Canada’s national public broadcaster announces development deals for five original podcast series to be adapted for TV, including SOMEONE KNOWS SOMETHING, UNCOVER: THE VILLAGE, PERSONAL BEST, TAI ASKS WHY and ALONE: A LOVE STORY
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CBC, Canada’s public broadcaster, today announced its first-ever development slate of podcast-to-television series that will see five popular, original CBC Podcasts adapted for the screen. These initial projects include: David Ridgen’s SOMEONE KNOWS SOMETHING (First Generation Films, scripted); UNCOVER: THE VILLAGE (Noble Television, documentary); PERSONAL BEST (3Arts Entertainment and Anchor Entertainment, unscripted); TAI ASKS WHY (Irwin Entertainment, unscripted); and, ALONE: A LOVE STORY (Sienna Films, scripted). The announcement was made at Podcast Movement 2019 in Orlando, Florida, the largest podcast gathering in the world.
“As Canada’s national public broadcaster and number-one podcaster, we are uniquely positioned to lead in this new area of opportunity for rich and diverse storytelling,” said Barbara Williams, Executive Vice-President, CBC English Services. “This growing cultural phenomenon will make it possible for us to work with Canadian and international partners to bring passionate podcast listeners to our television and streaming platforms, and showcase Canadian stories to wider audiences at home and around the world.”
CBC’s first foray into the adaptation of podcasts for television includes five acclaimed podcast titles with wide ranging subject matter, from drama and true crime, to humour and life’s greatest questions:
SOMEONE KNOWS SOMETHING
“Ridgen gives everything he has to these cases & listeners fall in love with his candor. True crime lovers, be prepared to say goodbye to your chores & hello to your earbuds.” —Really Into This (November 2017)
● In development for a scripted series with First Generation Films. CBC’s most-downloaded original title, SOMEONE KNOWS SOMETHING with host David Ridgen examines unsolved cases of missing or murdered individuals, in hopes of uncovering new information, while also exploring how the cases have affected the families and communities involved.
UNCOVER: THE VILLAGE
“What sets “Uncover” apart is that it aims to serve something beyond its audience: more than a whodunit, the series feels like a kind of truth-and-reconciliation commission, in podcast form.” —The New Yorker (May 2019)
● In development for an unscripted, documentary series with Noble Television. The true crime podcast, the third in the Uncover series, explores two waves of unsolved murders in Toronto’s Gay Village, 40 years apart, following the arrest of Bruce McArthur in January 2018.
PERSONAL BEST
“Our neighbors in Canada have produced one of the funniest podcasts to hit our earbuds in years.” —TIME (June 2018)
● In development with 3Arts Entertainment and Anchor Entertainment for an unscripted series. The humorous, internationally acclaimed podcast helps ordinary people work through the little things they’d never bring to a life coach and celebrates small ambitions, half-wins, and getting less bad at things. From kicking a snooze button addiction to being less awkward around cashiers, Personal Best aims to be a self-improvement sidekick.
TAI ASKS WHY
"A fresh take on the ubiquitous “explainer” podcast, Tai Asks Why is a series characterised by wide-eyed curiosity and common-sense questioning and has the capacity to make us all a little bit wiser." — Financial Times (December 2018)
● In development with Irwin Entertainment for an unscripted series. The award-winning podcast looks for answers to life’s biggest questions from the perspective of an exceptional 12-year-old through conversations with everyone from NASA experts to his own little brother in order to expand the minds of the audience and touch their hearts.
ALONE: A LOVE STORY
“Alone is one of the most beautiful, humanly (and humanely) told stories on relationships I have ever heard.” —The Guardian (June 2018)
● In development with Sienna Films for a scripted series. This acclaimed podcast is a memoir about love, marriage and life after betrayal, telling raw truths about life post-divorce, dating and the maddening uncertainties of life and love.
CBC is Canada’s Public Podcaster, reaching more Canadians than any other podcast publisher. With more than 20 series in genres including investigative reporting and true crime, comedy, human interest and audio fiction, CBC podcasts are downloaded millions of times per month.
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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.
For additional information, please contact:
Frances Bedford, publicist, CBC
frances.bedford@cbc.ca 416-205-7673