feb. 1); the exclusive Canadian premiere of documentary RIGHT TO OFFEND: THE BLACK COMEDY REVOLUTION (Feb. 2); documentaries on notable Black changemakers JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE (Feb. 1), TONI MORRISON: THE PIECES I AM (Feb. 1) and WILLIE (Feb. 7); and award-winning dramas including 2017 Oscar© winner for Best Picture, MOONLIGHT (Feb. 3); THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO (Feb. 10); and NIGHT OF THE KINGS (Feb. 17)

The Ukrainian Collection, launching Feb. 17, honours the history, culture and resilience of the Ukrainian people one year after the Russian invasion, with the Canadian premieres of documentaries THE ART OF REBIRTH, FRAGILE MEMORY and 2023 Oscar©-nominated doc feature A HOUSE MADE OF SPLINTERS, and dramas THE GUIDE, STOP-ZEMLIA and THERE WILL BE PEOPLE

CBC’s winter 2023 season continues with the world premieres of CANADA’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE (Feb. 16), PUSH (Feb. 24) and PLAN B (Feb. 27) and new episodes from returning favourite BEST IN MINIATURE (Feb. 26). Also coming in February is the Canadian original documentary DEAR JACKIE (Feb. 5) and British documentary CHARLES: THE NEW KING (Feb. 19). All of these titles will be available on CBC Gem concurrently with their premieres on CBC TV

Kids and tween titles debuting in February include Season 2 of International Emmy© and GLAAD Media award-winning tween series FIRST DAY (Feb. 1); preschool series GISELE’S MASHUP ADVENTURES (Feb. 1) and MITTENS AND PANTS (Feb. 6); and tween adventure series THEODOSIA (Feb. 17) based on the acclaimed books by R.L. LaFevers 

ACCLAIMED INTERNATIONAL TITLES

GHOSTS Season 4 (7×30, Comedy, Monumental Television/Them There, UK)
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Begins streaming Friday, February 10

The BAFTA-nominated supernatural sitcom returns, following the comedy chaos of an unlikely houseshare between the struggling living and the restless dead. Written and created by the stars of Horrible Histories and the creators, writers and stars of fantasy comedy Yonderland and feature film Bill, this fourth season sees resident ghosts and cash-strapped couple Alison (Charlotte Ritchie, Call the Midwife) and Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe, Stath Lets Flats) face life-changing events. They are determined to get the best reviews from their guests after transforming Button House – a crumbling, haunted stately home – into a luxury B&B. However, buried secrets, booking mix-ups and open war with neighbours all collide to create a chaotic series of events which threatens to derail their dreams.

THE FALL Seasons 1-3 (16×60 & 1×90, Drama, Artists Studio, UK/Ireland)
Begins streaming Wednesday, February 15

Starring Emmy© and Golden Globe award-winner Gillian Anderson (Bleak House, Great Expectations) and Jamie Dornan (Fifty Shades of Grey, A Private War) in his BAFTA-nominated and Irish Film and Television Award-winning role, this gripping psychological thriller forensically examines the lives of two hunters… One a serial killer that stalks his victims at random and the other a high-powered detective superintendent brought in to catch him.

THIN BLUE LINE Season 2 (8×60, Drama, Anagram, Sweden)
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Begins streaming Friday, February 17

As the city of Malmö comes to terms with the COVID-19 pandemic, thirty-nine illegal workers burn to death inside an industrial warehouse. The tragedy shakes the whole of Sweden and no more so than the Malmö Police Department, whose authority is increasingly scrutinized. The people of the city start to question whether the solution to their problems is through the work of the police, or if the men and women in blue are still fit for purpose. Against this backdrop of rising tension and mistrust between the police and the public, our officers must battle increasingly dramatic professional and personal matters. Winner of Best TV Drama and Best Programme of the Year at the 2021 annual Swedish television awards, the Kristallen TV Awards.

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BLACK HISTORY MONTH COLLECTIONS

Celebrating Black History, The Black Stories Collection, Black Music & Art, and Must Watch Black Leads

JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE (1×90, Documentary, directed by Dawn Porter, USA)
Begins streaming Wednesday, February 1 as part of Celebrating Black History and The Black Stories Collection

Using interviews and rare archival footage, JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE chronicles Lewis’ 60-plus years of social activism and legislative action on civil rights, voting rights, gun control, health-care reform and immigration. Using present-day interviews with Lewis, now 80 years old, Porter explores his childhood experiences, his inspiring family and his fateful meeting with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1957. In addition to her interviews with Lewis and his family, Porter’s primarily cinéma verité film also includes interviews with political leaders, Congressional colleagues, and other people who figure prominently in his life.

