All episodes of BEST IN MINIATURE Season 3, hosted by Aba Amuquandoh and featuring artists competing at a high level in their small craft, available to stream Dec. 26
International series include the exclusive Canadian premieres of the fourth and final season of DAS BOOT (Dec. 1); Season 2 of New Zealand comedy KID SISTER (Dec. 7) from Simone Nathan (Our Flag Means Death); the epic period drama WAR AND PEACE starring Lily James, Paul Dano and James Norton (Dec. 13); and BARDOT (Dec. 15) about iconic French actress Brigitte Bardot, plus Season 3 of YOUNGER (Dec. 6) from creator Darren Star (Sex and the City) and the post-apocalyptic saga STATION ELEVEN (Dec. 20)
CBC Gem original SOMETHING UNDONE (Dec. 14), starring Madison Walsh, Michael Musi, Amanda Brugel, Billy Campbell, Shawn Doyle and Nicole Power, debuts in an extended version, following a true crime podcast duo as they investigate a haunting 1980s cold case
Documentaries include THE SECRET WORLD OF INCELS (Dec. 6), delving into the shadowy online community and IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE? (Dec. 13), offering a personal look at life with a disability
Oscar-nominated film LION begins streaming Dec. 26, starring Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire), Oscar-winner Nicole Kidman (The Hours) and Oscar-nominee Rooney Mara (Carol, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
CBC Gem’s holiday collection makes the season merry and bright with classic films, family favourites and festive specials streaming all month including CALL THE MIDWIFE (Dec. 1) and THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW (Dec. 3 and 27)
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, 500 hours of ad-free content for kids and tweens, and a collection of over 200 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 Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Google/Android TV and Xbox.
For screening links or more information about any of the titles, please contact Tanya Koivusalo at tanya.koivusalo@cbc.ca. Note: This schedule is subject to change.
For images from CBC Gem titles, click here. Please credit Courtesy of CBC Gem.
ACCLAIMED INTERNATIONAL SERIES
DAS BOOT Season 4 (6x60, Drama, Bavaria Fiction, Germany) *final season*
Begins streaming Friday, December 1
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
The internationally renowned drama series DAS BOOT returns with a fourth and final season. In this season the focus shifts, taking the audience to the Mediterranean where Germany’s U-Boats face impossible odds abroad while at home, secrecy and intrigue lurk within its own ranks at German Navy Command in Berlin where a dangerous conspiracy unfolds. Siblings Hannie Hoffmann (Rosalie Thomass) and Klaus Hoffmann (Rick Okon) are poles apart as the season begins before a shared tragedy brings them closer together. But each will have their own battle to fight. Klaus must travel to Naples where he embarks as U-Boat Commander again, this time on a mission to alter the course of the war. Hannie must dig deeper than she ever imagined and find new purpose in uncovering and bringing down a group of uniformed criminals who have embraced the Reich’s darkest tendencies.
YOUNGER Season 3 (12x30, Comedy/Drama, Hudson Street Productions, USA)
Begins streaming Wednesday, December 6
Forty-one-year-old Liza Miller (Sutton Foster, Bunheads) is back working at Empirical Press, striving to maintain her millennial masquerade in the wake of tragedy and an impulsive kiss from her boss. Processing her feelings for Charles (Peter Hermann, Blue Bloods) is made no easier by her ex-boyfriend Josh (Nico Tortorella, The Walking Dead: World Beyond) pushing to rekindle their relationship, setting her work and personal lives on a collision course. As friends and colleagues draw closer to discovering her secret, Liza continues to navigate the increasingly confounding landscape of a 20-something life.
KID SISTER Season 2 (6x30, Comedy, Greenstone TV, New Zealand)
Begins streaming Thursday, December 7
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
With Lulu and Ollie’s relationship now out in the open, the couple are about to find out whether they can make it in the real world. Ollie is converting, and Lulu is forced to ask herself - does she actually want a Modern Orthodox boyfriend? Ollie falls in with the maverick Rabbi Wolf who promises to get the conversion done quickly. However Rabbi Wolf quickly hones in on the couple’s weakest link: Lulu. As Lulu struggles to find her place in the world she starts lying again: about her faith, her job prospects, and how she really feels about the baby she gave to her brother. The Emanuels’ lives are further complicated when Ollie’s mother, Bridget, arrives, keen to play ‘grandma’ and forcing Keren into a tense nana feud. With Lulu lying, Ollie about to be circumcised, and the Emanuel family divided, can they pull together for true love’s sake? Created by and starring Simone Nathan (Our Flag Means Death).
WAR AND PEACE (5x60 and 1x90, Drama, Lookout Point, UK)
Begins streaming Wednesday, December 13
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Widely regarded as one of the greatest novels ever written, War And Peace is a timeless story of three young people set against the epic backdrop of Russia’s wars with Napoleon. At the centre of it all stands Pierre Bezukhov (Paul Dano), a hot-headed newcomer in Russian society, brimming with ideas but hopelessly lost as he seeks meaning in his life. His sincere good nature is a comfort to his friend Andrei Bolkonsky (James Norton), a cynical prince who is sick of his stifling marriage and longs for glory on the field of battle. Both their fates are bound to the beautiful, captivating and kind-hearted Natasha Rostova (Lily James) – only a teenager when the series begins, but desperate to grow up and experience the world. Over eight years of peace and war that will change Russia and its people forever, we meet a vast cast of unforgettable characters, from peasants and soldiers to society hostesses and even Napoleon himself. But again and again, through marriages and affairs, battlefields and ballrooms, births and deaths, we will keep returning to Pierre, Andrei and Natasha as they confront life’s great questions of love and destiny. A new adaptation by Andrew Davies (Pride and Prejudice, Bridget Jones’ Diary) of Leo Tolstoy's timeless novel.
***** “The greatest costume drama of the decade”
BARDOT (6x60, Drama, Federation Studios, France)
Begins streaming Friday, December 15
*Exclusive English-language Canadian Premiere*
Meet the woman before the superstar in this event series about the iconic French actress, Brigitte Bardot. Young and free, Bardot (Julia de Nunez) was passionate and liberated while defying the rules of the society of the time. Unanimously considered the most beautiful woman of the world, Brigitte Bardot provoked, in spite of herself, a worldwide sexual revolution. A woman ahead of her time, ten years before the life-changing events of May 1968, and the daughter of a good family, Brigitte Bardot became an international icon after And God Created Woman. The series focuses on the first years of her superstar life, as she deals with her new status while trying to find her true self. From multi-awarded directors Danièle Thompson and Christopher Thompson (Fauteuils d'orchestre, La bûche), BARDOT received its world premiere at Series Mania.
STATION ELEVEN (10x60, Drama, Pacesetter Productions and Paramount Television, USA)
Begins streaming Wednesday, December 20
A post-apocalyptic saga spanning multiple timelines, telling the stories of survivors of a devastating flu as they attempt to rebuild and reimagine the world anew while holding onto the best of what's been lost. Based on the national bestseller and National Book Award Finalist by Emily St. John Mandel, the limited series was nominated for seven Emmy Awards and three Film Independent Spirit Awards, and stars Mackenzie Davis, Himesh Patel, Lori Petty and Gael Garcia Bernal.
CBC ORIGINALS
SOMETHING UNDONE (10x30, Drama, 4AM Film Studios and Little Mama Media)
Begins streaming Thursday, December 14
A true crime podcast duo, Jo (Madison Walsh, Mrs. America, The Expanse) and Farid (Michael Musi, All My Puny Sorrows, Kim’s Convenience), reopen the haunting mystery of a 1980s cold case but struggle with the repercussions as they’re thrust into danger. Later, as they escape to an isolated island in an attempt to recover, they ultimately move closer to the trauma they so desperately tried to escape. Created and written by Musi and Walsh and directed by Hannah Cheesman and Nicole Dorsey, SOMETHING UNDONE is an extended version of the original short-form series. The expanded series also stars Amanda Brugel (Sort Of, The Handmaid’s Tale), Billy Campbell (Cardinal, The Killing), Shawn Doyle (Star Trek: Discovery, Gray), Shaun Majumder (Detroit 1-8-7, This Hour Has 22 Minutes) and Nicole Power (Glamorous, Strays).
