# Jann (TV series)

Jann is a Canadian comedy television series that premiered on CTV on March 20, 2019. It stars Canadian singer-songwriter Jann Arden as a fictionalized version of herself and is loosely based on events from her life. The cast also includes Zoie Palmer, Patrick Gilmore, Deborah Grover, Elena Juatco, Alexa Rose Steele, and Jason Blicker.
On June 9, 2019, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on September 21, 2020. On June 10, 2020, it was renewed for a third season, which premiered on September 27, 2021. A one-hour holiday special, titled Jann: Alone for the Holidays, premiered on December 9, 2022. In an interview with the Calgary Herald, Arden said that while series is not cancelled, it has not been greenlit for a fourth season but is optimistic that it will happen.

## Plot

Jann is a former pop star struggling to cope with turmoil in her personal life, including the breakup of her relationship with Cynthia, her longtime girlfriend, her mother's diagnosis of early-stage dementia, and trying to rebuild her career in the hope of finally outshining her archrival Sarah McLachlan.

## Cast and characters

* Jann Arden as her fictional self
* Zoie Palmer as Max, Jann's younger sister
* Deborah Grover as Nora, Jann's mother
* Patrick Gilmore as Dave, Max's husband and Jann's brother in law
* Elena Juatco as Cale, Jann's new manager
* Jason Blicker as Todd, Jann's long-term manager
* Sharon Taylor as Cynthia, Jann's ex-partner
* Alexa Rose Steele as Charley, Jann's eldest niece

## Episodes

| Season | Episodes | Episodes | Originally released | Originally released |
| Season | Episodes | Episodes | First released | Last released |
| 1 | 6 | 6 | March 20, 2019 (2019-03-20) | April 24, 2019 (2019-04-24) |
| 2 | 8 | 8 | September 21, 2020 (2020-09-21) | November 9, 2020 (2020-11-09) |
| 3 | 8 | 8 | September 27, 2021 (2021-09-27) | November 15, 2021 (2021-11-15) |
| Special | Special | Special | December 9, 2022 (2022-12-09) | December 9, 2022 (2022-12-09) |

### Season 1 (2019)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Canadian viewers (millions) |
| 1 | 1 | "The Big House" | Ron Murphy | Story by : Jann Arden and Jennica Harper Teleplay by : Jennica Harper | March 20, 2019 (2019-03-20) | 1.01 |
| 2 | 2 | "Go With the Flowga" | Ron Murphy | Leah Gauthier and Jennica Harper | March 27, 2019 (2019-03-27) | N/A |
| 3 | 3 | "Weeknd at Charley's" | Ron Murphy | Mike McPhaden | April 3, 2019 (2019-04-03) | N/A |
| 4 | 4 | "Major Party Foul" | Ron Murphy | Leah Gauthier and Nelu Handa | April 10, 2019 (2019-04-10) | N/A |
| 5 | 5 | "You've Been Soft Served" | Ron Murphy | Leah Gauthier and Jennica Harper | April 17, 2019 (2019-04-17) | 1.14 |
| 6 | 6 | "WWJD (What Will Jann Do?)" | Ron Murphy | Story by : Jennica Harper Teleplay by : Jason Filiatrault and Jennica Harper | April 24, 2019 (2019-04-24) | N/A |

### Season 2 (2020)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Canadian viewers |
| 7 | 1 | "What Did Jann Do?" | Ron Murphy | Leah Gauthier & Jennica Harper | September 21, 2020 (2020-09-21) | 736,000 |
| 8 | 2 | "Last Straws" | Ron Murphy | Leah Gauthier & Jennica Harper | September 28, 2020 (2020-09-28) | N/A |
| 9 | 3 | "Tomato, Tomato" | Ron Murphy | Mike McPhaden | October 5, 2020 (2020-10-05) | N/A |
| 10 | 4 | "The Go Girls Go" | Ron Murphy | Sophie Caird & Leah Gauthier | October 12, 2020 (2020-10-12) | N/A |
| 11 | 5 | "Drop the Single" | Ron Murphy | Nelu Handa | October 19, 2020 (2020-10-19) | N/A |
| 12 | 6 | "Covered in Balls" | Ron Murphy | Jennica Harper & Mike McPhaden | October 26, 2020 (2020-10-26) | N/A |
| 13 | 7 | "Road Trippin'" | Ron Murphy | Leah Gauthier | November 2, 2020 (2020-11-02) | N/A |
| 14 | 8 | "The Tunies" | Ron Murphy | Jennica Harper | November 9, 2020 (2020-11-09) | N/A |