SHERMAN’S SHOWCASE Season 2 (1×60 & 6×30, Mockumentary, RadicalMedia, USA)
Begins streaming Wednesday, February 1 as part of The Black Stories Collection

A sketch variety show like none before, Emmy Award©-winning SHERMAN’S SHOWCASE travels through time via music and clips drawn from the forty-year library of a legendary (fictional) musical variety show. Inspired by shows like “Solid Gold,” “Soul Train” and “Laugh-In,” the series comes from writers-performers Diallo Riddle and Bashir Salahuddin and executive producer John Legend. Each week, the vault opens for viewers to experience the chaotic comedy and amazing musical numbers from the forty-year (made-up) history of the show. Whether it’s a real artist playing a fake character, or a comedian playing a real artist, it’s always unconventional, irreverent, and most of all, funny.

TONI MORRISON: THE PIECES I AM (1×120, Documentary, directed by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, USA)
Begins streaming Wednesday, February 1 as part of The Black Stories Collection

TONI MORRISON: THE PIECES I AM is an artful and intimate meditation on the legendary Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning author that examines her life, her works and the powerful themes she has confronted throughout her literary career. From her childhood in the steel town of Lorain, Ohio, to ’70s-era book tours with Muhammad Ali, from the front lines with Angela Davis to her own riverfront writing room, Toni Morrison leads an assembly of her peers, critics and colleagues on an exploration of race, America, history and the human condition as seen through the prism of her own literature. Inspired to write because no one took a “little black girl” seriously, Morrison reflects on her lifelong deconstruction of the master narrative. Woven together with a rich collection of art, history, literature and personality, the film includes discussions about her many critically acclaimed works, including novels Beloved, The Bluest Eye, Sula and Song of Solomon, her role as an editor of iconic African American literature and her time teaching at Princeton University. The film also features interviews with Hilton Als, Angela Davis, Fran Lebowitz, Walter Mosley, Sonia Sanchez and Oprah Winfrey.

RIGHT TO OFFEND: THE BLACK COMEDY REVOLUTION (2×120, Documentary, directed by Mario Diaz and Jessica Sherif, USA)
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Begins streaming Thursday, February 2 as part of Celebrating Black History and The Black Stories Collection

This two-part documentary explores the progression of Black comedy and the comedians who have used pointed humor to expose, challenge and ridicule society’s injustices and to articulate the Black experience in America. The series examines Black comedy through a unique lens, tracing the evolution and social awakening of the courageous comedians who dared to push against the constraints of their time and spoke truth to power. Featuring Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, DL Hughley, Steve Harvey, Sherri Shepherd, Michael Che, Katt Williams, Amber Ruffin, Lil Rel Howery, W Kamau Bell, Aisha Tyler, Wayne Brady, Kenan Thompson, Alonzo Bodden and more.

MOONLIGHT (1×111, Drama, directed by Barry Jenkins, USA)
Begins streaming Friday, February 3 as part of The Black Stories Collection and Must Watch Black Leads 

A timeless story of human connection and self-discovery, MOONLIGHT chronicles the life of a young black man from childhood to adulthood as he struggles to find his place in the world while growing up in a rough neighborhood of Miami. At once a vital portrait of contemporary African-American life and an intensely personal and poetic meditation on identity, family, friendship, and love, MOONLIGHT is a groundbreaking piece of cinema that reverberates with deep compassion and universal truths. Winner of Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role and Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2017 Academy Awards.

BLIND AMBITION (1×90, Documentary, directed by Robert Coe and Warwick Ross, Australia)
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Begins streaming Monday, February 6 as part of The Black Stories Collection

BLIND AMBITION is the inspiring story of four Zimbabwean refugees who conquered the odds to become South Africa’s top sommeliers. Driven by relentless optimism, a passion for their craft and unshakeable national pride, they form Zimbabwe’s first-ever wine tasting team and set their sights on the coveted title of ‘World Wine-Tasting Champions’. From the moment they arrive in France to compete, this team of mavericks turns an establishment of privilege and tradition on its head. A truly uplifting documentary that celebrates just how irrepressible the human spirit can be. Winner of the Audience Award at Tribeca Film Festival and Sydney Film Festival.

