Sort Of (TV series)

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Sort Of
GenreComedy-drama
Created by
Starring
Country of originCanada
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes24
Production
Executive producers
  • Jennifer Kawaja
  • Julia Sereny
  • Bruno Dube
  • Bilal Baig
  • Fab Filippo
  • Laura Perlmutter
  • Ian Iqbal Rashid
Producers
  • Jessica Daniel
  • Andrea Glinski
  • Elise Cousineau
Production locationsToronto, Ontario
Running time21–22 minutes
Production companySienna Films
Original release
NetworkCBC Television
ReleaseNovember 9, 2021 (2021-11-09) –
December 8, 2023 (2023-12-08)

Sort Of is a Canadian television sitcom, released on CBC Television beginning in 2021.[1] Created by Bilal Baig and Fab Filippo, the series stars Baig as Sabi Mehboob, a non-binary millennial trying to balance their roles as a child of Pakistani immigrant parents, a bartender at an LGBTQ bookstore and café, and a caregiver to the young children of a professional couple.[2]

The show aired on CBC Television and CBC Gem in Canada and on HBO Max in the U.S., and ran for three seasons.[3][4][5] The series received positive reviews from critics and was the most-nominated television series at the 10th Canadian Screen Awards.[6][7] The show has won Best Comedy Series at the Canadian Screen Awards twice and won a Peabody Award.[8]

In October 2023, it was announced that the third season would also be the last.[9] Season three started broadcasting on November 17 on CBC and the final episode was released on December 8.[10]

Cast and characters[edit]

  • Bilal Baig as Sabi Mehboob:
    A first generation Pakistani-Canadian trying to navigate life as they embrace their non-binary identity and combat the cultural expectations that have been put upon them, all while grappling with the severe injuries that their friend and employer, Bessy, has suffered.[11][12]
  • Gray Powell as Paul Bauer:
    Sabi's employer and husband to Bessy. He is a therapist who ironically has trouble noticing his own family's needs and struggles as well as his own. Much like Sabi, he is left to walk on his own path of self discovery and exploration in the wake of his wife's accident, often questioning how much he really knows about the lives of Bessy and their children.
  • Kaya Kanashiro as Violet Kaneko-Bauer:
    Bessy and Paul's daughter and oldest child. She is entering a stage of rebellion as her mother's accident becomes increasingly more difficult to deal with emotionally.
  • Aden Bedard as Henry Kaneko-Bauer:
    Bessy and Paul's son and youngest child. He is a mostly quiet kid who spends more time glued to his devices than looking up at people's faces.
  • Amanda Cordner as 7ven:
    Sabi's best friend and confidant. When the opportunity to move to Berlin for a job in the art world arises, they invite Sabi to join on this new adventure in the "queer capital of the world" and leave their lives behind.[13] 7ven is always pushing Sabi to embrace their identity and focus on their own needs rather than the needs of others. They don't always approve of how much Sabi's nannying consumes their life, but is always there to lend a hand when asked.
  • Grace Lynn Kung as Bessy Kaneko:
    Sabi's employer and friend. An intellectual who feels constrained by the mold society imposes on a mother and a wife. Early in the series she has a biking accident which causes her to fall into a coma.
  • Ellora Patnaik as Raffo Mehboob:
    Sabi and Aqsa's mother. A Pakistani immigrant living on her own as her two grown children have long moved out and her husband lives overseas. Though he may not be physically present, her husband–and the cultural values he represents–looms over her as she tries to understand her children better and, in the process, understand herself.
  • Supinder Wraich as Aqsa Mehboob:
    Sabi's sister and roommate. Like her sibling, Aqsa tries to break away from her strict upbringing. She forms part of Sabi's support system, though at times their views on navigating their family's expectations and cultural beliefs differ.
  • Gregory Ambrose Calderone as Lewis:
    Sabi's love interest at the onset of the series. He attempts to maintain a relationship with them while simultaneously feeling conflicted/ashamed of his partner's gender identity.

Supporting cast also includes Becca Blackwell (Deenzie), Alanna Bale, Amanda Brugel (Gaia), and Cassandra James (Olympia).[1][14]

Production[edit]

Sort Of was written by Baig, Filippo, Jenn Engels, Nelu Handa and Ian Iqbal Rashid, and directed by Filippo and Renuka Jeyapalan. Ian Iqbal Rashid and Jenn Engels were also co-executive producers.[15]

The bookstore where Sabi works was inspired by Toronto's Glad Day Bookshop, an LGBTQ bookstore and café in the Church and Wellesley village, although the bookstore scenes in the series were filmed in a vacant space on Queen Street West.[16]

Release[edit]

