Son of a Critch will be back for a 4th season

Son of a Critch is one of my favourite shows on Canadian TV.  Based on comedian Mark Critch's 2018 bestselling memoir about his childhood in 1980s Newfoundland, the series explores such themes as friendship, family, bullying and coming-of-age.  According to Deadline, it has been renewed for a fourth season.  Season 4 will focus on the beginning of Mark's high school years on the cusp of the 1990s.  There will be 13 episodes, filmed in St. John's.  It will air in the winter of 2024 on CBC.

Son of a Critch's stellar cast will also be returning. 15-year-old British actor Benjamin Evan Ainsworth stars as the young Mark Critch.  Benjamin plays his role excellently and I am an admirer of his acting ability.  He is known for his performances in The Haunting of Bly Manor and Flora & Unlysess  He also provided the voice of Pinnochio in Disney's live-action remake.  In Son of a Critch, he convincingly portrays young Mark, an adolescent who uses comedy to fit in, make friends, and find his niche in the world.

Ainsworth, a native of Nottingham, East Midlands, England, will turn 16 on September 25, 2024.  He portrays Mark with a General North American accent that could be from Toronto or Los Angeles.  In a 2022, the actor responded to a comment from a Big Issue interviewer that watching him in Son of a Critch and Pinnochio, "I'd never have know you were English. . ."    Ainsworth replied, "It takes a lot of work.  And with Son of a Critch, the Newfoundland accents are so particular.  I go back to normal between scenes.  On set it's so relaxed and everyone's really chilled.  It's nice to just be my normal self.  And then when it's time to roll, step into that character."

In the penultimate episode of the third season of  Son of a Critch, entitled "Cabaret,"Ainworth, as young Mark starts to get his feet wet as a stand-up comedian.  Lacking a voice of  his own, he imitates the distinct Newfoundland accents of those with whom he's most familiar, his family and friends.  

Ainsworth

The real Mark Critch is the star of CBC's long-running sketch comedy show, This Hour has 22 Minutes.  In Son of a Critch, he portrays his own father, Mike, a broadcaster for local radio station VOCM.  Crich co-created this original CBC comedy in which he relives his own awkward adolescence. He serves as actor/producer and writer for the series.

Mark Critch

Rankin

Claire Rankin, who was born and raised in Prince Edward Island, plays Mary Critch, Mark's mother. Rankin is a trained singer and dancer, and she has performed with the Shakespearean Stratford Festival.

McDowell

Veteran English actor Malcolm McDowell, 81, plays Mark's mischievous grandfather, Patrick "Pope" Critch, with whom Mark shares a room.  Director Stanley Kubrick cast McDowell as Alex in his 1971 film A Clockwork Orange.  On television, McDowell appeared as Domford Yates' gentleman hero Richard Chandos in the BBC;s 1978 adaptation of She Fell Among Thieves.

Gobbo

Colton Gobbo, 23, a native of Sudbury, Ontario, plays Mark's long-haired older brother, Mike Critch, Jr.  In 2021, Gobbo was cast in his first major role.  He played Noah, the son of Naomi Watt's character in the thriller film The Desperate Hour.  

Powers

Sophia Powers plays Jennifer Fox, Mark's red-haired bully turned love interest.  Born and raised in North Vancouver, Powers has also appeared in the TV movies Fourth Down and Love (2023) and Unexpected Grace (2023).  The character of "Fox" was written as a female for the TV series.

Rivera

Mark's best friend, Richie Perez, is portrayed by Mark Ezekiel Rivera.  Ritchie is of  Filipino background and seems to be the only student of colour at his school. He is bullied because of his Asian heritage.

Son of a Critch premiered on CBC on January 4, 2022.  In an article in The Canadian Press, just before the show's debut, Mark Critch is quoted as saying, “It’s not a biopic, it’s not a documentary, but the spine of every episode is a true story.” The series, however, can best be described as semi-autobiographical.  There are both difference and similarities between Critch's book and the TV series.

Every chapter of Critch's book focuses on one day of each year of his early life in Newfoundland.  His mother is featured most prominently in the memoir. while the roles of his father and brother are expanded in the television series.  Mark's grandfather, who wasn't mentioned as living with the family in the book, is also given an expanded role in the series.

In Son of a Crich's third season finale, entitled "Forever Young," Mark is given the task of delivering the valedictorian speech at his school's graduation.  It causes him to reflect on how his family and friends have affected his life.  

I'm looking forward to the show's fourth season as Mark begins his high school years.  How will things go with his romance with Fox?  What's in store for the Critch family?  

END NOTE

* Mark Critch's real-life father, Mike, passed away in 2015 at the age of 93.  According hi obituaries Mike Critch was a journalist for VOCM for over 20 years, beginning in the 1960s.  Mark's real-life brother, Mike Jr., also became a radio personality.  On the TV series, Mike Jr. works at VOCM and changes his name to Mike Campbell, in order to avoid confusion with his father.  The real Mike Critch, Jr. actually did change his name to Mike Campbell.  Michael E. Critch was married to his wife, Mary, for 49 years when he passed away.

Mike Critch, Sr.

- Joanne