CBC's North of North is a hilarious look at a young Inuk mom looking for a fresh start in a tiny Arctic town
The new comedy series starring actor Anna Lambe drops on CBC Gem on January 7
Welcome to Canada's far north with North of North, a heartwarming new comedy series starring Anna Lambe (True Detective, The Grizzlies). Messy, heartfelt and hilariously relatable, North of North shows how laughter can carry you through life's toughest moments. Premiering on CBC Gem in Canada on January 7.
What is North of North about?
Starting a new life is rough, especially when you live in Ice Cove, a small fictional town high in the Canadian Arctic. Siaja (Anna Lambe), a young Inuk mom, publicly blows up her life when she leaves her husband Ting (Kelly William), the town golden boy, to crash on her mother Neevee's (Maika Harper) couch.
With her feisty young daughter Bun (Keira Belle Cooper) in tow, Siaja embarks on a journey toward independence, from finding a job, a place to live and, just maybe, a rebound relationship — all in a place where everyone knows your business.
In this scene, Siaja tries to turn her volunteer role into a real job by appealing to Helen (Mary Lynn Rajskub), a woman from down south who has lived in the Arctic for decades and manages the local community centre. The problem is, she's just created a public scene in front of her would-be boss and the entire town at a community event the night before.
Siaja has a big heart and bigger aspirations for her family and town. She jumps in with both feet at the local community centre with her friends, Millie (Zorga Qaunaq) and radio D.J. Colin (Bailey Poching), to liven things up under the judgmental eye of elder Elisapee (Nutaaq Doreen Simmonds), a residential school survivor who's also a hardcore Christian.
To add to the turmoil, Alistair (Jay Ryan), a handsome new visitor — with a secret connection to her past — shows up in town along with a super hot young assistant, Kuuk (Braeden Clarke). Things are about to get complicated.
Who stars in North of North?
Siaja is played by rising star Anna Lambe (The Grizzlies, True Detective, Trickster). "Siaja was raised by a single mother in a loving community that is rich in culture and its sense of identity, but at the same time is troubled by so much trauma," says Lambe. "The nice thing about this being a comedy is how we get to talk about so many difficult issues within our community while doing so with humour."
The show was created by Nunavut's own Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Alethea Arnaquq-Baril. "This is a warm, aspirational and lighthearted show," says MacDonald, "but there are definitely some moments where shit gets real, and [the characters] handle it with such humanity."
North of North is about community, something everyone can relate to, says executive producer Miranda de Pencier: "Community is really everything. Through difficult and joyful times alike, this show is about leaning into your people."
Lambe had the privilege of working in her hometown Iqaluit (which doubles as the fictional Ice Cove in the series) along with a predominantly Indigenous cast and many Inuit crew and creatives. "People constantly came up to hug me and say how proud they were of me and how exciting this was for Nunavut, for Inuit and Indigenous film and television," she says, "I wouldn't have wanted to film it anywhere else because the outpouring of love and support we received was so empowering."
North by North is produced by Red Marrow Media and Northwood Entertainment and co-commissioned by CBC and Netflix in association with APTN.
When and where can I watch North of North in Canada?
Watch North of North in Canada on CBC and CBC Gem on Tuesday, January 7, 2025.
CBC Gem is available for free as an App for iOS, tvOS, Fire TV, Android TV, Android phones and tablets, LG and Samsung Smart TVs, Roku, and Xbox One/S/X.
