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Letterkenny (TV series)

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Letterkenny
Title card
GenreSitcom
Created byJared Keeso
Developed by
Directed byJacob Tierney
Starring
Opening theme"Who Needs a Girl Like You" by Indian Wars
Country of originCanada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons12
No. of episodes81 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
ProducerKara Haflidson
Production locationsSudbury, Canada
CinematographyJim Westenbrink
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time19–30 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkCrave
ReleaseFebruary 7, 2016 (2016-02-07) –
December 25, 2023 (2023-12-25)
Related
Shoresy

Letterkenny is a Canadian television sitcom created by Jared Keeso and directed by Jacob Tierney, both of whom are also its developers and primary writers. It premiered via Crave on February 7, 2016, and concluded on December 25, 2023. The series follows the adventures of people residing in the fictional rural Ontario community of Letterkenny and stars Keeso, Nathan Dales, Michelle Mylett, and K. Trevor Wilson.

Adapted from a YouTube series called Letterkenny Problems, the show was commissioned by Crave in March 2015. It is distributed by Hulu in the United States, with the first two seasons debuting in July 2018. Subsequent seasons were added on December 27, 2018. Hulu acquired exclusive U.S. streaming rights in May 2019. The 12th and final season was released on December 25, 2023.

The show has received numerous awards and nominations, including a Canadian Screen Award for Best Comedy Series. A spin-off series created by and starring Keeso, Shoresy, debuted via Crave in 2022.

Overview

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Letterkenny revolves around the titular rural Ontario community, which took its name from Letterkenny in Ireland and is populated mostly by the descendants of Irish immigrants who escaped to Canada during the Great Famine.[1] The majority of episodes open with text stating, "There are 5000 people in Letterkenny. These are their problems." The series focuses on siblings Wayne and Katy, who run a small farm and produce stand with help from Wayne's friends Daryl and Squirrely Dan.

Episodes deal with small-town life amongst different types of people: the farmers ("Hicks"), gym goers and out-of-towners who play for the local ice hockey team ("Jocks"), the town's obviously closeted Christian minister Glen, the drug addicts ("Skids"), members of the nearby First Nation reservation ("Natives"), the neighbouring Mennonites, and the Québécois. Early plots often revolved around Wayne defending his reputation as "the toughest guy in Letterkenny", the town's unsuccessful ice hockey team, the Skids' schemes to rip everyone off for drug money, and Wayne's dating life after dumping his high school sweetheart who cheated on him.

Each episode begins with a cold open presented in a mockumentary style with characters speaking directly to the camera, which is intercut with a regular sitcom format depicting the scenario the characters are describing; following the opening title sequence the mockumentary style is abandoned and the characters rarely address the camera again within the episode. The show has been praised for subverting the trope of small-town residents being portrayed as narrow-minded and unintelligent; this is most commonly exemplified by the running joke that almost all characters express sophisticated and informed views on social issues and can produce a constant flow of one-liners, puns, comebacks, and wordplay when in conversation with each other.

Cast and characters

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Main article: List of Letterkenny characters

Production

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Letterkenny is filmed in Sudbury, Ontario.[2] It is the first original series commissioned by Crave,[3] and premiered on that platform on February 7, 2016.[4] The town of Letterkenny portrayed in the series is fictional and is not based on the real Letterkenny in Ontario, which is now part of Brudenell, Lyndoch and Raglan.[5] The town in the show is instead loosely based on Keeso's hometown of Listowel, Ontario.[6]

The show has its roots in Letterkenny Problems, a short-form web series created by Keeso and released on YouTube in 2013.[7] The original Letterkenny Problems consisted almost entirely of Keeso and Dales trading off comedic one-liners while simply standing in various locations, a theme that would later resurface as the intro to some Letterkenny episodes.[8] Letterkenny Problems garnered a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Original Fiction Program or Series Created for Digital Media at the 2nd Canadian Screen Awards in 2014.[3]

Tierney and Michael Dowse are also involved in the production of the series.[6] Tierney additionally has a supporting role as Pastor Glen in the series, whose cast also includes Michelle Mylett, Dylan Playfair, Andrew Herr, Tyler Johnston, Lisa Codrington, Kaniehtiio Horn, and K. Trevor Wilson.[9]

In March 2016, Letterkenny was renewed for a second season.[10] In August, just weeks after production wrapped on Season 2, CraveTV announced that they had ordered a third season.[11] A 2017 St. Patrick's Day special episode, "St. Perfect's Day", was released.[12] The third season was released on July 1, 2017 (Canada Day).[13][14] In October 2017, a Halloween episode was released,[15] and it was announced that the series had a new media partner which agreed to a production commitment for 40 new episodes, a 26-city Letterkenny Live! tour beginning in February 2018, and Letterkenny merchandise.[16] The fourth season was released in December 2017.[17] The fifth season was released in June 2018.[18][19]

The Letterkenny Christmas special was released in November 2018, followed by sixth season in December.[20] The Valentine's Day special episode was released in February 2019, followed by the seventh season in October 2019.[21] The eighth season was released in December 2019, and the ninth season was released in December 2020.[22][23] In September 2020, seasons 10 and 11 were confirmed, with filming planned to begin in August 2020 but delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[24] In June 2021, production began on seasons 10 and 11 and it was also announced that Shoresy, the hockey player voiced by Keeso but whose face was never shown in Letterkenny, would be the focus of the spin-off series Shoresy.[25][26][27]

Letterkenny released its 12th and final season on December 25, 2023.[28] To prepare for the final season, New Metric Media re-acquired the distribution sale rights to the series and the rest of their catalog from WildBrain and struck a streaming deal with Netflix internationally.[29] That same month, Crave announced a content deal with Keeso and New Metric Media for at least 49 episodes of Shoresy and other potential Letterkenny spinoffs to be announced.[30]

Episodes

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Main article: List of Letterkenny episodes
Letterkenny seasons
SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
16February 7, 2016 (2016-02-07)
26December 25, 2016 (2016-12-25)
SpecialMarch 17, 2017 (2017-03-17)
36July 1, 2017 (2017-07-01)
SpecialOctober 20, 2017 (2017-10-20)
46December 25, 2017 (2017-12-25)
SpecialMarch 23, 2018 (2018-03-23)
56June 29, 2018 (2018-06-29)
SpecialNovember 23, 2018 (2018-11-23)
66December 25, 2018 (2018-12-25)
SpecialFebruary 1, 2019 (2019-02-01)
76October 11, 2019 (2019-10-11)
87December 25, 2019 (2019-12-25)
97December 25, 2020 (2020-12-25)
106December 25, 2021 (2021-12-25)
SpecialMarch 8, 2022 (2022-03-08)
116December 25, 2022 (2022-12-25)
SpecialMay 19, 2023 (2023-05-19)
126December 25, 2023 (2023-12-25)

Spin-offs

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Littlekenny

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Littlekenny, a six-episode animated spin-off serving as an origin story focusing on the main characters as children, premiered on June 28, 2019.[31] Episodes more closely follow the original Letterkenny Problems format than the extended universe of Letterkenny.[32]

Littlekenny episodes
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"Littlekenny Problems #1"Jared KeesoJared KeesoJune 28, 2019 (2019-06-28)
A boy from Letterkenny tells you his problems.
2"Daryl"Jared KeesoJared KeesoJune 28, 2019 (2019-06-28)
Wayne makes a friend.
3"Littlekenny Problems #2"Jared KeesoJared KeesoJune 28, 2019 (2019-06-28)
Two boys from Letterkenny tell you their problems.
4"Daryl's First Super Soft Birthday"Jared KeesoJared KeesoJune 28, 2019 (2019-06-28)
Wayne and Katy attend Daryl's birthday party.
5"Littlekenny Problems #3"Jared KeesoJared KeesoJune 28, 2019 (2019-06-28)
Two boys from Letterkenny tell you even more of their problems.
6"Daniel"Jared KeesoJared KeesoJune 28, 2019 (2019-06-28)
Wayne and Daryl make a friend.

Shoresy

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In June 2021, Bell Media announced the Letterkenny spin-off Shoresy, based on the eponymous character played by Keeso. The series was written by Keeso and directed by Tierney.[27] It premiered on Crave on May 13, 2022.[33]

Home media

[edit]

The series has been released on DVD in Canada by Elevation Pictures and in the United States by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

