Joanna Padovano Tong/ World Screen
Canada’s CBC has unveiled its 2018-19 programming slate, which comprises 17 new series and 36 renewals spanning a variety of genres.
The new CBC Kids originals are Becca’s Bunch, a comedy from Jam Media; Big Blue, an underwater adventure from Guru Studio; Endlings, a sci-fi series from Sinking Ship; Kingdom Force, an action show from Industrial Brothers/Boat Rocker; and Molly of Denali, a comedy co-pro involving Atomic Cartoons and PBS.
CBC has also lined up the new original comedy Cavendish, which is made by Temple Street. In the fall, the network will air the Canadian premiere of the new adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray’s literary classic Vanity Fair (Mammoth Screen, ITV, Amazon Studios) starring Olivia Cooke.
Upcoming drama highlights are the procedural Coroner (Back Alley Films, Muse Entertainment), the legal dramas Diggstown (Circle Blue Entertainment) and Street Legal (IGP and Broken Clown Productions), the family drama Northern Rescue (Don Carmody Television for CBC and Netflix) and the limited series Unspeakable (Mezo Entertainment).
New original factual and arts programming comprises Canada’s Smartest Person Junior (Media Headquarters), In the Making (White Pine Pictures), Under New Management (Proper Television), and the tentatively titled From the Vaults (Banger Films) and High Arctic Haulers (Thunderbird’s Great Pacific Media).
The channel will also feature the digital originals Art is My Country (Noble Television), Off Kilter (Falter and Find Productions), Winston Rowntree’s People Watching (Lapaire Productions), Farm Crime (Big Cedar Films), Seen and Heard(Picture This Productions) and Red Button (Media Headquarters).
The CBC Short Docs slate comprises Fast Horse (Alexandra Lazarowich), Queer Priest (Nicholas Bradford-Ewart), Sedra (Sura Mallouh) and The Hole in Reservoir Hill (Shasha Nakhai and Rich Williamson).
In addition, CBC will broadcast a slew of returning shows during the 2018-19 season, as well as several specials, podcasts and sports content.
“CBC is thrilled to present such a wide range of original programming produced by Canadian creators for audiences on all our platforms,” said Heather Conway, the executive VP of English services at CBC.