Everything about Run the Burbs, eh?

Co-showrunners Jennica Harper and Nelu Handa to “Run” Run the Burbs

From a media release:

Longtime collaborators Jennica Harper (JANN, above right) and Nelu Handa (SORT OF, above left) will co-showrun Season 3 of the popular, hit CBC original comedy, RUN THE BURBS. Created by writer and actor Andrew Phung (KIM’S CONVENIENCE) and filmmaker Scott Townend (The Secret Marathon), RUN THE BURBS follows the Phams, a young, bold Vietnamese-South Asian-Canadian family taking a different approach to living life to the fullest, while changing the way we think about contemporary family values and life in the burbs. The series is produced by Pier 21 Films and distributed by Fifth Season. Season 3 of RUN THE BURBS is slated to broadcast on CBC and CBC Gem in Winter 2024, the first two seasons are available to stream now on CBC Gem.

Jennica Harper steps in after showrunning three seasons and a holiday special of the Jann Arden CTV comedy JANN. Nelu Handa has written and produced on the previous two seasons of RUN THE BURBS. Harper and Handa have a history of collaborating and worked together on all three seasons of JANN. They take over RUN THE BURBS from Season 2 showrunner Anthony Farrell. 

Harper and Handa bring a slew of accolades and comedy experience to the RUN THE BURBS team. In 2021, Nelu Handa won a Canadian Screen Award for “Best Writing” on the BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW. Her script for SORT OF was nominated for a Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Award for “Best Comedy”. She earned a Peabody Award for her contribution to the ground-breaking first season for SORT OF. Jennica Harper has won two Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Awards including “Best Comedy” script for JANN and “Best Tweens and Teens” script for kids’ comedy SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED.

Creator and star Andrew Phung shares, “I’m so pumped to be working with Jennica and Nelu on Season 3. I’m a big fan of Jennica’s work, and she brings such joy and relatability to the writer’s room. She leads with such a calming presence. I’ve worked with Nelu for the past two seasons of RUN THE BURBS, and have loved every minute of it. She’s so thoughtful and hilarious, and her experiences have greatly added to the development of the show and its characters. I’m truly honoured and so excited that they are co-leading the show together.”

Jennica Harper shares Phung’s enthusiasm stating, “I’m thrilled to be joining the RUN THE BURBS team, showrunning alongside Nelu. We’ve got a built-in trust, and share a lot of comedic instincts. Andrew and Scott, the creators, have been so welcoming to ‘the new kid.’ I’m honoured they’re trusting Nelu and I with their baby.

Season 2 was incredible. It told culturally specific yet super relatable stories, the characters deepened, and yet the whole season really amped up the funny. The goal for Season 3 is to have fun paying off a bunch of storylines started last season. Andrew and Camille are both working their dream jobs — but what does that mean for their work/life balance?”

Nelu Handa continues, “I’m excited to be taking this next step in my career on a show that I’ve come to love for two seasons. I’ve learned a lot from our past showrunners Anthony and Shebli Zarghami, they both exemplified strong leadership and created a really great work culture, traditions I’m aiming to continue in this role. Jennica’s an incredible person and has been a mentor for many years, so getting the chance to work alongside her is like a dream come true. 

I’m proud of the stories we get to tell. Exploring the experiences of a modern Canadian couple with rich cultural backgrounds is both very rewarding personally and relatable to so many viewers who are excited to see themselves reflected on Canadian television.”

In addition to CTV JANN’s three seasons and a holiday special, Jennica Harper has written and produced a wide range of TV genres, from dark crime dramas to kids’ multi-cam comedies. She was a Writer and Co-Executive Producer on the light mystery series THE SPENCER SISTERS (CTV), the medical adventure drama SKYMED (Paramount+/CBC), horror-comedy cult favourite THE ORDER (Netflix), and critically acclaimed thriller CARDINAL (Hulu/CTV), among others. 

