Prime Video Unveils New Slate of Canadian Originals

Prime Video revealed a slate of ten Canadian Amazon originals, including six previously announced titles and four new projects, at its Prime Video Presents Canada showcase event.

The new projects include The Sticky, an English-language dramedy set in Québec and inspired by the real-life Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist. It is produced by Jason Blum’s Blumhouse Television, Jonathan Levine’s Megamix, Jamie Lee Curtis’s Comet Pictures and the Canadian production company Sphere Media. Brian Donovan and Ed Herro (Little Darlings) wrote the pilot script and will executive produce and co-showrun alongside Canadian co-showrunner/executive producer Kathryn Borel (Anne With An E). Jonathan Levine (Nine Perfect Strangers) will direct and executive produce.

Also among the newly greenlit projects is an untitled docuseries from award-winning director Mike Downie and Courage Films on the Canadian band The Tragically Hip. It will feature exclusive, never-before-seen footage, photos, performances and tales from the band’s storied career.

A reboot of The Kids in the Hall, a comedy sketch show featuring Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney and Scott Thompson is in the works. Produced by Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video and Canadian production company Project 10, it is written and executive produced by Foley, McCulloch, McDonald, McKinney and Thompson. The original reboot will be available exclusively on Prime Video on May 13.

Joining The Kids in the Hall reboot is the two-part documentary The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks, produced by Blue Ant Studios. Directed by Reg Harkema, it features interviews with Fred Armisen, Lauren Ash, Jay Baruchel, Lewis Black, Janeane Garofalo, Eddie Izzard, Mae Martin, Eric McCormack, Lorne Michaels, Mike Myers, Matt Walsh, Reggie Watts and other industry insiders and fans, and explores how the group’s comedy inspired their peers and subsequent generations of sketch comedians. It is slated to launch on May 20.

The Lake, a 30-minute episodic comedy starring Jordan Gavaris (Orphan Black), Julia Stiles (Hustlers, The Bourne Identity) and Madison Shamoun (#blackAF, Black-ish) is set to debut on June 17. Produced by AMAZE and written and executive produced by Julian Doucet, the series follows a man as he returns from living abroad after a breakup with his long-term partner, in the hope of reconnecting with the biological daughter he gave up for adoption in his teams.

Based on Louise Penny’s New York Times best-selling Chief Inspector Armand Ganache novels, Three Pines stars Alfred Molina. It comes from Amazon Studios and is produced by Left Bank Pictures (The Crown), with Canadian production company Muse Entertainment providing production services. It is slated to premiere in early 2023.

From Nathalie Bibeau (The Walrus and the Whistleblower), the docuseries The Unsolved Murder of Beverly Lynn Smith takes a deep dive into the elaborate and controversial sting operation that was designed to investigate a suspect in the murder of 22-year-old Beverly Lynn Smith that only resulted in more questions. It is produced by Amazon Studios in association with Muse Entertainment. It will launch on May 6.

LOL: Qui Rira Le Dernier?, the Québec version of the hit comedy format, features Patrick Huard as host and will shoot in Montréal this spring. It is produced by Attraction.

Gary and His Demons, an animated series, follows an aging demon-slayer who has nothing left to lose. It is created by Mark Little, who also serves as head writer, co-director and voice of the main character. It is produced by Look Mom! Productions, a Blue Ant Media production company. Season two will debut this fall.

In addition, Sugar, a Canadian-Mexican co-production from Sepia Films and Connect3 Media is in the works. Directed by Vic Sarin (Partition), it follows two young influencers who are coaxed by a charming man into joining a luxury vacation aboard a cruise ship bound for Australia. The dream trip quickly becomes a nightmare, however, when they find themselves ensured in a deadly drug smuggling operation.

“We have already had success in Canada with local content including All or Nothing: Toronto Maple Leafs and LOL: Last One Laughing Canada,” said Magda Grace, head of Prime Video Canada. “The slate demonstrates our focus and investment in developing the highest quality content for our Prime members in Canada. Our roots in Canada run deep with productions like The Boys, Reacher, The Man in the High Castle, The Expanse and Upload being shot in Canada, but now our slate of Canadian Amazon originals underlines our investment in the local creative community and commitment to our Canadian audiences.”

“Canada has incredible stories to tell, and we have been fortunate enough to work with the best local producers, directors, writers, and actors to start to bring these stories to our Prime members in Canada,” added Christina Wayne, head of originals for Canada at Amazon Studios. “Our upcoming Canadian slate offers something for every Canadian entertainment fan—from comedies and dramas to true-crime films, documentaries and animation. Along with the Canadian producers including Muse, Blue Ant Studios, AMAZ and Attraction—who we are already working with—we are proud to collaborate with the best internationally, including Left Bank and Blumhouse, to work with Canadian talent and have our local development team shepherd these upcoming Canadian stories.”