It's all about CBC Gemmmm
If you haven't gotten on the Gem train - this is the week to do it.
Hi All,
Going to keep this intro super short, I want to get this out at a reasonable time.
This week has been extremely busy with MBA work. It’s 6:30 p.m. and I’m just starting this... I had a paper, a presentation, a group case study all due this week so things have been… a lot. I actually took the week off work so that I wouldn’t burn out and could have a bit of balance. I have class all day tomorrow (ugh) and I’m just really ready to be done this semester.
So let’s just jump right to it :)
Things to watch this week:
We’ve got to start with Bridgerton. Season two starts streaming today on Netflix. Let’s back up here for a moment — I watched season one and I have split feelings. The show had a lot of promise. There were so many wonderful moments but as much as I wanted to love it… it fell short for me (read ALL my season one thoughts here). I’m obviously going to watch season two, but I’m looking to see if it fixed the issues from season one. This season the show is focused on Anthony and friends who have read the books, love him. So we shall see. Check out this season’s trailer here.
BUT — when you’re done with the big international smash, it’s time to turn your attention to CBC Gem because this week is the week for CBC Gem.
Also… whenever I think about CBC Gem, in my head I think about the Julia Fox Uncut Gemmmmmssss quote which then makes me think of Tessa Virtue’s incredible CBC Gemmmmmms TikTok… it’s worth your time but I digress.
There are so many incredible shows coming out today.
First off - Hello (Again). This is a YA Drama created by Simu Liu and Nathalie Younglai, starring Alex Mallari Jr and Rong Fu. It’s a love story between a cook and a medical resident with a time travel twist. I’m here for it.
Also in the YA genre, we have Homeschooled. I love this concept: “Sixteen-year-old best friends Farzanah and Greta are homeschooled students. When Farzanah decides to go to a “normal” high school and falls in with a new social circle, Greta begins work on a documentary that aims to debunk the myth that homeschooled kids are freaks, putting her lifelong bond with Farzanah to the test.” Starring Eman Ayaz and Veronika Slowikowska, watch the show here.
Then we have some fun factual programming.
Frick, I Love Nature looks really fun. Edmonton-based Filipino Canadian comedian Gordie Lucius “goes on a grand adventure to learn everything he can about nature.” It very much feels like a Gen Z Nature of Things in the best way possible. Watch that here.
Plus this one is for my friend Emily and all my other Urban Planning nerds — Uytae Lee’s Stories about Here is a current affairs program that is coming out of the CBC Creator Network (a really cool new branch of CBC) and is all about diving into “the challenging issues of day to day life in cities across Canada,” from an urban planning perspective. It looks awesome. Watch it here.
Moving on.
On Sunday, it’s The Oscars. Does anyone care about the Oscars this year? I honestly don’t which is surprising because normally I get really into it, but there aren’t really any projects that are making me excited… I don’t really have a “favourite” and I’m not really keen to see anything specific win. But as much as I’m apathetic towards it, I will be watching because I want to be connected with the zeitgeist and I also want to see the pretty dresses. So. Regina Hall, Wanda Sykes, and Amy Schumer are hosting. It’s on CTV here in Canada. The red carpet starts at 6:30 p.m. and the awards show starts at 8 p.m.
Fastforwarding to Thursday, we’ve got another CBC Gem show worth pointing out — Revenge of the Black Best Friend. Created by the incredible Amanda Parris, this show “follows Dr. Toni Shakur (Olunike Adeliyi), a self-help guru whose singular mission is to cancel the entertainment industry's reliance on token Black characters....before she gets cancelled herself.” Very here for it.
Lastly, on Thursday over on Crave is Brené Brown’s Atlas of the Heart. Brené people will be all over this. Check out the trailer here.
Other things to check out:
🎶 Mark your calendar’s friends. May 20th. I might have to take the day off to cope because Mr. Harry Styles is releasing his 3rd studio album — “Harry's House". Now, if you are a Joni Mitchell fan, you’ll know that “Harry’s House” is a Joni song, but did you know that Joni hosts jam sessions? This fantastic TikTok conspiracy theory is all I want to talk about because I’m desperate for a Maggie Rogers x Joni x Harry collaboration.
I could come up with more to send you — but my motto for the week is “done is better than perfect” and it’s now 8 p.m. and it’s time to hit send and hit play on Bridgerton.
Have a great weekend,
-Paula
📝📝📝 This newsletter is normally edited by Emma Sakamoto, but I haven’t been getting them to her in time lately (I’m just very busy and slow on my deadlines) but I know Editor Emma likes Maisie Peters. So shoutout to Emma for introducing me to her. Her song “I’m Trying (Not Friends)” is currently my play-on-repeat-24/7 song. It’s just so catchy and fun to sing along to. 📝📝📝
This newsletter was written by me — Paula Sanderson — a freelance Television Producer and current MBA student based in Toronto. After years of recommending the best shows to my friends, I decided to start a newsletter so everyone could get the recommendations. If you want to learn more about what I do professionally or follow me on the various social channels click here.