''Hey Lady!'' is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

web series A web series (also known as a web show) is a series of scripted or non-scripted online videos, generally in episodic form, released on the Internet, which first emerged in the late 1990s and became more prominent in the early 2000s. A single i ...

that is directed by

Adriana Maggs Adriana Maggs is a Canadian film and television actress, writer and director, best known for her debut feature film ''Grown Up Movie Star''.Sarah Polley Sarah Ellen Polley (born January 8, 1979) is a Canadian actress,Howell, Peter (September 24, 1999)"Nobody's Starlet: Toronto's Sarah Polley is Only 20 but already a veteran actor so secure in her craft she can thumb her nose at Hollywood" ''Tor ...

, and airs on

CBC Gem CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French-l ...

. The series was created by playwright

Morris Panych Morris Stephen Panych (born 30 June 1952) is a Canadian playwright, director and actor. Early life Panych was born in Calgary, Alberta and grew up in Edmonton, Alberta. He studied at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, and the Univers ...

for

Jayne Eastwood Jayne Eastwood (born December 17, 1946), also credited as Jane Easton or Jane Eastwood, is a Canadian actress and comedian. She is best known for her film roles as Anna-Marie Biddlecoff in the comedy film ''Finders Keepers'' (1984), Judy the Wai ...

and is Eastwood's first leading role in her 50-year-long career. Eastwood portrays Lady, a wild and foul-mouthed woman in her 70s who is constantly getting into trouble with her friend Rosie (

Jackie Richardson Jackie Richardson (born January 4, 1947) is a Canadian singer and actress. Richardson is known for her screen roles in '' Turning to Stone'', ''The Gospel According to the Blues'', ''The Doodlebops'', and '' Sins of the Father''. She is also kno ...

). The series premiered at the

2020 Sundance Film Festival The 2020 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 23 to February 2, 2020. The first lineup of competition films was announced on December 4, 2019. The opening night film was ''Miss Americana'' directed by Lana Wilson and produced by Morgan ...

and was well received by critics, who described it as a senior citizen's spin on ''

Fleabag ''Fleabag'' is a British comedy-drama television series created and written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, based on her one-woman show first performed in 2013 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It was originally produced by Two Brothers Pictures for dig ...

''. Critics noted the talented cast, which includes

Christine Horne Christine Horne (born December 14, 1981, in Aurora, Ontario) is a Canadian actress who co-starred with Ellen Burstyn in the movie ''The Stone Angel''. She received her BFA in Theatre at York University in 2004 and has since become an establish ...

as Lady's daughter Lassie,

Zachary Bennett Zachary Bennett is a Canadian actor and musician, who is known for playing Felix King in '' Road to Avonlea''. He also co-starred in the 2006 TV film ''Jekyll + Hyde'' and for voicing Coach Clydesdale on '' Corn & Peg''. He also currently voices ...

as her son Rover,

Grace Lynn Kung Grace Lynn Kung (born March 25, 1987) is a Canadian actress. She received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for the spy series ''InSecurity'' as Jojo Kwan. Kung holds two certificates of distinction from Trinity College London in the United Kin ...

as her daughter-in-law Molly,

Raoul Bhaneja Raoul Bhaneja is an English-Canadian actor, musician, writer and producer. Early life and studies Bhaneja was born in Manchester. His father is an Indian Sindhi and mother is Irish. A graduate of The National Theatre School of Canada and Ot ...

as her parole officer, and

Don McKellar Don McKellar (born August 17, 1963) is a Canadian actor, writer, playwright, and filmmaker. He was part of a loosely-affiliated group of filmmakers to emerge from Toronto known as the Toronto New Wave. He is known for directing and writing the ...

as her psychiatrist. The series received five

Canadian Screen Award The Canadian Screen Awards (french: link=no, Les prix Écrans canadiens) are awards given for artistic and technical merit in the film industry recognizing excellence in Canadian film, English-language television, and digital media (web series) p ...

nominations and four

Directors Guild of Canada Awards Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''Di ...

nominations.

