New and returning CBC Gem original series coming to CBC Gem in March include Season 2 of BROAD APPEAL (Mar. 12) and the debuts of true-crime documentary/comedy series FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE (Mar. 4), drama SOMETHING UNDONE (Mar. 26) and new comedies THE COMMUNIST’S DAUGHTER (Mar. 19) and THE SLOWEST SHOW (Mar. 26)
CBC News first original specials for CBC Gem, HOW TO START A REVOLUTION (now streaming) and BIG NEWS (Mar. 19)
Canadian short docs include the four-part series STORIES FROM THE LAND (Mar. 19) and WHY WE FIGHT (Mar. 19)
CBC’s great Canadian book debate, CANADA READS, returns for its 20th edition (Mar. 8-11) with host Ali Hassan moderating a panel of celebrity advocates who will champion Canadian books that speak to the theme, “One Book to Transport Us.”
In honour of Canada Reads, CBC Gem will offer a Book Lovers collection as of March 5, featuring THE SKIN WE’RE IN, NORMAL PEOPLE, AMERICAN WOMAN and more
International Women’s Day collection launching March 5, with titles including AGAINST THE TIDES (Mar. 5), CITIZEN JANE: BATTLE FOR THE CITY (Mar. 5) and LOVE, GILDA (Mar. 5)
Critically acclaimed drama series including BAD BANKS (Mar. 12), VICTORIA (Mar. 22) and MISS SCARLET AND THE DUKE (Mar. 29)
New RED BULL titles will be added to the CBC Gem library of sports content beginning in March
The debut of international comedy series LADHOOD (Mar. 5)
The Canadian exclusive premiere of the Sundance Film Festival award-winning documentary HALE COUNTY THIS MORNING, THIS EVENING (Mar. 26)
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CBC GEM ORIGINAL SERIES
- FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE (8×30, Documentary-style Comedy, Muse Entertainment in Association with Funny Or Die and CBS Television Studios, and CBC in Canada)
Begins streaming on Thursday, March 4
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
This true-crime documentary-style series follows Mike Mildon and his true-crime-obsessed best friend Jackson Rowe as they attempt to solve this coldest of cold cases. In 1934, Mike’s great-great-uncle, Harold Heaven, mysteriously disappeared from his cabin in Minden, Ontario. Local police searched the nearby woods and lake, but Harold was never found nor heard from again. 86 years later, Mike and Jackson head back to Minden to attempt to uncover the truth with the help of Mike’s extended family, town locals, old photos and 1934 police reports. The further they dig, the stranger the theories get.
- BROAD APPEAL Season 2 (6×10, Comedy, Torbay Ponies)
Begins streaming Friday, March 12
Some pre-posthumous lifestyle advice from a couple of brassy bits of aging crumpet who have very definitely been there, and no doubt, done that. Mary Walsh and Cathy Jones star as beloved characters Mrs. Eulalia and Mrs. Enid, respectively, who travel across Canada to dish out advice in person.
- THE COMMUNIST’S DAUGHTER (8×10, Comedy, LoCo Motion Pictures, Natalie Novak Films)
Begins streaming Friday, March 19
In the thick of the 1980s, the daughter of two happily married Communists struggles between fitting in at high school and upholding her family’s outdated beliefs. Starring Sofia Banzhaf (Closet Monster, Bitten) as Dunyasha McDougald, Jessica Holmes (The Holmes Show, Air Farce) as Carol McDougald, Aaron Poole (Strange Empire) as Ian McDougald, and Ryan Taerk (Wish Upon) as Boris McDougald. Also featuring Nadine Bhabha, Kolton Stewart, and George Stroumboulopoulos.
- THE SLOWEST SHOW (6×20, Comedy, Kelly&Kelly)
Begins streaming Friday, March 26
From creator Pat Kelly (This Is That, This Sounds Serious), in collaboration with an array of filmmakers including Andrew Phung (Kim’s Convenience), comes the experimental comedy series THE SLOWEST SHOW. The series exploits the tension of Slow TV. With each locked-off single camera shot, every mesmerizing frame becomes a stage for physical comedy, subtle storylines and quirky characters. A Chaplin film for this century. ‘Where’s Waldo?’ come to life.
