CBC Gem original series launching in January include WHO DO YOU THINK I AM? (January 7), featuring a young interviewer with Down syndrome (Madison Tevlin) as she finds connection with misperceived people, and TRUE DATING STORIES Season 3 (January 28), which reenacts some of the greatest real dating stories ever told.
New international series include the exclusive Canadian premieres of the second half of PEN15 Season 2 (January 3), as Maya and Anna return for a sophomore season that goes deeper into the cringy charm of middle school, SHOWTRIAL (January 7) – from the producers of Line of Duty, Bodyguard and Vigil – portraying a five-part British courtroom trial of a young wealthy woman, accused of murdering her classmate; ANGELA BLACK (January 7), which tells the story of a suburban Londoner looking to escape a hostile domestic environment; and American-Korean dramedy DRAMAWORLD (January 21), featuring a 20-year-old college student thrown into her favorite K-drama series.
The exclusive Canadian premiere of acclaimed Swedish drama THIN BLUE LINE (January 14), an intimate portrayal and fresh take on the police procedural where the lines of personal and professional lives blur.
WAR CLUB (January 21) offers audiences a live visual performance of DJ Shub’s critically acclaimed, chart-topping Indigenous electronic album.
New lifestyle programming includes MARK MORIARTY: OFF DUTY CHEF (January 21), which documents award-winning and world-renowned chef Mark Moriarty’s latest kitchen endeavors.
New documentaries include the exclusive Canadian premieres of BELSEN: THE UNTOLD STORY (January 27), a compelling, deeply important film documents the stories of survivors of one of the most notorious concentration camps of World War II, as well as BARACK OBAMA TALKS TO DAVID OLUSOGA (January 28); and Ken Burns’ MUHAMMAD ALI (January 28), which brings to life one of the most indelible figures of the 20th century.
CBC’s winter 2022 season kicks off in January with the premieres of SON OF A CRITCH (January 4), RUN THE BURBS (January 5) and new seasons from returning favourites WORKIN’ MOMS (January 4), STILL STANDING (January 5), PRETTY HARD CASES (January 5), CORONER (January 6), ARCTIC VETS (January 7) and TALLBOYZ (January 25), all of which will be available on CBC Gem concurrently with their premieres on CBC TV.
ACCLAIMED INTERNATIONAL SERIES
PEN15 Season 2(B) (7×30, Comedy, Awesomeness, USA, 2020)
Begins streaming Monday, January 3
PEN15 is middle school as it really happened, in all its cringeworthy glory. Show creators, Maya Erskine (Plus One) and Anna Konkle (Rosewood), who are full-on adults, play fictionalized depictions of their younger selves as awkward 7th grade outcasts, surrounded by actual 13-year-olds. Taking a nostalgic trip back to the year 2000, these two best friends enter the wonderful world of puberty and burgeoning adolescence together while facing the trials and tribulations of middle school – from boys to school dances to overbearing parents – where the best day of your life can turn into the worst with the stroke of a gel pen.
ANGELA BLACK (6×60, Drama, Two Brothers, UK, 2020)
Begins streaming Friday, January 7
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Angela Black’s (Joanne Froggatt, Liar) life appears idyllic. She has a lovely house in suburban London, spends her days working as a volunteer, raising two wonderful sons and a charismatic, hard-working husband, Olivier (Michiel Huisman, Game Of Thrones). However, beneath this façade of charmed domesticity, Angela is also the victim of domestic abuse. Trapped in a relationship she cannot escape, Angela is approached out of the blue by Ed (Samuel Adewunmi, Born A King), a private investigator, who spills Olivier’s darkest secrets. When faced with horrifying truths about her husband, a stunned Angela is left reeling. Can she really trust Ed? Can she leave behind her life as she knows it and finally free herself from Olivier?
SHOWTRIAL (5×60, Drama, World Productions, UK, 2021)
Begins streaming Friday, January 7
Talitha Campbell (Céline Buckens, Free Rein), the arrogant daughter of a wealthy entrepreneur, is arrested following the disappearance of fellow student Hannah Ellis (Abra Thompson, The Nevers), the hard-working daughter of a single mother. From Talitha’s arrest to the jury’s final verdict, SHOWTRIAL switches between both sides of the legal battle, as defence and prosecution fight for their version of what really happened to Hannah.
THE OFFICE Season 2 (6×30, Comedy, BBC Studios, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, January 7
Season two of the multi-award winning comedy set in the Slough branch of Wenham-Hogg paper company in suburban London. Change can be stressful, but manager David Brent (Ricky Gervais,The Invention of Lying) thinks he can handle it all. He’s got a new boss; he’s been recruited to give motivational lectures and has to integrate the dull employees of the Swindon office with his own branch.
