Here’s everything new coming to CBC Gem in January 2022, including these shows highlighted by NOW critics.
Run The Burbs
I’ve seen the first two episodes of Andrew Phung’s new sitcom about an average suburban family – and interviewed Phung and his collaborators for NOW’s current cover – and it feels like he’s taken all the right lessons from his five seasons on Kim’s Convenience. Run The Burbs has a similar mixture of warmth and gentle eccentricity, with a spikier, more absurd energy that defines the Pham fam: Andrew (Phung), Camille (Rakhee Morzaria), teenage Khia (Zoriah Wong) and younger Leo (Roman Pesino). And the supporting cast is filled with local ringers like Aurora Browne, Ali Hassan, Jonathan Langdon, Chris Locke, Simone Miller, Julie Nolke, Samantha Wan and the late Candy Palmater. New episodes will roll out every Wednesday. Don’t miss out. Premieres January 5
Dramaworld
Before Liv Hewson played Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant’s daughter in Santa Clarita Diet and the acerbic teen soccer player Van in Yellowjackets, the Australian actor starred in this very odd streaming dramedy as Claire Duncan, an American college student who finds herself pulled into her favourite Korean drama, Taste Of Love – where she ends up distracting the show’s protagonist, dashing chef Joon Park (Sean Dulake) from his intended love interest, sous-chef Seo-yeon (Bae Noo-ri). It’s very silly but also surprisingly sharp about the K-drama details, and Hewson has exactly the right energy to hold it all together. January 21
Muhammad Ali
Produced for PBS, this four-part documentary from filmmaker Ken Burns (The Civil War, Baseball, The Central Park Five) spends nearly eight hours exploring the impact of the champ in exhaustive detail – which isn’t difficult, since Ali lived his entire life in the public eye and there’s no lack of material. The second episode, which focuses on Ali’s opposition to America’s involvement in Vietnam – and the ban from professional boxing that resulted when he refused induction into the army – will be especially interesting to people who only know him for his triumphs in the ring. January 28
The full list of new titles available on CBC Gem in January 2022 by date:
January 3
PEN15 (season 2B)
January 4
Son Of A Critch (season 1, new episode)
Workin’ Moms (season 6, new episode)
January 5
Pretty Hard Cases (season 2, new episode)
Run The Burbs (season 1, new episode)
Still Standing (season 7, new episode)
January 6
Coroner (season 4, new episode)
January 7
10 Years Younger
Angela Black
Arctic Vets (season 2, new episode)
Cardinals
Maliglutit (Searchers)
The Office (UK series, season 2)
Save With Jamie (season 2)
Showtrial
Who Do You Think I Am?
January 8
Ukulele U
January 11
Son Of A Critch (season 1, new episode)
Workin’ Moms (season 6, new episode)
January 12
Pretty Hard Cases (season 2, new episode)
Run The Burbs (season 1, new episode)
Still Standing (season 7, new episode)
January 13
Coroner (season 4, new episode)
January 14
Arctic Vets (season 2, new episode)
Brassic (season 3)
Forsaken
Goon
People Just Do Nothing (season 1)
Ripper Street (season 4)
Thin Blue Line
January 18
Son Of A Critch (season 1, new episode)
Workin’ Moms (season 6, new episode)
January 19
Pretty Hard Cases (season 2, new episode)
Run The Burbs (season 1, new episode)
Still Standing (season 7, new episode)
January 20
Coroner (season 4, new episode)
January 21
Arctic Vets (season 2, new episode)
Dramaworld (season 1)
Easyland
Mark Moriarty: Off Duty Chef
War Club
January 25
Son Of A Critch (season 1, new episode)
Tallboyz (season 3, new episode)
Workin’ Moms (season 6, new episode)
January 26
Pretty Hard Cases (season 2, new episode)
Run The Burbs (season 1, new episode)
Still Standing (season 7, new episode)
January 27
Belsen: The Untold Story
Coroner (season 4, new episode)
January 28
Arctic Vets (season 2, new episode)
Barack Obama Talks To David Olusoga
Muhammad Ali
This Is Our Cup
True Dating Stories (season 3)