Bilal Baig’s boundary-busting new series captures the true heart of Toronto
By Patricia Karounos |
By Patricia Karounos |
Photograph courtesy of CBC
For Torontonians who are tired of watching their city masquerade as New York or Chicago onscreen, the breakout dramedy Sort Of is a rare treat. It’s a smart series that stars the city as itself: lively, unflinching and full of possibility. The show—co-created by playwright Bilal Baig and actor Fab Filippo—depicts characters who feel familiar and true, none more so than Sabi (Baig), a non-binary millennial juggling multiple identities: trendy bartender, nanny to hipster kids, a child of immigrant Pakistani parents. The show is compelling and wry, self-obsessed yet big-hearted.
When Sort Of debuted last fall on CBC and HBO Max, it marked many firsts: the first non-binary lead on Canadian TV, the first queer South Asian Muslim to star on Canadian prime time. It landed on Vanity Fair’s best-of list, earned a field-leading 13 Canadian Screen Awards nominations (though Baig refused to compete in gendered acting categories), and has been renewed for a second season. The accolades are nice, but the show would shine without them.
, a non-binary millennial juggling multiple identities: trendy bartender, nanny to hipster kids, a child of immigrant Pakistani parents. The show is compelling and wry, self-obsessed yet big-hearted.
When Sort Of debuted last fall on CBC and HBO Max, it marked many firsts: the first non-binary lead on Canadian TV, the first queer South Asian Muslim to star on Canadian prime time. It landed on Vanity Fair’s best-of list, earned a field-leading 13 Canadian Screen Awards nominations (though Baig refused to compete in gendered acting categories), and has been renewed for a second season. The accolades are nice, but the show would shine without them.
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