BEST IN MINIATURE Season 3 (8x60, Unscripted, marblemedia)
All episodes available to stream on Tuesday, December 26; airing Tuesday, December 26 to Friday, December 29 on CBC TV with daily back-to-back episodes at 8 pm (8:30 NT) and 9pm (9:30 NT)
BEST IN MINIATURE Season 3 is hosted by writer and stand-up comedian, Aba Amuquandoh (This Hour Has 22 Minutes), and welcomes 10 highly skilled artists from across the world to compete in the ultimate challenge: building their dream home in miniature form. The competitors will create their houses, in painstaking detail, room by room by shrinking life-size objects to 1:12 scale. While the objects may be small in stature, the stakes could not be higher. Judged by U.K Miniature Expert Emma Waddell, and esteemed Designer Micheal Lambie, precision and design technique will save the competitors from elimination. Week after week, the remaining miniaturists will continue to battle it out to stay in the game until only three remain for the last competition in the grand finale. The winner will receive a cash prize and the coveted title of Best in Miniature.
DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
THE SECRET WORLD OF INCELS (44 min, directed by Ben Zand, UK) - as part of THE PASSIONATE EYE
Begins streaming Wednesday, December 6
Award-winning filmmaker Ben Zand investigates the dark world of incels. After a year-long investigation, Zand gained unprecedented access to the men behind the keyboard. The documentary meets incels who have never had a proper conversation with a woman in real life. It uncovers shocking extremism, and a disturbing addiction in the movement for watching online “gore” videos. And it discovers some women are becoming attracted to the movement, including a young female incel, known as a “femcel”.
IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE? (87 min, directed by Ella Glendining, UK) - as part of THE PASSIONATE EYE
Begins streaming Wednesday, December 13
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
Born with a rare physical disability, filmmaker Ella Glendining inhabits and loves her body while searching the globe for others like her. Many whom she encounters insist that she, and others with similar conditions, could or should be surgically altered toward “normality,” a prejudicial outlook known as ableism. With the gifts of a truly empathetic storyteller, Ella demonstrates what a life free from the mental shackles of ableism is like. Official selection at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival where it had its world premiere and winner of Best Feature-Length Documentary, Best Film on Social Issues and Best International Documentary at the 2023 Krakow Film Festival.
“Glendining captures her adventure of searching
in this heartfelt documentary, with powerful other life stories”
FEATURE FILMS
LION (121 min, Drama, directed by Garth Davis, USA)
Begins streaming Tuesday, December 26
Adapted from the non-fiction book A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley, LION is about a five-year-old Indian boy who, after a wrong train takes him thousands of miles away from home and family, survives many challenges before being adopted by an Australian couple. Twenty-five years later, armed with only the scantest of clues, he learns of a new technology called Google Earth, and sets out to find his lost family. Starring Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire, Modern Love), Oscar winner Nicole Kidman (The Hours, Being the Ricardos) and Oscar nominee Rooney Mara (Carol, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), LION was nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Motion Picture of the Year.
HOLIDAY
More information about CBC’s holiday programming lineup is available here
CALL THE MIDWIFE Season 12 Holiday Specials (2x45, Drama, Neale Street Productions, UK)
Begins streaming Friday, December 1
It is December 1967 and with Christmas fast approaching, life in Poplar is returning to normal after the terrible train crash. Trixie (Helen George) arrives back from Portofino, looking poised and beautiful, much to the delight of Matthew (Olly Rix). The midwives move the maternity clinic into new premises and are delighted when one of their first patients through the door is Rhoda Mullocks (Liz White) who the team know well. Rhoda is heavily pregnant, and understandably nervous, after her last baby was born with limbs that have been affected by Thalidomide. Nurse Crane (Linda Bassett) cares for a heavily pregnant single mother, recently released from prison, while Sister Frances (Ella Bruccoleri) is called out to deliver a Sylheti mother’s child in a garment factory in a rough area of Poplar. Elsewhere, Fred (Cliff Parisi) decides that Poplar needs to come together to raise money for those families still affected by the train crash and pitches the wonderful idea of a festive talent show – Poplartunity Knocks!
THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW Season 13: Christmas Special (1x60, Lifestyle, Love Productions, UK)
Begins streaming Sunday, December 3
THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW celebrates both Christmas and Channel 4’s 40th Birthday, with five famous faces from Channel 4’s history. Joining Paul, Prue, Noel and Matt are The Big Breakfast’s Gaby Roslin, Time Team’s Sir Tony Robison, Pop World’s Miquita Oliver, The Word’s Terry Christian and Brookside’s Claire Sweeney, each hoping to win Christmas Star Baker. After the excitement of the tent, Bakers, family and friends are treated to a beautiful performance of Swan Lake by the English National Ballet.
