New to CBC Gem in April 2021
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 800 documentaries, 400 hours of ad-free content for kids and tweens, and a collection of over 150 Canadian feature films. CBC Gem is available free as an app for iOS and Android devices and online at cbcgem.ca, and on TV screens via Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV.
For screening links or more information about any of the following titles, please contact Gareth Bush (gareth.bush@cbc.ca). Note: This schedule is subject to change.
CBC Gem has the Canadian premiere of the groundbreaking Australian tween drama miniseries FIRST DAY (March 31) that follows a transgender teen’s first year of high school
Season 2 of acclaimed CBC Gem original documentary series FARM CRIME premieres April 1
CBC Gem celebrates NATIONAL CANADIAN FILM DAY on Wednesday, April 21 with a collection of uplifting films including JEAN OF THE JONESES, MEDITATION PARK, HECTOR AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS, BARNEY’S VERSION and MEN WITH BROOMS
CBC GEM ORIGINAL SERIES
FARM CRIME Season 2 (6x15, Documentary, Big Cedar Films)
Begins streaming Thursday, April 1
FARM CRIME is a true crime documentary series investigating unconventional offences in farming and agriculture: horses gone missing; thousands of dollars-worth of stolen lobster; invasive murder hornets; and more. Each episode examines a case that wouldn’t typically make the front page; instead of tales of murder, assault or violent home invasion, the series explores crimes that take place in the margins – the fields, farms and secretive small towns that dot the Canadian countryside.
FIRST DAY (4x24, Drama, Screen Australia, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian Children’s Television Foundation)
Tween series begins streaming Wednesday, March 31
*Canadian Premiere*
FIRST DAY follows transgender teen Hannah Bradford’s first year of high school. Not only does Hannah have to navigate the challenges that come with starting a new school and new friendships, but also find the courage to live as her most authentic self. Written and directed by Julie Kalceff (Starring From….Now), the four-episode miniseries stars young Australian trans actor Evie Macdonald - the first transgender actor to be cast in the lead role of an Australian television series.
“The most inclusive, most authentic kid’s drama since Dance Academy”
US (6x60, Drama, Drama Republic & Bandstand, UK)
Premieres Sunday, April 4 at 9 p.m. (9:30 NT) on CBC TV, with all episodes
dropping on CBC Gem on April 4
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Based on David Nicholls’ best-selling novel of the same name and adapted by Nicholls
for television, this BBC dramedy stars Tom Hollander (Baptise, Taboo, Rev.) as Douglas
Petersen, who is blindsided when his wife Connie (Saskia Reeves; Belgravia) tells him
that she’s not sure she wants to be married to him anymore. Agreeing to still go on their
planned family grand tour of Europe, Douglas vows to win back the love of his wife and
repair his troubled relationship with their son Albie (Tom Taylor; The Last Kingdom).
Reflecting Nicholls' signature mix of humour and heartbreak, US brings the Petersens'
poignant and often hilarious story to life, taking viewers with them on their
once-in-a-lifetime journey through some of the most beautiful cities in the world.
**** “Offers warmth and wanderlust”; “Us is easy to like”
– Rebecca Nicholson, The Guardian
“A good telling of this tender, heart-wrenching story” – Carol Midgey, The Times (UK)
GHOSTS Season 1 (6x30, Comedy, Monumental Television & Them There, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, April 9
A cash-strapped young couple inherit a rickety country mansion, only to find it teeming with needy ghosts. Starring Lolly Adefope (Shrill, Miracle Workers), Mathew Baynton (Vanity Fair, The Wrong Mans) and Simon Farnaby (Paddington 2, Detectorists), this multi-character sitcom was created by and stars the writer-performers from the award-winning Horrible Histories and Yonderland, and feature film Bill.
**** “A deliriously daft supernatural romp” – Michael Hogan, The Telegraph
“A lovely, funny, silly comedy” – Alexandra Pollard, The Independent
““Hilarious, high energy chaos”; “Lovingly crafted and warm spirited”
– Susannah Butter, London Evening Standard
- THE SECRETS SHE KEEPS (6x60, Drama, Lingo Pictures, Australia)Premieres Wednesday, April 14 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) with back-to-back episodes airing weekly on CBC TV, and all episodes available on CBC Gem on April 14
Based on the psychological thriller and best-selling novel by Michael Robotham, THE
SECRETS SHE KEEPS is a riveting and suspenseful series starring Laura Carmichael
(Downton Abbey, The Spanish Princess) as Agatha and Jessica De Gouw (The Hunting
Riot, Underground) as Meghan - two women that have a chance encounter in a
supermarket in an affluent Sydney Suburb. They are the same age, both heavily
pregnant and due at the same time. Meghan is a glamorous online ‘influencer’ on the
rise with an ambitious television sports reporter husband Jack (Michael Dorman). Agatha
works in the supermarket as a shelf stacker. Although they live near each other, the two
women come from vastly different backgrounds with explosive secrets that could destroy
everything they hold dear. Both will risk everything to conceal the truth, but their worlds
are about to collide in one shocking act that cannot be undone.