Nelu Handa has written for multiple seasons of award winning comedy series including: JANN, SORT OF, BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW, ODD SQUAD, THE BEAVERTON, TALLBOYZ, and A Little Late with Lilly Singh. She’s written for RUN THE BURBS since the first season and served as writer/Co-EP on season two.

A CBC original series, RUN THE BURBS is Executive Produced by Laszlo Barna, Nicole Butler, Karen Tsang and Vanessa Steinmetz (for Pier 21 Films), Andrew Phung, and Scott Townend. Jennica Harper and Nelu Handa serve as Executive Producers, writers and showrunners. Co-executive producer is Jay Vaidya. Jessica Daniel is the Series Producer. Season 3 writers include Andrew Phung, Scott Townend, Jennica Harper, Nelu Handa, Jay Vaidya, Sara Peters, Angelica Mendizabal, and Mandeq Hassan.

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CBC renews original comedies Run the Burbs, Son of a Critch and This Hour Has 22 Minutes

From a media release:

Reinforcing its status as Canada’s go-to destination for Canadian comedy, CBC today announced the renewal of popular original series RUN THE BURBS and SON OF A CRITCH for their third seasons, and long-running sketch comedy series THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES for its 31st season. These series join Peabody Award-winning comedy SORT OF, which was renewed for a third season in December 2022 by CBC and HBO Max, as part of CBC’s 2023-24 comedy slate. CBC comedies were recently recognized with 54 Canadian Screen Award nominations, including Best Comedy Series for SORT OF and Best Sketch Comedy Program or Series for THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES. SON OF A CRITCH is also among the Top 5 series currently in the running for the 2023 Cogeco Fund Audience Choice Award.

Created by comedian, writer and actor Andrew Phung (Kim’s Convenience) and his best friend and collaborator, filmmaker Scott Townend (The Secret Marathon), RUN THE BURBS follows the Phams, a young, bold Vietnamese-South Asian-Canadian family taking a different approach to living life to the fullest, while changing the way we think about contemporary family values and life in the burbs. The series is produced by Pier 21 Films and distributed by Fifth Season. The Season 2 finale of RUN THE BURBS airs Wednesday, March 29 at 8:30 p.m (9 NT) on CBC and CBC Gem.

Based on Mark Critch’s award-winning, best-selling memoir, SON OF A CRITCH is the hilarious and very real story of 12-year-old Mark coming of age in St. John’s, Newfoundland in the 80s. Created by Critch (This Hour Has 22 Minutes) and Tim McAuliffe (The Office, Last Man on Earth and MacGruber) and produced by Emmy® and Golden Globe® winning producer Andrew Barnsley (Schitt’s Creek), the series is an inter-provincial co-production between Barnsley’s Project 10 Productions Inc. and Newfoundland-based Take the Shot Productions in association with CBC and Lionsgate Television, which handles worldwide distribution rights outside Canada. This season, SON OF A CRITCH is the most-watched English Canadian comedy series and CBC’s most-watched program with 18-49 and 25-54 audiences.* The Season 2 finale of SON OF A CRITCH airs Tuesday, March 28 at 8:30 p.m. (9 NT) on CBC and CBC Gem.

Canada’s longest-running TV comedy series, THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES continues to push the boundaries of provocative satire, targeting politics, culture and world events with biting parodies and an unrelenting skewering of the weekly news. Produced by IoM Media, the series remains a beloved sketch comedy staple for audiences across the country after three decades, and has featured some of Canada’s greatest comedians – and most of the country’s political leaders. The finale of THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES’ 30th anniversary season airs Tuesday, March 28 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC and CBC Gem.

In addition, CBC continues its commitment to showcasing emerging and established Canadian stand-up talent with returning specials and series for the 2023-24 broadcast season. Recently captured at Just For Laughs Vancouver and produced by Just For Laughs TV, Season 4 of THE NEW WAVE OF STANDUP showcases Canada’s hottest new comedians (Season 3 debuts Friday, March 24 on CBC Gem). Also from Just For Laughs TV, Season 20 of JUST FOR LAUGHS GALAS will offer the best-known international and Canadian stand-up comedians, alongside exciting breakout performers, from the world’s biggest comedy event in Montreal. WINNIPEG COMEDY FESTIVAL (Season 22, Frantic Films) and HALIFAX COMEDY FEST (Season 27, Pilot Light Productions) round out CBC’s comedy lineup for the upcoming broadcast season, capturing some of the most dynamic performers on today’s circuit.