THIN BLUE LINE (10×60, Drama, Anagram Sweden/SVT, 2021)
Begins streaming Friday, January 14
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
This Swedish drama created by the acclaimed writer Cilla Jackert (Shed No Tears), gets under the surface of what being a cop is really about. The work of the Swedish Malmö police is gritty and unglamorous. Dealing with death, social misery and the growth of criminal activity in the city’s notorious problem areas, they keep their spirits up thanks to the strong bonds within the police force. This story centres around the lives of four police officers as they struggle to keep their human values intact.
BRASSIC Season 3 (6×60, Dramedy, Calamity Films, UK, 2021)
Begins streaming Friday, January 14
Vinnie (Joe Gilgun, Lockout), freshly out of prison, is jubilant to be reunited with his gang of mates but dismayed to learn that he now has the newly promoted Detective Carl Slater (John Weaver, Mount Pleasant) watching his every move. Vinnie knows he needs to keep out of trouble, but playing it safe has never been his strong point. Soon he and his lifelong friends are back to their usual tricks with a hilarious new onslaught of wild and wonderful heists on the horizon. Bigger, braver and more bonkers than ever, it’s a hectic world of bulls, snakes, kidnappings, betrayal, and this time, a full-size horse.
RIPPER STREET Season 4 (7×60, Drama, Tiger Aspect Productions, UK, 2015)
Begins streaming Friday, January 14
In 1897, Reid (Matthew Macfadyen, Succession) has given up his detective work and lives in Hampton-on-Sea with Mathilda (Anna Burnett, The Falling). When his old friend Isaac (Justin Avoth, Midsomer Murders) is accused of murder, he is drawn back to Whitechapel to investigate. Meanwhile Drake (Jerome Flynn, Game Of Thrones) is now head inspector of Whitechapel and still employs Jackson (Adam Rothenberg, Mad Money) who has given up his drinking and gambling in order to save money to free Susan (MyAnna Buring, Kill List) from prison.
PEOPLE JUST DO NOTHING Season 1 (9×30, Comedy, Roughcut TV, UK, 2014)
Begins streaming Friday, January 14
PEOPLE JUST DO NOTHING is a mockumentary series that follows West London pirate radio station ‘Kurupt FM’. Led by self proclaimed garage legend MC Grindah (Allan Mustafa, BBC Comedy Feeds) and his second in command DJ Beats (Hugo Chegwin, BBC Comedy Feeds), these hapless individuals share the secrets behind running an illegal business and demonstrate that chasing your dreams is actually a full time job.
DRAMAWORLD Season 1 (10×10-19, Dramedy, Third Culture Content, USA/South Korea, 2016)
Begins streaming Friday, January 21
When 20-year-old college student and K-drama fanatic Claire Duncan (Liv Hewson, Santa Clarita Diet) is transported into her favorite drama, “Taste of Love”, her appearance throws the show off-balance, causing other dramas to splice into the series. Mysterious waiter Seth Ko (Justin Chon, Twilight) made his own journey into the drama years ago from the real world and mentors Claire on how to navigate the dramaworld. What kind of crazy adventure will Claire experience?
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CBC GEM ORIGINAL SERIES
WHO DO YOU THINK I AM? (10×10, Canadian Content Studios, 2021)
Begins streaming Friday, January 7
WHO DO YOU THINK I AM? features Madison Tevlin, who has spent her whole life being judged at first glance. Maddie has Down syndrome but it has absolutely nothing to do with who she is. Maddie finds connection with other misinterpreted and misperceived people, as she chats one-on-one with extraordinary people misrepresented by their exterior. This season, Madison will sit down with Ann Pornel from The Great Canadian Baking Show, Sarah Nicole Landry of The Birds Papaya, and Canadian singer Tyler Shaw, to name a few. With every person on the planet, there is so much more to discover and Maddie gets to the heart of who they really are.
TRUE DATING STORIES Season 3 (8×12, LaRue Entertainment, 2021)
Begins streaming Friday, January 28
Who doesn’t love a great dating story? Whether it’s true romance or a night gone horribly wrong, this series offers the greatest real dating stories ever told, reenacted by performers with all the drama, romance and comedy they deserve. These sexy, jaw-dropping comedic re-enactments will make you laugh, cry, and quite possibly swear off dating altogether. A CBC Gem original series, TRUE DATING STORIES Season 3 taps into new and returning creative talent, including directors Zack Russell (She Stoops to Conquer), Allison Johnston (22 Minutes), Darrell Faria (Tall Boyz) and Samantha MacAdam (Prom Night).
