Continuing its commitment to nurturing world-class Canadian comedic talent, CBC today announced the renewal of new original series RUN THE BURBS, SON OF A CRITCH and STRAYS for their second seasons on CBC and CBC Gem. The series join CBC’s 2022-23 comedy slate alongside acclaimed comedy SORT OF from Sienna Films/Sphere Media, also recently announced by CBC and HBO Max as returning for its sophomore season. Additional CBC renewals across all genres and content areas to be announced in the spring.
“CBC’s rich comedy legacy continues to shine with this new generation of series that feature original and authentic storytelling, led by talented creative teams,” said Sally Catto, General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports, CBC. “RUN THE BURBS, SON OF A CRITCH and STRAYS provide audiences across the country with great laughter and also, each in its own way, a sense of Canadian identity. We look forward to seeing how their second seasons unfold.”
Created by comedian, writer and actor Andrew Phung (Kim’s Convenience) and his best friend and collaborator, filmmaker Scott Townend (The Secret Marathon), RUN THE BURBS follows the Phams, a young, bold Vietnamese-South Asian-Canadian family taking a different approach to living life to the fullest, while changing the way we think about contemporary family values and life in the burbs. The series is produced by Pier 21 Films, with Endeavor Content holding international distribution rights. RUN THE BURBS premiered on January 5, 2022, and airs Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m (9 NT) on CBC and CBC Gem.
“There’s a casual, lived-in warmth to Andrew and Camille, who are ride-or-die in their efforts to raise their kids…but even at its silliest, Run The Burbs is always about a family that enjoys being around each other.” - NOW Magazine
Based on Mark Critch's award-winning, best-selling memoir, SON OF A CRITCH is the hilarious and very real story of 11-year-old Mark coming of age in St. John’s, Newfoundland in the 80s. Created by Critch (This Hour Has 22 Minutes) and Tim McAuliffe (The Office, Last Man on Earth and MacGruber) and produced by Andrew Barnsley (Schitt’s Creek), the series is an inter-provincial co-production between Barnsley’s Project 10 Productions Inc. and Newfoundland-based Take the Shot Productions in association with CBC and Lionsgate Television. SON OF A CRITCH premiered on January 4, 2022, ranking as the #1 scripted program on CBC in the 25-54, 18-49 and 18-34 audience demographics,* and garnering CBC’s highest rating for a comedy premiere since Kim’s Convenience debuted in October 2016.** The series airs Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. (9 NT) on CBC and CBC Gem.
"There is more than a touch of The Wonder Years (the original version) about the show. But real charm and humour is found when the series goes 100 per cent Newfoundland. The dark humour, the biting sarcasm and the sheer weirdness of the place is what makes this show worth your while." - The Globe and Mail
STRAYS follows Shannon Ross (Nicole Power) as the new executive director of the Hamilton East Animal Shelter, where she is boss to an eclectic staff. Developed for television by Kevin White (Kim’s Convenience, Schitt’s Creek), Anita Kapila (Kim’s Convenience, Son of a Critch) and Clara Altimas (Kim’s Convenience), STRAYS is produced by Thunderbird Entertainment and premiered on CBC and CBC Gem in September 2021.
"Comic anxiety...combined with a guarded vulnerability and a high-pitched infectious energy, gets played out to superb effect by the gifted Nicole Power. She is rounded out by a remarkably diverse and variably talented cast, one which gels in both silliness and depth." - Hamilton Spectator
*Source: Numeris TV Meter, September 13, 2021 - February 13, 2022, CBC Total, A25-54, A18-49, A18-34, Total Canada, Confirmed Audience Data, generated by InfoSys+TV.
**Source: Numeris TV Meter, January 4, 2022 vs. October 11, 2016, CBC Total, P2+, Total Canada, Confirmed Audience Data, generated by InfoSys+TV.
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CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Punjabi and Tagalog, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.
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