*Source: Numeris TV Meter, September 12, 2022 – March 5, 2023, CBC Total, Total Canada, Based on AMA, Confirmed Audience Data, generated by InfoSys+TV.

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Links: Run the Burbs, Season 2

From Aisling Murphy of the Toronto Star:

Link: ‘We laugh a lot on set’: Andrew Phung and Rakhee Morzaria on running the ’burbs for a second season
“One thing we noticed right away was that our audience was much younger, was often families and often families of colour. That’s something I’m really proud of. In order for us to make those changes in our media landscape, we have to engage audiences who haven’t always been engaged by mainstream broadcasters.” Continue reading.

From Eric Volmers of the Calgary Herald:

Link: What about Bob? Albertans Andrew Phung and Gavin Crawford face off in Season 2 of Run the Burbs
In the three years that Andrew Phung worked at Calgary’s Village Square Leisure Centre co-ordinating youth programs, he got a good look at bureaucracy. Continue reading.

From Courtney Shea of Toronto Life:

Link: “King Street nightlife is fun, but then you turn 30 and just want to be in bed by 11”: A Q&A with Run the Burbs creator Andrew Phung
“If Full House was about the Tanners, you could say Run the Burbs is about their neighbours—the people whose stories never got told. But our show is unique in other ways: a lot of family comedies are about bickering, whereas my show is about two adults who love their kids. It’s funny that such a basic premise feels fresh.” Continue reading.

From Noel Ransome of The Canadian Press:

Link: ‘Run the Burbs’ has a new showrunner and renewed focus on authenticity for Season 2
Newly minted “Run the Burbs” showrunner Anthony Q. Farrell firmly believes that authenticity is a central part of diverse storytelling — from the script to diverging perspectives on set that express what is real versus “what doesn’t feel true.” Continue reading.

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CBC announces winter 2023 slate

From a media release:

Today at the industry event CBC Live at Massey Hall, CBC previewed its winter programming and made a series of announcements focused on reaching new audiences in Canada with more relevant and engaging news and entertainment on all platforms, including the launch of free streaming channel CBC NEWS EXPLORE. CBC’s winter storytelling includes over 40 original series, podcasts, specials and documentaries from Canadian creators, producers and storytellers across all genres, reflecting more people, perspectives and lived experiences across the country.

NEW PROGRAMMING ANNOUNCED TODAY

CBC NEWS EXPLORE

PUSH (8×30, Fenix Film & Television and Small Army Entertainment)
Starring Benveet “Bean” Gill, PUSH is a new original unscripted series that takes audiences into the inner world of the “Wheelie Peeps,” an unlikely group of friends and wheelchair users, bonded by their shared experience of navigating life on wheels. They are self-proclaimed rednecks, former exotic dancers, mothers, concert pianists and more. Whether it’s growing a family, fighting social stigma, or jumping back into the dating pool, this determined group of friends is working together to prove that even though their mobility may be limited, their lives and dreams are most certainly not.

“This show is what I needed when I was first paralyzed,” said Gill. “To see that having a disability doesn’t define you. We’re regular people, striving like everyone else to live our kickass lives to the fullest. But Push is not simply a show about lives. It’s about really seeing and hearing us as people, just as we are.”

PUSH premieres Friday, February 24 at 8:30 p.m. (9 NT) on CBC TV and CBC Gem. Shot in summer and fall 2022 in Edmonton, Alberta, PUSH is executive produced by Sean De Vries and produced by Kaitlan Stewart, with consulting producer Gill.

