Celebrity guests include Allan Hawco, Arlene Dickinson, Howie Mandel, Jann Arden,
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Russell Peters
Watch the trailer on CBC Gem
CBC today announced the six celebrities who will be in the hot seat in the new unscripted series THE ASSEMBLY. Allan Hawco (Saint-Pierre), Arlene Dickinson (Dragon’s Den), Howie Mandel (America’s Got Talent), singer-songwriter Jann Arden, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Never Have I Ever) and comedian Russell Peters are the notable Canadians who will face a group of atypical interviewers, all on the autism spectrum, over six episodes of this unique entertainment series. THE ASSEMBLY premieres with two back-to-back episodes on Thursday, November 6 at 9 p.m. (9:30 NT) on CBC TV. Special extended “Producer Cuts” will be available on CBC Gem the same day starting at 9 a.m. ET.
Season one of THE ASSEMBLY features a cast of 30-40 autistic and neurodivergent adults from British Columbia interviewing celebrities over the course of six episodes. Each episode sees a different celebrity take part in a no-holds-barred interview complete with unpredictable, probing and direct questions. THE ASSEMBLY is a global sensation that delivers profound revelation, authentic conversations, and a lot of laughs. Audiences can learn more about the series on cbc.ca/television.
The show’s format is an adaptation of French series Les Rencontres du Papotin, which launched in 2022 on France 2 with guests including Killing Eve star Camille Cottin and President Emmanuel Macron. Now a global hit, other iterations of THE ASSEMBLY have featured guests including Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen, and Sam Neil, among other major international stars.
THE ASSEMBLY is produced by Small Army Entertainment for CBC, with executive producers Sean De Vries and Stephen Sawchuk. For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports; Jennifer Dettman is Executive Director, Unscripted Content; and Susan Taylor is Executive in Charge of Production.
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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: Dëne Sųłıné, Dene Kǝdǝ́, Dene Zhatıé, Eastern Cree, Dinjii Zhuʼ Ginjik, Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun and Tłı̨chǫ. 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.
About Small Army Entertainment
SMALL ARMY ENTERTAINMENT is a Vancouver-based film, television, and media production company led by award-winning Executive Producers Sean De Vries and Stephen Sawchuk. The company develops and produces premium global content for broadcasters, streamers, and digital platforms. Upcoming projects include Destination Haunted, a documentary special filmed on location in Ireland (premiering October 10 on T+E), and the Canadian adaptation of the hit international format The Assembly (premiering November 6 on CBC and CBC Gem).