WILLIE (1×72, Documentary, directed by Laurence Mathieu-Leger, Canada)
Begins streaming Tuesday, February 7 as part of Celebrating Black History and The Black Stories Collection

Willie O’Ree changed hockey forever on Jan. 18, 1958. In the midst of America’s tumultuous fight to end Jim Crow and the birth of the civil rights movement, Willie – the descendant of escaped slaves – became the first black player to skate in a National Hockey League game. He was blind in one eye – an extraordinary secret that only his sister knew. He played 45 games in the NHL and then 22 years of minor league hockey. Later, Willie sold cars, managed fast food restaurants, and worked security at a hotel. When he was asked to become the NHL’s diversity ambassador in 1994, he was 60 years old. He took the job, and he has never stopped. Now, over 60 years after Willie broke the NHL’s colour barrier, a grassroots movement is working to get him into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Will he also break this barrier? WILLIE provides historical context and depth to O’Ree’s incredible journey. The film is a testament to the resilience and determination of a man empowered by his family’s legacy, and the people he has inspired along the way. His work is not done.

THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO (1×90, Drama, directed by Joe Talbot, USA)
Begins streaming Friday, February 10 as part of The Black Stories Collection and Must Watch Black Leads 

Jimmie Fails dreams of reclaiming the Victorian home his grandfather built in the heart of San Francisco. Joined on his quest by his best friend Mont, Jimmie searches for belonging in a rapidly changing city that seems to have left them behind. As he struggles to reconnect with his family and reconstruct the community he longs for, his hopes blind him to the reality of his situation. A wistful odyssey populated by skaters, squatters, street preachers, playwrights, and the other locals on the margins, THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO is a poignant and sweeping story of friendship, community, and the true meaning of home. Joe Talbot’s directorial debut is a deep and resonant meditation on the stories we tell ourselves to find our place in the world. The film received its World Premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival where it won Best Dramatic Directing and the Special Jury Award, and went on to win Best Independent Film from the 2019 African-American Film Critics Association and Outstanding Independent Feature at the 2020 Black Reel Awards.

NIGHT OF THE KINGS (1×93, Drama, directed by Philippe Lacôte, Canada/France/Côte D’Ivoire)
*English-Canada Premiere*
Begins streaming Friday, February 17 as part of The Black Stories Collection

A young man (Koné Bakary) is sent to “La Maca,” a prison in the middle of the Ivorian forest ruled by its inmates. As tradition goes with the rising of the red moon, he is designated by the Boss to be the new “Roman” and must tell a story to the other prisoners. Learning what fate awaits him, he begins to narrate the mystical life of the legendary outlaw named “Zama King” and has no choice but to make his story last until dawn. Nominated for Best Motion Picture at the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards and for Best International Film at the Independent Spirit

Awards. Winner of Best Foreign Film at the 2021 African-American Film Critics Association and Best Foreign Film at the 2021 Black Film Critics Circle Awards.

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UKRAINIAN COLLECTION

THE ART OF REBIRTH (1×68, Documentary, directed by Vincent Lefebvre, Ukraine)
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Begins streaming Friday, February 17

Popasna is a small city in Eastern Ukraine. It has been devastated by war. Much of the population has fled the fighting which still threatens the region. Yet, every day, children continue to attend one of the few schools still able to teach basic lessons. A French mural artist, Seth, is creating a large fresco on the school’s wall. The children share their views of the world, hopes, and dreams with him through the medium of drawing and painting.

BORSCH: THE SECRET INGREDIENT (1×60, Documentary, directed by Dmytro Kochnev, Ukraine)
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Begins streaming Friday, February 17

Follow popular Ukrainian chef Evgen Klopotenko across Ukraine as he seeks to uncover unique recipes and discover the secret ingredients that make borsch so distinctive. Nominated for the Audience Choice Award at the 2021 Ukrainian Film Academy Awards.

FRAGILE MEMORY (1×85, Documentary, directed by Igor Ivanko, Ukraine/Slovakia)
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Begins streaming Friday, February 17

Leonid Burlaka’s films were seen by millions of people in Ukraine during and after the Soviet Era. Today, dementia makes his memory fade. His friends have already passed away and his works are scattered in old storages. The story changes, when his grandson – a young cinematographer Igor – finds Leonid’s forgotten and damaged archive. Winner of Best International Film – Honorable Mention (Ihor Ivanko) at the 2022 DocAviv Film Festival and nominated for Best Feature Length Documentary at the 2022 Krakow Film Festival.

