From the mind of Jared Keeso comes I KILL THE BEAR, a new, six-part, Crave Original comedy series which drops with two episodes weekly, beginning Friday, Nov. 6.
I KILL THE BEAR is a comedy about a family of bear wranglers for film sets, and why, after 100 years, they’ve decided to make this film their last. The Thibaults – Keeso, St-Pierre, Beauchesne, and Torrens – are a fourth-generation Franco-Ontarian family who make their living wrangling bears on film sets. They’re incredibly kind, well-intentioned people who have spent most of their lives isolated in the bush and suddenly find themselves trying to navigate a Hollywood world they don’t completely understand.
Keeso is joined onscreen by an ensemble cast including: Adrian Holmes (19-2, BEL-AIR), Mixed Martial Arts star Georges St-Pierre (CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER), Jonathan Torrens (TRAILER PARK BOYS), Sarah-Maude Beauchesne (BELLEFLEUR), multi-award-winning, Diamond-selling Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger, Kristin Kreuk (SMALLVILLE), Scott Thompson (KIDS IN THE HALL), Dylan Playfair (LETTERKENNY), Eliana Jones (SHORESY), Frederick Roy (SHORESY), and Megha Sandhu (PAINKILLER).
Guest stars include: Andrew Antsanen, Jann Arden, Brent Butt, Michala Brasseur, Jesse Camacho, Kim Coates, Art D’Ecco, Tricia Helfer, Emma Hunter, Kim Cloutier, Ryan McDonell, Ben Mulroney, Michelle Mylett, Matt Paradis, Jay Onrait, Maxim Roy, Melanie Scrofano, Rachel Sellan, Hannah Simone, George Stroumboulopoulos, and more.
I KILL THE BEAR is produced by New Metric Media in association with Play Fun Games and in partnership with Bell Media’s Crave, with the participation of the Rogers Fund and the NOHFC. Jared Keeso is Executive Producer, writer, star, and creator, with story by Keeso and Producer Trevor Risk. Dan and Sean Skene are directors and Executive Producers. Mark Montefiore and Kara Haflidson are Executive Producers with Max Wolfond serving as Supervising Producer for New Metric Media. New Metric Media handles international distribution.
When the world says stop, Bob MacDonald hits the gas. AMI, in partnership with Tell Tale Productions, puts the pedal down on the docuseries Crash Country (8×30), debuting Tuesday, October 20, at 9 p.m. Eastern on AMI-tv, AMI+ and AMI’s YouTube channel.
Out in Nova Scotia’s back roads and fairgrounds, a homegrown sport thrives on noise, nerve and stubborn pride: Demolition derby.
In Crash Country, viewers follow Bob MacDonald, who is legally blind, a derby driver and local legend who’s been defying expectations for over two decades.
Bob can’t drive on public roads anymore, but when he climbs into one of his derby cars, he’s unstoppable. Guided by sound, instinct, and the trust of his crew, he tears across the muddy pits of Nova Scotia’s derby circuit, not just to participate, but to win.
Each episode of Crash Country follows Bob and his small but fierce team—who call themselves Blindmen Racing—as they chase another summer season of derbies, rivalries and redemption. Between rebuilding wrecks, the series reveals how accessibility, community and stubborn determination collide in one of the roughest sports around.
Along for the ride are Darryl “Blindman” Arsenault, Bob’s longtime derby partner and right-hand man; Laureen MacDonald, Bob’s wife and team organizer; Justin, Bob’s son; and grandson Daylon, Bob’s biggest fan.
This is a story about what happens when you keep doing what you love, even when the world says you can’t.
In keeping with AMI’s mandate of making accessible media for all Canadians, Crash Country utilizes Integrated Described Video (IDV) to make them accessible to individuals who are blind or partially sighted. For those who are Deaf or hard of hearing, episode versions with American Sign Language (ASL) will be available exclusively on AMI+.
“Crash Country isn’t just about smashing cars,” says Cara Nye, Director, Content Development and Production at AMI. “It’s a high-energy story about heart, community and stubborn determination. We know the audience will fall in love with Bob, his family and his crew.”
About Bob MacDonald Diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa in 1998, an inherited eye condition that causes progressive vision loss, Bob has spent more than 25 years defying the odds. Losing his driver’s license was one of the hardest moments of his life, but it didn’t end his passion for racing.
In 2001, Blindmen Racing was born. Since then, Bob has become a regular on the demolition derby circuit. Fans recognize the black and white car with the No. 13, always putting on a show and often finishing near the top.
Outside of racing, Bob has graduated college, biked across Canada to raise funds for the CNIB, and continues to manage local H&R Block offices.
Having now completed over 100 derbies, Bob has another goal on his bucket list: the Maritime Motorsports Hall of Fame. But with costs rising, cars growing scarce, and his eyesight fading, every race carries higher stakes than the last.
