Mark Critch just posted on social media that the upcoming fifth season of Son of a Critch will be the sitcom’s last.
In the last few moments, This Hour Has 22 Minutes star Critch shared a video (you can see below) confirming school’s out for the CBC comedy, and wrote: “To all of you who’ve been watching along, we’ve officially started filming Season 5 of Son of a Critch. We’re heading back to 1992 – the year I graduated high school – so you can expect all the awkwardness and growing pains that come with it.
“And since it’s the last year of high school, it will also be our final chapter. Growing up is hard to do – but it sure is fun to watch. We hope you’ll join us this fall as we go back to school one last time on CBC and CBC Gem. Class dismissed, Mark Critch.”
Production on the 12-part fifth season is underway and will continue until June 18, with Critch the creator, co-showrunner, exec producer and star. It will launch in Canada in the fall on CBC and streamer CBC Gem. In the U.S., the show has aired on The CW since 2023, and some seasons are available on Netflix.
Critch portrays his own father, Mike Sr., while Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (The Legend of Zelda) plays young Mark. Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange) plays grandfather Pop; Claire Rankin (Stargate Atlantis) plays his mother Mary; Colton Gobbo (Ginny & Georgia) is older brother Mike Jr.; Mark Ezekiel Rivera is Mark’s best friend Ritche; and Sophia Powers (Murder in a Small Town) is Fox, Mark’s girlfriend. Other returning cast members include Richard Clarkin (Memory of a Killer), Nicole Underhay (Hudson & Rex), Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll (Doc) and Nora McLellan (Strays) as Sister Rose. Guest stars include Shawn Doyle (Star Trek: Discovery), Susan Kent (The Snake) and Rick Mercer (The Mercer Report).
The series follows comedian and actor Critch’s formative years in St. John’s, Newfoundland in Canada. A synopsis for Season 5 reveals it will follow Mark in his last year of high school just as Newfoundland’s cod moratorium crisis turns his world upside down. “While the adults scramble and the future feels suddenly uncertain, Mark is more determined than ever to chase his dream of becoming an actor – whether anyone’s ready for him to grow up or not,” it adds.
Critch created the show alongside co-showrunner Tim McAuliffe (The Office), with Project 10 Productions and Hawco Productions the makers in association with CBC and Lionsgate Television.
Critch, McAuliffe and Andrew are Barnsley (Schitt’s Creek) are exec producers along with Allan Hawco (Republic of Doyle). Perry Chafe and Amanda Joy serve as co-executive producers; Janine Squires, Erin Sullivan and John Vatcher are producers; and Shelby Bronstine is series producer. Series directors this season are Vatcher, Deanne Foley and Renuka Jeyapalan.
For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment; Trish Williams is Executive Director, Scripted Content; Sandra Picheca is Director, Current Production, Comedy; Lisa Benedetto and Mélanie Lê Phan are Executives in Charge of Production.