CBC has rolled out its winter offerings as it launches its news-focused FAST channel and rebrands its content work under the umbrella CBC Entertains.

The public broadcaster announced the rebrand during a presentation at Massey Hall in Toronto on Wednesday (Nov. 30) of its news and entertainment offerings in 2023, including linear, streaming and podcasts, which CBC EVP Barb Williams characterized as a “new direction” for how it engages with its audience.

The 2023 winter programming lineup includes the newly-announced unscripted series Push (8 x 30 minutes; pictured), produced by B.C.’s Small Army Entertainment and Alberta’s Fenix Film & Television, which will premiere on Feb. 24, 2023.

The series features Benveet “Bean” Gill, who was a consulting producer on the project, and takes viewers into the social world of the “Wheelie Peeps,” a group of friends with a common bond as wheelchair users.

The 62nd season of the docuseries The Nature of Things – the final season with David Suzuki as host – will premiere on Jan. 6. CBC announced that Anthony Morgan, a molecular scientist and public speaker, and Sarika Cullis-Suzuki, a marine biologist and environmentalist in addition to being Suzuki’s daughter, will be the co-hosts of the series following Suzuki’s retirement this coming spring.

Other previously announced unscripted titles in the winter lineup include Bollywed (HeartHat Entertainment), premiering on Jan. 12, Canada’s Ultimate Challenge (Insight Productions, The Gurin Company) on Feb. 16, and season two of Best in Miniature (marblemedia) on Feb. 19.

The pubcaster has also unveiled the premiere dates for its scripted comedy and drama slates. Season two of Son of a Critch (Project 10 Productions) and the final season of Workin’ Moms (Wolf + Rabbit Entertainment) will both premiere on Jan. 3, while Run the Burbs (Pier 21 Films) season two will air on Jan. 4.

The drama slate kicks off with season three of Pretty Hard Cases (Cameron Pictures) on Jan. 4, followed by new series Plan B (KOTV) on Feb. 27 and limited series Essex County (First Generation Films) on March 19.

Premieres on CBC Kids include Gisele’s Mashup Adventures (Headspinner Productions) on Feb. 1 on CBC Gem and Feb. 6 on CBC’s linear TV channel, and Mittens and Pants (Windy Isle Productions) on Feb. 6 on Gem and Feb. 13 on linear.

CBC also revealed the programming for its FAST channel, CBC News Explore, which was first announced in June and has now launched on CBC Gem, the CBC app, the CBC News website and The Roku Channel.

In addition to previously announced simulcasts of The National, The Fifth Estate and Marketplace, the channel will include original programming such as the monthly documentary series Big, about how different industries impact the daily lives of Canadians; Planet Wonder, a six-episode series about climate change, hosted by Johanna Wagstaffe; About That, a daily news program hosted by Andrew Chang; and This Week In Canada, a weekly program that explores local news stories in communities across the country.

Rounding out the new content announcements is CBC’s podcast slate, including Love, Janessa, produced by Antica Productions and Telltale Productions for BBC World Service and CBC Podcasts (Jan. 23). Additional titles are The Africas vs. America (Feb. 6); The Heart: Sisters (Feb. 14), a new season of the 2014 podcast The Heart; Let’s Make a Rom-Com (Feb. 14); and The No-Good, Terribly Kind, Wonderful Lives and Tragic Deaths of Barry and Honey Sherman (Feb. 20).

With files from Josh Kolm

Image courtesy of CBC