“[A] yummy mummy thriller”; “sit back and enjoy” – Lucy Mangan, The Guardian
“Keeps the viewer guessing” – Suzi Feay, Financial Times
CALL THE MIDWIFE Season 5 (8x60, Drama, Neal Street Productions, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, April 23
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.
“Family-friendly, heartwarming and gently humorous” – Morwenna Ferrier, The Telegraph
“Call the Midwife has got ‘hit’ written all over it” – Mirror
HAPPY VALLEY Season 2 (6x60, Drama, Red Production Company, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, April 30
Sarah Lancashire (Coronation Street) stars in this 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.
“Thanks to an exceptional lead character—and the even more impressive actress, Sarah Lancashire, portraying her—this U.K. cop series should definitely light up the radar of discerning viewers” – Maureen Ryan, Variety
“This remarkable series has raised the bar for TV drama” – Neil Midgley, Forbes
CANADIAN DRAMAS
BLACKSTONE Season 2 (8x60, Drama, Prairie Dog Film & Television)
Begins streaming Friday, April 16
Intense, compelling and confrontational, season 2 of BLACKSTONE continues to delve into the tumultuous lives of Blackstone’s residents as they deal with issues of toxic water and foster care. Blackstone continues to be controlled by Andy (Eric Schweig, The Last Of The Mohicans), who stops at nothing in his pursuit of power, even at the expense of his own brother Daryl (Steven Cree Molison, Fifty Shades Of Grey). However, the recent murder at the Roxy Rolla threatens to end Andy’s blatant profiteering once and for all. Leona (Carmen Moore, Rustic Oracle) struggles with her health while her new relationship with Victor (Nathaniel Arcand, Pathfinder) is challenged when his ex-wife returns from the city. Gail (Michelle Thrush, Pathfinder) battles her demons with addiction and is tormented by memories of Natalie (Roseanne Supernault, Through Black Spruce). Debbie (Andrea Menard, The Velvet Devil) seeks the affection she desires elsewhere and Alan (Justin Rain, Fear The Walking Dead) and Sheila’s (Ashley Callingbull, Tribal) relationship is put to the ultimate test.
FEATURE DOCUMENTARIES
ALTMAN (1x95, directed by Ron Mann, Canada)
Begins streaming Friday, April 23
ALTMAN is an in-depth look at the life and times of filmmaker Robert Altman (M*A*S*H, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Nashville). While refusing to bow down to Hollywood's conventions, or its executives, Altman's unique style of filmmaking won him friends and enemies, earned him world-wide praise and occasionally scathing criticism, and proved that it’s possible to make truly independent films.
**** “[A] terrifically warm and generous documentary tribute to Robert Altman”
– Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
3.5/4 “It's a tribute to Mann's film that it leads you from Altman's life back to his films, and makes you want to see them anew.” – Liam Lacey, The Globe and Mail
LIFESTYLE
THE LIFE-SIZED CITY Season 2 (6x60, DBcom Media, Canada)
Begins streaming Friday, April 2
THE LIFE-SIZED CITY is a series about urbanism where Mikael Colville-Andersen curates the very best urban ideas from citizens in cities around the world in the hope of spreading them far and wide.
GRAND DESIGNS NEW ZEALAND Season 4 (8x60, Imagination Television, Fremantle Australia, NZ)
Begins streaming Friday, April 16
*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.
MY BIG FAMILY FARM: 5 YEARS ON THE FARM (1x90, Motion Content Group & Renegade Pictures, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, April 16
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Join shepherds Amanda, Clive, and their 9 children for more adventures on their remote hill farm in the Yorkshire Dales. For the ‘5 YEARS ON THE FARM’ Special, after 5 years following the Owen family, we return to Ravenseat Farm for a special episode looking back at how their unique way of parenting has shaped their nine children.
“Adorable”; “the most-watched programme in a 9pm slot for two weeks in a row”
– Birdie Pearson-Jones, DailyMail
“It all looks so idyllic” – Alison Graham, RadioTimes
WONDERFUL WORLD OF PETS COLLECTION
PAUL O’GRADY: FOR THE LOVE OF DOGS - WHAT HAPPENED NEXT (3x60, Multistory Media, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, April 2
Paul O’Grady (The Paul O’Grady Show) catches up with some of the most memorable dogs he has met from the eight years he has spent at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, and learns how their lives have been transformed since leaving the shelter. As Paul is about to discover, leaving Battersea is just the start of the adventure for these amazing dogs.