Crash Country airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. Eastern on AMI-tv. Stream episodes anytime, for free, on AMI+ and AMI’s YouTube channel.
The Executive Producer of Crash Country is Edward Peill; the Producer is Erin Oakes; the Field Producer is Greg Jackson; Writers and Directors are Rachel Bowers, Megan Wennberg and Jennifer Adcock. For AMI, Em Williams is the Integrated Described Video Consultant; Jennifer Johnson is the Supervising Producer; Karen Magee is the Content Development Specialist.
About Tell Tale Productions Tell Tale Productions is an award-winning Canadian producer of documentaries and non-scripted series. With more than 350 hours of programming, Tell Tale’s productions have reached audiences in over 100 countries. Credits include The Curse of Oak Island, Great White North, Spirit Talker, The Big Downsize, Santa Quest and Growing Sense for broadcast partners including AMI, APTN, CBC, Discovery, History, Super Channel and VisionTV.
About AMI AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.
Jesse McKeown teased his newest project, Netflix’s Below, as a “creature feature,” but also so much more.
“It’s a thriller in the old-school sense of the word,” McKeown says during a Zoom interview. “This show will deliver thrills in all sorts of different ways.
“It’s a creature feature, but it’s also about a family, and it’s about a community under attack,” he continues. “I think even though this takes place in rural Newfoundland, amongst a bunch of fishermen, people will find something that they can identify with in their own family, when they watch this.”
Below premieres on Netflix on October 8 with the logline, “When a mysterious sea creature terrorizes a small Newfoundland town, a hard-bitten fisherman must fight to protect his family, his community, and his vanishing way of life.”
McKeown, the creator, said he always envisioned the project as a limited series, as there are only six episodes to watch.
“I think that was also part of the appeal,” he says. “It’s that we wanted this to feel like an event. We wanted to tell a complete, full, satisfying story with a beginning, middle, and end.”
With the series set and filmed around Newfoundland and Labrador, McKeown said he married into Newfoundland, as his wife, Marthe Bernard, hails from there.
“Right away, I wanted to shoot something there at some point,” he says. “Preferably something really big and something that felt kind of epic and tapped into those feelings of the history of the place … I never thought I’d really have an opportunity to do that.”
He met with Netflix, made his pitch, and feels filming in Newfoundland was a selling point as well.
“It’s been like a dream come true,” McKeown says. “This is a personal story; it came from me, for better or for worse. It’s not based on a comic book. It’s not a remake of anything, and it’s not based on any IP. And it’s a limited series. And so those are all things that are usually hard to get made. But Netflix was really on board and supportive from the beginning.
“I had a relationship with Netflix going back to The Umbrella Academy for many years, and it just felt like it was in the family,” he recalls. “They were supportive of all the really important stuff. Like, the scale of this, mixing of genres, and the fact that we had to shoot in Newfoundland and really tap into the resources there, like the crew and the actors, and all the things that make Newfoundland.”
After pitching to Netflix, McKeown wrote the pilot, and more scripts were ordered. A very small writer’s room was opened in Toronto and in Newfoundland, and then eventually scouting locations and casting took place.
(l-r) Charlie Heaton as Wade and Showrunner/Executive Producer Jesse McKeown.
Production happened over the summer of 2025, but McKeown noted one thing they did ahead of filming was shoot icebergs, which was time-dependent. Some icebergs were found in the Fogo and Twillingate area.
“Like a bunch of icebergs were going by, and so we just reacted quickly,” he recalls. “We put together a small crew, got on a boat, and went out and shot as many of the icebergs as we could.
“And the accent was the other big thing,” he continues. “Obviously, a big percentage of the cast is from Newfoundland, but we had a few people from away, from the States and from the UK. We crammed, and gave them the time and the space that they needed to really work on the accent and have it gel.”
The cast is led by Josh Hartnett as Calvin Penney.
“Josh was the key to everything,” said McKeown. “Once we found our Calvin and he agreed to do it, it was such a thrill because I think he’s a phenomenal actor. I can’t wait for people to see it because he’s so good in the part. And then it was a matter of building a family around him.”
McKeown mentions Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things), Rohan Campbell (The Hardy Boys), Ruby Stokes (Lockwood & Co.), and Willow Kean (SurrealEstate), who round out the Penney family.
“I just feel blessed that we were able to put this cast together,” he says. “They did such tremendous work. We had a little time before we started shooting, so everybody was on the ground in Newfoundland, getting to know each other, working on the accent, and digging into the lifestyle, culture and environment. That really helped solidify them as a family.”
Below premiered the first two episodes during the Toronto International Film Festival. As McKeown was born in Toronto and his first short film premiered at TIFF, it felt like a real homecoming for him.
“It was great to see [Below] on a big screen, with a crowd, a packed house. It was a phenomenal experience.”
