CBC’s fall lineup sees the return of THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES (Sept. 16) and MARKETPLACE (Sept. 26), plus the landmark 20th season of DRAGONS’ DEN (Sept. 25) – all available on CBC TV and CBC Gem
Following its world premiere at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival and from director Ally Pankiw and producer Dan Levy, CBC original documentary LILITH FAIR: BUILDING A MYSTERY (Sept. 17 on CBC TV and CBC Gem) tells the untold story of the groundbreaking music festival featuring only women artists, started by iconic Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan
The new season of documentary series THE PASSIONATE EYE sparks conversations with titles including smiles and kisses you (Sept. 3 on CBC Gem), an open-hearted take on machine learning and loneliness; HUMMINGBIRDS OF HOLLYWOOD (Sept. 10 on CBC Gem), a tale of love, fragility, and healing; and THE OZEMPIC EFFECT: BEYOND THE WAISTLINE (Sept. 24 on CBC TV and CBC Gem), about the life-altering and unexpected impacts of the world’s most talked-about drug
CBC MUSIC PRESENTS: LIVE AT MASSEY HALL debuts a new episode featuring Jann Arden’s Mixtape Tour show, recorded live from the iconic Toronto stage (August 26)
Acclaimed series from Canada and around the world include Ottoman Empire period epic and TIFF50 selection RISE OF THE RAVEN (Sept. 19); season 1 of comedy SLIP (Sept. 5), following a woman on a fantastical journey of parallel universe relationships; the exclusive Canadian premiere of season 2 of Brink’s-Mat heist drama THE GOLD (Sept. 12); the exclusive Canadian premiere of Australian workplace comedy OPTICS (Sept. 26); and the final season of Golden Globe-winning drama THE AFFAIR (Sept. 1)
The Truth and Reconciliation collection marks National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with titles including documentaries NINAN AUASSAT: WE, THE CHILDREN (Sept. 26), shot over more than six years and sharing the moving stories of three groups of children from three different Indigenous nations, and HUDSON’S (BAY)BIES (Sept. 26), as Inuk artist Elisapie Isaac sets out to meet others who, like her, are the children born of mixed unions between Indigenous women and Hudson’s Bay Company employees
documentary Channel originals include THE SPOILS: A FIGHT FOR NAZI LOOTED ART (Sept. 5) and GOLD BARS (Sept. 12), about a Montreal lawyer facing a defamation lawsuit after accusing his former business partner of living off stolen Nazi Gold
Competition cooking series CRIME SCENE KITCHEN returns for season 3 with host Joel McHale (Sept. 12)
Films newly available to stream in September include Chandler Levack’s acclaimed feature debut I LIKE MOVIES (Sept. 5); award-winning father-daughter drama AFTERSUN (Sept. 12), starring Oscar® nominee Paul Mescal; Colombian-Canadian immigrant tale SO MUCH TENDERNESS (Sept. 19) from writer/director Lina Rodriguez; and 1980s crime drama A MOST VIOLENT YEAR (Sept. 26) starring Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain
Kids titles include new tween drama THE UNSTOPPABLE JENNY GARCIA (Sept. 5) from Catherine Hernandez, plus SUPER WHY’S COMIC BOOK ADVENTURES (Sept. 1) and new seasons of MINI-JON AND MINI-MAPLE, JEREMY & JAZZY, and PLAYING WITH STU (all Sept. 1)
CBC Gem is Canada’s streaming service, offering more than 6500 hours of live and on-demand Canadian programming and a curated selection of acclaimed, best-in-class content from around the world, including more than 400 documentary features, more than 700 hours of ad-free content for kids and tweens, and a collection of over 400 Canadian feature films. CBC Gem is available for free as an app for iOS and Android devices and online at CBCGem.ca, and on connected TVs via Roku, Samsung, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, LG, Google Chromecast, Android TV and Xbox, as well as TV service provider Rogers Xfinity.