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LIFESTYLE
10 YEARS YOUNGER (6×60, Maverick Television, UK, 2019)
Begins streaming Friday, January 7
In 10 YEARS YOUNGER, participants learn that a few simple changes to their appearance can greatly improve their looks. Participants begin by standing in a soundproof glass box on a busy street in Los Angeles while the show’s host asks passersby to guess the person’s age. Following an in-studio segment that’s part interview and part therapy session, in which participants talk about how divorce, career, kids, and more have affected their lives and their appearance, the host reveals the average age guessed by those who were polled.
SAVE WITH JAMIE Season 2 (6×60, Fresh One, UK, 2014)
Begins streaming Friday, January 7
Jamie Oliver’s (5 Ingredients: Quick & Easy Food)) back with this optimistic, inventive and super-helpful food series. He wants to inspire people around the world to eat better and spend less on their weekly food bills by giving us some of his most useful money saving but seriously delicious recipes to date. Jamie’s going to prove that it’s possible to eat like a king without breaking the bank, and passionately believes that a few clever tricks in the kitchen can keep the costs down, the spirits up, and the food tasting fantastic.
MARK MORIARTY: OFF DUTY CHEF (8×30, Appetite Media, Ireland, 2021)
Begins streaming Friday, January 21
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Award-winning and world-renowned chef Mark Moriarty (Cook In with Mark Moriarty) is here with his brand new TV series, THE OFF DUTY CHEF. When he’s not working in some of the finest Michelin star restaurants in Ireland, Mark loves nothing more than cooking everyday meals in his own kitchen.
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FEATURE FILMS
MALIGLUTIT (SEARCHERS) (1×90, Drama, directed by Zacharias Kunuk, Canada, 2017)
Begins streaming Friday, January 7
Inspired by the John Ford film The Searchers, an Inuit woman and her daughter are kidnapped by three Inuit men, while her husband and son are away. The Inuit husband sets out on a journey to find his family and punish the perpetrators.
CARDINALS (1×90, Drama, directed by Grayson Moore, Canada, 2018)
Begins streaming Friday, January 7
Years after murdering her neighbour under the guise of driving drunk, Valerie Walker (Sheila McCarthy, Die Hard 2) returns home from prison. She plans on moving on without revisiting any of the events she has had years to ponder, but the deceased man’s son Mark (Noah Reid, Schitt’s Creek) soon shows up at Valerie’s door.
GOON (1×90, Drama, directed by Michael Dowse, Canada, 2011)
Begins streaming Friday, January 14
Doug Glatt (Seann William Scott, American Pie) is a small town bouncer who gets recruited to play for a minor league hockey team as the “muscle” after getting into a fist fight defending his best friend Pat (Jay Baruchel, This Is The End). Despite the fact that Glatt can’t skate, he soon becomes the hero on the team and is adored by the crowd. But when the league’s reigning goon becomes threatened by Glatt’s success, he decides to even the score.
FORSAKEN (1×90, Drama, directed by Jon Cassar, 2014)
Begins streaming Friday, January 14
In 1872, an embittered gunslinger named John Henry Clayton (Kiefer Sutherland, 24) attempts to make amends with his estranged father Reverend Samuel Clayton (Donald Sutherland, Pride and Prejudice) while their community is besieged by ruthless land-grabbers.
EASYLAND (1×90, Drama, directed by Sanja Zivkovic)
Begins streaming Friday, January 21
A poignant examination of the obstacles and heartbreaks facing recent refugees, Sanja Zivkovic’s debut feature EASY LAND follows Nina (Nina Kiri, The Handmaid’s Tale) and her mother Jasna (Mirjana Jokovic, Maid In Manhattan) as they struggle to build a life for themselves in a new country. Jasna has been traumatized by what she witnessed in Serbia, and the after-effects are exacerbated by the menial jobs she must take to pay the rent despite being a trained architect.
THIS IS OUR CUP (1×90, Drama, directed by Patrice Sauve, Canada, 2016)
Begins streaming Friday, January 28
Thirty-five year old Max is a prisoner of his own past. Since the death of his parents seven years ago, all he does is hang out in the living room of his small apartment watching hockey games with his girlfriend Julie and his childhood friends, or desultorily managing the hockey card store that he inherited from his parents. But when Julie suddenly decides to leave him, Max is forced to re-evaluate the way he’s been living. And thus begins a long interior journey filled with obstacles and bad decisions, at the end of which Max will have to begin mourning his father, stop looking backward toward the past, and finally face the future.
