From Earth Week wonders to gripping crime dramas, April comes alive with breathtaking programs
CBC's Top 5 Picks for April
Blue Carbon: Nature's Hidden Power unveils the remarkable ways communities are restoring coastal ecosystems, blending science and storytelling into a symphony of nature's resilience.
Wilding takes you on an extraordinary journey with a couple who risked everything to let nature reclaim their 400-year-old estate, proving that the wild has a unique way of healing itself.
Beyond Earth Day, this month's lineup delivers gripping true stories that will leave you on the edge of your seat.
On Thin Ice: Putin v Greenpeace follows a high-stakes showdown between environmental activists and the Russian government, unfolding into an international legal battle.
Series Under the Bridge is a haunting dramatization of a shocking British Columbia murder that continues to cast a long shadow over its community.
And in the podcast Aftermath: Hunt for the Anthrax Killer, investigators race to unmask the person behind the deadly anthrax-laced letters that terrorized the U.S. after 9/11.
All this and more in CBC's Top 5 for April.
Told through the eyes of Grammy-nominated DJ and marine biologist, Jayda Guy - known by her DJ name Jayda G - and accompanied by a score from the Wu-Tang Clan's RZA and featuring Seu Jorge, Blue Carbon is an environmental feature documentary that spins music, science and an appreciation for world culture into a vibrant call to action to protect the planet. Blue carbon refers to coastal habitats – like mangroves, salt marshes and sea grass – that soak up copious amounts of planet-warming carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, while protecting coastal communities from rising seas and powerful storms. The film is a clear-eyed look at what's at stake and offers tangible solutions – and hope – to boost nature's ability to heal itself.
Based on Isabella Tree's best-selling book by the same title, Wilding tells the story of a young couple who bets on nature for the future of their failing, 400-year-old estate. The young couple battles entrenched tradition and dares to place the fate of their farm in the hands of nature. Ripping down the fences, they set the land back to the wild and entrust its recovery to a motley mix of animals, both tame and wild. It is the beginning of a grand experiment that will become one of the most significant rewilding experiments in Europe.
In 2013 Greenpeace sailed to the Arctic to peacefully protest against Russian offshore drilling for oil, but the response from the Russian state was more than they bargained for. Threatened, illegally boarded, arrested and accused of piracy, the protesters face 15 years in Russia's merciless prison system. Can an international media campaign help secure their release?
Based on acclaimed author Rebecca Godfrey's book, about the 1997 true story of 14-year-old Reena Virk (Vritika Gupta) who went to join friends at a party and never returned home. Through the eyes of Godfrey (Riley Keough) and a local police officer (Lily Gladstone), the series takes us into the hidden world of the young girls accused of the murder, revealing startling truths about the unlikely killer.
PODCAST
Aftermath: Hunt for the Anthrax Killer Listen Free starting April 2 on CBC Listen and everywhere podcasts are available
In the wake of 9/11, anthrax-laced letters unleashed a new wave of terror across the United States. But who was behind the attacks — and why has the country nearly forgotten this story?
As government buildings shut down and law enforcement scrambled to track the perpetrator, the FBI launched one of the largest and most complex investigations in its history. Untangling a web of scientific evidence and false leads, the case took unexpected turns with lasting consequences. From Wolf Entertainment, USG Audio, Dig Studios and CBC, this eight-part series grants unprecedented access to declassified materials and firsthand accounts, revealing how the anthrax attacks reshaped America — and the hidden impact that still lingers today.
Looking for your next entertainment fix? CBC Gem has you covered with a lineup of must-watch series, free to stream.
- Wellington Paranormal (April 4): New Zealand's hit workplace comedy follows a pair of delightfully clueless cops as they investigate supernatural shenanigans around town.
- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Season 3 – April 4, Season 4 – April 25): Midge is back, funnier and fiercer than ever, as she fights to be taken seriously in the unpredictable world of show biz.
- Justified (Season 6 – April 11): The stakes are higher than ever in the thrilling final season of this neo-Western crime drama. Don't miss how it all ends.
And that's just the beginning. Discover even more binge-worthy entertainment on Canada's Home for Streaming, CBC Gem.
Photos courtesy of CBC.