- SOMETHING UNDONE (6×10, Drama, 4AM Film Studios)
Begins streaming Friday, March 26
*A CBC Creative Relief Fund project*
Jo (Madison Walsh; The Expanse), a foley artist for a successful indie Canadian true crime podcast, arrives at the home of her estranged mother in small town Ontario to pack up the house following her mother’s death. As Jo continues her work from the family home, recreates gruesome sound effects for the podcast, she finds a disturbing sound in the background on one of her tracks, setting off a desperate need to uncover a mysterious event that took place in the home and who or what is trying to make a connection.
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CBC NEWS – NEW CBC GEM ORIGINAL SERIES
- HOW TO START A REVOLUTION (2×43/47, CBC News Documentary, Produced by Catherine Legge & Tarannum Kamlani)
*A CBC News Production In Association With CBC Podcasts*
Streaming now
HOW TO START A REVOLUTION – based on the CBC Podcast Recall: How To Start A Revolution – brings to life the 1960s protest movement in Quebec and the radical F-L-Q militants who ultimately defined it. Revolutionary moments mined from the CBC archives, along with first-person accounts, reveal a fight for social justice that crossed a line to bombs, kidnapping and murder. It’s a stylish and shockingly relevant two-part documentary series, available now on CBC Gem.
- BIG NEWS (1×60, CBC News Original)
Begins streaming Friday, March 19
BIG NEWS unpacks the media’s role in the deep polarization that is putting democracy in peril. Journalists, whistleblowers and media critics give you the goods on TV history, ratings, wars, BLM coverage, conspiracy theories and COVID-19. Featuring Daniel Dale, Ali Velshi, Gretchen Carlson, Andrew Sullivan and more.
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NEW INTERNATIONAL SERIES
- LADHOOD (Comedy, 6×30, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, March 5
Award-winning writer Liam Williams (Year Friends) delves into his past to help understand the man he’s become in this innovative coming-of-age sitcom. Created by and starring comedian Liam Williams (Back to Life, Year Friends, Pls Like, Liam Williams’ Valentine) alongside Oscar Kennedy (Home from Home, Bliss), Samuel Bottomley (Ackley Bridge, Jericho), and Aqib Khan (Years and Years, Lies We Tell)
- BAD BANKS Season 1 (6×60, Letterbox, Germany & France)
Begins streaming Friday, March 12
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Ambitious Jana (Paula Beer) is confronted with the unscrupulous machinations of the world of finance. Her working life is determined by egotism, the pressure to succeed and machismo. She soon has to decide how far she is prepared to go for her career. Winner of six 2018 German Television Academy Awards, including Best Leading Actor for Barry Atsma and Best Supporting Actress for Désirée Nosbusch.
- THE DETECTORISTS Season 3 (6×30, Comedy, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, March 19
Mackenzie Crook (Pirates Of The Caribbean) and Toby Jones (The Witness For The Prosecution) star as two eccentric metal detectorists who spend their days plodding along ploughed tracks and open fields, hoping to disturb the tedium by unearthing the fortune of a lifetime.
- HAPPY VALLEY Season 1 (6×60, Drama, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, March 19
Sarah Lancashire (Coronation Street) stars in a compelling crime thriller written by Sally Wainwright (Unforgiven), revolving around the personal and professional life of Catherine Cawood, a hard-working, dedicated police woman. When a staged kidnapping spirals out of control turning into a brutal series of crimes, Catherine finds herself involved in something significantly bigger than her rank, but unknowingly close to home. Winner of four BAFTA Awards, including Best Drama Series in 2015 and 2017, and Best Leading Actress (Lancashire). Two-time winner of the Royal Television Society Television Award for Best Drama Series.