CHRISTMAS EVER AFTER (87 min, Holiday, directed by Pat Kiely, Canada)
Begins streaming Wednesday, December 6
With just days before Christmas and a looming manuscript deadline, romance novelist Izzi retreats to the cozy Antler Inn in wintry Silver Springs to finish the draft of her newest romance novel and overcome her writer's block while still enjoying her favourite annual vacation. Editor and BFF Mila urges Izzi to find ways to make her romantic hero, Desmond, more grounded and real, as she thinks he’s become too idealized, rendering the stories predictable and no fun to write. Izzi struggles to implement the note… until she arrives at Silver Springs Inn to find the new owner, Matt, bears a striking resemblance to Desmond.
THE CHRISTMAS SETUP (87 min, Holiday, directed by Pat Mills, Canada)
Begins streaming Wednesday, December 13
A lawyer heads home for the holidays and runs into his secret crush from high school. Sparks fly as the two men work together to save the local train station before Christmas, helping them remember the importance of family, community and love. Nominated for Best TV Movie and Best Lead Actor, TV Movie (Ben Lewis) at the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards.
THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW Season 13: New Year’s Special (1x60, Lifestyle, Love Productions, UK)
Begins streaming Wednesday, December 27
THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW celebrates New Year in style as Noel, Matt, Prue and Paul return to the tent with some familiar faces from the Baking Show past. Joining them to ring in the New Year are last year’s finalist Chigs, 2020’s Lottie, and Manon and Antony from 2018. They'll be battling it out over three seasonal challenges. And then to ring in the New Year, Bakers, family and friends are entertained by Riverdance.
LIFESTYLE
DOG ACADEMY Season 1B (cont) (4x60, Lifestyle Five Mile Films, UK)
Begins streaming Monday, December 4
*Exclusive Canadian Premiere*
A new dog training series for some of the most uncontrollable canines and their overwhelmed owners. With a crack team of top specialist trainers on hand with guidance on dog management skills and dog psychology, the series offers help to the most difficult dogs and their desperate owners.
KIDS AND TWEENS
ODD SQUAD Season 2b (30x11, 1x44, Kids, Sinking Ship Entertainment/Fred Rogers Productions, Canada/USA)
Begins streaming Friday, December 1
ODD SQUAD is a live-action comedy about kid agents who are equipped with the world’s most advanced and unpredictable gadgetry. Whenever something strange or unusual happens, it’s Odd Squad’s job to put things right by using math to solve odd problems. If something odd happens like your dog is doubled or your spouse is shrunk, not to worry. Simply call your friendly local Odd Squad precinct and those kids will fix you right up.
THE NEXT STEP Season 5 (26x22, Tween, Temple Street Productions, Radical Sheep Productions and Boat Rocker Studios, Canada)
Begins streaming Friday, December 1
It's a new chapter for The Next Step dance studio. The studio is expanding and attracting a lot of fresh faces, while many old guard A-Troupers are leaving to pursue other goals. The focus of the show will be to explore a new generation of A-Troupe dancers in their quest to be the best. Since losing Regionals last season, they are no longer the International champs and they have a lot to prove. The Next Step is once again the underdog, but that won't deter them from getting to the top. Personal relationships are put to the test as the dancers try to strike a balance between individual talent and dedicated teamwork required to win at the highest level.
THE BEST OF CBC
The Canadian streaming home of past and current seasons of hit CBC series including HEARTLAND, KIM’S CONVENIENCE, MURDOCH MYSTERIES, THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW, SCHITT’S CREEK and WHEN CALLS THE HEART, plus ARCTIC VETS, BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW, MR. D, PRETTY HARD CASES, THE PORTER, RUN THE BURBS, SKYMED, SON OF A CRITCH, SORT OF, STILL STANDING and TALLBOYZ, and classic CBC hits like BEING ERICA.
COMING IN JANUARY
BOOKSMART
COLIN FROM ACCOUNTS
D.I. RAY
GHOSTING WITH LUKE HUTCHIE AND MATTHEW FINLAN
IN LIMBO
SUMMER LOVE
