The Porter is a Canadian television drama series which premiered on CBC Television on 21 February 2022.[1][2][3] Created by Arnold Pinnock and Bruce Ramsay, the series is a co-production between CBC and BET+. The show was released to positive reviews and became the most nominated show at the 11th Canadian Screen Awards.[4][5] The show was cancelled after one season, after BET+ decided to not back any future episodes.[5]
| The Porter | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Arnold Pinnock Bruce Ramsay |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Running time | 46–54 min. |
| Production companies | Inferno Pictures Inc. Sienna Films |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBC Television BET+ |
| Release | 21 February 2022 |
Premise
The series depicts the history of Black Canadian and African-American men who worked as Pullman porters in the period following World War I, leading to the 1925 creation of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters as the first Black-led labour union.[6][3]
Cast
- Aml Ameen as Junior Massey, a porter with the transcontinental railroad
- Ronnie Rowe Jr. as Zeke Garrett, a porter and war buddy of Junior
- Mouna Traoré as Marlene Massey, a worker with the Black Cross Nurses
- Alfre Woodard as Fay, a Montréal business owner
- Oluniké Adeliyi as Queenie, a powerful Chicago crime boss
- Loren Lott as Lucy, a performer
- Djouliet Amara as Corrine
- Arnold Pinnock as Glenford
- Bruce Ramsay as Dinger
- Luke Bilyk as Franklin Edwards
- Jahron Wilson as Teddy Massey, Junior and Marlene's son
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | Charles Officer | Annmarie Morais and Aubrey Nealon | February 21, 2022 |
| 2 | "Background" | Charles Officer | Story by : Aubrey Nealon & Bruce Ramsay & Arnold Pinnock and Annmarie Morais Teleplay by : Annmarie Morais | February 28, 2022 |
| 3 | "Starting Over" | R.T. Thorne | Annmarie Morais | March 7, 2022 |
| 4 | "Who's Next" | R.T. Thorne | Marsha Greene | March 14, 2022 |
| 5 | "Working on It" | Charles Officer | Andrew Burrows-Trotman | March 21, 2022 |
| 6 | "Make Me Feel" | Charles Officer | Priscilla M. White | March 28, 2022 |
| 7 | "Our Turn Now" | R.T. Thorne | Bruce Ramsay & Arnold Pinnock | April 4, 2022 |
| 8 | "Death is Funny" | R.T. Thorne | Marsha Greene | April 11, 2022 |
Production
Development
On 10 December 2020, CBC Television and BET+ announced that they would be partnering on the creation of a series about a group of railway workers who formed the first Black-led labour union.[7] The series from Inferno Picture and Sienna Films was created by Arnold Pinnock and Bruce Ramsay, with the participation of Annmarie Morais, Marsha Greene, Charles Officer and R.T. Thorne as producers, with Officer and Thorne also directing. The series is written by Morais, Greene, Andrew Burrows-Trotman, Priscilla White, Pinnock and Ramsay, with R.T. Thorne participating in the writers' room.[8][9] Filming took place primarily in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada between June and September 2021.[10]
Casting
In April 2021 CBC and BET+ announced the main cast was slated to include Aml Ameen, Ronnie Rowe Jr., Mouna Traoré.[8] In June Oluniké Adeliyi and Loren Lott joined the cast, with creators Arnold Pinnock and Bruce Ramsay also taking on series regular roles.[11][10] In July 2021, it was announced that Alfre Woodard would be joining the cast in a recurring role.[12]
Thorne stated that there was "so much incredible talent across this country" from which to cast for the series.[13]
Release
In addition to the CBC, the series was released in the United States on 5 May 2022 on BET+.[14][15] In February 2023, the show was cancelled after one season.[5]
Reception
Critical reception
The first season received positive reviews from critics. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the season holds an approval rating of 100% with an average rating of 8.4 out of 10, based on 7 reviews.[4]
After the first episode aired, a review in The Globe and Mail stated that the show "is great TV...with compelling characters" and referred to it as "one sexy show".[16]
Despite being the Canadian Screen Awards' most-nominated project, CBC's The Porter, won't have a second season due to the lack of a coproduction partner to complete financing. The railway drama, produced by Winnipeg-based Inferno Pictures and Toronto's Sphere Media, won 19 nominations in the awards.
Despite not being renewed for a second season, CBC's "The Porter" made a record 12 wins at the Canadian Screen Awards. The show, which depicted the story of the first Black labour union in North America, was a co-production of CBC and BET Plus streaming network, and lacked a foreign partner for Season 2. The wins highlighted the importance of financing Canadian stories and Indigenous Screen Office's permanent funding.[17]
Accolades
The Porter was the most nominated show at the 11th Canadian Screen Awards.[18]