- VICTORIA Season 1 (1×90 + 7×60, UK)
Episodes stream weekly beginning Monday, March 22, following the broadcast on CBC TV
Starring Jenna Coleman (Doctor Who) as the candid, spirited monarch Queen Victoria, this ambitious series navigates the scandal, corruption and political intrigues of the Court, from the Queen’s ascension to the throne at the tender age of 18, through to her courtship and marriage to Prince Albert, played by Tom Hughes (A Discovery of Witches, The Game, Dancing on the Edge, Silk).
- MISS SCARLET AND THE DUKE SEASON 1 (6×60, USA and UK)
Streaming all episodes beginning Monday, March 29; also broadcasting on CBC TV beginning March 29
*Canadian Network Premiere*
Set in the same 1850’s London society that gave rise to Jack the Ripper, this British detective drama features a fearless, independent heroine played by Kate Phillips (Peaky Blinders). With her inquisitive mind, Miss Scarlet has always been more interested in running her late father’s detective agency than behaving like a proper lady. But nothing has prepared her for the dangers she is about to face as a woman in the murder investigation trade when she joins Scotland Yard Inspector William “The Duke” Wellington, played by Stuart Martin (Jamestown, Medici, Babylon), to solve a crime.
- CALL THE MIDWIFE Season 4 (8×60, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, March 26
As the community prepares to enter a new decade – the 1960s – Nurse Trixie receives a proposal from handsome young curate, Tom Hereward. Nurse Cynthia starts to think seriously about joining the order as a nun, something that shocks both Trixie and Patsy. And an unexpected set of events sees Chummy take on the challenge of running a mother and baby home for unmarried girls.
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CANADIAN DRAMAS
- BLACKSTONE Season 1 (9×60, Drama, Prairie Dog Film & Television)
Begins streaming Friday, March 5
BLACKSTONE tells the story of a community suffering disintegration by its own hand – a result of the corruption, mismanagement and nepotism of its Chief and Councillors; and the parallel complicity of the silent band members.
- BOMB GIRLS Season 1 (6×45, Drama, Muse)
Begins streaming Friday, March 26
Set in the 1940s, Bomb Girls tells the remarkable stories of the women who risked their lives in a munitions factory building bombs for the Allied forces fighting on the European front. The series delves into the lives of these exceptional women from all walks of life – peers, friends and rivals – who find themselves thrust into new worlds and changed profoundly as they are liberated from their home and social restrictions.
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CANADIAN FEATURE DOCUMENTARIES
- NÎPAHISTAMÂSOWIN: We Will Stand Up (Documentary, 1×98, directed by Tasha Hubbard)
Begins streaming Friday, March 5
The death of a young Cree man, Colten Boushie, captures international attention and raises disturbing questions about racism in Canada’s legal system. Winner of the Ted Rogers Best Feature Length Documentary Award at the 2020 Canadian Screen Awards
- THEY CALL ME DR. MIAMI (Documentary, 1×78, directed by Jean-Simon Chartier , Canada)
Begins streaming Friday, March 12
Dr. Miami is ‘the most famous plastic surgeon of the universe’. While chasing fame, can this Orthodox Jewish father of five carry on with his gimmick and still preserve his identity?
- OUTREMONT AND THE HASIDIM (Documentary, 1×52, directed by Eric R. Scott, Canada)
Begins streaming Friday, March 26
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
OUTREMONT AND THE HASIDIM reveals the challenges of accommodating the “Hasidim” – or ultra-Orthodox Jews – in the affluent Montréal borough of Outremont. Some 7,000 Hasidim live in or near this choice neighborhood of Québec’s Francophone elite. After settling there more than 70 years ago, the Hasidim are a rapidly growing minority group which today represents about 23% of Outremont’s population. This growing presence poses a major challenge for certain members of Outremont’s French-speaking Québécois majority which fears the massive influx of a group, which according to some, refuses to integrate.
- COOL DADDY (Documentary, 1×78, directed by Roger Larry, Canada)
Begins streaming on Friday, March 26
Chase, son of jazz singer Kenny Colman, tries his hand at singing in an attempt to reconcile with his ailing father.
