Acclaimed international series coming to CBC Gem in November include season two of SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS (November 11) featuring Elizabeth Olsen; season four of DOCUMENTARY NOW! (November 18); Spanish thriller EXPRESS (November 18) starring Maggie Civantos; and the exclusive Canadian premieres of UK dramedy CHIVALRY (October 28) starring Steve Coogan and Sarah Solemani, four-part docuseries MY LIFE AS A ROLLING STONE (November 4), season two of the hit investigative thriller SMOTHER (now streaming), season four of the comedy-drama BRASSIC (November 4), EXTRAORDINARY PORTRAITS (November 7) hosted by Tinie Tempah, and the second season of MY GRANDPARENTS’ WAR (November 11) featuring Keira Knightley, Kit Harington, Toby Jones and Emeli Sandé
New documentaries include the exclusive Canadian premiere of STILL MAX (November 1); and the premiere of THE NOODLE GROUP (November 9)
A variety of new feature films including WHITE LIE (November 4) starring Kacey Rohl; Atom Egoyan’s GUEST OF HONOUR (November 11) featuring Laysla De Oliveira and Luke Wilson; and THE CUBAN (November 18) with Ana Golja and Louis Gossett Jr.
Acclaimed feature films by the late visionary Mi’kmaw filmmaker Jeff Barnaby – BLOOD QUANTUM and RHYMES FOR YOUNG GHOULS – available now
The holiday spirit begins with a selection of festive films and series like HAPPIEST SEASON (November 28) starring Kristen Stewart and Dan Levy, and THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW (November 29), with more programming to be announced
ACCLAIMED INTERNATIONAL TITLES
CHIVALRY (6×30, Dramedy, Baby Cow Productions, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, October 28
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Steve Coogan (Alan Partridge) and Sarah Solemani (Bridget Jones’s Baby) write and star in this timely drama that skewers and satirises the complex state of contemporary sexual politics. Cameron, an acclaimed film producer, needs to detoxify his latest movie or face ruin. Bobby, an ambitious feminist filmmaker, has what he needs to get ‘woke’. All they need to do is reshoot an inappropriate sex scene. How hard can it be? But as Bobby and Cameron bounce between gender tension and a creeping attraction, a toxic sex scene becomes the tip of the iceberg. Who really knows how to navigate post-woke sex? How fluid are our politics and how political are our fluids?
SMOTHER Season 2 (6×50, Drama, BBC Studios and Treasure Entertainment, UK)
Streaming now
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
The return of the intense investigative thriller about the secrets that families keep from each other and which, once shared, can tear them apart forever. Val (Dervla Kirwan) thinks she is safe. Someone else has taken the blame for the murder of her husband, Denis (Stuart Graham). But a knock at the door sends shockwaves through the family. Standing before them is Denis’s secret son, Finn. Set amid the breathtaking wild coast of County Clare in Ireland, this is a story about how secrets can destroy a family.
MY LIFE AS A ROLLING STONE (4×52, Documentary, Mercury Studios, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, November 4
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
MY LIFE AS A ROLLING STONE tells the story of one of the world’s greatest rock ‘n’ roll bands in a way that has never been done before – by viewing the band through the musical lens of each member, delving deep into their personalities, passions and memories from the past 60 years. Four hour-long films, each an intimate portrait of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts, show how these individual musical geniuses came together to make the music that has provided the soundtrack to the lives of millions. Each movie features unrivalled access to and newly-filmed interviews with the band members, and from a stellar cast of artists who’ve loved and been inspired by the band. The landmark series includes unseen footage and exclusive stories from Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood interwoven with new and archive interviews and performance. The story of Charlie Watts, who sadly passed away in August 2021, is told via tributes from his fellow band members and his musical peers and admirers along with archive interviews of Charlie.
BRASSIC Season 4 (8×60, Comedy, Calamity Films, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, November 4
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
With the Brassic gang back in Hawley, things don’t get any easier. Join them as they hatch eccentric plans, complete questionable heists and nick some bizarre items.
SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS Season 2 (10×30, Drama, Big Beach TV, USA)
Begins streaming Friday, November 11
Leigh Shaw (Elizabeth Olsen, WandaVision) is struggling to put her life back together in the wake of her husband’s unexpected death. As the loss upends and transforms nearly every relationship in Leigh’s life, it also forces her to realize there was a lot about her husband she didn’t know.
MY GRANDPARENTS’ WAR Season 2 (4×60, Documentary, Wonderhood Studios, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, November 11
MY GRANDPARENTS’ WAR delivers a fascinating new biographical insight into some of Britain’s biggest stars – Keira Knightley, Kit Harington, Toby Jones and Emeli Sandé. The series explores how their grandparents’ experiences of war shaped their own lives and the world we live in today.
DOCUMENTARY NOW! Season 4 (6×30, Mockumentary, Broadway Video, USA)
Begins streaming Friday, November 18
DOCUMENTARY NOW! is a comedy series that pays loving homage to the world’s best-known documentaries. Each episode adopts a different style of nonfiction filmmaking to honor the most important stories that didn’t actually happen.
