Prime Video recently announced their new slate of Canadian original productions, and they are intent on cementing themselves solidly within the Canadian streaming market. Not only are they filming all these productions here in Canada, but the stories are Canadian in content, and the actors are primarily Canadian, as our the production crew.

“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. Our upcoming Canadian slate offers something for every Canadian entertainment fan—from comedies and dramas, to true crime films, documentaries, and animation,” said Christina Wayne, head of Originals, Canada, Amazon Studios. 

Prime Video’s slate of Canadian Original productions includes the new Kids in the Hall series, set to launch on May 13; the companion docuseries The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks, set to launch May 20; The Lake, set to launch June 17; The Unsolved Murder of Beverly Lynn Smith, set to launch May 6; LOL: Qui Rira Le Dernier?, set to launch later this year; and Three Pines, launching in early 2023  Previously unannounced Canadian Amazon Original productions include a revival of the adult animation series Gary and His Demons, set to launch in the fall; the feature film Sugar, set to launch in 2022; the recently greenlit dramedy series The Sticky, and a newly greenlit untitled documentary project on the iconic rock band The Tragically Hip New projects include The Sticky, a new English-language dramedy set in Quebec and inspired by the real-life Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist, starring Jamie Lee Curtis, and a documentary from award-winning director Mike Downie, on the iconic Canadian band The Tragically Hip. See below for detailed descriptions.

  • The Sticky is a half-hour series revolving around Ruth Clarke, a tough, supremely competent, middle-aged Canadian maple syrup farmer who’s had it with being hemmed in by the polite, bureaucratic conventions native to her country’s identity—especially now that Canada’s bureaucracy is threatening to take away everything she loves: Her farm, her comatose husband, and her right to freedom. With the help of Remy Bouchard, a pint-sized local blockhead and Mike Byrne, an aging low-level mobster, Ruth changes her fate—and transforms the future of her community with the theft of millions of dollars’ worth of maple syrup. 

  • The untitled documentary project on The Tragically Hip from director Mike Downie is a multipart docuseries that will feature exclusive, never-before-seen footage, photos, performances, and stories from the band’s long and storied career. Woven throughout the interviews will be lead singer (and Mike’s brother) Gord Downie’s personal writing from his notebooks and journals, lyrics, and correspondence with family, friends, and fans. The documentary will cover everything from the band’s early days playing weekends at Kingston’s infamous strip bar, to their hitting the small towns of Ontario in a broken-down van, to winning over Toronto one club at a time, to their first fateful trip out west. The film will culminate with the band’s sold-out coast-to-coast tours, where fans in every city roared at the first chords of their favourite songs and sang along with the band in thunderous unison. The band is ready to share 40 years’ worth of stories—the highs and lows, the private and public, the friendships and frustrations, the milestones and missed birthdays—all of the essential elements of a long, complicated, and wildly successful musical marriage.

  • The iconic Canadian comedy troupe Kids In The Hall —Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson—is back with a new season of their groundbreaking sketch series, featuring a fresh batch of fun, off-beat characters and beloved favourites, with sketches that pack a satirical punch, laced with the hilarious, edgy, and fearless comedy 

  • Joining the Kids series revival is The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks, a two-part documentary featuring 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, and continues to endure today. 

  • Set in cottage country, The Lake is a 30-minute episodic comedy starring Jordan Gavaris (Orphan Black), Julia Stiles (Hustlers, The Bourne Identity), and Madison Shamoun (#blackAF, Black-ish).The series follows Justin (Gavaris) as he returns from living abroad after a break-up with his long-term partner, in the hope of reconnecting with the biological daughter that he gave up for adoption in his teens. His plans to create new memories with his city-loving daughter Billie (Shamoun) at the idyllic lake from his childhood go awry when he finds out his father left the family cottage to his “picture-perfect” stepsister, Maisy-May (Stiles). For fans of Schitt’s Creek.

  • Filmed in Montreal and rural Quebec, Three Pines stars Alfred Molina and is based on Canadian author Louise Penny‘s New York Times- and Globe and Mail-best-selling Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels. 

  • The Unsolved Murder of Beverly Lynn Smith dives deep into the elaborate and controversial sting operation that was designed to investigate a suspect in the murder of 22-year-old Beverly Lynn Smith—but only ended up raising more questions by diving into a search for justice that spans decades.

  • LOL: Qui Rira Le Dernier?, the Quebec version of the global hit comedy format, will be shot in Montreal this spring and feature a cast of popular French-speaking comedic actors and stand-ups competing to make each other laugh first.

  • The animated series Gary and His Demons follows a cantankerous, aging demon-slayer who has nothing left to lose. Burdened by his “Chosen One” status and backed by a team of specialists he can’t relate to, Gary struggles to remain interested in saving the Earth—a duty he never asked for and doesn’t want. The series is created by Torontonian Mark Little, who serves as head writer, co-director, and the voice of Gary. 

  •  Sugar follows two young influencers who are coaxed by a charming man into joining a luxury vacation aboard a cruise ship bound for Australia. But as they sail through the Caribbean and South Pacific, the dream trip quickly becomes a nightmare when the women find themselves ensnared in a deadly drug smuggling operation. With their lives at stake—and nowhere to run—the walls begin to close in on them. 

Prime members will be able to watch or stream all episodes anywhere and anytime on the Prime Video app for smart TVs, mobile devices, Fire TV, Fire TV stick, Fire tablets, Apple TV, or online. In the Prime Video app, Prime members can download episodes on their mobile devices and tablets and watch anywhere offline at no additional cost. Prime Video is available in Canada at no extra cost with a Prime membership or for just CAD$ 99/year for CAD$ 9.99/month (plus applicable taxes) without Prime. New customers can find out more at www.primevideo.com and subscribe to a free 30-day trial.

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats.