CBC Gem is Canada’s streaming service, offering more than 4000 hours of acclaimed, authentically Canadian programming and a curated selection of best-in-class content from around the world. CBC Gem provides live and on-demand access to CBC’s full programming slate spanning drama, comedy, factual entertainment, documentaries, arts, kids, sports and local and national news programming, including the ability to live stream CBC TV at any time with access to 14 CBC channels and their local newscasts across the country. CBC Gem is available for free as an App for iOS and Android devices and online at cbcgem.ca. Currently available on TV screens via Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV.
For screening links or more information on any of the following titles please contact Sarah Goddard (sarah.goddard@cbc.ca)
NEW TO CBC GEM IN JUNE:
National Indigenous History Month collection includes new documentaries Bighetty & Bighetty (May 31), Skindigenous (June 3), Sober House (June 3), Black Rock (June 7), and Future History (June 21), and feature film Rhymes for Young Ghouls (June 3)
Pride Month collection includes new documentaries Hannah Gadsby's Nakedy Nudes, Hannah Gadsby's Oz, and My Prairie Home, dropping on June 7, and The Gospel According to Andre (June 15) and Butterfly (June 16)
Groundbreaking documentary series Red Button (June 7) returns for a second season featuring six remarkable young Canadians living with differences and You Can’t Can’t Ask That (June 14) gives the platform to those living with a disability
New CBC Gem original comedy Mind Fudge created by Justine Nelson and Jon Simo debuts June 7; Ming’s Dynasty (June 21) and Ashbridge (June 27) highlight communities in western Canada; and original Canadian anthology comedy Save Me returns for a second season on PTSD Awareness Day (June 27)
150 hours of Jamie Oliver content launches on June 3, featuring his most popular cooking series including Jamie's 30 Minute Meals, Jamie & Jimmy's Fight Club (Seasons 1-3), Jamie's Super Food, and Jamie’s Sugar Rush
“A claustrophobic, clever and utterly thrilling reboot” (The Guardian) German drama Das Boot starring Vicky Krieps, Lizzy Caplan, and Rick Okon starts streaming June 7
NEW CBC GEM ORIGINAL CANADIAN SERIES:
Mind Fudge (Comedy, 8x8, Vandal Media Inc.) – All episodes begin streaming Friday, June 7
A comedic ride through Justine’s (Justine Nelson) hyper-real, 20-something imagination as she juggles life, love, and what it all means.
Ming’s Dynasty (Comedy, 6x10, Touchpoint Films & 775 Media Corp) – All episodes begin streaming Friday, June 21
Fledgling Toronto-based rappers Whyte Wine and Young Riesling relocate to small-town Alberta to run Riesling’s family business: a Chinese restaurant. The duo must defeat pesky tapeworms, ‘shroom demons, and Drake-inspired super-villains in order to keep their dreams - and the business - alive for one more day.
Ashbridge (Drama, 3x7, Raven West Films and YN films) – All episodes begin streaming Thursday, June 27
ASHBRIDGE follows the stories stemming from a fictional settlement agency in Vancouver that works with refugees to Canada. Each episode introduces new characters as they find their way in a new country.
Save Me (Comedy, 6x10, iThentic) – All episodes of Season 2 begin streaming Thursday, June 27
Launching on PTSD Awareness Day, the anthology series returns with a comedic yet poignant look at lives on the brink of a 911 emergency incident, telling the stories of people in the moment just before their lives change – often drastically – and the people who show up when all hell breaks loose. These stories are punctuated by our regular cast of peculiar paramedics — including series creator Fab Filippo — who are forced to come to terms with their own PTSD. Guest stars this season include Scott Thompson (Kids in the Hall), Andrew Phung (Kim's Convenience), Emily Hampshire (Schitt's Creek) and Peter Mansbridge.