Title Episodes Region 1 (Canada) Region 1 (United States) Discs Bonus Features
Season 1 6 November 21, 2017 (2017-11-21)[34] 1
Season 2 7 March 13, 2018 (2018-03-13)[35] 1 Bonus Episode: "St. Perfect's Day"
Seasons 1 & 2 13 November 5, 2019 (2019-11-05)[36] 2 Bonus Episode: "St. Perfect's Day"
Season 3 6 August 7, 2018 (2018-08-07)[37] 1
Season 4 7 October 2, 2018 (2018-10-02)[38] 1 Bonus Episode: "The Haunting of MoDean's II"
Seasons 3 & 4 13 June 9, 2020 (2020-06-09)[39] 2 Bonus Episode: "The Haunting of MoDean's II"
Season 5 7 November 27, 2018 (2018-11-27)[40] 1 Bonus Episode: "Super Hard Easter"
Seasons 1–5 33 November 27, 2018 (2018-11-27)[41] 5 Bonus Episodes:
"St. Perfect's Day"
"The Haunting of MoDean's II"
"Super Hard Easter"
Season 6 7 August 27, 2019 (2019-08-27)[42] 1 Bonus Episode: "The Three Wise Men"
Seasons 5 & 6 14 November 10, 2020 (2020-11-10)[43] 2 Bonus Episodes:
"Super Hard Easter"
"The Three Wise Men"
Season 7 7 February 4, 2020 (2020-02-04)[44] 1 Bonus Episode: "Valentimes Day"
Season 8 7 August 11, 2020 (2020-08-11)[45] 1
Seasons 1–8 54 October 13, 2020 (2020-10-13)[46] 8 Bonus Episodes:
"St. Perfect's Day"
"The Haunting of MoDean's II"
"Super Hard Easter"
"The Three Wise Men"
"Valentimes Day"
Season 9 7 December 14, 2021 1

Reception

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Critical reception

[edit]

John Doyle of The Globe and Mail called the series "refreshing and intoxicating [...] funny, mad, droll, childish, and spiky". Focusing on the show's characteristic use of thick Ontario dialects, he wrote, "Not since Trailer Park Boys launched have we heard the flavourful, salty Canadian vernacular used with such aplomb and abandon. [...] Almost all the conversations are raw comedy and utterly plausible as small-town guy talk, not just in Canada but in villages and parishes wherever the grass grows."[7] Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone called the show "marvelously goofy [...] strange, simple, [and] delightful".[47]

The series has also been praised for its complex and fully-rounded depiction of its First Nations characters, which the producers attribute to the show's practice of involving the actors directly in the creation, writing, and costuming of their characters.[48]

Ratings

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Crave stated that Letterkenny's debut was the biggest debut of any series on their platform since it launched in 2014, and that (as of March 10, 2016) nearly one third of all its subscribers have watched the series.[10]

Accolades

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Awards and nominations received by Letterkenny
Award Year Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
Canadian Comedy Awards 2016 Best TV Show Letterkenny Nominated [49]
Canadian Screen Awards 2014 Best Original Fiction Program or Series Created for Digital Media Letterkenny Problems Nominated [3]
2017 Best Comedy Series Mark Montefiore, Patrick O'Sullivan, Jared Keeso, Jacob Tierney Won [50]
Best Direction in a Comedy Program or Series Jacob Tierney ("Super Soft Birthday") Won
Best Writing in a Comedy Program or Series Jacob Tierney and Jared Keeso ("Super Soft Birthday") Won
Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Comedic Role Jared Keeso Nominated
Best Achievement in Casting Jenny Lewis, Sara Kay ("Rave") Nominated
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role or Guest Role in a Comedic Series Nathan Dales Nominated
Best Picture Editing in a Comedy Program or Series Erin Deck ("Super Soft Birthday") Nominated
Duncan Christie ("Ain't No Reason To Get Excited") Nominated
2018 Best Comedy Series Mark Montefiore, Patrick O'Sullivan, Jared Keeso, Jacob Tierney Nominated [51][52]
Best Direction in a Comedy Program or Series Jacob Tierney ("The Election") Won
Best Writing in a Comedy Program or Series Jacob Tierney and Jared Keeso ("Relationships") Won
Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Comedic Role Jared Keeso Nominated
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role or Guest Role in a Comedic Series K. Trevor Wilson Nominated
Best Photography in a Comedic Series Jim Westenbrink ("Relationships") Nominated
Best Picture Editing in a Comedic Series Christopher Minns ("The Election") Nominated
Best Sound in a Fiction Series Rick Penn, Jamie Sulek, Devin Doucette, Kieran Sherry, Rob Ainsley, Clive Turner ("Relationships") Nominated
Best Casting Jenny Lewis, Sara Kay Nominated
2019 Best Comedy Series Letterkenny Nominated [53]
Best Lead Actor, Comedy Jared Keeso Won
Best Writing, Comedy Jared Keeso, Jacob Tierney Won
2020 Best Comedy Series Letterkenny Nominated
Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Jared Keeso Nominated
Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Michelle Mylett Nominated
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Mark Forward Nominated
Best Photography in a Comedy Series Jim Westenbrink — "The City" Nominated
Best Picture Editing, Comedy Drew MacLeod — "Dyck's Slip Out" Nominated
Kyle Martin — "Letterkenny vs. Penny" Nominated
Best Stunt Coordination Dan Skene — "In It to Win It" Nominated
Best Direction in a Comedy Series Jacob Tierney — "Yew!" Won
Best Writing in a Comedy Series Jared Keeso, Jacob Tierney — "Yew!" Won
2021 Best Comedy Series Letterkenny Nominated
Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Jared Keeso Nominated
Best Casting in a Television Series Jenny Lewis, Sara Kay Nominated
Best Photography in a Comedy Series Jim Westenbrink — "The Rippers" Nominated
Best Picture Editing, Comedy Kyle Martin — "Yard Sale Saturday" Nominated
Best Stunt Coordination Dan Skene Nominated
2022 Best Comedy Series Letterkenny Nominated [54]
Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Jared Keeso Nominated
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Lisa Codrington Nominated
Kaniehtiio Horn Won
Best Photography in a Comedy Program or Series Jim Westenbrink — "Sleepover" Won
Best Editing in a Comedy Program or Series Kyle Martin — "Sleepover" Won
Best Writing in a Comedy Series Jared Keeso, Mark Forward — "Kids with Problems" Nominated
WGC Screenwriting Awards 2017 Best Script From a Rookie Series Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney ("Ain't No Reason to Get Excited") Nominated [55]
Best TV Comedy Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney ("Super Soft Birthday") Won
2018 Best TV Comedy Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney ("Relationships") Won [56]

