Crave has decided how Canada’s Drag Race ends before the new season starts: it doesn’t. Bell Media’s streamer has renewed the competition for an eighth season, announced on 2 November, more than two weeks before season seven premieres on Thursday 19 November at 9 p.m. ET. Casting for season eight opens on Friday 20 November, the morning after the premiere.
Watch the trailer
The early renewal tells viewers the franchise is staying put. The guest list tells them what the new season is aiming for.
Who is judging
Brooke Lynn Hytes and Traci Melchor sit at the main judging table, with Carson Kressley, Hollywood Jade, Sarain Fox and Lauren Chan rotating through. The eight guest judges for season seven are a mix of drag royalty, comedy and Canadian music:
- Sasha Colby, winner of season 15 of RuPaul’s Drag Race
- Nicky Doll, host of Drag Race France
- Joel Kim Booster, the comedian, writer and actor
- Wally Baram, stand-up comedian and actor
- Josh Ramsay, the Juno-winning songwriter and producer
- bbno$, the rapper and songwriter
- SLAYYYTER, the singer and songwriter
- Aurora James, the designer, author and Project Runway Canada mentor
The season ahead
Season seven runs nine episodes, with 12 queens competing for the title of Canada’s Next Drag Superstar and a $100,000 prize. Eleven are new to the franchise and one returns: Montreal’s Paolo Perfección, from season six. The rest of the field is Batty Banks, Bliss, Carlotta Carlisle, Chiquita Mére, Gravy, Guy Anabella, Kara Juku, Madee Lovegood, Moh Dafok, Paris Matik and Pheromone Killz, drawn from Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton, Shediac and both Deer Lake and St. John’s in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Crave released the official trailer on 2 November. The series is produced by Blue Ant Studios with World of Wonder, in association with Crave, with Trevor Boris as executive producer and showrunner. It has won 32 Canadian Screen Awards.
Want to compete?
Season eight casting opens 20 November. Applicants must be 19 or older as of that date and must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents. No premiere window for season eight has been announced.
Where it fits
The renewal lands in a busy Canadian month for Crave, which also has the Jared Keeso comedy I Kill the Bear on its slate, and in a season when Canadian entertainment television is courting a broad audience, from Crave’s drag franchise to CBC’s first Eurovision search. If the subscription itself is the question, our guide to Crave plans sets out what each tier includes.
Where to watch
- Canada: Crave, from Thursday 19 November at 9 p.m. ET.
- US: WOW Presents Plus, at the same time as the Canadian launch.
- UK, Australia and New Zealand: WOW Presents Plus is launching the season in the US and 190 territories worldwide; check the service’s listings in your market to confirm.
Sources
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