CBC adds TV’s second dose of Atwood
Prestige drama Alias Grace adds ‘talent and authenticity’ to the fall television lineup
Margaret Atwood is having a moment in this golden age of television. Call it Peak Atwood.
First, a critically acclaimed miniseries on Bravo based on her work The Handmaid’s Tale. And now CBC is airing Alias Grace, a six-part miniseries based on the Booker Prizenominated historical drama.
Directed by Sarah Polley and starring Sarah Gadon ( Cosmopolis), Alias Grace is CBC’s entry this fall into the prestige drama arena. The public broadcaster announced its 2017-2018 schedule Wednesday before media and advertisers.
Heather Conway, CBC’s executive vice-president, English services, said the upcoming fall slate represented one of the largest programming lineups to date. “It’s a tribute to the talent and authenticity of Canada’s top creators, who are choosing CBC as the destination to tell their stories,” said Conway in a statement.
In her first appearance in 2014, Conway stepped right into steep budget cuts and the cancellation of long-running series such as Republic of Doyle. The budget-challenged CBC has had to do more with less over the years, reflected in lacklustre programming and facile game shows.
Now with a seemingly more-committed Liberal government, you have shows such as Anne, featuring a grittier, less saccharine Anne of Green Gables, or the smartly subversive comedy Kim’s Convenience as CBC reaches for higher ground. It’s still a work in progress, but the schedule looks less dependent on the likes of shopworn soap operas such as Coronation Street to pull in viewers. Highlights from the autumn lineup include:
Burden of Proof (winter 2018) Kristin Kreuk ( Beauty and the Beast) stars as a lawyer who returns to her hometown to fight for justice in a case involving sick children.
Caught (winter 2018), Allan Hawco returns to the CBC for the first time since Republic of Doyle. Based on Lisa Moore’s novel. David Slaney (Hawco) escapes from prison after he is charged for a drug deal.
Frankie Drake Mysteries (fall 2017) From the same folks who gave you Murdoch Mysteries, Lauren Lee Smith ( The Listener) plays Toronto’s only female private detective.
The Great Canadian Baking Show (fall 2017) There is nothing less inspiring than a Canadian franchise of a foreign reality show. Except if it’s based on The Great British Baking Show — in which case, for many Canadians, all will be forgiven. Because, believe it or not, baking can be exciting stuff.
As with the original series, amateur bakers from across Canada compete in a series of challenges.
Crawford (winter 2018) Mike Clattenburg of Trailer Park Boys fame in a quirky comedy about a man who moves in with his parents . . . and can relate to raccoons. Well, nobody thought Trailer Park Boys would last, either.
Taken (summer 2017) True-crime documentary series looks at Canada’s murdered and missing indigenous women.
The new shows are in addition to the returning shows in the CBC’s schedule, which include titles such as Dragons’ Den, Baroness Von Sketch Show, Hello Goodbye, When Calls The Heart, Murdoch Mysteries, Rick Mercer Report, Workin’ Moms and Heartland.