The series launched on CBC Gem on 5 October 2021, in advance of its television premiere on 9 November.[17] In advance of the CBC Gem launch, selected episodes received a preview screening in the Primetime program at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival.[18] In the United States, HBO Max picked up the series and premiered on 18 November 2021.[19][20] The series has also been picked up by Sky Comedy in the United Kingdom, Stan in Australia (available from October 5), and M6 in France.[21]

Episodes[edit]

SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast releasedNetwork
18November 9, 2021 (2021-11-09)November 30, 2021 (2021-11-30)CBC
28November 15, 2022 (2022-11-15)December 6, 2022 (2022-12-06)
38November 17, 2023 (2023-11-17)December 8, 2023 (2023-12-08)CBC Gem

Season 1 (2021)[edit]

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date [a]
11"Sort of Gone"[23]Fab FilippoBilal Baig & Fab FilippoNovember 9, 2021 (2021-11-09)
22"Sort of Back"[24]Fab FilippoJenn EngelsNovember 9, 2021 (2021-11-09)
33"Sort of Mary Poppins"[25]Fab FilippoIan Iqbal RashidNovember 16, 2021 (2021-11-16)
44"Sort of Stable"[26]Fab FilippoNelu HandaNovember 16, 2021 (2021-11-16)
55"Sort of a Party"[27]Renuka JeyapalanBilal Baig & Fab FilippoNovember 23, 2021 (2021-11-23)
66"Sort of Ellen"[28]Renuka JeyapalanBilal BaigNovember 23, 2021 (2021-11-23)
77"Sort of a Miracle"[29]Fab FilippoIan Iqbal RashidNovember 30, 2021 (2021-11-30)
88"Sort of Back Again"[30]Fab FilippoBilal Baig & Fab FilippoNovember 30, 2021 (2021-11-30)

Season 2 (2022)[edit]

No.
overall		No. in
season		Title [31]Directed byWritten byOriginal air date [31]
91"Sort of Future"Fab FilippoBilal Baig & Fab FilippoNovember 15, 2022 (2022-11-15)
102"Sort of 2gethr"Fab FilippoJenn EngelsNovember 15, 2022 (2022-11-15)
113"Sort of Broke"Fab FilippoJP LarocqueNovember 22, 2022 (2022-11-22)
124"Sort of Who She Is"Joyce WongIan Iqbal RashidNovember 22, 2022 (2022-11-22)
135"Sort of Amsterdam"Joyce WongKyah Green & Léa Geronimo RondotNovember 29, 2022 (2022-11-29)
146"Sort of I Love You"Joyce WongBilal Baig & Fab FilippoNovember 29, 2022 (2022-11-29)
157"Sort of Opening"J StevensJenn EngelsDecember 6, 2022 (2022-12-06)
168"Sort of Janazah"Fab FilippoBilal Baig & Fab FilippoDecember 6, 2022 (2022-12-06)

Season 3 (2023)[edit]

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
171"Sort of Aftermath"Fab FilippoBilal Baig & Fab FilippoNovember 17, 2023 (2023-11-17)
182"Sort of Chaaliswan"Shamim SarifIan Iqbal RashidNovember 17, 2023 (2023-11-17)
193"The Sort of Truth"Shamim SarifFab FilippoNovember 24, 2023 (2023-11-24)
204"Sort of Married"Shamim SarifIan Iqbal RashidNovember 24, 2023 (2023-11-24)
215"Sort of the Worst Yoda"Fab FilippoBilal BaigDecember 1, 2023 (2023-12-01)
226"Sort of Hospital Again"Fab FilippoTricia FishDecember 1, 2023 (2023-12-01)
237"Sort of Anything You Want"Shamim SarifBilal Baig & Fab FilippoDecember 8, 2023 (2023-12-08)
248"Sort of Gone Again"Fab FilippoBilal Baig & Fab FilippoDecember 8, 2023 (2023-12-08)

Reception[edit]

Critical reception[edit]

The first season received positive reviews from critics. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the season holds an approval rating of 100% with an average rating of 8.6 out of 10, based on 12 reviews.[7] The second season holds an approval rating of 100% with an average rating of 8.0 out of 10, based on 6 reviews.[32]

Accolades[edit]

Sort Of was nominated for the Outstanding New TV Series category for the 33rd GLAAD Media Awards in 2022.[33] It also received a Peabody Award in the Entertainment category in 2022.[34]

It was the most-nominated television series at the 10th Canadian Screen Awards in 2022, with 13 nominations. It won the award for Best Comedy Series.[6] It was also shortlisted for the fan-voted Audience Choice Award.[35]