Having spearheaded the creation, writing, and seeing through the production, McKeown is nearing the finish line with Below. It doesn’t mean there aren’t still nerves.
“I am all nerves,” he says. “On a good day I’m riddled with anxiety. But things are going as well as I could hope, so I feel good. There’s nothing I can do at this point; I’m just excited for it to go out into the world.”
Five seasons. One unforgettable community. And one last chance for Paul to start acting good. CTV and APTN Original comedy ACTING GOOD returns for its fifth and final season on Monday, Oct. 19 with a special two-episode premiere kicking off at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV Comedy Channel and streaming next day on Crave. Subsequent new episodes air Mondays at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on CTV Comedy and stream next day on Crave. Season 5 of ACTING GOOD will also air on Oct. 20 on APTN at 10 p.m. ET and stream next day on APTN+. Filmed on location in Winnipeg and Baaskkandibewiziibing Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, Season 5 consists of 10 half-hour episodes, bringing the beloved series to a milestone 50 episodes.
Inspired by co-creator and stand-up comedian Paul Rabliaskas’ life in his fly-in first nation, in its final season, Paul’s (Paul Rabliauskas) constant immaturity and antics finally catch up with him when Rose (Cheyenna Sapp), alongside his friends and family, stages a surprise intervention at Yeah Man. When Paul refuses to see the error of his ways, Rose reaches her breaking point, forcing him to confront a hard truth: if he wants to keep the people he loves together, he’s going to have to change. What follows is a very Paul-like journey of self-improvement, complete with divorced dads, an unlikely counsellor, and a stint competing on the reality survival series The Deadliest Native. But when Paul’s transformation goes a little too far, his newfound self-righteous attitude creates problems of its own. To repair his relationships and help his community, Paul must find the balance between the person he was and the person he wants to become.
“ACTING GOOD was a show created from the heart, and we’ve been honoured to bring the first ever Indigenous sitcom to a major Canadian Network,” said Executive Producer, Showrunner and star Paul Rabliauskas. “The show may be over but we’re hopeful that the characters and the fictional community of Grouse Lake will live on forever.”
“Bringing Indigenous comedic perspectives to the screen was an extraordinary experience,” said producer Tina Keeper, who also stars as Agnes. ”Working with Paul and the dedicated creative team along with Bell Media and APTN was groundbreaking.”
“ACTING GOOD has been a landmark and incredibly special part of CTV Comedy Channel’s original programming lineup,” said Justin Stockman, Vice President, Global Content, Bell Media. “Paul and the entire creative team have created something truly unique, delivering five seasons of big laughs, heartfelt storytelling, and unforgettable characters. We couldn’t be prouder of the series and are excited to celebrate this final season with viewers, culminating in a fitting send-off for Paul and the residents of Grouse Lake.”
Guest stars for Season 5 include Leenah Robinson (40 ACRES, DON’T EVEN), Herbie Barnes (GUILT FREE ZONE, DANCE ME OUTSIDE), Victoria Sawal (THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY, STAR TREK: DISCOVERY), Glen Michael Grant (CHAOS WALKING), Crystle Lightning (TRICKSTER, THREE PINES), Chris Locke (RUN THE BURBS, WHO’S YER FATHER), Vance Banzo (TALLBOYZ), Glen Gould (TULSA KING, CASHING IN), along with returning guest stars Miss Universe 2015 and Miss Universe Canada 2024 Ashley Callingbull (BLACKSTONE, THE PRICE IS RIGHT TONIGHT). As well as Joel D. Montgrand (TRUE DETECTIVE) and a return from ACTING GOOD’s very own, Roseanne Supernault.
On the Season 5 premiere, titled “KooKoo for Kookum” (Monday, Oct. 19 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV Comedy and streaming next day on Crave and Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 10 p.m. ET and next day streaming on APTN+), Agnes (Tina Keeper) finally meets her online granddaughter, Irma (Leenah Robinson), but when Paul (Paul Rabliauskas) grows suspicious things turn deadly…and not deadly in a good way. Rose (Cheyenna Sapp) is tasked with Chief duties with Deedee (Rosanna Deerchild) on a slack year and is quickly saddled with the task of kicking some uninvited guests out of Grouse Lake.
In Part 2 of the two-episode premiere, titled “Love Eyes” (Monday, Oct. 19 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on CTV Comedy and streaming next day on Crave and Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 10:30 p.m. ET and next day streaming on APTN+), Paul tries to save his relationship from the infamously seductive, Johnny Love’eyes (Herbie Barnes). Meanwhile, Cousin Leon (Michael Greyeyes) is reunited with his estranged daughter Leona (Victoria Sawal), and Roger (Billy Merasty) has a meet cute with a hydro worker. Glen Michael Grant also guest stars as Andre.
