Cool Canadian comedy North of North is on the hot list

Anna Lambe, who stars as Siaja in North of North, will be later seen in Hollywood productions Heart of the Beast with Brad Pitt and The Social Reckoning starring Jeremy Allen White.  Photo by CBC/APTN/Netflix

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It’s not just Heated Rivalry.

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While the Crave hockey romance continues to make its mark on pop culture, another Canadian television series is showing the world what it means to live north of the border. Way north of the border, in fact, in the fictional Arctic community of Ice Cove.

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The series is North of North, a heartwarmer from APTN, CBC and Netflix that in its first season won nine Canadian Screen Awards, including best comedy series and best comedic lead performer for Anna Lambe. It also landed write-ups in outlets including Vogue and the New York Times.

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North of North centres on newly single mom Siaja (played by Inuk actress Lambe), who’s trying to reinvent herself and make life better for those around her. She’s not perfect — taking initiative at the community centre where she works often involves some sort of shenaniganry.

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But she keeps pushing forward. And that’s what Lambe, who has also appeared in shows such as Trickster and True Detective, sees resonating with viewers.

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“One of the greatest gifts has been the response to the show, particularly from young people who feel seen and represented and inspired, who want to take risks, and who see Siaja making mistakes and not knowing what she’s doing but trying anyways,” says Lambe.

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“It’s emboldening and empowering young people to choose themselves as well. That has been, to me, the marker of success — knowing that there’s a tangible impact behind the show, not just how widely it’s been seen.”

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Anna Lambe Photo by CBC

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North of North is created, executive-produced and written by Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, both Inuit women who grew up in Nunavut. Season 2 premièred Sept. 8 in Canada, on CBC, CBC Gem, and APTN. It started streaming Sept. 1 on APTN+ and launches globally on Netflix later this year.

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As season 2 opens, winter is settling on Ice Cove. Siaja is looking for more responsibility at work while co-parenting her daughter with help from her mom, Neevee (Maika Harper). She’s also bonding with her new-found father, Alistair (Jay Ryan), and learning about a half-sister she never knew existed.

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Jason Priestley directs the third episode, which guest-stars Bruce McCulloch as a camouflage-clad First Aid instructor at the community centre. He’s also the ex of Siaja’s boss, Helen (Mary Lynn Rajskub).

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“The episode with Bruce and Jason was maybe one of the hardest episodes to have shot this season. We were out on the ice for two full days,” says Lambe, who herself is from Iqaluit, Nunavut. “It was minus 50 both days to get what we needed for the episode.”

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She adds of McCulloch, “You get that Kids in the Hall zaniness, and he’s still got it. Especially watching him perform with Mary Lynn Rajskub and hearing the two of them — who are such legends of comedy — improv and go back and forth … Just trying not to break in the scene and trying to hold it together was so much fun.”

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Looking at the show’s through-lines, Lambe is grateful to highlight foundational parts of Inuit culture, such as the dynamic between elders (the Knowledge Keepers) and children (the next generation) as well as the importance of hunting for both survival and community.