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The premise of the series reminded me of the old series NORTHERN EXPOSURE. Then I watched the pilot. This is a new version of NORTHERN EXPOSURE. It's about a successful New York professional (substitute male doctor with female reporter) resigned to moving across the country to Alaska. What really cemented the comparison for me was when the Eileen Fitzgerald (Swank's character) steps out of a cabin in the early morning to behold for the first time the majestic Alaskan landscape, ala Joel Fleischman. The landscape is in fact Canadian as that is where this series is filmed. The second episode finds a moose wandering the small town just like in Cecily. While this series does not seem to have the quirky supporting cast that NORTHERN EXPOSURE had, it does seem to be brave enough to tackle difficult issues like Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. I was hesitant to invest in this series but the pilot won me over. I highly recommend this series.

SON OF A CRITCH seems to be a very promising new sitcom for CBC. The plot follows along the lines of YOUNG SHELDON and the new WONDER YEARS except it's a Canuck childhood recollection. Hopefully, they treat it with respect and keep it on the air, at least until the young actor playing Mark graduates. I could easily relate to the setting, having grown up and gone to school in Canada (albeit Saskatchewan, not Newfoundland), and a decade earlier. The show is full of quirky Canadiana: the Wayne and Shuster lunch pail, the Rich Little poster, the moose headline. The creator of the show, Mark Critch, plays his father on the series. A nice surprise for me was Malcolm McDowell playing Mark's 80 year old grandfather with whom he shares a bedroom. I am looking forward to enjoying many years of this show, tickling my funny bone and reliving memories of being a nerdy kid in Canada.

As Lin Manuel-Miranda has proven with HAMILTON, History is more fun with song and dance. The movie STAND! is based on the stage musical STRIKE! based on the milestone event of the Winnipeg General Strike, a groundbreaking happening for the Union rights movement. The film begins with Canadian soldiers returning from WWI at Winnipeg's Union Station. Another landmark building to make an appearance is Manitoba's provincial parliament buildings, the setting for one of the shows rousing anthems. The authentic locals and the aspiring songs are two of the film's strengths. Another strength is the diversity of the characters: Jewish, Ukrainian, Black, Scandinavian, and other cultures that compose Winnipeg's rich mosaic such as the Aboriginal people that make up a large component of Winnipeg's demographic. The First Nations are represented by Gabriel Daniels who plays Gabriel Chartrand. The director purposely avoids the "drunken Indian" cliche in a bar scene where Chartrand exits the bar but it is a white patron who is the drunk. The show is a must for Canadians proud of their history and heritage.