opinion

CBC shows off circus tricks and rescue pups, but no new dramas or comedies at 2025-26 upfront

Scene from Season 14 of Murdoch Mysteries. CBC has three short new docuseries coming up - all centring on Montreal-area stories.

Rescue dogs! Circus tricks! CBC put on a show about its upcoming 2025-26 season at its downtown Toronto headquarters on Wednesday.

Unfortunately, the overall impression left by the live performance was not of a national public broadcaster reinvigorated after a brush with death by defunding, but an institution spinning its wheels, especially in terms of scripted entertainment.

It’s “upfront” week in Toronto - with Corus and Rogers and Bell Media all showcasing shiny new wares to advertisers and the media. But unlike those private companies, the CBC didn’t hav

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