Amazon held its inaugural Prime Video Presents Canada on April 13th, an upfront-style event to spotlight many of the streamer’s upcoming Canadian originals.
At Toronto’s Massey Hall, Prime Video executives and partner talent took to the stage to unpack the TV shows and films that they’re working on here in Canada.
Prime Video Presents Canada showcases at Massey Hall in Toronto on Wednesday, April 13, 2022. Left to Right:
Back Row: Nathalie Bibeau, Unsolved Murder of Beverly Lynn Smith; Liem Vu, event host; Magda Grace, head of Prime Video, Canada; Nav Saini, head of content, Canada, Prime Video; Julian Doucet, The Lake; Madison Shamoun, Julia Stiles, and Jordan Gavaris, The Lake; Brent Haynes, head of scripted originals, Canada, Amazon Studios; Jasmine Sky Sarin and Anthony Timpano, Sugar.
Front Row: Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney, Dave Foley and Scott Thompson, The Kids in the Hall. (Image credit: Amazon)
See below for a chronological breakdown of everything that was shown off. Note: not every announcement has official media yet, but we’ve embedded official trailers where applicable.
The Kids in the Hall (2022)
As previously announced, Amazon is developing a revival of the iconic Canadian comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall’s eponymous sketch comedy series. Group members Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney and Scott Thompson (Kevin McDonald was absent) appeared to debut the first trailer for the show.
Premiere date: May 13th, 2022
The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks
Additionally, Blue Ant Media’s two-part docuseries, The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks, will hit Prime Video on May 20th. The series will feature a look at the group’s earliest years through archival footage and new interviews with all five members.
Gary and his Demons
Mark Little, co-creator, writer and star of the animated comedy series Gary and his Demons, here to promote Season 2 of the show. @PrimeVideoCA pic.twitter.com/cABwoLjk3c
— Brad Shankar (@bradshankar) April 13, 2022
From Canadian actor-comedian Mark Little (Mr. D) comes Gary and his Demons, an animated comedy about a grouchy old demon slayer with nothing left to lose.
Premiere date: The previously released Season 1 and the newly produced Season 2 are both coming to Prime Video in September 2022
The Lake
Image credit: Amazon
Amazon’s first scripted Canadian original series follows a gay man who seeks to reconnect with the teenage daughter he gave up for adoption while at the family cottage, which is now owned by his step-sister.
Ottawa’s Julian Doucet (Hudson & Rex) wrote the series, which stars Caledon, Ontario’s Jordan Gavaris (Orphan Black) and Americans Julia Stiles (Hustlers) and Madison Shamoun (Black-ish). The series was shot in Northern Ontario.
Premiere date: June 17th, 2022
The Unsolved Murder of Beverly Lynn Smith
Welland, Ontario filmmaker Nathalie Bibeau (The Walrus and the Whistleblower) directs this four-part docuseries about the unsolved 1974 murder of a 22-year-old woman in Oshawa, Ontario.
Premiere date: May 6th, 2022
Sugar
Sugar is an Amazon Original film based on two influencers from Montreal who get caught up in crime. Also filmed in Montreal! pic.twitter.com/hAezCGTV8V
— Brad Shankar (@bradshankar) April 13, 2022
Indian-born Canadian filmmaker Vic Sarin (Partition) directs Amazon’s first Canadian feature film, which was based on the real-life “Cocaine Cuties” — two Montreal influencers who become the centre of a drug-trafficking case. The movie stars American Kat McNamara (Arrow) and Vancouver’s Jasmine Sky Sarin (Partiton) and was filmed in Montreal.
Premiere date: TBA 2022
LOL: Qui Rira Le Dernier
Prime Video Announces Patrick Huard as Host of LOL: Qui Rira Le Dernier?, the Quebec Edition of the Global Amazon Original Hit Format LOL: Last One Laughing
Click here to learn about Patrick Huard: https://t.co/vZOHtcNWJw#canadiancomedy #comedy #canadiancomedians #casc pic.twitter.com/aiRn7vkB1D— CASC (@canadianstandup) March 30, 2022
Montreal’s Patrick Huard (Bon Cop Bad Cop) appeared via pre-recorded video to talk about his excitement for Amazon’s first Quebecois production. Hosted by Huard, it’s an offshoot of Amazon’s Last One Laughing series (which just got a Jay Baruchel-hosted Canadian version earlier this year) and features an all-French cast.
Premiere date: TBA 2022
Three Pines
Image credit: Amazon
Prolific English actor Alfred Molina (Spider-Man franchise) popped up in a pre-recorded video to promote his crime drama series Three Pines. Filmed in Quebec, the series follow Chief Inspector Armand Gamache (Molina) as he investigates a string of murders in a small Canadian village.
The show is based on Toronto author Louise Penny’s Armand Gamache novels and co-stars Vancouver’s Roussif Sutherland (Reign) and Cardston, Alberta’s Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers (Night Raiders).
Premiere date: Early 2023
The Sticky
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Veteran American actress Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween) showed up via video to announce a new comedy series based on the true story of The Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist.
Curtis is executive producing the series alongside Toronto’s Kathryn Borel (Corked: A Memoir), who also serves as co-showrunner. Amazon promised “big-name” casting news will come later this year, but it did confirm that the series will shoot in Quebec.
Premiere date: TBA
The Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip are here! They’re working on a Prime Video documentary. 🎶 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/4p8YZZ7mB9
— Brad Shankar (@bradshankar) April 13, 2022
And finally, members of the Tragically Hip and filmmaker Mike Downie (brother of the late Hip member Gord Downie) took to the stage to announce a new untitled multi-part documentary series. Mike Downie says the series will explore the history of the group and, of course, his brother’s legacy.
Premiere date: TBA 2024
That’s everything from the Prime Video Presents panel. Of course, these are all new Canadian originals; the streamer also began the presentation highlighting some of the other 25-plus originals that were filmed here. These include the Toronto-shot The Boys (featuring a video message from star Karl Urban), Upload (filmed in Vancouver and starring Toronto’s Robbie Amell) and the recently released Reacher (filmed in North Pickering, Ontario).
Following a recent price increase, an Amazon Prime membership, which includes Prime Video, costs $9.99/month or $99/year.
Disclaimer: The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks and Gary and his Demons are produced by Blue Ant Media, the parent company of MobileSyrup.
Header image credit: Shutterstock
