CBC Gem April Highlights

Let’s take a look at a few highlights from CBC Gem in the month of April.

CBC’s great Canadian book debate, Canada Reads, returns for its 25th edition. Running from 13 April through 16 April on CBC Gem and across CBC platforms, searching for “One Book to Build Bridges.”

New CBC original series Must Love Dogs (20 April) follows CFL All-Star and two-time Grey Cup winner Brady Oliveira and realtor–rescue influencer Alex Blumberg. The Winnipeg power couple work to rescue and rehome dogs across Manitoba.

From Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Ric Esther Bienstock, new two-part CBC original POV documentary Speechless (14 April, also on CBC TV) examines a decade of clashes over speech and identity on college campuses.

International Series

Acclaimed international series debuting in April include:

• The Bold Type (3 April), revealing a glimpse into the outrageous lives and loves of those responsible for a global women’s magazine. The show stars Katie Stevens (Faking It), Aisha Dee (Apple Cider Vinegar) and Meghann Fahy (The White Lotus)
• Run (10 April), exclusive Canadian premiere, the extraordinary true story of Australia’s most notorious bank robber
• FX’s Dying for Sex (17 April), the award-winning limited series starring Michelle Williams as a woman exploring her sexual desires after a terminal breast cancer diagnosis
• I, Jack Wright (24 April), a tense UK family drama triggered by a mysterious death and shocking will.

The Nature of Things continues with Cheetah Fast and Wild (2 April, also on CBC TV), about two sister cheetahs raised in captivity who learn how to live wild, and The Mosquitos are Winning! (9 April, also on CBC TV), exploring the ongoing battle against mosquitos.

Ongoing concert series CBC Live at Massey Hall (14 April) features a new episode with Adam Baldwin.

Celebrate National Canadian Film Day on 15 April with the Spotlight on Canadian Film Collection. Including CBC Films’ The Queen of My Dreams (3 April), as 22-year-old Azra Malik returns to Karachi after her father’s death and confronts family secrets, plus powerful homegrown drama I Don’t Know Who You Are (10 April).

Documentaries

Documentary highlights also include:

• Champions: Full Gallop Season 2 (3 April), where jump jockeys and trainers face fierce rivalries in the battle to become horse jump racing Champions;
• Bad Nanny (10 April), exposing Samantha Cookes, a master manipulator who defrauded families across Ireland and the UK;
• In celebration of their 15th anniversary, William & Kate: A Royal Wedding Minute by Minute (24 April) relives the royal wedding from Westminster Abbey to the iconic balcony kiss.

Documentary Earthbound (22 April) joins the Our Changing Planet Collection in time for Earth Day, exploring the life and achievements of Nzambi Matee, a Kenyan innovator and entrepreneur who is tackling the plastic waste epidemic in her hometown of Nairobi.

Lifestyle programming highlights include the return of Grand Designs UK Season 24 (Apr. 3), as ambitious homeowners push the boundaries of architecture and design to create their dream spaces.

CBC Gem is Canada’s streaming service. It offers more than 6500 hours of live and on-demand Canadian programming. That as well as a curated selection of acclaimed, best-in-class content from around the world. Including more than 400 documentary features, more than 700 hours of ad-free content for kids and tweens, and a collection of over 400 Canadian feature films. CBC Gem is available for free as an app for iOS and Android devices and online at CBCGem.ca.