'We made it for Inuit': North of North creators thrilled to start work on new season
CBC
Over eight episodes, the fictional hamlet of Ice Cove, Nunavut, brought audiences humour, culture and community — and there's more on the way, as Arctic comedy North of North is renewed for a second season.
The show made Netflix's top 10 in 27 countries, but its creators say that for them, the northern audience is the one that matters.
"We made it for a global audience, but we made it for Inuit," said co-creator Stacey Aglok MacDonald.
"We want Inuit and our fellow Inuit in our communities to feel seen and to feel like we did a good job and that we did right by our community. And just to see the outpouring of love and support, not just in Iqaluit but across all of Inuit Nunangat, it's been really like, thank goodness."
APTN, Netflix and CBC renewed the series on April 29 and co-creators Alethea Arnaquq-Baril and Aglok MacDonald say they're thrilled to be back with their characters.
"We love Siaja, we love Neevee, we love Kuuk, and just to be able to spend time with them again in dreaming up what comes next for each of them, it's joyful and emotional," Aglok MacDonald said.
The first season was filmed in Iqaluit and Mayor Solomon Awa says the show is good for the city too. On top of the economic benefits from having the cast and crew in town for production, the series gives viewers a taste of the Arctic's beauty.
"People who are talking about, 'oh, I want to go to Iqaluit.' [They see it] and they say, 'oh, this is Iqaluit, wow.'"
Awa himself appears in North of North as the character Lazarus. He said he's enjoyed being a part of the series and especially enjoyed the role Lazarus has played in guiding main character Siaja.
"A lot of people told me, 'I saw you on the TV.' They also mentioned, 'I like what you said. It touched me.'"
Aglok MacDonald and Arnaquq-Baril say they've begun writing the next season but it's still too early to know when they might start filming or when season two will be released.
Arnaquq-Baril says she hopes to see lots of Inuit, especially more men, coming out to audition for the second season and to join them, and audiences, back in Ice Cove.
Police in Metro Vancouver are warning drivers to remain attentive, even in a self-driving vehicle, after ticketing a woman who "appeared to be literally asleep at the wheel" on Highway 1.
Some century-old churches on P.E.I. are renovating to become more accessible, which includes updates to accommodate many different kinds of needs.
Toronto police headed to school zones Monday as part of a safety blitz following March Break.
WARNING: This story details experiences at residential schools.
The N.W.T. Coroner Service has identified the Nunavut man who died in RCMP custody in Yellowknife last Thursday.
The Liberal government's nominee to be the next fiscal watchdog insists she'll run an independent and non-partisan ship — even though her candidacy has created a political rift.
Two years after Calgary city council held its longest public hearing in the city's history, another marathon session began on Monday to tackle the same contentious subject: blanket rezoning.
Quebec resident Antoine Forest was one of the pilots killed in the Sunday night crash at New York's LaGuardia airport, according to Radio-Canada sources.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford's cellphone records took centre stage as the provincial legislature resumed sitting Monday for the first time since December, with the opposition accusing the premier of having something to hide.
The P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation hosted its annual heritage awards, recognizing Islanders who help maintain the island's culture and traditions.
A new independent review of Yukon’s education system is receiving pushback from advocates.
The RCMP has not recruited enough new officers or effectively assigned its members to meet its operational needs, according to a new report from the auditor general — raising concerns about public safety across the country.
Oil prices fell Monday morning after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would hold off on striking Iran’s energy infrastructure amid productive talks between the two countries.