Mark Critch’s bestselling memoir provides the source material for the half-hour comedy Son of a Critch which originally premiered on Canada’s CBC back in January 2022. The CW snatched it up and will add season one to its summer primetime lineup with the release of the first two episodes on July 24, 2023 at 8pm ET/PT. Both episodes were written by Mark Critch and Tim McAuliffe and directed by Renuka Jeyapalan.
Mark Critch stars as his dad, Mike, and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth plays young Mark. The cast also includes Claire Rankin as Mark’s mom, Mary, and Malcolm McDowell as Patrick “Pop” Critch. Colton Gobbo stars as Mike Jr, Mark’s brother. The season one cast also includes Sophia Powers and Mark Rivera.
Mark Critch and Tim McAuliffe created the series and executive produce along with Andrew Barnsley, and Allan Hawco.
Series Premiere Plot: Mark’s first day of sixth grade goes awry when a family of bullies take a special interest in making his life miserable. But when Mark stands up for himself and takes a shot at one of the bullies – a young girl named Fox (Powers) – he learns that words can hurt a lot more than fists.
“The Most Unexpected of Places” Plot: A chance encounter at a funeral parlor leads to Mark’s first date with a girl. As he risks life and limb in a race across town to meet her, Fox finds herself unexpectedly jealous. Meanwhile, Mary tries to convince Dick (Richard Clarkin) to sell her the old radio station truck.
Season 1 Description, Courtesy of The CW:
“Son of a Critch is the hilarious and very real story of a young Mark coming of age in the 1980s. The series is a heartfelt window in the life of a child — who is much older inside than his 11 years — using comedy and self-deprecation to win friends and connect with the small collection of people in his limited world.”