Notes

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  1. ^ Keeso's face is obscured when playing Shoresy and was only revealed in the character's own spin-off series.

References

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  1. ^ Letterkenny special episode "St. Perfect's Day" (2017)
  2. ^ Yeo, Debra (May 26, 2015). "Jared Keeso series Letterkenny shooting in Sudbury". The Star. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c "Crave TV orders up first original series: Letterkenny". Winnipeg Free Press. March 5, 2015. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  4. ^ Adams, Blair (November 9, 2015). "TV Show "Letterkenny", starring Listowel's Jared Keeso, has a launch date". 570 News. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  5. ^ "Letterkenny is coming to CraveTV and we couldn't be more excited". TSN. December 26, 2015. Archived from the original on March 30, 2017. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  6. ^ a b Szklarski, Cassandra (March 5, 2015). "'19-2' star Jared Keeso to helm original scripted comedy for CraveTV". CTV News. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  7. ^ a b Doyle, John (February 8, 2016). "John Doyle: Letterkenny's a refreshing and intoxicating Canadian comedy". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  8. ^ Brioux, Bill (February 9, 2016). "Comedy Letterkenny kicks off Sunday". The Daily Gleaner.
  9. ^ Pinto, Jordan (May 28, 2015). "Why CraveTV didn't have a problem with Letterkenny". Playback Online. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  10. ^ a b "Letterkenny's Huge Launch on CraveTV Fuels Second Season Order". Bell Media. March 10, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  11. ^ "Told Ya this Was a Huge Deal Bud. CraveTV Orders a Third Season of LETTERKENNY". Bell Media. August 8, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  12. ^ Yeo, Debra (January 19, 2017). "Letterkenny to drop special St. Patrick's Day episode". The Star. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  13. ^ Yeo, Debra (June 6, 2017). "Letterkenny Season 3 brings a taste of winter to summer". Toronto Star. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  14. ^ "Letterkenny Season 3 arrives on CraveTV on Canada Day". Canadian Press. June 1, 2017. Archived from the original on July 15, 2017. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  15. ^ "CraveTV Alert: S-s-s-p-p-c-ecial Halloween Episode of LETTERKENNY Drops October 20 on CraveTV". Bell Media. October 2, 2017. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  16. ^ "CraveTV Enters into Comprehensive Multi-Year Partnership with New Metric Media to Build LETTERKENNY Brand Worldwide". Bell Media. October 23, 2017. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  17. ^ "Don't Even Needs to Sugar Coats It, Another Six-Pack of LETTERKENNY to Launch Christmas Day". Bell Media. December 11, 2017. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  18. ^ Daley, Dean (June 25, 2018). "Letterkenny season 5 comes to CraveTV on June 29". MobileSyrup. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  19. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (June 6, 2018). "Hulu Nabs U.S. Rights to Canadian Comedy Hit 'Letterkenny' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  20. ^ Vlessing, Etan (December 17, 2018). "Hulu to Stream Four More Seasons of Canadian Comedy 'Letterkenny'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  21. ^ White, Peter (June 6, 2019). "Canadian Comedy 'Letterkenny' To Become Hulu Original As Season Seven Launches On October 14". Deadline. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  22. ^ "Original Entertainment Productions for Bell Media's English-Language Services Announced". Bell Media. June 23, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  23. ^ "Seeins' it's Traditions, LETTERKENNY Season 9 Streams Christmas Day on Crave". Bell Media. November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  24. ^ Ulrichsen, Heidi (September 29, 2020). "Letterkenny, Resident Evil reboot on the slate as film productions resume". Sudbury.com. