Bilal Baig, Gray Powell, Amanda Cordner, Ellora Patnaik, Grace Lynn Kung, Supinder Wraich, Kaya Kanashiro, Aden Bedard, Gregory Ambrose Calderone and Alanna Bale set to star
Produced by Sienna Films (Sphere Media), the eight-episode comedy starts production in Toronto today for broadcast and streaming on CBC and CBC Gem in 2021
October 15, 2020 - CBC has greenlit new original comedy SORT OF (8x30) from Sienna Films (Trickster, Cardinal). Created by Bilal Baig (Acha Bacha) and Fab Filippo (Save Me) and starring Baig, SORT OF is a big-hearted series about Sabi Mehboob (Baig), a fluid millennial who straddles various identities from sexy bartender at an LGBTQ bookstore/bar, to the youngest child in a large Pakistani family, to the de facto parent of a downtown hipster family. Sabi feels like they’re in transition in every aspect of their life, from gender to love to sexuality to family to career. The half-hour single-camera comedy begins production in Toronto today.
In addition to Baig, the cast includes Gray Powell (Hudson & Rex, Designated Survivor), Amanda Cordner (Baroness von Sketch Show, The Expanse), Ellora Patnaik (Kim’s Convenience, Schitt’s Creek), Grace Lynn Kung (Transplant, Star Trek: Discovery), Supinder Wraich (The 410, Crawford), Kaya Kanashiro, Aden Bedard, Gregory Ambrose Calderone (This Movie is Broken, Salvation) and Alanna Bale (Cardinal, Killjoys).
When Sabi’s best friend 7ven (Cordner) presents them with an opportunity to live and find themself in the "queerest place in the galaxy," Sabi instead makes the decision to stay and care for the kids they nanny after their mom has a serious bike accident. Do they regret it? Sort of. A coming-of-age story, SORT OF exposes the labels we once poured ourselves into as no longer applicable...to anyone. A show about how each and every one of us is in transition. Sort of.
“It feels so right, in a time like this, to be working on a show that looks at how we are constantly changing, and how change can clarify who we are and who we want to be in the world,” said Baig. “It has been such a tremendous pleasure working with Fab, Sienna Films and CBC on a project that means so much to me.”
“Working with Bilal and Sienna and CBC on this has been a dream,” said Filippo.
"Sort Of is not only brilliantly funny – it speaks to acceptance, inclusivity and the joys and challenges of life with depth, authenticity and wit,” said Sally Catto, General Manager, Entertainment, Factual and Sports, CBC. “We instantly fell in love with Sort Of and are confident that audiences will fall just as hard.”
A CBC original series produced by Sienna Films, SORT OF is created by Bilal Baig and Fab Filippo, who also serve as showrunners and executive producers. The series is written by Baig, Filippo, Jenn Engels, Nelu Handa and Ian Iqbal Rashid, with Filippo and Renuka Jeyapalan (Kim’s Convenience, Workin’ Moms) directing. Sienna Films’ Jennifer Kawaja and Julia Sereny are also executive producers. For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports; Trish Williams is Executive Director, Scripted Content; and Sandra Picheca is Executive in Charge of Production. Produced with the participation of the Canada Media Fund (CMF). Distributed Internationally by Sphere Media Distribution/Abacus Media Rights.
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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 and Chinese, 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.
About Sienna Films
Led by EP/Producer Jennifer Kawaja and Julia Sereny, Sienna Films is one of Canada’s preeminent scripted content companies, producing film and television internationally since 1992. Over the past several years Sienna has made its mark in television and was named Canada’s broadcast trade publication Playback’s Production Company of the Year for 2017. In March 2020, the company was acquired by Sphere Media, which specializes in the creation, adaptation, production and distribution of television and film content and is led by EP/President Bruno Dubé. Sphere’s credits include the Emmy Award-winning 19-2 and CTV/NBC’s Transplant.
About Abacus
Abacus Media Rights acquires and distributes a diverse slate of premium programming in the international market. At the same time, our experienced team works with producers to facilitate pre-sales and development finance as well as broadcaster commissions. Embracing a fully transparent reporting ethos throughout, our focus is on building strong client relationships and generating positive solutions at every stage of the process, from initial financing to worldwide broadcast. Whether you are producing, acquiring or commissioning, Abacus Media Rights is the perfect partner to deliver scripted and non-scripted entertainment that counts to a global audience. Abacus Media Rights is a member of the Amcomri Media Group.
For more information, please contact:
Elizabeth Reid, CBC PR
416.205.2665