PAUL O’GRADY: FOR THE LOVE OF DOGS - BACK IN BUSINESS (1x60, Multistory Media, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, April 2
Paul O’Grady (The Paul O’Grady Show) is back at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home for this brand new 60-minute special, filmed during one of the most dramatic periods in its history. After lockdown, it’s back to the business of re-homing it’s many furry residents. We joined Paul and the team as they worked against the clock to find families and temporary foster carers for dogs and cats before the sites were closed to the public. After eight years of rolling up his sleeves at Battersea for this award-winning series, Paul isn’t fazed by much. But nothing could have prepared him for the challenge that awaited, to desperately try and evacuate and rehome more than 80 animals in record time.
THE DOG DOC (1x101, Documentary, Cedar Creek Productions, USA)
Begins streaming Friday, April 9
From award-winning filmmaker Cindy Meehl (The River and the Wall, Rewind, Buck), THE DOG DOC tells the story of veterinarian Dr. Marty Goldstein, a pioneer of integrative medicine who attracts four-legged patients from around the world, providing holistic treatments for animals after other vets have given up hope.
“Satisfying”; “chock full of happy, heroic and heartening moments”
“The Dog Doc is a thought-provoking look at what is missing from modern medicine - for animals and for people” – Teo Bugbee, The New York Times
“The Dog Doc brings the warm and fuzzies when we all can really use them”
– Kimber Myers, Los Angeles Times
THE DOG HOUSE Season 2 (8x60, Five Mile Films, United Kingdom)
Begins streaming Friday, April 23
Channel 4’s smash-hit The Dog House is back at Wood Green, The Animals Charity. With the demand for dogs in the UK sharply rising by 650% over the last year, the team are match-making abandoned dogs with even more hopeful new owners. For some, it’s love at first sight. For others, love can take a little longer to bloom.
KIDS SERIES
MIGHTY EXPRESS (56x11, 4x22, 26x3, Spin Master Entertainment, Canada)
Begins streaming Monday, April 5
From the makers of PAW Patrol, welcome to the action-packed railway world
of MIGHTY EXPRESS! In thrilling adventures perfect for preschoolers, a team of
trains and kids work together to keep things moving across the city, no matter
the trouble. Their main goal: delivering carloads of fun – on time, every time!
SUPER AGENT JON LE BON Season 3 (39x7, Happy Camper Media, Canada)
Begins streaming Saturday, April 10
Saving the world? Nothing more trivial for any good secret agent! But saving the world in 90 seconds? Now that’s a challenge only the Agency members can take over! From grinding their teeth on a gigantic solar lens aimed at melting the polar caps to stopping a massive army of deadly robots with a fork, absolutely nothing has been done the way they do things! Join the crazy, wacky adventures of Super Agent Jon Le Bon and his fellow teammates as they redefine the meaning of impossible and reinvent what it means to be a secret agent in ways that only they are capable of.
EARTH DAY COLLECTION
PRINCE WILLIAM: A PLANET FOR US ALL (1x48, Documentary, Oxford Films, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, April 2
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
With exclusive access across two years, this film is an intimate portrayal of Prince William, following him as we’ve never seen him before on a global mission to champion action for the natural world and celebrate the pioneering work of local heroes.
**** “Surprisingly moving” – Sean O’Grady, The Independent
“William makes it clear that his children and future generations are the driving force behind his dedication to protecting the planet and helping repair the natural world”
– Omid Scoobie, Harper’s Bazaar
CLIMATE CHANGE: ADE ON THE FRONTLINE (3x50, BBC, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, April 16
In this remarkable series, Ade Adepitan travels to the frontline of the battle against climate change. Meeting ordinary people around the globe facing rising sea levels, extreme weather, drought, and forest fires, he discovers how they’re fighting to save their way of life and adapting to their new world. This isn’t just a frightening look at how climate change is part of everyday life for many communities. It’s also a celebration of what the world is doing right. Ade visits floating hospitals, ‘sponge cities’, giant solar fields and remote Himalayan kingdoms to find out about the new technologies and creative methods being used by scientists and tech entrepreneurs in our fight to adapt and survive. Filmed across three continents, from Australia to the Arctic, this is the untold, urgent story of climate change today.
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.
IN MY SKIN
TWENTIES
ALICIA KEYS LIVE IN L.A.
ASIAN HERITAGE MONTH COLLECTION
ROYALS COLLECTION
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