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref(s)
GLAAD Media Award 2022 Outstanding New TV Series Sort Of Nominated [36]
2023 Outstanding Comedy Series Sort Of Nominated [37]
Gotham Awards 2022 Outstanding Performance in a New Series Bilal Baig Nominated [38]
Canadian Screen Awards 2022 Best Comedy Series Bilal Baig, Fab Filippo, Jennifer Kawaja, Julia Sereny, Bruno Dubé Won [6]
Best Direction in a Comedy Series Renuka Jeyapalan — "Sort Of a Party" Nominated
Fab Filippo — "Sort Of Mary Poppins" Nominated
Best Writing in a Comedy Series Jenn Engels — "Sort Of Back" Nominated
Bilal Baig, Fab Filippo — "Sort Of Gone" Won
Ian Iqbal Rashid — "Sort Of Mary Poppins" Nominated
Best Photography in a Comedy Series Stephen Reizes — "Sort Of Stable" Nominated
Best Picture Editing in a Comedy Series Sam Thomson, Craig Webster — "Sort of Stable" Nominated
Best Sound, Fiction Daryl Purdy, Paul Germann, Martin Gwynn Jones, Graham Rogers, Kevin Schultz, Jenna Dalla Riva, Goro Koyama — "Sort Of Miracle" Nominated
Best Production Design or Art Direction, Fiction Chris Crane, Joël Guzman — "Sort Of a Party" Nominated
Best Costume Design Shelley Mansell — "Sort Of Back Again" Nominated
Best Makeup Jessica Carter, Steve Newburn — "Sort Of Back Again" Won
Best Casting, Fiction Jon Comerford Nominated
Audience Choice Award Sort Of Nominated [35]
2023 Best Comedy Series Jennifer Kawaja, Bruno Dubé, Bilal Baig, Fab Filippo Won [39]
Best Lead Performance, Comedy Bilal Baig Won
Best Supporting Performance, Comedy Amanda Cordner Nominated
Performance in a guest role in a comedy series Amanda Brugel Won
Best Costume Design Crystal Silden — "Sort Of 2gethr" Nominated
Best Production Design/Art Direction in a Fiction Program or Series Ingrid Jurek, M-A Orenstein, Jenn Luckas — "Sort Of Janazah" Nominated
Best Editing in a Comedy Program or Series Hugh Elchuk — "Sort Of Amsterdam" Nominated
Marianna Khoury — "Sort Of 2gethr" Won
Best Sound in a Fiction Program or Series Paul Germann, Martin Gwynn Jones, Rob Ainsley, Bryan Day, Graham Rogers, Goro Koyama, Jenna Dalla Riva — "Sort Of Future" Nominated
Best Direction, Comedy Fab Filippo — "Sort Of Janazah" Won
Joyce Wong — "Sort Of I Love You" Nominated
Best Original Music, Comedy Ceréna, Emily Persich, Moël, Terrell Morris, Shan Vincent de Paul, Vivek Shraya Won
Best Original Song Emily Persich — "Superpowers" Nominated
Best Writing, Comedy Bilal Baig and Fab Filippo — "Sort Of I Love You" Won
JP Larocque — "Sort Of Broke" Nominated
Peabody Award 2022 Entertainment Sort Of Nominated [40]

External links[edit]