THE GUIDE (1×90, Drama, directed by Oles Sanin, Ukraine)
Begins streaming Friday, February 17 

Ukraine, 1930s. American engineer Michael Shamrock (Jeff Burrell) arrives in Kharkiv with his ten-year-old son, Peter (Anton Greene) to help “build socialism.” He falls in love with an actress Olha (Jamala) who has another admirer, OGPU commissar. Under tragic circumstances, the American is killed, and his son is saved from pursuers by a blind minstrel (Stanislav Boklan). With no other chance to survive in a foreign land, the boy becomes his guide. Their journey, full of dangerous adventures, unfolds against the backdrop of some of the most dramatic pages of Ukrainian history and human destruction. This film about love, loyalty, malice and betrayal is based on true events. Winner of Best Acting (Stanislav Boklan) at the 2014 Odessa International Film Festival and Ukraine’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards.

A HOUSE MADE OF SPLINTERS (1×90, Documentary, directed by Simon Lereng Wilmont, Denmark/Sweden/Finland/Ukraine)
*Canadian Premiere*
Begins streaming Friday, February 17

As the war in Eastern Ukraine takes a heavy toll on poor families living near the frontline, a small group of strong-willed social workers work tirelessly in a special kind of orphanage to create an almost magical safe space for kids to live in while the state authorities and courts decide the future fate of the child and family. The film premiered and won the Best Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and has been nominated for a 2023 Academy Award© in the category of Best Documentary Feature Film.

A PRESIDENT, EUROPE AND WAR (1×90, Documentary, directed by Laurence Thomas-Dutour, France)
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Begins streaming Friday, February 17

In the early hours of February 24, 2021, Vladimir Putin launched a full scale invasion of Ukraine, in what would soon become the most dramatic act of war on European soil in 80 years. The striking pictures of the Russian army bombings immediately popped up on social media and television news network screens across the world. Every administration in Europe was on high alert, starting with the one headed by Emmanuel Macron, the French President and the Leader of the council of the European Union. A PRESIDENT, EUROPE AND WAR chronicles, from the inside, how the French president has dealt with the war in Ukraine, from its inception and through the first four months of the Russian invasion on a day-to-day basis.

PULSE (1×90, Sports Drama, directed by Sergii Chebotarenko, Ukraine)
Begins streaming Friday, February 17

Oksana dreams of becoming an Olympian. She has worked hard all her life to represent her country at the highest level, but after a terrible car accident her dream begins to collapse. The film is based on the real story of Oksana Boturchuk, a Ukrainian track-and-field athlete.

STOP-ZEMLIA (1×122, Drama, directed by Kateryna Gornostai, Ukraine)
Begins streaming Friday, February 17

The introverted high school girl Masha sees herself as an outsider unless she hangs around with Yana and Senia who share her non-conformist status. While she is trying to navigate through an intense time of the pre-graduation year, Masha falls in love in a way that forces her out of her comfort zone. From a debutant Ukrainian director Kateryna Gornostai, a deeply personal story about self-discovery and the patience it requires. The film received its World Premiere at Berlinale 2021 where it won the Crystal Bear for Best Film in the Generation 14plus competition. Winner of Best Feature Film, Discovery of the Year, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay at the 2021 Ukrainian Film Critics Awards.

THERE WILL BE PEOPLE (12×52, Period Drama, FILM.UA/STB, Ukraine)
Begins streaming Friday, February 17 

A saga depicting turbulent periods of the early 20th century through the eyes of ordinary Ukrainian people: the First World War, the revolution, and the emergence of the Soviet regime. Each character faces change in their own way and has their own concept of truth. However, all of them share the fundamental desire to live, love and find their place in a new era. Nominated for Best Series at the 2021 Ukrainian Film Academy Awards.

U311 CHERKASY (1×102, Drama, directed by Tymur Yashchenko, Ukraine)
Begins streaming Friday, February 17

February 2014. The occupation of the Crimean Peninsula begins. The Cherkasy minesweeper, along with other Ukrainian ships, is blocked in Lake Donuzlav—the path to the sea is obstructed by the flooded vessels of the Russian fleet. It is a trap. The ships begin to surrender to the Russians as it seems there is simply no other way. Based on real events, this is the story of the last Ukrainian ship in Crimea which resisted capture and continued the courageous fight.