ACCLAIMED SERIES
THE AFFAIR Season 5 (11×60, Drama, Sheleg/Higlewater/Showtime Networks, USA)
Begins streaming Monday, September 1
In the aftermath of horrific events, Noah and Helen try to come to terms with the consequences of their choices. Just when things seem to have stabilized, a chance encounter with someone from the distant past sets in motion a sequence of events that brings them both to their knees. They realize they must face their past in order to truly move on. And some years in the future, Alison and Cole’s now adult daughter Joanie attempts to piece together the truth about what happened to her mother, bringing the whole story full circle.
SLIP Season 1 (7×30, Comedy/Drama, TeaTime Pictures/Boat Rocker Media, USA/Canada)
Begins streaming Friday, September 5
Mae (creator Zoe Lister-Jones, Life in Pieces) works at an art museum and has been living with Elijah for thirteen years. While there is still love between them, there is little romance to be found, and they have hit a standstill around Elijah wanting a child and Mae feeling apprehensive. When Mae “slips” and has a one-night stand with Eric, she wakes up the next morning in a panic, only to realize she has somehow entered a parallel universe in which she and Eric are now married, and all traces of her life with Elijah have been wiped from existence. SLIP follows Mae through a fantastical journey of parallel universes, entering new relationships as she tries to find her way back to her partner, and ultimately, herself.
“deeply funny”
Joel Golby, The Guardian
THE GOLD Season 2 (6×60, Drama, Objective Fiction/Tannadice Pictures, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, September 12
Exclusive Canadian Premiere
Following the convictions of some of those involved in the theft and handling of the Brink’s-Mat gold, the police realised that they had only ever been on the trail of half of the Brink’s-Mat gold. Season two is inspired by some of the theories around what happened to the other half. As the police investigation continues, it becomes a tense, high-stakes journey into international money laundering and organized crime. The Brink’s-Mat Task Force embark on a series of dramatic manhunts as they desperately try to solve the longest and most expensive investigation in the history of the Metropolitan Police.
RISE OF THE RAVEN (10×60, Period Drama, Serendipity Point Films/Twin Media/HG Media/MR Film/Beta Film, Hungary)
Begins streaming Friday, September 19
Canadian Streaming Premiere
Produced by Canadian Robert Lantos and based on the novels of historical fiction written by Mór Bán, the series tells the story of Janos Hunyadi, a village boy from Transylvania who, in the 15th century, becomes the fearless and much-feared commander of the Kingdom of Hungary. He defends his country, the gateway to Western Europe, from waves of Ottoman incursions. It all comes to a head in the Battle of Belgrade in 1456, where he defeats the mighty Ottoman Empire’s invading army. In honour of his victory, the Pope decrees that church bells shall ring at noon each day – and 569 years later, they still do. RISE OF THE RAVEN is receiving its North American premiere at TIFF50.
OPTICS Season 1 (6×30, Comedy, Easy Tiger Productions, Australia)
Begins streaming Friday, September 26
Exclusive Canadian Premiere
OPTICS follows two whip-smart 20-something women who are unexpectedly promoted to run crisis management PR firm Fritz & Randell, after the death of office patriarch Frank Fritz. As they battle public relations crises from celebrities, sports stars and corporate titans, and power challenges from veteran PR flack Ian Randell, they slowly come to realize that their firm might have a scandal brewing of its own, and start to wonder: have they been set up to fail?
TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COLLECTION
HUDSON’S (BAY)BIES (52min, Documentary, directed by Elisapie and Sophie Proulx Lachance)
Begins streaming Friday, September 26
Canadian English-language Premiere
A documentary film exploring an untold part of Canada’s past through the eyes of Inuk artist and filmmaker Elisapie Isaac. After facing a moral dilemma, Elisapie sets out to meet others who, like her, are “Hudson Baybies,” the children born of the mixed unions between Indigenous women and Hudson’s Bay Company employees working in trading posts and general stores across the North.