CBC KIDS

New original live-action preschool series MITTENS AND PANTS, featuring best friends Mittens the kitten and Pants the puppy as they embark on adventures in the all-animal town of Kibble Corners, launches Monday, February 6 on CBC Gem and Monday, February 13 on CBC TV. Episodes of new preschool animated series GISELE’S MASHUP ADVENTURES launch Wednesday, February 1 on CBC Gem and Monday, February 6 on CBC TV, inspired by the creative ideas of children ages six to nine from across Canada which are turned into hilarious adventures for animated versions of each child and host Gisele.

CBC SPORTS

CBC SPORTS will continue to keep Canadians connected to the world of high-performance sport through its weekend broadcasts CBC SPORTS PRESENTS, hosted by Scott Russell and Andi Petrillo and available on CBC TV and CBC Gem, as well as live streams of key competitions on cbcsports.ca and the CBC Sports app. Upcoming events include: FIS World Alpine Ski Championships (February 8 – 19), FIS Freestyle Skiing World Championships (February 19 – March 4) and FIS Nordic World Ski Championships (February 23 – 26).

CBC’s winter broadcast and streaming schedule launches Monday, January 2 on CBC TV and the free CBC Gem streaming service.

*All following times local with the exception of Newfoundland, please add half an hour to all times.

MONDAYS:

7:30 PM – FAMILY FEUD CANADA with host Gerry Dee continues Mondays to Thursdays, kicking off the new year with celebrity episodes on January 2 and 3, featuring the PRETTY HARD CASES detectives vs. the legal team from DIGGSTOWN, and the BOLLYWED Singh family vs. the sporty CANADA’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE group. For more information on the “Celebrity Special” episodes, click here.

8 PM – MURDOCH MYSTERIES Season 16 continues January 2.

9 PM – The new adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic novel, AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, starring David Tennant, debuts January 2. Adapted from the popular French-language series, time travel drama PLAN B premieres February 27.

10 PM – THE NATIONAL CBC News’ flagship program with Chief Correspondent Adrienne Arsenault continues Sunday to Friday each week.

TUESDAYS:

8 PM – THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES 30th anniversary season continues January 3.

8:30 PM – The most-watched original Canadian comedy during its first season,* SON OF A CRITCH returns for Season 2 on January 3.

9 PM – WORKIN’ MOMS returns for its seventh and final season on January 3, as the women explore lasting friendships, ambitious careers, raising families, and growing up.

9:30 PM – Season 4 of comedy CATASTROPHE, written by and starring Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan, debuts January 3. Season 1 of CASUAL, starring Michaela Watkins and Tommy Dewey as a sister and brother who coach each other through the crazy world of dating while raising her teenage daughter, premieres February 14.

WEDNESDAYS:

8 PM – STILL STANDING lands Season 8 on January 4, starring host Jonny Harris as he visits a new set of towns across Canada from Ucluelet and Gibsons, B.C. to Wabush, Newfoundland, and everywhere in between.

8:30 PM – RUN THE BURBS Season 2 premieres January 4, with new cast member Sharjil Rasool and an array of guest stars including Dakota Ray Hebert, The Great Canadian Baking Show’s Ann Pornel, and multi-award-winning comic and actor Gavin Crawford.

9 PM – PRETTY HARD CASES returns for Season 3 on January 4, with a miserably demoted Samantha Wazowski (Meredith MacNeill) and a deeply undercover Kelly Duff (Adrienne C. Moore) reuniting to win their way back into the OCE after eight long months apart. Award-winning actor Wendy Crewson joins the cast as the new and exacting Unit Commander. The WINNIPEG COMEDY FESTIVAL, featuring some of the most dynamic performers on today’s comedy circuit, brings the laughs beginning March 15.

THURSDAYS:

8 PM – BOLLYWED debuts January 12, introducing Canada to the Singh family, who have been operating Chandan Fashion in Toronto’s Little India for the last 37 years. New competition reality format CANADA’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE turns the nation into a cross-country obstacle course on February 16, featuring Canadians mentored by superstar coaches Donovan Bailey, Waneek Horn-Miller, Clara Hughes, Gilmore Junio, Jen Kish and Luke Willson.

