Ever wondered what happens when a young boy with an old soul takes on the wild ride of junior high in the 1980s? That’s the heart of Son of a Critch, the warm yet sharply comedic series that drops you right into the quirky world of growing up in Newfoundland.
Now streaming on Lionsgate Play, this semi-autobiographical gem, created by comedian Mark Critch and Tim McAuliffe, is packed with nostalgia, sharp wit and plenty of laughs. Critch narrates his own coming-of-age story, while also playing his father, giving you a hilarious, bittersweet look at his unforgettable childhood.
Adapted from Critch’s award-winning memoir, the show begins with young Mark (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) reluctantly stepping into junior high, a place brimming with challenges for an unconventional kid with a clever comedic mind.
His mother Mary (Claire Rankin) tries to reassure him with her tough-love approach, while his older brother Mike Jr. (Colton Gobbo) and his no-nonsense grandfather (Malcolm McDowell) offer their own support.
But Son of a Critch is not just about the trials and tribulations of growing up in a small town. It’s also about the universal themes of family, acceptance, and finding your place in the world with a comedy twist. The show beautifully captures the heartwarming moments between Mark and his family, as well as addressing more serious issues such as bullying and discrimination.
On what it was like to create a semi-autobiographical show and playing his own father, Mark Critch said, “It’s interesting because and fascinating to relive my own life from a new perspective. Like you’re writing it, then you’re in pre-production, then you’re actually filming it, and then a couple of times you kind of forget it’s about you in a way. I remember I was filming a scene once and they’re doing it and I thought, ‘Huh, something like this happened to me once.’”
Critch added, “And I’m thinking, ‘What am I doing? No, this happened to me and that’s why this is happening.’ So that can be strange, but playing my dad on the show is interesting because it kind of forces me. I have these memories that I put in the show that are important enough that I put them in a show. And memory is a very personal thing. It can be a selfish thing.” (MARY SY)
