THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN PLAYBACK — READ IT HERE
Vancouver-headquartered Omnifilm Entertainment is currently in production on Must Love Dogs, a new unscripted series commission for CBC that spotlights the high-stakes world of dog rescue in Manitoba.
First announced at CBC’s upfront presentation in June, the follow-doc accompanies Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back Brady Oliveira (pictured right) and his partner, realtor and influencer Alex Blumberg (left), as they work alongside local communities and volunteers of K9 Advocacy and other Manitoba rescue groups to help dogs in need and find them their forever homes.
The couple’s dog-rescue work will also be paralleled by Oliveira’s 2025 Canadian Football League (CFL) season, with exclusive access to Blue Bombers training sessions and games.
Pre-production on the series began in March of this year, with principal photography launching in April for a November wrap. The shooting schedule has been designed to align with both the CFL season (which runs from the May preseason to the playoffs and Grey Cup Championship in November) as well as the annual dog-rescue cycle, which peaks in fall in advance of the Manitoba winter.
The production is centred in Winnipeg, with shooting taking place in remote communities across Manitoba as well as Vancouver, where some of the rescued dogs have found owners.
Delivery is slated for spring 2026, with broadcast planned for later in the year.
The executive producers on the series are Brian Hamilton, Gabriela Schonbach, Cathy Schoch, Daniel Wan, John Hall, Kayvon Saremi and Farzin Toussi. Cheryl Binning is series producer, and the director is Neil Grahn.
The project was financed by CBC, the Canada Media Fund and Omnifilm Releasing, and benefited from federal tax credits as well as provincial tax credits from Manitoba and B.C.
THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN PLAYBACK — READ IT HERE