Plot

Lady is a septuagenarian who constantly acts out and creates chaos, and is often accompanied by her friend Rosie. When Lady is ignored in a park, she puts lipstick on a baby and is subsequently placed under

house arrest In justice and law, house arrest (also called home confinement, home detention, or, in modern times, electronic monitoring) is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to their residence. Travel is usually restricted, if all ...

. She protests this by having a plumber reverse the faucets in her son Rover's house and sets dogs loose to experience freedom. Lady insists a low-budget series about her, with which she is not very impressed, is being filmed; whenever Lady is distressed or bored, she orders the series to move to the next scene. She is forced to see psychiatrist Dr. Wolfe and ignores his advice to stick with something to see where it goes. Lady and Rosie cause a disturbance at a country club, and leave Lady's daughter Lassie to settle the bill. After numerous other incidents, two police calls and an intervention by her children, Lady appears in court. Prosecutor Lassie recommends jail but Lady is sentenced to community service. Undaunted, Lady sends snakes to her parole officer while Lassie prepares to move Lady into a seniors home. Lady poses as a real estate agent and tries to sell Rover's house. Wolfe becomes unsettled and Lady tells him he loses his mind in the last episode. While playing bridge with three elderly women in a sitting room, Lady becomes bored and cuts to a strip club with Rosie, where they launch into another prank. Wolfe is increasingly troubled, especially when Lady orders a cut to another scene and disappears from his office. In an ill-maintained park for old people, Lady sits on a bench proclaiming her importance and insisting the camera continues filming while a public address system is heard advising residents of a meeting to register for

aquafit Water aerobics (waterobics, aquarobics, aquatic fitness, aquafitness, aquafit) is the performance of aerobic exercise in water such as in a swimming pool. It is done mostly vertically and without swimming typically in waist deep or deeper water. W ...

classes.

Cast

Main cast

as Lady *

as Rosie

Supporting cast

as psychiatrist Dr. Wolfe *

as Rover, Lady's son *

as Molly, Rover's wife *

as Lassie, Lady's daughter * Scott Thompson as The Judge *

Peter Keleghan Peter Keleghan is a Canadian actor and writer, perhaps best known for portraying Ben Bellow in the comedy series ''18 to Life'', Clark Claxton Sr. in the comedy series ''Billable Hours'' and Ranger Gord in ''The Red Green Show''. Currently has a ...

as Golf Course Manager and Gallery Owner *

Matt Watts Matt Watts (born May 31, 1975) is a Canadian comedian, actor and writer, best known for his work on Ken Finkleman's '' The Newsroom''. He was a writer, executive producer and the star of the Canadian television sitcom ''Michael, Tuesdays and Th ...

as Sparky, Lady's son *

Sergio Di Zio Sergio Di Zio is a Canadian actor. He starred in the television series '' Flashpoint'' as Michelangelo "Spike" Scarlatti until the show concluded on December 13, 2012. His other works include '' The Lookout'', ''Cinderella Man'', '' Senior Trip ...

as Waiter / Purse Snatcher *

as Parole Officer

Production

Playwright

wrote ''Hey Lady!'' specifically for Eastwood, who initially rejected the script and stopped reading at the scene in which Lady disrobes and sexually propositions a plumber. Eastwood, who is a founding member of the sketch troupe

Women Fully Clothed Women Fully Clothed is a Canadian live sketch comedy troupe, with a cast of four women, touring throughout the world. Cast *Kathy Greenwood (''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'', ''This Hour Has 22 Minutes'') *Robin Duke (''Saturday Night Live'', '' SCT ...

, has a noted disdain for the oversexualization of older women for comedic effect, believing it has been overdone. Director

Sarah Polley Sarah Ellen Polley (born January 8, 1979) is a Canadian actress,Howell, Peter (September 24, 1999)"Nobody's Starlet: Toronto's Sarah Polley is Only 20 but already a veteran actor so secure in her craft she can thumb her nose at Hollywood" ''Tor ...