ACTING GOOD is the #1 Canadian Scripted Series on CTV Comedy among A25-54 since the series debuted in 2022. The series has also garnered industry recognition throughout its run, including a 2024 Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Ensemble Performance in a Comedy Series, nominations from the Writers Guild of Canada and ACTRA Awards, and two Canadian Sync Award nominations. Beyond the screen, ACTING GOOD has created meaningful opportunities for dozens of Indigenous crew members to build their skills and gain valuable experience in television production, while supporting training and development across the production.
Previous seasons of ACTING GOOD are available for streaming on Crave and APTN+.
ACTING GOOD is produced by CTV Comedy Channel, in association with Kistikan Pictures Inc. and Buffalo Gal Pictures Inc., with the participation of Canada Media Fund, APTN, and Manitoba Film & Music.
ACTING GOOD is co-created by Paul Rabliauskas, Amber-Sekowan Daniels, Eric Toth, and Pat Thornton. Producers are Tina Keeper (Kistikan Pictures) and Vanessa Loewen (Kistikan Pictures), with Phyllis Laing (Buffalo Gal Pictures), Paul Rabliauskas (who also serves as Showrunner), Jennifer Beasley, and Amber-Sekowan Daniels as Executive Producers. Jeff Peeler is Supervising Producer. Eric Toth also serves as Executive Producer, Writer, Director (Episode 510) and Showrunner. Sage Daniels is Executive Producer, Jr. Showrunner and Writer.
New city. New cases. New characters. New showrunners. Same chemistry. Angie Everett (Cindy Sampson) and Matt Shade (Jason Priestley) are back, and it’s like they never left.
Ending in 2021 after five seasons, Private Eyes returns to Global with a West Coast feel and name. Debuting Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. Eastern on Global, Private Eyes West Coast sees private investigators Angie and Shade swapping Toronto for Victoria.
When viewers last saw the couple, they shared a kiss in the then-series finale. Now, the duo are married, have an infant son, and are trying to figure out just what to do next. The same could be said for Sampson and Priestley. They both shared concerns over whether a series reboot would actually work. After all, a new setting, new supporting characters and new showrunners in Sarah Dodd and Jennifer Kassabian might have been too much change for viewers. It could have been a massive failure.
“Absolutely it could have,” Priestley acknowledges during a recent interview. “But Jennifer and Sarah, when they came in to pitch their idea for where Shade and Angie are now five years later, their idea was so original and so charming. They both just absolutely overperformed. They were fantastic partners and super creative people and we just had a great time with them.”
“Five years had passed since we aired,” Sampson says. “There was this cliffhanger to the original series that I feel like the fans, even us as cast, the crew, it was left hanging out there for someone to do something about it. And this was the natural progression. I never thought that it would work and it works so beautifully. Shade and Angie being married, having a kid, solving cases together.”
Sampson and Priestley
That uncertainty extended to new showrunners Jennifer Kassabian (Hudson & Rex) and Sarah Dodd (Cardinal). The duo, who had never worked together, pitched ideas that Corus Entertainment, Lionsgate Canada and Pillar/Segan liked, so they paired the two.
“Well, I see them married,” Kassabian recalls. “They’ve been together ever since that first kiss. They would have a kid. It would be a show about a mom getting back into the game. And the little catchphrase of, will they or won’t they for fans has now been turned into they worked out, but can they make it work?”
“I pitched the show set in Victoria, which is my hometown, born and raised,” Dodd recalls. “The producers put us on a Zoom call on a Sunday afternoon and we talked for about three hours about the show, about life, about how we like to work, all kinds of things.”
The result? The heart and humour that made the original series so much fun to watch remains intact, with a refresh of setting and supporting characters. Among those characters are Angie’s half-brother, Will Federgreen (David Kaye), who helps take care of the couple’s son when they’re working past his bedtime, Detective Violet Xiao (Olivia Cheng) of Vancouver Island PD’s Major Crimes Unit and Raine Atebe (Khamisa Wilsher), a confident computer whiz.
Sampson, Wilsher and Priestley
Kassabian notes that, as viewers met Shade’s family in the original series, it was important to learn more about Angie’s family. An antagonist and helpful team member—so integral to a procedural—meant the creation of Violet and Raine.
Dodd explains the move west sets up Angie and Shade as fish out of water, key to introducing supporting characters.
The west coast shift also offers the series an opportunity to follow Angie and Shade’s evolution as parents.
“Angie was always described as this feisty lone wolf who did things by herself,” Sampson says. “Now she’s really embracing this beautiful life that she’s created. In the same respect, Shade gets a second chance at parenthood. Whereas he wasn’t necessarily there during Jules’ formative years as much as he would’ve wanted to be, this is his second time around. There’s still that very heartfelt family element throughout the whole series, and then we throw in a bunch of ridiculousness on top of it to make it fun.”
Private Eyes West Coast airs Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. Eastern on Global.
