HBO Max is making its U.S. debut today — and several of its original shows are also making their Canadian debut.
The Crave platform is airing three HBO Max original series: “Love Life,” “Craftopia” and “Legendary.”
More HBO Max shows are slated to stream in Canada, including the reboot of “Gossip Girls,” “College Girls,” created by Mindy Kaling (“The Office”), Greg Berlanti’s “Green Lantern” and “The Flight Attendant,” starring Kaley Cuoco (“The Big Bang Theory”).
Crave is the exclusive home of HBO in Canada.
But it’s the first wave of original HBO Max series the streamer hopes will entice Canadian viewers, which are top-heavy with stars. “Love Life” is a new rom-com starring Anna Kendrick (“Into the Woods,” “Pitch Perfect”) — and it’s also her TV series debut. The first three episodes kick off today. The show follows a different character’s quest for love each season.
“Craftopia,” a crafting competition show for kids 9-15, is hosted by Canadian YouTube star LaurDIY, who claims more than 8.9 million subscribes on her YouTube channel. All eight episodes are available now.
“Legendary” focuses on the singular world of drag ballroom competitions, in which voguing teams, known as “houses,” demonstrate both their dancing and costume skills. The cast includes MC Dashaun Wesley and DJ MikeQ, as well as celebrity judges Law Roach, Jameela Jamil, Leiomy Maldonado, and Megan Thee Stallion. The first two episodes are now airing.
Bell Media is the parent company of Crave, a bilingual TV and streaming service with more than 6,000 hours of French-language content. Crave is also available in English, via six HD linear and on-demand channels. Canadians can watch at Crave.ca, on iOS and Android devices, as well as other platforms.