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CANADIAN SHORT DOCUMENTARIES
- WHY WE FIGHT (1×20, Documentary, Maya Annik Bedward)
Begins streaming Friday, March 19
Brazilian Canadian couple Sapo and Lorena use Capoeira – a unique mix of martial art and dance – to express their love of life and their resistance against the challenges facing life with their young son Nauê, born with a rare genetic condition. What begins as a portrait about family and fun, becomes an intimate exploration of their day to day challenges, and a testament to an ancestral practice that keeps the family together.
- STORIES FROM THE LAND (4×22, Documentary, directed by Wendell Collier)
Begins streaming Friday, March 19
Stories From The Land is a series of short documentaries inspired by Anishinaabe comedian Ryan McMahon’s hit podcast series of the same name. Reaching across various communities to paint a picture of Indigenous identity, each themed episode is a collection of documentary stories, interviews and landscapes. Episodes include Wiigwaasabak – The Tree of Life, filmed near Fort William First Nation; Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung, filmed near Manitou Rapids First Nation & Rainy River First Nations; Corn Soup, filmed in Fort Erie, Ontario; and The Last Fisherman, filmed in Fort Frances, Ontario on Rainy Lake.
- IN LOVE WITH A PROBLEM (1×20, Documentary, Julie Kim)
Begins streaming Friday, March 19
Two young scientists discover a plastic-eating bacteria in the Fraser River that could solve the global waste crisis.
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INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARIES
- HALE COUNTY THIS MORNING, THIS EVENING (Documentary, 1×76, directed by RaMell Ross, USA)
Begins streaming Friday, March 26
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
A kaleidoscopic and humanistic view of the Black community in Hale County, Alabama. Winner of the 2018 Sundance Film Festival award for U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Creative Vision. Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
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CANADIAN FEATURE FILMS
- ROOM FOR RENT (Comedy, 1×89, directed by Matthew Atkinson)
Begins streaming Friday, March 12
When a broke 32-year-old ex-lottery winner convinces his parents to rent their spare room to save from downsizing, a creepy stranger with a hidden agenda moves in.
- MARY GOES ROUND (Drama, 1×87, directed by Molly McGlynn)
Begins streaming Friday, March 19
After getting arrested for a DUI and losing her job, Mary returns to her hometown where she is forced to come to terms with her estranged father and bond with her half-sister whom she’s never met.
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LIFESTYLE
- GRAND DESIGNS Season 17 (7×60, Lifestyle, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, March 5
*Canadian Exclusive Premiere*
Designer and writer Kevin McCloud guides audiences through the trials and tribulations – physical, financial and emotional – of those obsessively trying to create a unique place to live.
- GRAND DESIGNS NEW ZEALAND Season 3 (8×60, Lifestyle, Australia, NZ)
Begins streaming Friday, March 12
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
GRAND DESIGNS features striking architecture, brilliant personal documentary, 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.
- ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRY Season 24 (70x 60, Lifestyle, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, March 19
*Canadian Exclusive Premiere*
ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRY returns with a new season to find the perfect home for families seeking to get away from city living. Each episode features one couple or family who are looking to make the escape and relocate to the country.
- ESCAPE TO THE CHATEAU DIY Season 3 (a) (20×60, Lifestyle, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, March 26
*Canadian Exclusive Premiere*
ESCAPE TO THE CHATEAU: DIY tracks a number of British families who have made or who are in the process of making the monumental decision to leave home and chase the French dream. Chateau renovation veterans Dick and Angel also share their expertise with these people who are following in their footsteps. But life in an elegant chateau can have its downsides. There is the language barrier, meanwhile everything seems to be expensive, from water bills to astronomical heating costs, not to mention the long and sometimes lonely winters. To put it bluntly, maintaining a building that’s falling apart at the seams is not for the faint-hearted.
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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY COLLECTION
- AGAINST THE TIDES (1×87, Documentary, directed by Stefan Stuckert, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, March 5
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
From BAFTA-nominated and award-winning director Stefan Stuckert, AGAINST THE TIDES tells the story of British marathon swimmer and world record-holder Beth French, who set out to swim across seven of the world’s most dangerous sea-channels – an official challenge called Oceans Seven.
