Son of a Critch Season 2 returns with a beer strike, broken hearts, a papal visit and… Millard
Anyone who can remember being young and in love can also recall the pain of young heartache.
That's the case for young Mark as Son of a Critch returns with Season 2 starting on January 3 at 8:30 p.m. this winter on CBC Television and streaming free on CBC Gem.
Based on Mark Critch's award-winning, best-selling memoir, Son of a Critch is the real story of 12-year-old Mark coming of age in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, in the 1980s.
We'll get to the beer strike, but first, about that broken heart.
The real Mark Critch (you may recognize for his tenure on CBC's This Hour Has 22 Minutes), stars in Son of a Critch as his own father, Mike Sr., and reveals that in the new season, young Mark faces heartache when he finds out his girlfriend Fox has been untrue over the summer, and has a new boyfriend named Millard, who's older and has a permit, "but drives without an adult in the car," says Critch.
"Mark's world is kind of shattered and his trust in people is shattered. He starts off on a very uneven footing this year."
Season 2 returns with 13 episodes and stars Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (young Mark), Malcolm McDowell (Pop), Claire Rankin (Mary, Mark's mother), Sophia Powers (Fox), Mark Rivera (Ritche), and a few notable guest stars.
Canadian comedy legend Mark McKinney, beloved as a member of the Kids in the Hall troupe, as well as for his recent starring role as Glenn Sturgis in the sitcom Superstore, plays Hudaro, a hypnotist who becomes an idol for young Mark.
Jay Baruchel (the voice of Hiccup Haddock in How to Train Your Dragon) plays the owner of a rival radio station, who is desperate to woo Mike Sr. away.
For Newfoundlanders who lived through the 1980s, there will also be a few familiar stories related to some of the big news-making events of the decade, including the Pope's visit, the ice storm and the notorious beer strike. News programs and television played a prominent role in '80s family life, so it's no different on Son of a Critch.
"That was the way the whole world came into your house, and if it was on the TV news, it was a major event, you know!"
This season Son of a Critch will also showcase a common rite of passage for students with a visit to France. Sorta.
For Newfoundland and Labrador kids, a trip to Saint Pierre and Miquelon, two little islands off the coast of Newfoundland which are part of France is a staple of growing up.
"They speak Parisian-style French, they have the French flag, you need a passport to go there. It's basically Newfoundland with French people in it, and it's a very small town. We're the only show in Canada this year to shoot in France," says Critch.
"Technically."
Full episodes from Season 1 are available streaming in Canada on CBC Gem.