NINAN AUASSAT: WE, THE CHILDREN (90min, Documentary, directed by Kim O’Bomsawin)
Begins streaming Friday, September 26
Shot over more than six years, NINAN AUASSAT: WE THE CHILDREN brings us the moving stories of three groups of children from three different Indigenous nations: Atikamekw, Eeyou Cree and Innu. In following these young people through the crucial milestones of childhood, right to the threshold of adulthood, we witness their daily lives and aspirations, along with the challenges they face.
Filmed from “a child’s eye-view” and presenting a groundbreaking vision of contemporary Indigenous youth, this documentary is notable for the complete absence of adult voices and “experts on young people”—holding space instead for a new generation with a burning desire to be heard. The result is a captivating journey that becomes a call to action, at a time when the voices of young people echo, demanding the right to be recognized and an opportunity to blossom.
DOCUMENTARIES
smiles and kisses you (55min, directed by Bryan Carberry) part of The Passionate Eye season
Begins streaming Wednesday, September 3
Loveable oddball Chris Stokes lives with his girlfriend Mimi, a life-sized ‘love doll’, who he communicates with through an AI app. A clear-eyed, open-hearted take on machine learning and loneliness.
THE SPOILS: A FIGHT FOR NAZI LOOTED ART (88min, written and directed by Jamie Kastner) a documentary Channel original
Begins streaming Friday, September 5
Germany’s attempts to honour Jewish-Canadian art dealer Max Stern exposes the still-raging battle over the restitution of Nazi-looted art.
HUMMINGBIRDS OF HOLLYWOOD (52min, directed by Sally Aitken) part of The Passionate Eye season
Begins streaming Wednesday, September 10
Amid the glamour of Hollywood, a woman finds herself on a transformative journey as she nurtures wounded hummingbirds, unraveling a captivating tale of love, fragility, and healing.
GOLD BARS (88min, directed by Billie Mintz) a documentary Channel original
Begins streaming Friday, September 12
A Montreal lawyer risks his reputation and faces a multi-million dollar defamation lawsuit after accusing his former business partner of living off Nazi Gold stolen from the Holocaust, but when his concerned daughter reluctantly joins his investigation, she confronts unreliable evidence and her father’s moral contradictions, uncovering a truth far more personal and complicated than she imagined.
LILITH FAIR: BUILDING A MYSTERY (99min, directed by Ally Pankiw) part of The Passionate Eye season
Begins streaming Wednesday, September 17 (airing at 8 p.m., 8:30 NT on CBC TV) (Pictured)
LILITH FAIR: BUILDING A MYSTERY tells the untold story of the groundbreaking music festival featuring only women artists, started by iconic Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan and her team in the late 1990s, in opposition to systematic industry barriers that limited women from playing together on a concert bill and getting back-to-back airplay on the radio. This feature documentary draws from more than 600 hours of never-before-seen archival footage as well as new interviews and stories from fans, festival organizers, and artists. The documentary reunites and features interviews from original Lilith Fair artists Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Erykah Badu, Paula Cole, Jewel, Mýa, Natalie Merchant, Indigo Girls, and Emmylou Harris and a new generation of artists who have carried the torch including Brandi Carlile and Olivia Rodrigo, among others. As the film celebrates the festival’s groundbreaking legacy and impact, it also confronts the backlash that tried to diminish it and explores what Lilith means in today’s world.
THE OZEMPIC EFFECT: BEYOND THE WAISTLINE (44min, directed by Paul Kemp) part of The Passionate Eye season
Begins streaming Wednesday, September 24 (airing at 9 p.m., 9:30 NT on CBC TV)
The life-altering and unexpected impacts of the world’s most talked-about drug, Ozempic. This timely film explores how GLP-1 drugs are reshaping not only our health and bodies, but entire industries, behaviours, and—according to early but compelling evidence—even helping to reduce the impacts of major diseases once thought unmanageable.
LIFESTYLE & UNSCRIPTED
CRIME SCENE KITCHEN Season 3 (10×60, Lifestyle/Competition, Fox Entertainment, USA)
Begins streaming Friday, September 12
CRIME SCENE KITCHEN, hosted by Joel McHale (Animal Control) and featuring chef Curtis Stone and cake artist Yolanda Gampp as judges, returns this fall for an epic third season with an all-new theme. This season, six pairs of family members and six pairs of friends go head-to-head to see who works better together in the kitchen. In this culinary guessing game, these baking duos must decode and decipher what was made in their kitchen with only crumbs, food trails and humorous hints as clues, and then they must recreate the tasty treat, attempting to best capture its original form and flavor in order to win a $100,000 grand prize.
FEATURE FILMS
I LIKE MOVIES (99min, Comedy/Drama, written and directed by Chandler Levack)
Begins streaming Friday, September 5
Socially awkward 17-year-old cinephile Lawrence Kweller takes a part-time job at Sequels video store, where he forms a complicated friendship with his older store manager, Alana. Lawrence hopes to earn enough money to achieve his dream of attending film school at NYU.
★★★★ “”nostalgic laughs and genuine heart in equal measures”
Katie Rife, Indiewire
AFTERSUN (98min, Drama, written and directed by Charlotte Wells)
Begins streaming Friday, September 12
At a fading vacation resort, 11-year-old Sophie treasures rare time with her loving and idealistic father, Calum (Paul Mescal, Oscar®-nominated for this role). As the world of adolescence creeps into view, beyond her eye Calum struggles under the weight of life outside of fatherhood. Twenty years later, Sophie’s tender recollections of their last holiday become a powerful and heartrending portrait of their relationship. She tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn’t, in Charlotte Wells’ superb and searingly emotional debut film.
SO MUCH TENDERNESS (118min, Drama, written and directed by Lina Rodriguez)
Begins streaming Friday, September 19
Having fled Colombia after her husband was murdered, an environmental lawyer rebuilds her life in Toronto with her tempestuous daughter, only to risk losing everything when her traumatic past re-surfaces.
A MOST VIOLENT YEAR (125min, Crime/Thriller, written and directed by J.C. Chandor)
Begins streaming Friday, September 26
In 1981 New York, a fuel supplier tries to adhere to his own moral compass amid the rampant violence, corruption and decay that threaten his family and his business. Starring Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain and David Oyelowo.
KIDS & TWEENS
SUPER WHY’S COMIC BOOK ADVENTURES (20×3, Animated, 9 Story Media Group/Brown Bag Films/PBS KIDS)
Begins streaming Monday, September 1
Super Why, along with Power Paige, the newest Super Reader, save the day (and the story!) from literacy villains and other anomalies in Reader Valley. Set in a visually fantastic 2D comic book world, these musical adventures expand preschool and kindergarten literacy skills through catchy new songs that break down big skills for early readers.
THE UNSTOPPABLE JENNY GARCIA (8×12, Tween, Apartment 11 and Avenida Productions)
Begins streaming Friday, September 5
Written by Catherine Hernandez (novel Scarborough and its film adaptation) for a tween audience, THE UNSTOPPABLE JENNY GARCIA follows a 13-year-old hip-hop dancer as her life is disrupted by the news that she has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and she must navigate a new path full of treatments and hospital stays while trying to make room for friends and fun.
THE BEST OF CBC
The Canadian streaming home of hit CBC original series including THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW, HEARTLAND, KIM’S CONVENIENCE, MURDOCH MYSTERIES, SCHITT’S CREEK and WORKIN’ MOMS, plus BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW, BLACKBERRY, BONES OF CROWS, MR. D, PRETTY HARD CASES, THE PORTER, RUN THE BURBS, SON OF A CRITCH, SORT OF, STILL STANDING and TALLBOYZ, and classic CBC hits like BEING ERICA.
Source: CBC Gem
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The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.
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