9 PM – CBC News’ award-winning investigative series THE FIFTH ESTATE continues January 5. British drama-thriller TRIGGER POINT debuts February 16. THE JUST FOR LAUGHS GALAS headlined by Ronnie Chieng, Hannah Gadsby and Marc Maron begin March 30.

FRIDAYS:

8 PM – Canada’s award-winning consumer watchdog MARKETPLACE continues its 50th anniversary season on January 6.

8:30 PM – ABC/CBC co-production STUFF THE BRITISH STOLE, based on award-winning journalist Marc Fennell’s chart-topping podcast, debuts January 6. New original factual series PUSH, exploring the lives of a group of friends “the Wheelie Peeps” in Edmonton, begins February 24.

9 PM – THE NATURE OF THINGS Season 62 premieres on January 6 for David Suzuki’s final season with fascinating science and nature documentaries each week. The season launches with Last of the Right Whales, telling the story of the magnificent North Atlantic Right Whale and the passionate people trying to save this intelligent and social animal from extinction.

SUNDAYS:

7 PM – Season 16 of HEARTLAND continues on January 8. BEST IN MINIATURE, hosted by Aba Amuquandoh, returns for Season 2 on February 19.

8 PM – CBC Docs will spotlight compelling feature-length documentaries, from Canada and around the world, beginning January 8 with the following Canadian originals:

THE CASE AGAINST COSBY (directed by Karen Wookey, 2022) premieres January 8

DOUG AND THE SLUGS AND ME (directed by Teresa Alfeld, 2022) premieres January 15

OFFSIDE: THE HAROLD BALLARD STORY (directed by Jason Priestley, 2022) premieres January 22

UNLOVED: HURONIA’S FORGOTTEN CHILDREN (directed by Barri Cohen, 2022) premieres January 29

DEAR JACKIE (director Henri Pardo, 2022) premieres February 5

9 PM – Limited series ESSEX COUNTY, based on Jeff Lemire’s graphic novel, premieres March 19.

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Production underway on Season 2 of CBC’s Run the Burbs

From a media release:

CBC and Pier 21 Films today announced that production is underway in and around Toronto on the second season of the popular original comedy series RUN THE BURBS (13×30). Created by Andrew Phung and Scott Townend, RUN THE BURBS stars an exciting ensemble of Canadian comic talents lead by Andrew Phung as Andrew Pham, Rakhee Morzaria as Camille Pham, and Zoriah Wong, and Roman Pesino as Khia and Leo Pham. The series regulars include Ali Hassan (CBC’s Laugh Out Loud), Julie Nolke (Explaining the Pandemic to my Past Self), Jonathan Langdon (Utopia Falls), Chris Locke (Workin’ Moms, Mr. D), Samantha Wan (Second Jen), and Aurora Browne (Baroness von Sketch Show). The second season will premiere on CBC and CBC Gem in Winter 2023.

A playful comedy about life in the suburbs, oddball neighbours, and a loving family that sticks together through thick and thin, RUN THE BURBS welcomes some new faces to the neighbourhood for season two, including new cast member Sharjil Rasool (New Eden) playing Camille’s cousin Nikhil and an array of guest stars including Dakota Ray Hebert (Run Woman Run), The Great Canadian Baking Show’s Ann Pornel, and multi-award-winning comic and actor Gavin Crawford. As previously announced, veteran showrunner Anthony Q. Farrell joins the creative team as Executive Producer and Showrunner.

A CBC original series, RUN THE BURBS is produced by Pier 21 Films. Executive Producers are Laszlo Barna, Nicole Butler, and Karen Tsang (for Pier 21 Films), Andrew Phung, Scott Townend, and Aleysa Young. Anthony Q. Farrell serves as Executive Producer and Showrunner. Co-Executive Producers are Nelu Handa and Courtney J. Walker. Jessica Daniel is the Series Producer. Season Two directors include Aleysa Young, Zoe Hopkins, Pat Mills, Joyce Wong and Sherren Lee.

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