Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

The Polygamist is a new Zulu-language show that follows the life of a wealthy married couple in South Africa as they deal with the pressures of infidelity. It’s currently one of Netflix’s most watched shows. You’ll hear why it has captivated audiences around the world and the conversations it has opened up with culture critics Tayo Bero in Lagos, Nigeria and Zanele Mji in Johannesburg, South Afric...

With the passing of legendary Canadian jazz pianist Oliver Jones, Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by principal Montreal Jazz Festival programmer Modibo Keita, jazz educator DJ Andy Williams, and Juno-award winning singer Molly Johnson to look back on Oliver Jones’ legacy and where they see it living on in today’s landscape.

Restaurant Impossible aired for 22 seasons on the Food Network before it was cancelled in 2023. Now it’s back, with Toronto restaurateur Jen Agg and celebrity chef Aarón Sánchez helping struggling restaurants across North America makeover their spaces and menus. Line cook Grace Onasanya and Michelle Jobin, former host of Toronto Dining, chat with Elamin Abdelmahmoud about how this restaurant reali...

CBC Music correspondent Natalie Harmsen, Exclaim editor Megan LaPierre, and culture writer Joan Summers join Elamin Abdelmahmoud for a group chat digging into the highly anticipated new albums from the queen of Canadian country – Shania Twain, pop provocateur Charli XCX, and indie-sleaze icons The Strokes!

Climate change isn't a new subject for Canadian musicians to sing about, going back to Neil Young and Bruce Cockburn all the way up to Tanya Tagaq, The Weather Station, Kaeley Jade and many others. In the face of forest fires raging across the country, what is the place of music right now? Culture critic Riley Yesno and musician Tamara Lindeman AKA The Weather Station join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to d...

Esther Perel has built an empire around helping people navigate relationships through her podcast and bestselling books. She recently served as a consultant on Olivia Wilde's couple's comedy The Invite, and was even a major inspiration for Penelope Cruz's character in the film. Culture writers Rebecca Jennings and Marisa Meltzer join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss how a couple's therapist infiltra...

Thanks to popular social-media accounts like Track Star, to be a music fan online these days is to be inundated with quick-hit clips of musicians being quizzed on their music knowledge, or being asked to name their Top 10 albums. Music critics Emilie Hanskamp and Rollie Pemberton a.k.a. Cadence Weapon chat about the rise of this content with Elamin Abdelmahmoud. Plus, Variety TV critic Aramide Tin...

The 2026 World Cup is over. It took over five weeks, 48 countries and we finally have a winner! Who were the heroes and villains of this World Cup? And what kind of legacy does this tournament leave for Canadian soccer? CBC Sports contributors Shireen Ahmed and Morgan Campbell, and culture critic Matt Amha join Elamin Abdelmahmoud for a look back at this year’s World Cup.

Film critics Hanna Flint, David Ehrlich and Radheyan Simonpillai join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to review Christopher Nolan’s epic adaptation of The Odyssey.

Wildfires, heatwaves, and flood risks are becoming increasingly more common across Canada, and many arts and culture festivals are being forced to adapt and prepare for multi-level climate emergencies. Festival organizers Julie Fowler, Troy Greencorn and Adi Winterbourne join Elamin to describe the challenges festivals are facing, and the types of changes they’ve had to make.

Canadian actor Brittany Allen gave one of The Pitt’s most heart-wrenching performances of season 2 as the terminally ill mother Roxie Hamler. So when HBO decided not to submit her for Emmy consideration, Brittany submitted herself and is now a nominee in the category of Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. Brittany joins Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about her performance and why she decided...

The World Cup has a way of bringing us together, but also highlighting our divisions and the colonial histories that brought us to this moment. CBC Sports’ Shireen Ahmed joins Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about the racism called out at this year’s tournament, and how people are responding to it. Plus, "Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass” is the latest comedy from David Wain, who also dir...

The wait for the movie adaptation of the bestselling YA novel, Children of Blood and Bone, is nearly over. But the author and co-screenwriter, Tomi Adeyemi, says she will not be watching when it comes out in January 2027. Authors Jael Richardson and Catherine Hernandez talk to Elamin Abdelmahmoud about the story. Plus, with Jay-Z kicking off his ‘Jay-Z-30’ tour at Yankee Stadium in New York City t...