NATIONAL INDIGENOUS HISTORY MONTH COLLECTION
Honouring the heritage, contributions, and cultures of Indigenous peoples in Canada, themed programming this month includes:
Skindigenous (Documentary, 13x30, Nish Media) – All episodes begin streaming Monday, June 3
A documentary series exploring Indigenous tattooing traditions around the world. Each episode dives into a unique Indigenous culture to discover the tools and techniques, the symbols and traditions that shape their tattooing art. In this series, the art of tattoo becomes a lens for exploring some of the planet’s oldest cultures and their unique perspectives on life, identity, and the natural world.
Sober House (Documentary, 1x20, Wendell Collier, Director) – Begins streaming Friday, June 3
When a small group of outspoken Cree youth in Northern Saskatchewan look to break the cycle of damage caused by alcohol in their communities, they turn to the “Sober House” concept as a way to facilitate change.
Rhymes for Young Ghouls (Film, 1x88, Prospector Films) – Begins streaming Monday, June 3
Red Crow Mi'g Maq reservation, 1976: By government decree, every Indian child under the age of 16 must attend residential school. In the kingdom of the Crow, that means imprisonment at St. Dymphna's. That means being at the mercy of "Popper", the sadistic Indian agent who runs the school.
Biidaaban: The Dawn Comes (Arts, 1x19, Spotted Fawn Productions) – Begins streaming Wednesday, June 5
Since time immemorial, Indigenous people have harvested sap from trees to produce syrup, a practice that continues today. Two main characters — Biidaaban, a young Indigenous gender fluid person and Sabe, a Sasquatch shape shifter — set out to harvest sap from sugar maples in their urban environment and private neighbourhoods of the city. Biidaabaan can see traces of time, people, creatures and land. By harvesting syrup in this way, they are continuing the work of their ancestors.
Black Rock (Documentary, 1x15, Geordie Trifa, Director) – Begins streaming Friday, June 7
BLACK ROCK follows the intertwining stories of a community divided, those who are determined to protect the land and those who are working for a pay cheque at the uranium mines to survive.
Bighetty & Bighetty (Documentary, 1x21, Andrew Wiens, Director) – Begins streaming Friday, May 31
Four brothers — and their Cree-speaking puppets — show the joyful side of Indigenous life.
Future History (Documentary, 13x30, Redcloud Studios Inc.) – Begins streaming Friday, June 21
Directed by Jennifer Podemski, hosts Kris Nahrgang and Sarain Fox embark on a personal journey of discovery. By seeking out those who are harnessing Indigenous Knowledge and amplifying Indigenous Perspectives, Kris and Sarain gain a deeper understanding of what it means to have an Indigenous World View. Committed to exploring the diversity of perspectives and knowledge within the Indigenous community in an effort to create a deeper understanding about our shared history while looking forward to a brighter future anchored by Indigenous Knowledge.
PRIDE COLLECTION
Celebrating the LGBTQ community, themed programming this month includes:
My Prairie Home (1x76, National Film Board of Canada) – Begins streaming Friday, June 7
In this feature documentary-musical by Chelsea McMullan, indie singer Rae Spoon takes viewers on a playful, meditative, and at times melancholic journey. Set against majestic images of the infinite expanses of the Canadian Prairies, the film features Spoon crooning about their queer and musical coming of age. Interviews, performances and music sequences reveal Spoon’s inspiring process of building a life of their own, as a trans person and as a musician.
Hannah Gadsby's Nakedy Nudes (2x30, Barefoot Communications) – All episodes begin streaming Friday, June 7
Hannah Gadsby unravels the apparently simple practice of recreating the nude human form. Hannah wields her wit and insight like a detective in a TV crime drama with a UV torchlight. Doing so, she disturbs unspoken layers of gender power play and unconscious messaging.
Hannah Gadsby's Oz (3x30, Closer Productions) – All episodes begin streaming Friday, June 7
Australian stand up comedian Hannah Gadsby is a closet art scholar. Armed with a rapier wit
and desire to pick beneath the paint, she travels across the continent on a mission to debunk
the myths of the Australian identity as defined by their art canon.