- CITIZEN JANE: BATTLE FOR THE CITY (Documentary, 1X92, directed by Matt Tyrnauer, USA)
Begins streaming Friday, March 5
Writer and urban activist Jane Jacobs fights to save historic New York City during the ruthless redevelopment era of urban planner Robert Moses in the 1960s.
- LOVE, GILDA (1×87, Documentary, directed by Lisa DaPolito, Canada & USA)
Begins streaming Friday, March 5
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
LOVE, GILDA opens up a unique window into the honest and whimsical world of the beloved comedian, Gilda Radner. Nominated for two primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special and Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special.
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BOOK LOVERS COLLECTION
- NOUGHTS & CROSSES (Sci-Fi/Drama, 6×60, United Kingdom)
Based on the young adult novels by Malorie Blackman, Sephy (Masali Baduza, Bhai’s Cafe) and Callum’s (Jack Rowan, Peaky Blinders) love blooms against a background of tension in this thought-provoking look at racism and prejudice, set in an alternate society in which Africa has colonized Europe.
- AMERICAN WOMAN (Drama, 1×90, directed by Semi Chellas)
*CBC Films-supported*
In 1974, two different women are thrown together on the run: an anti-war activist (Hong Chao, Downsizing) and an heiress (Sarah Gadon, Alias Grace) who’s converted to her captors’ radical cause. AMERICAN WOMAN received its World Premiere at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, and was nominated for four 2020 Canadian Screen Awards.
- INDIAN HORSE (Drama, 1×90, directed by Stephen Campanelli)
An adaptation of Ojibway writer Richard Wagamese’s award-winning 2012 novel, INDIAN HORSE follows Saul Indian Horse as he survives residential school and life amongst the racism of the 1970s. A talented hockey player, Saul must find his own path as he battles stereotypes and alcoholism. Executive produced by Clint Eastwood, INDIAN HORSE received its World Premiere at TIFF 2017 and stars Canadian newcomers Sladen Peltier and Edna Manitowabi, as well as Ajuawak Kapashesit (Indian Road Trip), Forrest Goodluck (The Revenant), Michael Murphy (Away From Her), Michael Lawrenchuck (Tokyo Cowboy), Johnny Issaluk (Two Lovers And A Bear) and Michiel Huisman (The Age Of Adaline).
- ROOM (Drama, 1×90, directed by Lenny Abrahamson)
Held captive for seven years in an enclosed space, a woman (Brie Larson in an Oscar™-winning performance) and her young son (Jacob Tremblay, Wonder) finally gain their freedom, allowing the boy to experience the outside world for the first time. Based on Irish-Canadian author Emma Donoghue’s award-winning 2010 novel, ROOM won the People’s Choice Award at TIFF 2015 and was nominated for three additional Oscars including Best Picture.
- THE SKIN WE’RE IN (Canadian Documentary, 2017, directed by Charles Officer)
Urgent, controversial, and undeniably honest, THE SKIN WE’RE IN is a wake-up call to complacent Canadians. Racism is here. It is everywhere. It is us and we are it. Following celebrated journalist Desmond Cole as he researches his hotly anticipated book, this documentary from acclaimed director Charles Officer pulls back the curtain on racism in Canada.
- NORMAL PEOPLE (12×30, Drama, Element Pictures, UK)
Based on Sally Rooney’s best-selling novel, Normal People is an exquisite, modern love story about how one person can unexpectedly change another person’s life and about how complicated intimacy can be. It follows Marianne and Connell over several years—both from a small west of Ireland town, but from very different backgrounds—as they embark on an on-again/off-again romance that starts at school and continues through college, testing their relationship as they explore different versions of themselves.
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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 THE KIDS IN THE HALL and BEING ERICA.
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COMING IN APRIL
- GHOSTS Season 1
- FARM CRIMES Season 2
- THE DOG HOUSE Season 2
- Wonderful World of Pets Collection