Rachael Neumann
CTV – CTV2 – CTV Life Channel – CTV Comedy Channel – CTV Drama Channel – CTV Sci-Fi Channel
From Canadian Comedy Phenom Jasmeet Raina, the All-New Crave Original Series LATE BLOOMER Debuts January 19
– Created by and starring Jasmeet Raina (Jus Reign), the eight-part series is loosely inspired by Raina’s life as a Punjabi Sikh millennial and online celebrity navigating the intersection of cultural traditions and contemporary life in North America –
– LATE BLOOMER is produced by Pier 21 Films, in association with Bell Media –
– LATE BLOOMER is produced by Pier 21 Films, in association with Bell Media –
TORONTO (December 18, 2023) – Comedian, storyteller, and content creator Jasmeet Raina makes his anticipated return to the screen with the debut of Crave’s new eight-part original comedy series LATE BLOOMER, premiering Friday, Jan. 19. Created by and starring Raina, LATE BLOOMER follows burgeoning content creator Jasmeet Dutta (Raina) as he tries to balance his ambitions for success with his commitment to his family, community, and culture.
Raina is joined onscreen by an eclectic ensemble cast including newcomers Baljinder Singh Atwal (DES PARDES) and Sandeep Bali as Jasmeet’s parents, Gurdeep and Supinder; alongside Ashley Ganger (GRAND ARMY) as Jasmeet’s sister, Maanvi; Sugenja Sri (THE HANDMAID’S TALE) and Sachin Mahashi as friends, Chippy and Sunny; and Ahamed Weinberg (INSECURE) as cousin Neal.
“I’m excited to finally debut my next flagship project,” said Raina. “LATE BLOOMER is a story that comes from a heartfelt place and is another step in the evolution of my artistry. I hope it makes audiences feel something – just as it did for me while creating it.”
In the series debut, “NUDES,” Jasmeet’s laptop goes missing, along with his ‘tasteful’ nude self-portraits, and he needs it back before the photos leak and cause chaos. Next up, in “HOW TO BE VIRAL,” Jasmeet tries to network his way into levelling up his career, but a sale on milk stands in his way.
These first two episodes will hit Crave on Friday, Jan.19, followed by two new episodes dropping on subsequent Fridays.
Under the moniker Jus Reign, Raina reached global audiences across social media, including YouTube, and was one of Much Digital Studios’ first content creators in 2015. Raina became known for his deadpan comedic style and commentary on race and pop culture and is part of a group of storytellers who charted the way for increased South Asian representation in mainstream western media.
LATE BLOOMER is produced by Bell Media in association with Pier 21 Films and in association with Cineflix Studios, with the participation of the Canada Media Fund, Rogers Cable Network Fund, the Bell Fund, and tax credit assistance from of the Government of Ontario, and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit, and is distributed internationally by Cineflix Rights. Jasmeet Raina is Executive Producer, Star, and Creator, and Baljinder Dhawan is Executive Producer. Shebli Zarghami is Executive Producer and Showrunner. Laszlo Barna, Nicole Butler, Karen Tsang, and Vanessa Steinmetz serve as Executive Producers for Pier 21 Films. Russell Peters and Clayton Peters are Executive Producers and Robbie David is Producer. Lakna Edirisinghe is Co-Executive Producer. Peter Huang is Consulting Producer and also serves as Director for the series. For Bell Media, Mike McShane is Director of Digital Development, Original Programming; Rachel Goldstein-Couto is Head of Development, Original Programming; Chris Kelley is Sr. Production Executive, Original Programming; Kelsey-Ann Rattansey is Production Executive; Sarah Fowlie is Head of Production, Original Programming; Carlyn Klebuc is General Manager, Original Programming; Justin Stockman is Vice President, Content Development & Programming; and Karine Moses is Senior Vice President, Content Development & News.
About Pier 21 Films
Pier 21 Films is an established television production company committed to bringing exceptional Canadian content to the international marketplace including three seasons of the satirical news series THE BEAVERTON for CTV, CBC’s RUN THE BURBS, and the upcoming LATE BLOOMER and DON’T EVEN for Crave. Founded in 2011, Pier 21 is grounded in the belief that there are extraordinary original stories to be told and unlimited possibilities for showcasing unique Canadian voices on the world stage.
About Bell Media Original Programming:
Bell Media has commissioned some of Canada’s most-watched and most-acclaimed original programming, working with the best Canadian independent producers in the country. Hit series commissioned by CTV include the most-watched Canadian dramas TRANSPLANT and SULLIVAN’S CROSSING; record-breaking Canadian format THE AMAZING RACE CANADA; comedy CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING; unscripted series THE TRAITORS CANADA and FARMING FOR LOVE; and quiz series BATTLE OF THE GENERATIONS. Among the original series on Bell Media specialty and streaming platforms are CTV Life Channel’s culinary series MARY MAKES IT EASY with Mary Berg, and food, travel, and adventure series EVOLVING VEGAN; CTV Comedy Channel’s ROAST BATTLE CANADA and the scripted series ACTING GOOD. Crave Originals include hit series LETTERKENNY and its official spinoff series SHORESY, CANADA’S DRAG RACE, WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE (EVEN JAY BARUCHEL), and LITTLE BIRD; docuseries DARK SIDE OF THE RING; and acclaimed documentaries including KINGS OF COKE. Discovery is home to Bell Media’s hit factual series and franchises HIGHWAY THRU HELL, EAST HARBOUR HEROES, and Animal Planet’s PETS & PICKERS. Bell Media is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada’s largest communications company. Learn more at www.BellMedia.ca.
About Crave
Crave is Canada’s prestige entertainment offering, delivering more Oscar®-nominated and Emmy® Award-winning programming than any other service, with HBO, HBO Max Originals, SHOWTIME®, STARZ, Hollywood-hit movies, and boasts a robust slate of English and French original series. It is a bilingual TV and streaming service, with thousands of hours of exclusive French-language content. Crave is available directly to all Canadians with access to the Internet at Crave.ca, via iOS and Android, and other platforms such as Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, select LG Smart TVs, PlayStation, Roku, select Samsung Smart TVs, and Xbox One, and through participating service providers across ten, 24-hour High Definition linear and on demand channels.
About Cineflix Media
Creating, producing, and distributing distinctive factual and scripted content, the Cineflix Media group includes Cineflix Productions, Cineflix Rights, and Cineflix Studios, as well as joint venture companies Buccaneer Media, Connect3 Media, Husk Media, and Shiny Screens Entertainment. We also share strategic partnerships through first-look deals and co-productions with a hub of producers from the US, UK, and Canada. With a catalogue of more than 5,500 hours of select programming across a wide range of genres, Cineflix is behind some of TV’s most popular, long-running shows and is celebrating 25 years as a leading international media company.
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