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  25. ^ "The Puck Drops on Crave Original Series SHORESY, May 13". Bell Media. April 19, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  26. ^ "Bell Media Announces English and French-Language Original Programming Orders and Renewals for 2021/22 Season" (Press release). Bell Media. June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  27. ^ a b Ahearn, Victoria (June 10, 2021). "'The Amazing Race Canada,' 'Letterkenny' spinoff join upcoming Bell Media lineup". Toronto Star. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  28. ^ Otterson, Joe (November 2, 2023). "'Letterkenny' to End With Season 12 at Hulu, Sets Premiere Date". Variety. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  29. ^ Pinto, Jordan (November 27, 2023). "New Metric buys back Letterkenny sales rights, strikes Euro deals with Netflix". C21 Media. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  30. ^ Goldbart, Max (December 6, 2023). "'Letterkenny' Creator Jared Keeso Strikes First-Of-Its-Kind Content Pact With Crave & New Metric". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  31. ^ Yeo, Debra (June 20, 2019). "Letterkenny gets an animated spinoff: Littlekenny". Toronto Star. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  32. ^ "Littlekenny". Crave. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  33. ^ David, Greg (April 19, 2022). "The puck drops on Crave original series Shoresy, May 13". TV, eh?. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  34. ^ "Letterkenny: Season 1". Amazon.ca. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  35. ^ "Letterkenny: Season 2". Amazon.ca. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  36. ^ "Letterkenny: Seasons 1 & 2". Amazon.com. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  37. ^ "Letterkenny: Season 3". Amazon.ca. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  38. ^ "Letterkenny: Season 4". Amazon.ca. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  39. ^ "Letterkenny: Seasons 3 & 4". Amazon.com. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  40. ^ "Letterkenny: Season 5". Amazon.ca. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  41. ^ "Letterkenny: Season 1–5 Collection". Amazon.ca. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  42. ^ "Letterkenny: Season 6". Amazon.ca. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  43. ^ "Letterkenny: Seasons 5 & 6". Amazon.com. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  44. ^ "Letterkenny: Season 7". Amazon.ca. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  45. ^ "Letterkenny: Season 8". Amazon.ca. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  46. ^ "Letterkenny: Season 1–8". Amazon.ca. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  47. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (July 19, 2018). "'Letterkenny' Review: Wonderfully Weird Canadian Comedy Comes to Hulu". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
  48. ^ Boutsalis, Kelly (December 7, 2020). "How Letterkenny Got Indigenous Representation So Right". Flare. Archived from the original on December 13, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  49. ^ "2016 Canadian Comedy Awards". Canadian Comedy Awards 2016. Archived from the original on February 17, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  50. ^ "2017 TV Nominees". Academy.ca. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  51. ^ "2018 TV Nominees". Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  52. ^ Furdyk, Brent (March 12, 2017). "2017 Canadian Screen Awards: And The Winners Are…". ET Canada. Archived from the original on March 13, 2017. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  53. ^ "2019 Canadian Screen Awards: Complete list of winners from TV gala". Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  54. ^ Brent Furdyk, "2022 Canadian Screen Award Nominees Announced, ‘Sort Of’ & ‘Scarborough’ Lead The Pack". ET Canada, February 15, 2022.
  55. ^ "Announcing the WGC Screenwriting Awards Finalists" (PDF). Writers Guild of Canada. February 28, 2017. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  56. ^ Lauren Malyk, "Polley, Filiatrault, Nealon among WGC Awards winners". Playback, May 1, 2018.
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