Auntie Jillian's TV picks

This week’s guest curator for great Canadian content is Jillian Danford, creator of the hit reality TV show Auntie Jillian. Danford has brought millions of viewers into her home and into life with her family—The Danfords—first through her YouTube channel and now on CTV. The second season is now underway and will include, naturally, an episode on COVID-19. This week, “Auntie Jillian” has curated for FRIENDS readers her selection of other Canadian shows she thinks should be playing on our TV screens.

I enjoy watching medical shows. One that really impresses me right now is the new Canadian TV series Transplant, which follows Dr. Bashir “Bash” Hamed, a Syrian refugee, (played by Hamza Haq) as he rebuilds his career in a Toronto hospital emergency room. It feels like I’m either in the ER with the doctors or I’m acting alongside the cast. My family knows not to interrupt me when I'm watching that show or they may end up in the Emergency Room, too! — Jillian Danford

Watch Transplant on CTV.

I also really like trending topics and news stories, and I get both by watching The Social. It’s entertaining to watch a diverse group of Canadian women give their views and I like the openness and frank conversations. It's like kitchen table talk, where you say what's on your mind, even if it's not politically correct. Very refreshing for Canadian television! — JD

Watch The Social on CTV.

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I consider Margaret Atwood to be one of the greatest Canadian authors. And I'm happy that The Handmaid's Tale has became a movie, an opera, a ballet and, now, a popular TV series. It can be tough to watch because it’s explicit in showing the degrading treatment of women, but it can also teach us that if we stay quiet, we lose our voices. — JD

The Handmaid's Tale is available on Crave.