EXPRESS (8×50, Drama, The Mediapro Studio, Spain)
Begins streaming Friday, November 18
*Canadian English Language Exclusive Premiere*
EXPRESS tells the story of a criminal psychologist, Bárbara (Maggie Civantos), and her family after she becomes the victim of one of the newest, virally spreading forms of violent crime: express kidnappings. Set in a world where everything moves so quickly that people’s capacity to understand and react has been disrupted in ways yet to be fully realized, one group knows that unease can be heightened into fear and exploited for profit. Now working as a negotiator in cases similar to her own, Bárbara is on a mission to understand why this happened to her and uncover the people who threatened her life and family.
CALL THE MIDWIFE Season 10 Holiday Special (2×60, Drama, Neal Street, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, November 25
It’s Christmas 1967 and life in Poplar is slowly returning to normal after the terrible train crash. The midwives move the maternity clinic into new premises and one of their first patients is Rhoda Mullocks, who the team know well after her last baby was affected by Thalidomide. Nurse Crane cares for a pregnant single mother, recently released from prison, while Sister Frances attends a delivery in a garment factory. Elsewhere, Fred decides to raise money for the families affected by the train crash and suggests a festive talent show – Poplartunity Knocks!
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LIFESTYLE
EXTRAORDINARY PORTRAITS (6×30, Lifestyle, Chatterbox Films, UK)
Begins streaming Monday, November 7
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
EXTRAORDINARY PORTRAITS, hosted by Tinie Tempah, invites ordinary people with extraordinary stories to sit for some of the most distinctive and ground-breaking artists in the world. From crocodile attack survivors coming to terms with their recovery to breathtaking underwater photoshoots that challenge the way we view ourselves. Every portrait tells a story – but what happens when your story is handed to a perfect stranger? It’s a fascinating dive into the process of portraits being created. Every portrait is a battle between the subject’s vanity and the artist’s vision and each episode builds towards the portrait being unveiled and revealed to the subject and their family and friends.
GRAND DESIGNS AUSTRALIA Season 10 (8×60, Lifestyle, Fremantle Australia, Australia)
Begins streaming Friday, November 18
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
This season of GRAND DESIGNS AUSTRALIA is all about risk and reward, and the extraordinary lengths some brave souls will go to in their quest to build some of Australia’s most remarkable homes. Inventiveness and innovation are the name of the game, as our homeowners find unique and clever ways to create one of a kind, high performing homes in a time of soaring property prices, environmental extremes and even personal tragedy. Whether it’s a spectacular Mediterranean castle, a repurposed dairy shed, a spaceship-like domed house with the world’s best view, or a Mid Century glass box… this season of GRAND DESIGNS AUSTRALIA is the most daring yet!
PAUL O’GRADY FOR THE LOVE OF DOGS Holiday Special (1×30, Reality, Shiver Productions, UK)
Begins streaming Wednesday, November 23 as part of the Holiday Collection
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
It’s Christmas at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, but not everyone’s feeling festive. Paul O’Grady helps a lonely beagle whose Christmas wish is to find a new friend, an excitable cross breed with a short attention span, and comforts a Patterdale Terrier cross who needs a serious operation due to a past injury.
LIVING WILD: HOW TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE Season 1a (2×30, Lifestyle, Full Fat TV, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, November 25
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Lockdown led many around the world to reconsider how they live and what their priorities are, Sophie Morgan is one of those who has been pondering the way we live. In this two-part special Sophie travels across the United Kingdom to meet those who have gone back to basics and rebuilt their lives the way they want it.
THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW Season 12 Christmas Special (1×57, Lifestyle, Love Productions, UK)
Begins streaming Tuesday, November 29 as part of the Holiday Collection
Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith, Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding invite the stars from the hit drama ‘It’s a Sin’ to join them in the famous white tent to celebrate Christmas. Olly Alexander, Nathaniel Curtis, Lydia West and Shaun Dooley battle it out amongst each other for the coveted Christmas Star Baker title. They’ll wrap up Christmas with the London Community Gospel Choir as they perform their version of “All I Want For Christmas.”
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DOCUMENTARIES
STILL MAX (1×74, directed by Katherine Knight, Canada)
Begins streaming Tuesday, November 1
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
A portrait of Canadian multidisciplinary artist Max Dean and his recent projects using art to confront his battle with prostate cancer.
THE NOODLE GROUP (1×10, directed by Rachel Bower, Canada)
Begins streaming Wednesday, November 9
These friends are in their 90s and they still swim in the local river every day. After all this time, they’ve realized that magic exists in the simple moments of everyday life.