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LIFESTYLE

MISADVENTURES OF ROMESH RANGANATHAN Season 3 (3×60, Lifestyle, Rumpus Media, UK)
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Begins streaming Friday, February 3

Comedian and self-confessed coward Romesh Ranganathan travels to more of the world’s most unlikely holiday destinations. This time he’s heading to locations including Sierra Leone, Romania, Rwanda and the Scottish Highlands to find out whether there’s more to these places than just negative headlines and if they might, in fact, be perfect holiday spots. There’s only one problem. Romesh can barely negotiate a travel plug, let alone a hostile situation – so he’s going to need a local host to help him out. Along the way, Romesh encounters extraordinary people, discovers impossibly beautiful locations and tackles some surprisingly complex questions about modern democracy.

GRAND DESIGNS UK Season 20a (8×60, Lifestyle, Boundless Productions, UK)
Begins streaming Monday, February 6

Engaging, authoritative presenter Kevin McCloud follows the building of eight extraordinary new projects – from an eye popping curved glass villa near Manchester to an astonishing underground James Bond-inspired hideaway in Kent – as we watch intrepid self-builders push the boundaries of what modern architecture can achieve.

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DOCUMENTARIES

LA BATAILLE POUR L’ÂME DU QUÉBEC (THE BATTLE FOR QUEBEC’S SOUL) (1×60, directed by Francine Pelletier, Canada)
*English- Canada Premiere*
Begins streaming Wednesday, February 22

THE BATTLE FOR THE SOUL OF QUEBEC tells the story of Quebec nationalism from the late 1960s to the present day. How this nationalism has gradually transformed from a progressive and “open to the world” current to a much more conservative current, a nationalism centered on the “historical French-speaking majority.”

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KIDS AND TWEENS 

FIRST DAY Season 2 (4×24, Tween, Epic Films and KOJO Studios, Australia)
*Canadian Premiere*
Begins streaming Wednesday, February 1 

In her second year at Hillview, Hannah’s run for Class Captain exposes an underlying level of transphobia among her classmates. She starts a group for LGBTQIA+ students but risks alienating her closest friends in the process. Season 1 of FIRST DAY won an International Emmy© Award in the Kids: Live Action category and a GLAAD Media Award (Children and Youth), which honours media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

GISELE’S MASHUP ADVENTURES (20×3, Preschool, Headspinner Productions, Canada)
*World Premiere*
Begins streaming Wednesday, February 1 

What happens when you mix and mash together a spaceship, a sloth, and a pineapple? A cookie, a deer, and an earring? A whale, Egypt, and a seashell? You get a mashup of wacky, wonderful fun!

Gisele’s Mashup Adventures is an animated preschool series where each three-minute episode takes inspiration from the creative ideas of children across the country from diverse cultures and backgrounds. When Gisele’s Mashup Mixer is fed a curated collection of the child’s ideas (keywords), the mixer whirs and stirs, as it concocts and transports the child and Gisele on a silly, hilarious adventure!

MITTENS & PANTS (39×7, Preschool, Windy Isle Entertainment, Canada)
*World Premiere*
Begins streaming Monday, February 6

Mittens, the kitten and Pants, the puppy, have amazing adventures in their town of Kibble Corners. This live-action animal series features animals living in a world where houses and vehicles are all their size. From Monsieur LaFleur, the bunny farmer driving his tractor-load of carrots to the giant frog Mayor Sourdough in the town hall, to Fire Chief Grapefruit with his tortoise fire truck, and even DJ Swimfins, the goldfish DJ in her fish tank van. MITTENS AND PANTS is an adorable show with a strong message: having friends who are different from you means accepting those differences without expecting anyone to change. Because cats and dogs can be friends if they know that being different is good.

THEODOSIA (26×22, Tween, Cottonwood Media and ZDF, France/Germany)
*Canadian Premiere*
Begins streaming Friday, February 17

When 14-year-old Theodosia Throckmorton stumbles on a mysterious artefact, the Eye of Horus, in an Egyptian tomb, she unlocks a whole new world of magic, mystery and danger. Now, she, her brother Henry and their friends, street magician Will and Egyptian princess Safiya, must battle ancient forces, dark magic and comic chaos as they try to save the world. Based on the acclaimed book series by R.L. LaFevers.

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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, MR. D, 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 MARCH

CANADA READS
ESSEX COUNTY
HISTORY OF THE SITCOM
JUNO AWARDS
UPRIGHT Season 2

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