### Season 3 (2021)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Canadian viewers |
| 15 | 1 | "Help Wanted" | Ron Murphy | Leah Gauthier & Jennica Harper | September 27, 2021 (2021-09-27) | N/A |
| 16 | 2 | "Lost and Found" | Ron Murphy | Leah Gauthier & Jennica Harper | October 4, 2021 (2021-10-04) | N/A |
| 17 | 3 | "Marty Crashers" | Ron Murphy | Mike McPhaden | October 11, 2021 (2021-10-11) | N/A |
| 18 | 4 | "Pancaking" | Ron Murphy | Nelu Handa | October 18, 2021 (2021-10-18) | N/A |
| 19 | 5 | "Hall Pass or Fail" | Ron Murphy | Sophie Caird & Mike McPhaden | October 25, 2021 (2021-10-25) | N/A |
| 20 | 6 | "The Money Train" | Ron Murphy | Jennica Harper & JP Larocque | November 1, 2021 (2021-11-01) | N/A |
| 21 | 7 | "Whofundit" | Ron Murphy | Leah Gauthier | November 8, 2021 (2021-11-08) | N/A |
| 22 | 8 | "No Drama" | Ron Murphy | Leah Gauthier & Jennica Harper | November 15, 2021 (2021-11-15) | N/A |

### Special

| Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| "Jann: Alone for the Holidays" | Ron Murphy | Leah Gauthier & Jennica Harper | December 9, 2022 (2022-12-09) |

## Production

Production on six half-hour episodes for Season 1 began in Calgary on September 11, 2018. Production on Season 2, consisting of eight episodes, began on October 1, 2019, and wrapped in early November 2019. Production on Season 3, consisting of eight episodes, began on February 25, 2021.
Sarah McLachlan appears as herself in a guest role in the second season. Jann has clarified in interviews that she and Sarah get along well in real life, and their fictionalized rivalry in the television series draws as much from Sarah's own ideas as Jann's.
Other guests in the second season include Keshia Chanté as Nia Taylor, an up-and-coming new singer signed by Todd after he drops Jann as a client; Elisha Cuthbert as Liz, a school board trustee; and Miguel Rivas as Nigel, a megafan of Jann's.
Guests in the third season include Michael Bublé as himself, Tegan and Sara, and Bif Naked.
Guests in the holiday special included Bryan Adams and Michael Bublé as themselves.

## Release

Jann premiered on March 20, 2019, with its first season becoming the "most-watched" Canadian television series and comedy of the year.
In October 2020, Hulu acquired American distribution rights to the series. They released the first two seasons in January 2021. In January 2023, the series left Hulu and is now on The Roku Channel in the US, with them acquiring the first two seasons of the series and released the third one at its launch on the platform on January 17, 2023.

## Accolades

The series has been nominated for awards such as the Canadian Screen Awards, Canadian Society of Cinematographers, Leo Awards and Writers Guild of Canada.
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
| 2020 | Canadian Screen Awards | Best Comedy Series | Jann | Nominated |
| 2020 | Canadian Screen Awards | Best Lead Actress | Jann Arden | Nominated |
| 2020 | Canadian Screen Awards | Best Guest Performance | Rick Mercer | Nominated |
| 2021 | Canadian Screen Awards | Best Guest Performance | Elisha Cuthbert | Nominated |
| 2021 | Canadian Screen Awards | Best Photography in a Comedy Series | Brett Van Dyke for "The Tunies" | Nominated |
| 2021 | Canadian Screen Awards | Best Writing, Comedy Series | Jennica Harper for "The Tunies" | Nominated |
| 2021 | Canadian Screen Awards | Best Writing, Comedy Series | Leah Gauthier and Jennica Harper for "What Did Jann Do" | Nominated |
| 2022 | Canadian Screen Awards | Best Comedy Series | Jann | Nominated |
| 2022 | Canadian Screen Awards | Best Lead Actress | Jann Arden | Nominated |
| 2022 | Canadian Screen Awards | Best Writing, Comedy Series | Leah Gauthier and Jennica Harper for "No Drama" | Nominated |
| 2022 | Canadian Screen Awards | Best Achievement in Casting, Fiction | Lisa Parasyn and Rhonda Fisekci | Nominated |
| 2022 | Canadian Screen Awards | Best Guest Performance, Comedy | Michael Bublé for "No Drama" | Won |
| 2024 | Canadian Screen Awards | Variety or Entertainment Special | Jann: Alone for the Holidays | Nominated |
| 2024 | Canadian Screen Awards | Variety or Sketch Comedy Program or Series | Leah Gauthier and Jennica Harper for Jann: Alone for the Holidays | Nominated |
| 2021 | Writers Guild of Canada | Best TV Comedy | Jann Arden and Jennica Harper | Won |