Fall for our new exciting lineup to keep you entertained in September
In the Emmy-nominated drama series Tiny Beautiful Things, Clare's (Kathryn Hahn) life may be falling apart, but she uses her unique talent as a writer to help others. Four-part narrative docuseries The Knowing, based on the book by journalist Tanya Talaga, takes us on an emotional journey into the history of Canada's Indian Residential School system, using rare archival footage and intimate conversations with Survivors. Docuseries Paid In Full: The Battle for Black Music, narrated by Canadian music icon Jully Black, looks at the prejudices faced by Black musicians and labels through the decades, and their ongoing fight for fair compensation. The 2024 Hot Docs Audience Award Winner Yintah follows a decade-long First Nations battle to protect their ancestral lands. Discover new artists and stream the best in Canadian music with our Polaris Picks Playlist. Dive in and explore what's new in CBC's Top 5 for September.
Based on the best-selling collection by Cheryl Strayed, Tiny Beautiful Things is about a woman — Clare (Kathryn Hahn) — who becomes a revered advice columnist when her own life is falling apart. When we first meet Clare, her marriage to her husband Danny is on its last leg. Her daughter, Rae, will barely talk to her. And her once-promising writing career is non-existent. So when an old writing friend suggests she take over as the advice columnist Dear Sugar, she thinks she's the last person for the job. But after reluctantly agreeing, she realizes that she might just be completely qualified. As the letter writers force Clare to revisit her most pivotal moments — the death of her mother, the fallout with her brother, even some awful sex in the back office of a funeral home — she excavates the beauty, struggle and humour in her own life to show us that we are not beyond rescue, that it's our stories that can ultimately save us...and maybe even bring us back home.
In this TIFF 2024 Primetime selection, journalist, filmmaker, and award-winning Anishnaabe author Tanya Talaga goes on a quest for the truth of what happened to the women in her maternal family, revealing a story intertwined with Canada's Indian Residential School system. Using sweeping imagery of the land, blended with rare archival footage, Ininiw poetic narration and deeply personal conversations with Survivors, knowledge holders and newly found family, Talaga takes us on an emotional journey of both familial reclamation and an exploration of Canada's true history.
Co-commissioned with BBC, from executive producers Idris and Sabrina Elba, and narrated by Canadian music icon Jully Black, PAID IN FULL explores the journey of Black artists in the music industry from its inception to the digital streaming age. Despite remarkable success stories, systemic racial obstacles persist, with exploitative contracts and copyright arrangements often hindering artists' autonomy and financial reward. From the harsh realities faced by legends such as Bessie Smith, Little Richard and Chuck Berry, to the emergence of Black-owned labels like Motown, Stax Records and Def Jam, and finally the impact of streaming in the digital era, the series offers insight into the triumphs and challenges of Black artists striving for recognition, autonomy, and fair compensation—in a music industry with odds stacked against them.
The 2024 Hot Docs Audience Award winner, Yintah follows the Wet'suwet'en nation's fight for sovereignty over the course of more than a decade, as they protect their ancestral lands from some of the largest fossil fuel companies on earth.
Discover your new favourite album and listen to the best Canadian music with our Polaris playlist. Celebrating the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label, the award will be handed out at the Gala on September 17th at Massey Hall in Toronto. Hear this year's short-list nominees: The Beaches; Elisapie; BAMBII; Jeremy Dutcher; Allison Russell; TOBi; DijahSB; Cindy Lee; Charlotte Cardin; Nobro; and past year's winners! Click here for more information about the upcoming Gala.
Still looking for more great entertainment? Check out all of our returning favourites on CBC Gem, with new seasons of DRAGONS' DEN (September 26), YOU CAN'T ASK THAT (September 13), THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES (September 17), HEARTLAND (September 29), MURDOCH MYSTERIES (September 30), and the delectable THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW (October 6).
Photos courtesy of CBC