, who worked with her on ''

Slings & Arrows ''Slings & Arrows'' is a Canadian television series set at the fictional New Burbage Festival, a Shakespearean festival similar to the real-world Stratford Festival. It stars Paul Gross, Stephen Ouimette and Martha Burns. Rachel McAdams appeared ...

'', persuaded Eastwood Lady is rebelling in the scene and that there is more to the character. Eastwood subsequently embraced the screenplay and called it "a miracle script for er. She found stepping into the role, which is a comically exaggerated version of herself, easy. Lady is Eastwood's first leading role in a five-decade-long acting career. Episodes were directed by Polley, Will Bowes and

Adriana Maggs Adriana Maggs is a Canadian film and television actress, writer and director, best known for her debut feature film ''Grown Up Movie Star''. The series was filmed by Iris Ng and edited by David Wharnsby with production design by Ciara Vernon. Filming was done in July 2019, with one day of filming in

Cobourg Cobourg ( ) is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto and east of Oshawa. It is the largest town in and seat of Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, to the west. It is ...

and the rest in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Ontario. Sound was edited and mixed by Sim Post Toronto. Each of the eight episodes are about five minutes long, with a total running time of 41 minutes.

Release

''Hey Lady!'' had its world premiere at the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...

on 28 January 2020, as part of the Indie Episodic Showcase. It was chosen from over 10,000 works submitted to the festival. The series had its streaming premiere on

on 14 February 2020. According to data from the

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...

, ''Hey Lady!'' was among the six most-watched comedy programmes on CBC Gem from March to August 2020.

Reception

Critical response

Critical response to ''Hey Lady!'' was generally positive. John Doyle of ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'' praised the series as "a journey from zany to lawless comedy raucousness", "the most extraordinary creation on Canadian TV", and perhaps the funniest show ever produced by the CBC. Following his initial review, Doyle recommended it as one of three short-form streaming shows to binge-watch and included Eastman's portrayal of Lady as one of eight great performances on Canadian television in 2020. Several critics favourably equated Eastman's Lady to a septuagenarian version of ''

''s title character. Debra Yeo of the ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...

'' noted the series for its standout cast. TV critic Bill Brioux wrote the "edgy and hilarious" series measures up to its "deep bench of talent" and called Eastwood "Canada's secret weapon of comedy". Writing for ''

Now Now most commonly refers to the present time. Now, NOW, or The Now may also refer to: Organizations * Natal Organisation of Women, a South African women's organization * National Organization for Women, an American feminist organization * Now ...

'', Radheyan Simonpillai described the series as a showcase for the cast's comedic talents but found the breaking of the fourth wall – while initially hysterical due to its flawless, in-character execution – to be overly repetitive in the short format. Amelia Gaudreau of ''

Le Devoir ''Le Devoir'' (, "Duty") is a French-language newspaper published in Montreal and distributed in Quebec and throughout Canada. It was founded by journalist and politician Henri Bourassa in 1910. ''Le Devoir'' is one of few independent large-c ...

'' noted the creativity of the directors and said the series is more than an "old bitch comedy" as Lady cheerfully tramples over the fourth wall to control the narrative of her story. Ben Travers of ''

IndieWire IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Hollyw ...

'' recommended the series to international distributors, describing it as "a meta lark" and "entertaining throughout", and hoped a potential second season could give Lady more of a backstory.

Nominations and awards

''Hey Lady!'' was nominated for five

Canadian Screen Awards The Canadian Screen Awards (french: link=no, Les prix Écrans canadiens) are awards given for artistic and technical merit in the film industry recognizing excellence in Canadian film, English-language television, and digital media (web series) p ...

and four

. Eastwood was nominated for Outstanding Performance – Female by

ACTRA The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) is a Canadian trade union representing performers in English-language media. It has 25,000 members working in film, television, radio, and all other recorded media. The org ...

Toronto. In March 2020, Polley was named ACTRA's Woman of the Year for her artistic and advocacy work.

References

External links

Official website
*
''Hey Lady!''
at CBC Media Centre * {{CBC Television shows (current and upcoming) 2020 web series debuts Canadian comedy web series CBC Gem original programming