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DOCUMENTARY
MUHAMMED ALI (8×60, Florentine Films/Ken Burns, USA, 2021)
Begins streaming Friday, January 28
MUHAMMED ALI brings to life one of the most indelible figures of the 20th century, a three-time heavyweight boxing champion who captivated millions of fans across the world with his mesmerizing combination of speed, grace, and power in the ring, and charm and playful boasting outside of it. Ali insisted on being himself unconditionally and became a global icon and inspiration to people everywhere.
BELSEN: THE UNTOLD STORY (1×60, Atlantic Productions, UK, 2020)
Begins streaming Thursday, January 27
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
This compelling, deeply important film documents the stories of survivors of one of the most notorious concentration camps of World War II. 75 years after its liberation, the last survivors – children during their internment – return to the site of the camp and share their crucial memories.
BARACK OBAMA TALKS TO DAVID OLUSOGA (1×30, BBCS, UK, 2020)
Begins streaming Friday, January 28
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
In a UK exclusive, former American president Barack Obama encounters historian David Olusoga to discuss his long-awaited memoir “A Promised Land”, his reflections on the volatile racial divide in the US, his steadfast refusal to abandon American ideals, and how the sight of a black president and black first family in the White House may have cast a spotlight on the depth of racial fault lines in America.
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MUSIC
WAR CLUB (1×40, Produced by Dan General (DJ Shub) and Eli Wener, Canada)
Begins streaming Friday, January 21
DJ Shub, the godfather of powwow step, brings us a live visual performance of his critically acclaimed, chart-topping Indigenous electronic album War Club. Set in a conservation area, DJ Shub partners with special guests Phoenix, Fawn Wood and Boogat to perform each song as a story, accompanied by Indigenous dancers.
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KIDS SERIES
UKULELE U (52×7; Wow Unlimited Media)
Begins streaming Saturday, January 8 on CBC Gem and broadcast on CBC Kids
UKULELE U is a fun and inclusive, sing-along musical variety show. Award-winning recording artist and ground-breaking music teacher, Melanie Doane is joined by ten incredible kids to learn songs about friendship, feeling and the joy of singing, dancing and playing together. After learning each song, the kids perform a music video, encouraging kids at home to join in. Tune in to learn amazing new songs, as well as chart-topping hits like “Dynamite” by BTS, “Diamonds” by Rihanna, “Me” by Taylor Swift and “It Don’t Mean a Thing” by Duke Ellington.
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TWEEN SERIES
ALMOST NEVER Season 3 (11×30, Saltbeef TV, UK, 2021)
Begins streaming Saturday, January 1
The Wonderland push themselves harder than ever to make it in the music industry, as Sasha steps up her campaign to break up the band and sign Nate for herself. Nate privately wrestles with Sasha’s solo offer, while he and Chloe struggle to articulate their feelings for one another. Oakley falls for someone close, which leads to heartache for Harry. Chloe gets a taste of life in the music industry working for Sasha, while Fabio enjoys his new role as babysitter for Sasha’s baby Junior. Tyra quits Girls Here First to focus on her new business venture. After being kicked out of GHF, Lola enlists the help of Chloe, Fabio and Dan’s sister Jess in a quest to get signed by Sasha, but is hindered by her overbearing mother Helen. Elena steps up to become The Wonderland’s new Social Media Manager, while AJ helps Dan out around The Palais.
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CBC WINTER 2022 SEASON
CBC’s winter 2022 season kicks off in January with the premieres of SON OF A CRITCH (Jan. 4), RUN THE BURBS (Jan. 5) and new seasons from returning favourites like WORKIN’ MOMS (Jan 4), STILL STANDING (Jan 5), PRETTY HARD CASES (Jan 5), CORONER (Jan 6), ARCTIC VETS (Jan 7) and TALLBOYZ (Jan 25), all of which will be available on CBC Gem concurrently with their premieres on CBC TV. Details of CBC’s winter schedule are available here.
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THE BEST OF CBC
Past and current seasons of CBC series including BURDEN OF TRUTH, THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW, FRANKIE DRAKE MYSTERIES, HEARTLAND, MURDOCH MYSTERIES, STILL STANDING, TALLBOYZ, KIM’S CONVENIENCE, BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW, and SCHITT’S CREEK; and classic CBC hits like BEING ERICA.
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COMING IN FEBRUARY
- The Porter
- Black History Month Collection
- Olympic Winter Games-inspired Collection