New free streaming channel CBC NEWS EXPLORE launches today, offering audiences a new way to discover CBC News including original shows ABOUT THAT hosted by Andrew Chang and PLANET WONDER with Johanna Wagstaffe
New pop culture show COMMOTION WITH ELAMIN ABDELMAHMOUD joins Q WITH TOM POWER, weekdays on CBC Radio One and CBC Listen starting January 30
David Suzuki’s final season of THE NATURE OF THINGS premieres January 6, with new hosts Anthony Morgan and Sarika Cullis-Suzuki named today to inspire a new generation of science lovers
Simu Liu returns to host The 2023 JUNO Awards, live from Edmonton on Monday, March 13
Reflecting more communities in Canada, CBC’s winter factual lineup features BOLLYWED (January 12) set in Toronto’s Little India, cross-country reality competition CANADA’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE (February 16) and new series PUSH, focused on an Edmonton group of friends with disabilities supporting one another to live life to the fullest (February 24)
CBC builds on its heartwarming, inclusive brand of family comedies with new seasons of RUN THE BURBS (January 4), SON OF A CRITCH (January 3) and the series finale of WORKIN’ MOMS (January 3)
Winter dramas include time travel romance PLAN B starring Patrick J. Adams and Karine Vanasse (February 27), Jeff Lemire’s limited series ESSEX COUNTY (March 19) starring Molly Parker and Season 3 of PRETTY HARD CASES (January 4)
CBC Podcasts, the #1 Canadian podcaster, launches a thought-provoking winter slate featuring LOVE, JANESSA (January 23) about a global catfishing scheme; THE AFRICAS VS. AMERICA (February 6), a look at the domestic war on Black Liberation in 1985; Kaitlin Prest’s THE HEART: SISTERS
(February 14); and THE NO-GOOD, TERRIBLY KIND, WONDERFUL LIVES AND TRAGIC DEATHS OF BARRY AND HONEY SHERMAN (February 20), investigating the high-profile murder mystery
*For photos of all winter programs, please click here
Today at the industry event CBC Live at Massey Hall, CBC previewed its winter programming and made a series of announcements focused on reaching new audiences in Canada with more relevant and engaging news and entertainment on all platforms, including the launch of free streaming channel CBC NEWS EXPLORE. CBC’s winter storytelling includes over 40 original series, podcasts, specials and documentaries from Canadian creators, producers and storytellers across all genres, reflecting more people, perspectives and lived experiences across the country.
“Ultimately, we want everyone in this country to see CBC as their thing. As a Canada thing. No matter who you are, whatever background you're from, or whatever history you've lived. Because it’s not how Canadian you are. It’s who you are in Canada, and we’re here for all of you,” said Barbara Williams, Executive Vice-President, CBC. “Through our new winter programming on all platforms, we want to both introduce and reintroduce ourselves to help people see how CBC is evolving to make their lives in Canada more fulfilling, more informed and more fun.”
NEW PROGRAMMING ANNOUNCED TODAY
CBC NEWS EXPLORE - full announcement here
PUSH (8x30, Fenix Film & Television and Small Army Entertainment)
Starring Benveet “Bean” Gill, PUSH is a new original unscripted series that takes audiences into the inner world of the “Wheelie Peeps,” an unlikely group of friends and wheelchair users, bonded by their shared experience of navigating life on wheels. They are self-proclaimed rednecks, former exotic dancers, mothers, concert pianists and more. Whether it’s growing a family, fighting social stigma, or jumping back into the dating pool, this determined group of friends is working together to prove that even though their mobility may be limited, their lives and dreams are most certainly not.
“This show is what I needed when I was first paralyzed,” said Gill. “To see that having a disability doesn’t define you. We’re regular people, striving like everyone else to live our kickass lives to the fullest. But Push is not simply a show about lives. It’s about really seeing and hearing us as people, just as we are.”
PUSH premieres Friday, February 24 at 8:30 p.m. (9 NT) on CBC TV and CBC Gem. Shot in summer and fall 2022 in Edmonton, Alberta, PUSH is executive produced by Sean De Vries and produced by Kaitlan Stewart, with consulting producer Gill.
CBC is building on its award-winning arts and culture storytelling with a reimagined one-hour Q WITH TOM POWER and a new, half-hour arts and pop culture conversation COMMOTION WITH ELAMIN ABDELMAHMOUD. Launching Monday, January 30, the complementary cultural shows will offer intimate longform interviews in the first hour with Tom Power, followed by a 30-minute live look at the news and events that are driving the day’s discussion in the arts, hosted by Elamin Abdelmahmoud.
Q WITH TOM POWER will continue to dive deeper into fascinating and real conversations with the most important entertainers of our time, and new and emerging artists who are shaking up their art form. Q recently took home the 2021 gold medal for Best Interview at the New York Festivals Radio Awards for a chat with iconic Canadian Michael J. Fox, and was granted the only Canadian sit-down interview with singer Adele for her new album. Tom Power’s impactful discussions with top talent have included Bruce Sprinsteen, Bono, Guillermo Del Toro, Harry Styles, Avril Lavigne, Denzel Washington, Neil Patrick Harris, John C Reilly, Samantha Bee, Stephen Colbert, Judd Apatow, Lisa Loeb, Simu Liu, Shawn Mendes, Zach Galifianakis and more.
COMMOTION WITH ELAMIN ABDELMAHMOUD will tap into the national arts and culture conversation of the moment, presenting and elevating multiple perspectives from guest columnists, experts, superfans, reviewers and more. Hosted by Elamin Abdelmahmoud, the new show will respond to pop culture trends and provide insightful discussion around the impact of art in its various forms.