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FEATURE FILMS
WHITE LIE (1×96, Thriller, directed by Yonah Lewis and Calvin Thomas, Canada)
Begins streaming Friday, November 4
Katie Arneson (Kacey Rohl, Fortunate Son) is faking cancer. A university dance major, Katie’s falsified diagnosis and counterfeit fundraising have transformed her into a campus celebrity surrounded by the supportive community she’s always dreamed of: a close-knit group of friends, security in her academic pursuits, and a caring relationship with her girlfriend. Dependent upon a bursary for sick students, Katie learns the funding is in jeopardy unless she can provide copies of her medical records within the week. Enlisting the guidance of several others, she begins the dangerous process of forging the records. This task is costlier and more complicated than initially anticipated, and a panicked Katie descends into a spiral of misguided decisions that take her further and further over the edge. Nominated for multiple Canadian Screen Awards and for Best Canadian Film at the 2021 Toronto Film Critics Association Awards.
GUEST OF HONOUR (1×105, Drama, directed by Atom Egoyan, Canada)
Begins streaming Friday, November 11
When a hoax goes very wrong, Veronica (Laysla De Oliveira, Locke & Key), a young teacher, is falsely accused of abusing her position of authority over 17-year-old Clive (Alexandre Bourgeois, Departure). The film also features Luke Wilson (Old School) and David Thewlis (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows).
THE CUBAN (1×109, Drama, directed by Sergio Navarretta, Canada)
Begins streaming Friday, November 18
When a young Afghan immigrant named Mina (Ana Golja, Degrassi: Next Class) gets her first job in a nursing home, an unexpected friendship with Luis (Louis Gossett Jr., An Officer and a Gentleman), a resident with dementia, reignites her love of music and changes her life forever.
HAPPIEST SEASON (1×102, Comedy, directed by Clea DuVall, USA)
Begins streaming Monday, November 28 as part of the Holiday Collection
Meeting your girlfriend’s family for the first time can be tough. Planning to propose at her family’s annual Christmas dinner – until you realize that they don’t even know she’s gay – is even harder. When Abby (Kristen Stewart, Spencer) learns that Harper (Mackenzie Davis, Black Mirror) has kept their relationship a secret from her family, she begins to question the girlfriend she thought she knew. HAPPIEST SEASON is a holiday romantic comedy that hilariously captures the range of emotions tied to wanting your family’s acceptance, being true to yourself, and trying not to ruin Christmas. Winner of Outstanding Film – Wide Release at the 2021 GLAAD Media Awards.
CUP OF CHEER (1×94, Comedy, directed by Jake Horowitz, Canada)
Begins streaming Wednesday, November 30 as part of the Holiday Collection
In a comedic shakeup of every cheesy Christmas movie, a big city journalist (Storm Steenson, The Boys) goes to a small town for the holidays and finds herself in an unlikely romance with the owner of a struggling hot cocoa shop.
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KIDS
THE NEXT STEP Season 3 (30×30, Tween, Temple Street Productions, Radical Sheep Productions and Boat Rocker Studios, Canada)
Begins streaming Friday, November 4
THE NEXT STEP follows the lives of an elite group of young dancers who live and breathe dance at The Next Step Studio. Season 3 picks up where Season 2 left off, with the team’s future uncertain. They are National Champions, but they have been evicted from their studio. Without a place to dance, they are forced to merge with their rivals, Elite Dance Studio. New dancers come and go, as personal drama threatens to foil The Next Step’s quest to become a competitor on the world stage.
MITTENS & PANTS (39×7, Preschool, Windy Isle Entertainment, Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc., USA)
Begins streaming Friday, November 25
MITTENS & PANTS is a fully live-action series featuring best friends Mittens the kitten and Pants the puppy as they go on adventures that are packed with action, humour and drama in their all-animal town of Kibble Corners. The new preschool series celebrates the joys of having friends who are different from you. The relationships between the shy, curious kitten, the energetic puppy and their furry (and feathered) friends and families drive the storytelling.
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MUSIC
THE INTRO Season 3 (CBC Music)
New episodes available to stream Tuesday, November 1 and Tuesday, November 15
This bi-weekly series from CBC Music showcases the best and brightest emerging Canadian acts across all genres. Each episode puts the spotlight on one band or artist currently generating buzz in the music scene, and is illustrated with stunning live performances, and enlightening conversations about their craft. The November 1 episode will feature Toronto-based R&B singer-songwriter Terrell Morris, whose smooth, yet provocative sound, channels introspection and raw, thought-provoking honesty. The November 15 episode features Montreal-based Indie folk artist Ruby McKinnon (aka Flower Face). Classically trained in piano since the age of 5, McKinnon began writing her own music at 14 and now creates melancholic folk music with a bedroom pop heart.
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CBC FALL 2022 SEASON
CBC’s fall 2022 season continues in November with the return of season two of the Peabody Award-winning series SORT OF (November 15), with Amanda Brugel, Scott Thompson and Raymond Cham Jr. joining the ensemble cast.
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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 DECEMBER
SISI
W1A Seasons 1-3
AVOIDANCE
THE NEXT STEP Season 4
HISTORY OF COMEDY Season 2
MADE IN CANADA Seasons 3 & 4