Anna Maria Tremonti memoir, world news weekly and more announced for CBC Podcasts' winter line-up
Plus stories from the dating trenches and a sci-fi Hollywood adventure
It's a new year and a new season for CBC Podcasts, which means there's plenty of great new content heading your way.
Highlights include Welcome to Paradise, an intimate six-part memoir about an abusive relationship from acclaimed CBC host Anna Maria Tremonti, and Nothing is Foreign, a weekly series on world news with host Tamara Khandaker.
Also on deck are Let's Make a Sci-Fi, a comedy series of comedians attempting the Hollywood screenwriting process; Sorry About the Kid, a memoir about childhood grief and loss; The Next Call, which dives into the case of missing Edmonton teacher Nadia Atwi; and True Dating Stories, a series of comedic re-enactments that will make you laugh, cry, and quite possibly swear off dating altogether.
Plus, we have returning seasons of the audio drama series PlayME and history podcast The Secret Life of Canada.
Welcome to Paradise
The secret's out. Releasing February 15, 2022.
Former CBC journalist Anna Maria Tremonti has reported from some of the world's most dangerous conflict zones. But none of them were as immediately threatening as life at home.
After 40 years, Tremonti is revealing a long-held secret: when she was 23 years old, she married a man who became physically abusive. The person she fell in love with seemed worldly and charming, but behind closed doors he was incredibly violent. They were only married for a year but she says consequences of his abuse have lasted a lifetime.
This is the first time Anna Maria has told anyone — including family or close friends — the details of what she endured. Working with her therapist, she reveals the intimate details of a past she's kept to herself for most of her life.
"Decades ago, I got away from the man who abused me. But what he did to me has followed me for the rest of my life – in the form of shame, self-blame and loathing. I'm finally letting that go. Welcome to Paradise is my story," Tremonti said.
The six-part series is an intimate portrait of a powerful woman confronting the source of tremendous pain and trauma and, remarkably, freeing herself from a life-long sense of shame. Tremonti's production team includes Daemon Fairless (Hunting Warhead, Boys Like Me), Mira Burt-Wintonick (Wiretap, Love Me, Sorry about the Kid), and Sarah Melton (Someone Knows Something, Unlocking the Fountain).
Nothing is Foreign
World news, local voices. Releasing February 11, 2022.
Nothing Is Foreign is a weekly trip to wherever the story is unfolding. The series, hosted by Tamara Khandaker, will tell world news stories through local voices.
Khandaker has worked for The Toronto Star and Vice News and has hosted two daily news podcasts, The Globe & Mail's The Decibel, and Global News' Wait There's More.
Khandaker, who was born in Russia to Bangladeshi parents before growing up in Scarborough, Ont., brings a fresh perspective on international news.
"While I've never felt like I really belonged to any part of the world, that upbringing has given me a deep appreciation for other places and cultures, and allowed me to think of myself much more as a global citizen," Khandaker said.
"[Nothing is Foreign will] center the people who are living the news, and be curious about the histories that make us who we are. It'll help listeners feel more connected to the world around them and make it feel just a little bit smaller."
Nothing is foreign is a co-production with CBC News. Adrian Cheung, Joyita Sengupta and Graham MacDonald round out the production team.
Sorry About the Kid
How do you forget your favourite person in the world? Releasing January 19, 2022.
Alex McKinnon remembers everything about the day a speeding police car killed his brother. But his brother, alive? Those memories are lost. And now, 30 years later, Alex wants them back. In this emotional four-part series, Alex unearths his childhood grief — with help from family, friends, and a therapist who witnessed his brother's death. What happens when trauma and memory collide? Sorry About the Kid is a deeply personal meditation on the losses that define us. Produced by Mira Burt-Wintonick (Welcome to Paradise, WireTap, Love Me)
The Next Call: The Case of Nadia Atwi
Releasing February 8, 2022.
The Next Call returns for a third season, with host David Ridgen (Someone Knows Something) investigating the disappearance of Nadia Atwi, a young kindergarten teacher who went missing in Edmonton in 2017. Almost four years after her mysterious disappearance there have been no signs of Nadia, despite her family's continued search. Community speculation points to her husband, who police seem to have cleared. Produced by Hadeel Abdel-Nabi and Cesil Fernandes.
True Dating Stories
Sometimes Cupid is stupid. Releasing February 11, 2022.
Who doesn't love a great dating story? Whether it's true romance or a night gone horribly wrong, this six-episode series offers the greatest real dating stories ever told, reenacted by performers with all the drama, romance and comedy they deserve. These sexy, jaw-dropping, comedic re-enactments will make you laugh, cry and quite possibly swear off dating altogether.
Let's Make a Sci-Fi
Can three comedians create a legit sci-fi show? Releasing March 1, 2022.
Can a sci-fi loving comedian and his comedy-writer friends come up with a binge-worthy sci-fi show that even diehard genre fans will love? Over the course of eight unpredictable episodes, comedians Ryan Beil, Maddy Kelly and Mark Chavez are going to find out. Along the way, they'll turn to veteran sci-fi writers, costume designers, directors and actors to help make the dream come true.
Now in its seventh season, PlayME returns with five new bingeable audio dramas. In a time when theatregoers are sorely missing the stage, this series offers a free ticket to the best contemporary plays from across Canada. This season's first play, 'New Magic Valley Fun Town,' is now available. Written by Daniel MacIvor, it's "a brilliant, must-see, Cape Breton comedy with deep poignancy and a powerful ending."
The country you know. The stories you don't. The Secret Life of Canada returns February 3. In their fourth season, hosts Leah Simone-Bowen and Falen Johnson tackle everything from beavers (has any living thing done more to shape the Canadian landscape?!), the history of Vancouver's Little India, and the so-called "fruit machine" — a crude Canadian invention once used to identify and discriminate against gay men.
CBC Podcasts will also offer new episodes from ongoing series, including: The Dose, Front Burner, Pop Chat, and Sickboy.
