CBC, Netflix and APTN have commissioned a new comedy series created by Inuit film and television writer and producer Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Inuit filmmaker Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, who have mined their own experiences for the stories.
Aglok MacDonald (pictured far left; Qanurli, The Grizzlies) and Arnaquq-Baril (pictured middle left; Angry Inuk, The Grizzlies) are also set to write and executive produce the still-untitled project, which will be filmed in Nunavut, according to a news release issued Thursday (March 30).
Miranda de Pencier (pictured middle right; Anne with an E, The Grizzlies), Susan Coyne (pictured far right; Mozart in the Jungle, Daisy Jones & The Six) and Garry Campbell (The Kids in the Hall, Less Than Kind) are also executive producers on the series.
It’s being produced by Toronto-based Northwood Entertainment, which was founded by de Pencier, and Iqaluit-based Red Marrow Media, which was co-founded by Arnaquq-Baril and Aglok MacDonald.
The number of episodes is yet to be determined. The timing of filming will be dependent on weather and seasonality for shooting in the North, a spokesperson tells Playback Daily.
The show’s protagonist is a young Inuk mother who “wants to build a new future for herself, but it won’t be easy in her small Arctic town where everyone knows your business,” according to the release.
In a statement, Aglok MacDonald and Arnaquq-Baril said the series “is full of stories that come straight from our hearts and our funny bones.”
“We’ve drawn from our experiences as Inuit women living, laughing, crying and living together while Native,” they added.
For de Pencier, the series marks the third time she’s working with Aglok MacDonald and Arnaquq-Baril, after the 2018 feature The Grizzlies and the 2011 short Throat Song. She called the new project a “hilarious, unexpected and essential series.”
Coyne said it’s “a story that is very funny and clearly comes from the heart,” while Sally Catto, general manager, entertainment, factual and sports, CBC, called it a vibrant and “deeply personal” comedy that “delivers an authentic perspective on personal journeys, friendship and community in the Arctic.”
Danielle Woodrow, Netflix’s director, content – Canada, and Tara Woodbury, director, content – Canada, Netflix, said they knew they wanted to share the show with the world as soon as they heard about it.
“Stacey and Alethea have created a very relatable and funny story that showcases the unique experience of living in Canada’s Arctic regions,” they said.
Said Garnet Jones, director of TV content and special events at APTN: “This show is a brilliant and heartfelt gem of a comedy from two of Canada’s most exciting creators. A very short time ago, it would have been impossible to imagine an Indigenous comedy shot in the Arctic, with massive national and international reach. It’s a dream come true for APTN to help bring this story to audiences across Turtle Island and around the world. We know audiences are going to fall in love with the show’s characters, and the production industry in Nunavut is going to receive a huge boost in a way it never has before.”
Photo of Stacey Aglok MacDonald by Nalajoss Ellsworth; photo of Alethea Arnaquq-Baril by Dorota Lech; photo of Miranda de Pencier by Christopher Wahl; photo of Susan Coyne courtesy of Netflix