CBC pushes its comedy slate with the renewal of three original series

CBC announced the renewal of new original series “Run The Burbs”, “Son of a Critch” and “Strays” for their second seasons on CBC and CBC Gem. The series join CBC’s 2022-23 comedy slate alongside acclaimed comedy “Sort Of” from Sienna Films/Sphere Media, also recently announced by CBC and HBO Max as returning for its sophomore season.

“CBC’s rich comedy legacy continues to shine with this new generation of series that feature original and authentic storytelling, led by talented creative teams,” said Sally Catto, General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports, CBC. “’Run the Burbs’, ‘Son of a Critch’ and ‘Strays’ provide audiences across the country with great laughter and also, each in its own way, a sense of Canadian identity. We look forward to seeing how their second seasons unfold.”

Created by comedian, writer and actor Andrew Phung ("Kim’s Convenience") and his best friend and collaborator, filmmaker Scott Townend ("The Secret Marathon"), "Run the Burbs" follows the Phams, a young, bold Vietnamese-South Asian-Canadian family taking a different approach to living life to the fullest, while changing the way we think about contemporary family values and life in the burbs. The series is produced by Pier 21 Films, with Endeavor Content holding international distribution rights.

Based on Mark Critch's award-winning, best-selling memoir, "Son of a Critch" is the hilarious and very real story of 11-year-old Mark coming of age in St. John’s, Newfoundland in the 80s. Created by Critch ("This Hour Has 22 Minutes") and Tim McAuliffe ("The Office") and produced by Andrew Barnsley ("Schitt’s Creek"), the series is an inter-provincial co-production between Barnsley’s Project 10 Productions Inc. and Newfoundland-based Take the Shot Productions in association with CBC and Lionsgate Television. "Son of a Critch" premiered on January 4, 2022, ranking as the #1 scripted program on CBC in the 25-54, 18-49 and 18-34 audience demographics, and garnering CBC’s highest rating for a comedy premiere since Kim’s Convenience debuted in October 2016.

"Strays" follows Shannon Ross (Nicole Power) as the new executive director of the Hamilton East Animal Shelter, where she is boss to an eclectic staff. Developed for television by Kevin White ("Kim’s Convenience"), Anita Kapila ("Kim’s Convenience") and Clara Altimas ("Kim’s Convenience"), "Strays" is produced by Thunderbird Entertainment and premiered on CBC and CBC Gem in September 2021.