  • [1] CBC Official Site
  • [2] Max Official Site

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ All episodes were released on CBC Gem on 5 October 2021, ahead of their linear premieres on CBC Television. Episodes 3–8 were initially made available only to subscribers to CBC Gem's paid Premium tier.[22]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Greg David, "CBC greenlights Sort Of, from creators Bilal Baig and Fab Filippo". TV, eh?, October 15, 2020.
  2. ^ "Entertainment news: New CBC comedy will star genderqueer playwright Bilal Baig as a gender-fluid millennial". Toronto Star, October 15, 2020.
  3. ^ "This Show Hasn't Gotten Enough Praise — And It's Back For Its Final Season". HuffPost. 2024-01-18. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  4. ^ Petski, Denise (February 25, 2022). "'Sort Of' Renewed For Season 2 By HBO Max & CBC". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  5. ^ Campione, Katie (December 15, 2022). "'Sort Of' Renewed For Season 3 By HBO Max & CBC". Deadline Hollywood.
  6. ^ a b c Brent Furdyk, "2022 Canadian Screen Award Nominees Announced, ‘Sort Of’ & ‘Scarborough’ Lead The Pack". ET Canada, February 15, 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Sort Of". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  8. ^ Reporter, Aisling Murphy Staff (2022-06-07). "Canadian TV series 'Sort Of' wins Peabody Award". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  9. ^ Brew, Caroline (October 5, 2023). "'Sort Of' to End With Third and Final Season at CBC, Max". Variety.
  10. ^ Greg David, "Co-creators of Sort Of announce the acclaimed series will end with Season 3". TV, eh?, October 5, 2023.
  11. ^ "HBO Max's low-key gem 'Sort Of' is funny, tender and humane". NPR.org. Retrieved 2021-12-20.
  12. ^ "HBO's "Sort Of" Shows How We Are "All in Transition"". them. 2021-12-16. Retrieved 2021-12-20.
  13. ^ "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Sort Of' On HBO Max, A Comedy About A Nonbinary Millennial Who Sticks With The Family They Nanny During A Crisis". Decider. 2021-11-18. Retrieved 2021-12-20.
  14. ^ Sort Of (TV Series 2021– ) - IMDb, retrieved 2021-12-20
  15. ^ Kelly Townsend, "CBC greenlights LGBTQ comedy from Sienna Films". Playback, October 15, 2020. Ian Iqbal Rashid wrote across all three seasons of the show.
  16. ^ "The Most Memorable Toronto locations filmed in CBC’s new series Sort Of". Toronto Life.
  17. ^ Victoria Ahearn, "CBC's fall-winter lineup includes Indigenous investigative drama 'The Red'". CityNews, June 2, 2021.
  18. ^ "Julia Child doc, Colin Kaepernick drama, CBC genderfluid dramedy join TIFF lineup" Archived 2021-08-14 at the Wayback Machine. Victoria Times-Colonist, August 13, 2021.
  19. ^ Tapp, Tom (August 12, 2021). "HBO Max Teams With CBC On Comedy Series 'Sort Of'; Fall Premiere Set". Deadline Hollywood.
  20. ^ ""King Richard," "The Sex Lives of College Girls," "South Side," "Black and Missing," "8-Bit Christmas" and More Arrive on HBO Max This November" (Press release). WarnerMedia. October 21, 2021 – via The Futon Critic.
  21. ^ Jordan Pinto, "Sky, Stan all in for CBC and HBO Max original Sort Of". Playback, August 18, 2021.
  22. ^ "Sort Of". CBC Gem. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  23. ^ "EIDR Record: (2021-06-09, TV)". Entertainment Identifier Registry (EIDR). 2021. doi:10.5240/8315-CC3A-2EE4-3409-F11C-A. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  24. ^ "EIDR Record: (2021-06-09, TV)". Entertainment Identifier Registry (EIDR). 2021. doi:10.5240/8959-1B8B-841D-8FB9-6A91-R. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  25. ^ "EIDR Record: (2021-06-09, TV)". Entertainment Identifier Registry (EIDR). 2021. doi:10.5240/90C5-9DAD-90E1-5149-62EA-B. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  26. ^ "EIDR Record: (2021-06-09, TV)". Entertainment Identifier Registry (EIDR). 2021. doi:10.5240/2B94-4F2F-B233-3397-6937-C. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  27. ^ "EIDR Record: (2021-06-09, TV)". Entertainment Identifier Registry (EIDR). 2021. doi:10.5240/3E1C-1462-C9B3-3F50-00D1-N. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  28. ^ "EIDR Record: (2021-06-09, TV)". Entertainment Identifier Registry (EIDR). 2021. doi:10.5240/0DBC-B36C-FCB0-BA19-5138-6. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  29. ^ "EIDR Record: (2021-06-09, TV)". Entertainment Identifier Registry (EIDR). 2021. doi:10.5240/43F0-D38B-AB2C-0DC9-11E7-H. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  30. ^ "EIDR Record: (2021-06-09, TV)". Entertainment Identifier Registry (EIDR). 2021. doi:10.5240/9EE7-69DA-2F8C-14C4-6D13-R. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  31. ^ a b "Sort Of – Listings". Zap2it. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  32. ^ "Sort Of Season Two". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  33. ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (January 19, 2022). "GLAAD Media Awards: Yellowjackets, Chucky, Doom Patrol, Harlem and Hacks Among First-Time TV Nominees". TVLine. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  34. ^ "Sort Of," from PeabodyAwards.com, 6/7/2022
  35. ^ a b Jamie Samhan, "The 2022 Canadian Screen Awards’ Cogeco Fund Audience Choice Award Nominees Announced". ET Canada, February 1, 2022.
  36. ^ "GLAAD ANNOUNCES NOMINEES FOR THE 33RD ANNUAL GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS". GLAAD. 2022-01-18. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  37. ^ "Bros, Fire Island, Omar Apollo Lead 2023 GLAAD Media Award Nominees". www.out.com. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  38. ^ Shanfeld, Ethan (2022-10-25). "'Tár' Leads Gotham Awards Nominations: Full List". Variety. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  39. ^ "2023 Canadian Screen Awards Nominees". Academy.ca. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  40. ^ Voyles, Blake (September 20, 2023). "83rd Peabody Award Nominees". Retrieved September 20, 2023.
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