Beginning January 30, Q WITH TOM POWER will air weekdays at 10 a.m. (10:30 NT) on CBC Radio One and CBC Listen, and will also be available as a CBC Podcast each morning on CBC Listen and everywhere podcasts are available, followed by COMMOTION WITH ELAMIN ABDELMAHMOUD at 11 a.m. (11:30 NT) on CBC Radio One and CBC Listen.
CBC PODCASTS
The #1 Canadian podcaster, CBC Podcasts’ winter lineup can be found on CBC Listen and everywhere podcasts are available. In addition to the return of PLAY ME (Wednesday, January 11) and SECRET LIFE OF CANADA (Tuesday, March 28), new original series debuting in the coming months include:
LOVE, JANESSA (7 episodes)
Launching Monday, January 23
The face that launched a thousand scams.
Who is Janessa? Host Hannah Ajala embarks on a wild search for an adult entertainment star whose images are being used in global catfishing schemes. The investigation takes listeners from the UK to Italy, West Africa and the U.S., uncovering a criminal network of scammers using Janessa's image to lure victims into financial and emotional duress. This eight-part true crime series is an original podcast from the BBC World Service and CBC Podcasts, produced by Antica and Telltale Productions.
THE AFRICAS VS. AMERICA (7 episodes)
Launching Monday, February 6
How Philadelphia became the first city in U.S. history to drop a bomb on an American family.
In 1985, at the height of the Black Power era, police dropped a bomb in a Philadelphia neighborhood. Their target? A family of Black radicals known as ‘MOVE,’ who found themselves ensnared in a city’s — and nation’s — domestic war on Black Liberation. Over seven episodes, host Matthew Amha investigates the events that culminated in the MOVE bombing, and the long afterlife of a forgotten American tragedy.
THE HEART: SISTERS (10 episodes)
Launching Tuesday, February 14
Natalie and Kaitlin are *those* kind of sisters: they dress up in matching outfits. They sing duets. They hold hands walking down the street. Their relationship is put to the test when they decide to work together. Sibling rivalry, a mental health diagnosis, and the ugliness that only comes out around family: Can they overcome the patterns they learned in childhood and live in harmony as adults?
THE HEART, a longstanding darling of the podcast industry, was founded in 2014. The show is a multi-award winning audio art project about love and power. Created by Kaitlin Prest - in community with her friends and collaborators - this all-new season is a production of CBC Podcasts, Radiotopia and Mermaid Palace.
LET’S MAKE A ROM-COM (8 episodes)
Launching Tuesday, February 14
Can three comedians write a winning Rom-Com screenplay?
The team that brought you Let’s Make a Sci-Fi is back! Ryan Beil, Maddy Kelly, and Mark Chavez are busy in their writers’ room—but this time they’re doing things Maddy’s way. All Maddy has ever wanted is to write a rom-com, and with Mark and Ryan in tow, the three comedians will explore what makes a romantic comedy a romantic comedy, the cultural impact of rom-coms, and whether three people with very different lived experiences can write a fresh, contemporary, and funny love story.
THE NO-GOOD, TERRIBLY KIND, WONDERFUL LIVES AND TRAGIC DEATHS OF BARRY AND HONEY SHERMAN (8 episodes)
Launching Monday, February 20
2017: Billionaire couple Barry and Honey Sherman are found dead in their Toronto home - their necks fastened with belts. As CEO of a major pharma company, Barry Sherman was one of Canada’s richest people, and the pair’s extraordinary demise is a mystery to this day.
THE NO-GOOD, TERRIBLY KIND, WONDERFUL LIVES AND TRAGIC DEATHS OF BARRY AND HONEY SHERMAN is an eight-part investigation into the Shermans’ incredible rise and mysterious end. The podcast shines a light on what extreme wealth does to people and their families. It's a peek into the lives of Toronto’s rich and powerful, reported and narrated by veteran podcaster Kathleen Goldhar. Each episode unveils a theory about their deaths, pulling the audience into a dark puzzle of murder and intrigue. Along the way, listeners will get inside the mind of an enigmatic man — Barry Sherman, voiced by actor Saul Rubinek (Hunters). The No-Good, Terribly Kind, Wonderful Lives and Tragic Deaths of Barry and Honey Sherman is a production of CBC Podcasts and Lionsgate Sounds.
CBC KIDS
New original live-action preschool series MITTENS AND PANTS, featuring best friends Mittens the kitten and Pants the puppy as they embark on adventures in the all-animal town of Kibble Corners, launches Monday, February 6 on CBC Gem and Monday, February 13 on CBC TV. Episodes of new preschool animated series GISELE’S MASHUP ADVENTURES launch Wednesday, February 1 on CBC Gem and Monday, February 6 on CBC TV, inspired by the creative ideas of children ages six to nine from across Canada which are turned into hilarious adventures for animated versions of each child and host Gisele.
CBC SPORTS
CBC SPORTS will continue to keep Canadians connected to the world of high-performance sport through its weekend broadcasts CBC SPORTS PRESENTS, hosted by Scott Russell and Andi Petrillo and available on CBC TV and CBC Gem, as well as live streams of key competitions on cbcsports.ca and the CBC Sports app. Upcoming events include: FIS World Alpine Ski Championships (February 8 – 19), FIS Freestyle Skiing World Championships (February 19 – March 4) and FIS Nordic World Ski Championships (February 23 – 26).
CBC’s winter broadcast and streaming schedule launches Monday, January 2 on CBC TV and the free CBC Gem streaming service.
*All following times local with the exception of Newfoundland, please add half an hour to all times.
MONDAYS:
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FRIDAYS:
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*Source: Numeris TV Meter, Total Canada, English TV Networks, 2+ AMA, September 13, 2021- April 17, 2022.
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About CBC/Radio-Canada
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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Tanya Koivusalo, CBC PR