Good binge-worthy television series are as crucial to your survival during a Canadian winter as long johns and central heating. It’s time to look forward to an exciting roster of new shows that appear to feature strong female characters — whether you’re in the mood to laugh along with working moms as they try to juggle breast pumps and work calls or watch a dark comedy about a suburban real estate agent who just happens to be a cannibal.
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Big Little Lies
Canadian filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallée, the director of Wild and Dallas Buyers Club, worked with a stacked cast of Hollywood stars on Big Little Lies, including Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley and Zoë Kravitz. Set in Monterey, California, this dark, twisted dramedy centers around the lives of an unlikely cast of women. Kidman stars as an ex-corporate lawyer whose picture-perfect marriage isn’t all it appears to be. Kravitz plays a yoga instructor and second wife to her older husband, and Woodley is a troubled single mother haunted by her past. Despite their obvious differences, the women appear to be connected by a tangled web of secrets, which comes to life in the aftermath of a murder. Tune into the first episode Feb. 1 on HBO Canada.
Workin’ Moms
Comedian Catherine Reitman wants to get real about motherhood and the struggle to have it all in her new series Workin’ Moms, a CBC comedy based on her actual life, which she stars in alongside her real-life husband. Reitman’s show is inspired by own her experience with postpartum depression after giving birth to her first son and the moments of comedy she somehow managed to find in the challenging experience of returning to work shortly after giving birth. The new show asks the simple question: Can we really do it all? “All four characters are based on highly flawed aspects of myself,” explained Reitman in an interview with ET Canada. “These are all real moments that I’m hoping our audience can relate to.” We’ll find out just how relatable this new series is when it premieres on CBC Jan. 10.
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Santa Clarita Diet
“Ready to take your life to a whole new level of wow?” asks a perky Drew Barrymore in a mock diet infomercial for her new show Santa Clarita Diet. Well, you can by eating whomever you want — but only if they deserve it of course. And did we mention the first month is free? Barrymore stars in this offbeat horror-inspired comedy about a suburban mom and real estate agent who experiences a little hiccup in her life when she joins the ranks of the undead and starts eating people. But despite being about cannibalism, Barrymore said, “There’s a real optimism to the show.” She added, “I don’t want to watch a show about a couple fighting and falling apart; I can’t handle it right now. It’s not heavy, but it’s not lacking in a sort of sweetness, if you will. But it’s also got bite and backbone and balls.” I’m intrigued — sign me up! The first episode premieres Feb. 3 on Netflix Canada.
Scandal Season 6
You really can’t have too much of Kerry Washington as D.C. political fixer Olivia Pope, so thank God Olivia and her team of gladiators are returning to Netflix in Canada Jan. 20 for Season 6 with new episodes each week. Bust out the red wine, because it looks like things are going to get pretty intense this time around. We’ll find out who won the presidential race; whether or not Olivia will reunite with Fitz, Jake or someone else entirely; and if Olivia will finally beat her father at his shady political games, or worse yet, become him.
Homeland Season 6
The sixth season of Homeland tackles incredibly timely and loaded topics, including Islamophobia and the fight against terrorism. Plus, there’s a presidential race featuring a controversial female candidate. CIA officer Carrie Mathison returns to the United States from Berlin and takes on a new role this season: “Carrie’s response to her experiences on the front lines was to disengage from the CIA,” explained Claire Danes, who plays Carrie. “In this season she’s created this law firm that advocates on behalf of wrongfully accused Muslim people.” Wanna know more? Canadians can tune in Jan. 15 at 9 p.m. ET on Super Channel.
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