The Gospel According to Andre (1x94, Abstract Productions) – Begins streaming Saturday, June 15
André Leon Talley has been a fixture in the world of fashion for so long that it’s difficult to
imagine a time when he wasn’t defining the boundaries of great style. Kate Novack’s intimate
portrait, The Gospel According to André, takes viewers on an emotional journey from André’s
roots growing up in the segregated Jim Crow South to become one of the most influential
tastemakers and fashion curators of our times.
Butterfly (3x60, Red Productions) – Begins streaming Sunday, June 16
Butterfly is about the acrimonious relationship between separated parents, Vicky and Stephen, and their division in opinion over how to support their gender variant child, Max. From a young age, their now 11-year-old son has identified as a girl and presented signs of gender dysphoria. What unfolds for all the family members involved is the greatest challenge and test of love and understanding imaginable.
DOCUMENTARIES
Red Button (Documentary, 6x8, Media Headquarters) – All episodes of Season 2 begin streaming Friday, June 7
This series takes an innovative approach to storytelling where young documentary subjects turn the camera on themselves to break down misconceptions, prejudices, or stereotypes they face. The second season invites viewers inside the lives of teens living with differences, who do not normally see themselves represented on screen.
You Can’t Ask That (8x30, Pixcom) – All episodes begin streaming Friday, June 14
Based on the hugely successful unscripted format from ABC Australia, the new documentary series offers individuals whose lives are often marginalized or misunderstood the opportunity to speak for themselves and share their experiences, yielding raw, and often surprising, insights. The new series gives the platform to those living with a disability, with eight themed episodes featuring different individuals throughout. This is the first CBC series to use Integrated Described Video (IDV).
Tizita (1x18, Gezahegn Mekkonnen Demissie, Director) – Begins streaming Thursday, June 27
Ethiopian musicians trying to re-establish themselves in Canada gather to play a "Tizita": a traditional Ethiopian ballad invoking nostalgic memories.
ACCLAIMED FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Sick of It (Comedy, 6x30, Me & You Productions, Alrite Productions, UK) – All episodes begin streaming Monday, June 3
Karl Pilkington (The Ricky Gervais Show) has always seen the world in a different way. Now he stars in a unique comedy that serves up a double helping of Karl Pilkington – with Karl playing himself as well as the grumpy voice inside his head who appears as a doppelgänger only he can see.
Das Boot (Drama, 8x60, Bavaria Fiction GbmH, Germany) – All episodes begin streaming Friday, June 7
During the Autumn of 1942, in occupied France, U-612 is now ready for its maiden voyage,
preparing to head into the increasingly brutal warfare with its young crewmen, including the
new captain, Klaus Hoffmann (Rick Okon, Tatort). As the 40 young men take on their first mission, they struggle with the cramped and claustrophobic conditions of life underwater. Meanwhile, at the port of La Rochelle, the world of Simone Strasser (Vicky Krieps, The Girl in a Spider’s Web) spirals out of control as she is engulfed in a dangerous liaison and forbidden love, torn between her loyalty for Germany and the Resistance.
Portlandia (Comedy, 10x30, Broadway Video, USA) – Season 6 begins streaming Friday, June 7
Emmy®-nominated comedy Portlandia returns for a sixth season. Created by Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein and Jonathan Krisel, the new season welcomes back fan favourites and adds some new characters to the growing list of Portlandia's misfits.
Back In Time For Tea (Lifestyle, 6x60, Wall to Wall, UK) – All episodes begin streaming Friday, June 7
Progressing at one decade per episode, a modern British family lives through six decades of extraordinary evolution in just 60 days As the family makes its way through more than a half century of historical and cultural growth, the series reveals how these transformations have radically changed everyone's lives. In Back In Time For Tea, the series centres around 'Tea-time' in Yorkshire during the second half of the 20th century.
Back In Time For The Weekend (Lifestyle, 6x60, Wall to Wall, UK) – All episodes begin streaming Thursday, June 27
Based on the real evidence of the Family Expenditure Survey, the episodes take a family on a time-traveling adventure to discover how leisure time has undergone a revolution over the past 65 years, transforming homes, hobbies, and family dynamics along the way. Beginning in 1950, when widespread shortages meant that ordinary families spent much of their leisure time repairing things or making them from scratch.
KIDS & TWEEN PROGRAMMING
Find Me in Paris (Tween Drama, 26x26, Cottonwood Media, ZDF Enterprises, BE-FILMS) – All episodes begin streaming Friday, June 14
A young ballet dancer (Jessica Lord, The Next Step) from 1905 is transported into the 21st century with the power of a magical necklace. While her boyfriend looks for a way to bring her back, she must find a way to fit in and dodge the sinister time agents.
Thunderbirds Are Go (Animated kids series, 26x30, ITV Studios, UK) – All episodes begin streaming Friday, June 14
Thunderbirds Are Go is the reimagining of the classic series, using a groundbreaking unique mix of CGI animation against live-action miniatures. The series follows the heroics of the Tracy family as they try to save the world with their secret organisation International Rescue. Aided by engineer Brains, operative Kayo and London agent Lady Penelope, the five Tracy brothers, operating from their hidden island base in the South Pacific, use their state-of-the-art Thunderbird vehicles to avert disasters across the globe. As they attempt to help those in peril, the team are forced to out an end to the devious schemes of international super-villain The Hood.
CBC Kids News segments featuring Canadian contributors aged 9-16, bringing young viewers daily news in pop culture, sports, science, technology and the environment.
JAMIE OLIVER COLLECTION
Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals (40x30, A Fresh One Production, UK) – All episodes begin streaming Monday, June 3
This rockin’ half-hour food series features Jamie Oliver giving solid instruction to the culinary uninspired. In a tough talking, fast paced, as-live style, he creates great home-cooked meals from scratch, adding his own unique twist to each element. The series supports Jamie’s continuing mission to improve people’s lives through food by tackling the issues of kitchen confidence and lack of time, head on.
Jamie and Jimmy’s Food Fight Club (Seasons 1-3, A Fresh One Production, UK) – All episodes begin streaming Monday, June 3
Jamie Oliver and Jimmy Doherty have been best mates since they were in short trousers, getting up to all sorts of scrapes growing up together in Essex in the 80s. One thing that brought them together - their shared passion for good food.
Jamie’s Super Food (6x60, A Fresh One Production, UK) – All episodes begin streaming Monday, June 3
An exciting series in which viewers learn how to eat their way to a healthier life. Each week Jamie cooks up a day’s worth of delicious, nutritious,and perfectly balanced meals.
Jamie’s Sugar Rush (1x60, A Fresh One Production, UK) – Begins streaming Monday, June 3
Jamie Oliver is back on the campaign trail investigating the huge contribution sugar is making to rising global health problems and asking what can be done about it.
THE BEST OF CBC
Past and current seasons of CBC series, including new Canadian drama hit CORONER, family drama NORTHERN RESCUE, original legal drama DIGGSTOWN, limited drama series UNSPEAKABLE; acclaimed comedies KIM’S CONVENIENCE, BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW and SCHITT’S CREEK; crowd-pleasing dramas MURDOCH MYSTERIES, ANNE WITH AN E and HEARTLAND; and classic CBC hits like THE KIDS IN THE HALL and BEING ERICA.
COMING IN JULY
Special collections: CANADA DAY
Season 1 of UK documentary series TRAVEL MAN featuring Richard Ayoade
Season 7 of Emmy-winning sketch comedy series PORTLANDIA created, written by and starring Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein
Visit the CBC Program Guide to check local listings. Program assets including episode synopses and images are available at cbc.ca/mediacentre.
For further information, please contact:
Sarah Goddard - publicist, CBC Gem
416.205.2983