Film critics Corey Atad, Sarah-Tai Black, and Justine Smith join the Group Chat to talk about the new Canadian indie horror film Son of Sara: Vol. 1, and why the horror genre seems to be thriving in Canada right now. They’ll also weigh in on the nominations for the Primetime Emmy Awards, and pay tribute to Quebec screen star Marc Messier, who died this week at age 78.

Little House on the Prairie has been adapted countless times, and Netflix is adding their modern retelling into the Laura Ingalls Wilder canon. TV critics Johnnie Jae and Kathryn VanArendonk join guest host Radheyan Simonpillai to talk about what Little House on the Prairie has meant to the generations who grew up with it, and how much has changed with the representation of Osage characters in sho...

Have you ever been to a friend’s house for dinner and suddenly realized they were fighting with their partner right before you walked through the door? That’s where Olivia Wilde’s latest movie, The Invite, begins and the tension never lets up - but does it deliver? Adam Nayman and Teri Hart stop by Commotion to give us their take on the new relationship comedy-drama. Plus, CBC sports reporter Morg...

The only large photochemical film lab in Canada is slated to close .. and film lovers are lobbying the owners to reverse their decision. Film professor Michael Yaroshevsky says that if MELS closes in Montreal – it’s not just the loss of an essential service … it’s going to weaken cinema in this country as we know it.  Plus, Playstation announced it will discontinue making video games on physi...

Canada is only one game away from the World Cup quarter-finals. All eyes will be on their match against Morocco this weekend. On Monday, CBC’s Shireen Ahmed and Zameer Karim join guest host Radheyan Simonpillai to talk about this pivotal game for Canada, and reflect on Toronto and Vancouver’s experiences as host cities as their hosting duties officially wind down. Plus, Lainey Lui checks in her re...

Music journalist Emilie Hanskamp, broadcaster Garvia Bailey, and culture writer Mel Woods join the Friday Group Chat to discuss Canada joining the Eurovision song contest; Madonna’s long-awaited new album Confessions II; and a documentary about trailblazing Canadian queer rock icon Carole Pope.

"Nirvanna the Band: A comedy about Matt and Jay, a duo unrelated to the legendary band Nirvana, who devise a ridiculous plan to build a time machine for a performance and travel back 17 years to when they first met" is the full translated title for the Korean version of the Canadian hit film "Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie." Michelle Cho talks with guest host Radheyan Simonpillai about how a...

It's Canada Day, which means the first half of the year is over. Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by culture critics Jackson Weaver, Riley Yesno and Eugénie Lépine-Blondeau to look back on the Canadian artists making the biggest impact on pop culture this year so far (Hudson Williams! Drake! Charlotte Cardin! Matt Johnson! Angine de Poitrine!) and what they are most looking forward to in the next hal...

Culture critics Matt Hart and Niko Stratis talk to Commotion guest host Radheyan Simonpillai about the enduring appeal of the Jackass franchise, and what it teaches us about male friendship, vulnerability, and getting older.  Plus, CBC senior contributor Morgan Campbell discusses ‘Overture,’ the first new album in almost 10 years from Canadian R&B artist Glenn Lewis.

Commotion guest host Radheyan Simonpillai is joined by culture critic Sonya Ballantyne and CBC film critic Jackson Weaver to discuss 'Supergirl’ - the latest installment in James Gunn’s DC Universe franchise. Also, the newly opened Museum of Animated Film in Annecy, France includes a permanent exhibition of works created by Canada’s National Film Board—including two works by Montreal-based Oscar-n...

With the CN Tower celebrating its 50th birthday today, culture writers Michael Barclay, Niko Stratis, and Dalton Higgins reflect on the various ways—from Drake to Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie—the tower has shown up in pop culture over the years, and how it remains a potent symbol of Canadian identity even for people far outside Toronto. 

Siphe November took his final bow as principal dancer at the National Ballet of Canada in Wayne McGregor’s adaptation of MADDADDAM this past weekend. As Siphe prepares to join the Dutch National Ballet as soloist, culture critic Syrus Marcus Ware and ballet critic Martha Schabas join Elamin to talk about his meteoric rise at the National Ballet and the pressure he’s faced as the second Black dance...