EXCLUSIVE: Crave’s comedy Late Bloomer will spring into life this week, and here’s a first trailer for the Canadian sitcom.
The eight-part series is inspired by the life of life of Canadian-born Punjabi Sikh Millennial comedian and online content creator Jasmeet Raina (aka Jus Reign) launches on Friday (January 19). It comes from Crave parent Bell Media in association with Run the Burbs maker Pier 21 Films and in association with Cineflix Studios, with the participation of the Canada Media Fund, Rogers Cable Network Fund, the Bell Fund. Cineflix Rights has international sales rights.
The show follows burgeoning content creator Jasmeet Dutta (Raina), as he tries to balance his ambitions for success with his commitment to his family, community and culture.
In the trailer, we see Jasmeet justifying why he still lives at home with his parents, dealing with stolen laptop and an awkward interaction with a father and son in a lift. In the series debut, ‘Nudes’, Jasmeet’s laptop goes missing, along with his ‘tasteful’ nude self-portraits, and he needs it back before the photos leak and cause chaos.
Cast includes Raina, Baljinder Singh Atwal (Des Pardes) and Sandeep Bali as Jasmeet’s parents; Ashley Ganger (Grand Army) as his sister; Sugenja Sri (The Handmaid’s Tale) and Sachin Mahashi as his friends, Chippy and Sunny; and Ahamed Weinberg (Insecure) as cousin Neal.
Under the moniker Jus Reign, Raina has built a social media following on YouTube, and was one of Much Digital Studios’ first content creators in 2015. He’s known for a deadpan comedic style and commentary on race and pop culture.
He was one of the first in Canada to reach nearly one million subscribers on YouTube and was considered, alongside the likes of Lilly Singh and Hasan Minhaj, as influential in establishing more South Asia voices in mainstream North American media. However, five years ago, he shut down his social channels and essentially disappeared.
“Late Bloomer is a story that comes from a heartfelt place and is another step in the evolution of my artistry,” said Raina. “I hope it makes audiences feel something — just as it did for me while creating it.”
The first two episodes drop on Friday followed by two episodes dropping each Friday thereafter.
Raina is executive producer and creator, and Baljinder Dhawan is EP. Shebli Zarghami is another EP and showrunner. Laszlo Barna, Nicole Butler, Karen Tsang, and Vanessa Steinmetz serve as EPs for Pier 21 Films. Comedian Russell Peters and and his brother Clayton Peters are also EPs, while Robbie David is Producer. Lakna Edirisinghe is co-executive producer and Peter Huang is consulting producer and director.