Canada’s CBC has revealed its programming slate for 2025/26, with a greenlight for a local adaptation of French factual format The Assembly and a host of scripted renewals for shows including Netflix co-commission North of North (S2), Small Achievable Goals (S2), Son of a Critch (S5) and This Hour Has 22 Minutes (S33).
Those renewals come a month after the pubcaster renewed five other dramas – Wild Cards (S3 and S4), Saint-Pierre (S2), Allegiance (S3), Murdoch Mysteries (S19) and Heartland (S19) – while Plan B has also been picked up for a third season. This year, CBC has opted to renew almost its entire scripted slate, though it did not unveil any new dramas or comedies for the upcoming year.
On the factual front, The Assembly will see autistic interviewers in conversation with Canadian personalities including Jann Arden, Allan Hawco, Howie Mandel and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan. The 6×30’ series is produced by Small Army Entertainment and based on the French format Les Rencontres du Papotin, which has already been adapted in the UK by the BBC.
CBC’s French-language division Radio-Canada has also commissioned a French-language version, Facteur A, set to premiere in the upcoming broadcast season.
Other unscripted commissions for CBC include Locals Welcome (10×30’, Artifactual Media), following host, exec producer and food writer Suresh Doss as he explores lesser-known food places that make up the fabric of Canadian communities, and Must Love Dogs (10×30’, Omnifilm Entertainment), which follows Canadian Football League player Brady Oliveira and realtor-rescue influencer Alex Blumberg as they rescue and find homes for dogs in need in Manitoba.
CBC has also renewed factual series Dragons’ Den (S20), Family Feud Canada (S7), The Great Canadian Baking Show (S9) and Still Standing (S11).
On the docuseries side, CBC has commissioned Diamonds & Plastic (4×60’, Pixcom), about one of the top Tupperware product sellers in the world; Cirque Life (5×60’, Cineflix Productions), which pulls back the curtain on the world’s biggest circus producer, Cirque du Soleil; and Running Smoke (3×60’, Muse Entertainment in association with Campside Media), following a true story about a NASCAR driver, the biggest tobacco-smuggling bust in North American history, and the future of indigenous rights.
CBC’s slate of new kids’ shows includes live-action shortform series Hey Joojo! (CBC Kids Studios), preschool buddy comedy reboot The Adventures of Toopy & Binoo (39×7’, Echo Media and Huminah Animation), tween-focused The Unstoppable Jenny Garcia (8×12’, Apartment 11 and Avenida Productions), Dino Ranch spin-off Island Adventures (26×22’, Industrial Brothers) and animated series Andrew the Big Big Unicorn (40×7’, Pirate Size Productions, Mainframe Studios and Infinite Studios). The latter is a co-commission with ABC Australia.
It has also renewed kids titles Mini-Jon and Mini-Maple (36×4’, Happy Camper Media), Jeremy & Jazzy (22×2’, Verite Films), Playing with Stu (11×1’, Verite Films) and Go Togo (31×5’, Gazelle Automations).
CBC executive VP Barbara Williams said: “For generations, CBC has been here for Canada – woven into the very fabric of our lives, our culture and the moments that matter most. And right now, being there for Canada has never been more important.
“Our new slate of storytelling across news and entertainment showcases an incredible range of people and perspectives from communities across Canada, as we deepen our commitment to connect with audiences who have not always been reflected by traditional media.”
