The Assembly Season 2 Lands Hudson Williams

CBC's interview series returns 1 November with more than 30 neurodivergent and autistic interviewers, and guests from Hudson Williams to Zach Galifianakis.

By Lauren Smith October 29, 2026 4 min read

Photo: CBC

The Assembly is back with a bigger cast and a guest list that spans hockey, music and comedy. CBC‘s unscripted interview series, in which neurodivergent and autistic adults put direct, unpredictable questions to a famous guest, returns Sunday 1 November, with Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams among its six interviewees.

Who is in the chair

CBC has named all six guests for the season of 30-minute episodes:

Hudson Williams, from Heated Rivalry
Marie-Philip Poulin, the three-time Olympic gold medallist
Jay Baruchel, of This Is the End
Ashley Callingbull, Miss Universe Canada, who appears in North of North
Lights, the singer-songwriter
Zach Galifianakis, of The Hangover

CBC has not released an episode order, so it is not yet clear which guest opens the season.

Jay Baruchel with the interviewers of The Assembly season two — In pictures 3

Marie-Philip Poulin with the interviewers of The Assembly season two — In pictures 3

The interviewer cast also grows. CBC says season two features more than 30 neurodivergent and autistic interviewers, with the original group returning alongside new faces. Season one guests included Jann Arden, Arlene Dickinson, Allan Hawco, Howie Mandel, Russell Peters and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan.

“Our interviewers bring such a fresh, honest energy to the traditional talk show,” said Jennifer Dettman, CBC’s executive director of unscripted content, in the announcement.

How to watch, and the Gem advantage

The broadcast premiere is 1 November at 9 p.m. (9:30 p.m. NT) on CBC TV and CBC Gem. Streamers get a head start: CBC says episodes with American Sign Language and extended “Producer’s Cuts” go up exclusively on CBC Gem the same day at 9 a.m. ET.

If you want the longer conversations, Gem is the version to pick.

Where it comes from

The Assembly adapts the French series Les Rencontres du Papotin, which began on France 2 in 2022, according to CBC. Vancouver’s Small Army Entertainment produces the Canadian version, with Sean De Vries and Stephen Sawchuk as executive producers.

The first season earned two 2026 Canadian Screen Award nominations, including best factual series, along with nominations at the Banff World Media Festival and the Yorkton Film Festival, CBC says. When the show was renewed in April, Radio-Canada‘s French version, Facteur A, was renewed too.

“Being back for a second season shows that the series is resonating with audiences,” De Vries said.

Catching up on season one

Season one is on CBC Gem now, and it is short: six episodes, one guest each. In order, the interviewers sat down with Howie Mandel, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Jann Arden, Allan Hawco, Arlene Dickinson and Russell Peters. Gem lists every episode with closed captions and described video. CBC describes Gem as its “free CBC Gem streaming service”; how it compares with Canada’s other no-cost options is set out in Free Streaming in Canada, Legally.

Mandel’s verdict is the one CBC chose to quote when it announced the renewal on 2 April 2026: “the most honest, beautiful, original, authentic conversation I’ve ever had on camera.” Jennifer Dettman of CBC said the series “has connected deeply with audiences across Canada and beyond.” Beyond its Canadian Screen Award nominations, CBC says season one was nominated for a Rockie Award at the Banff World Media Festival in the Social Issues & Current Affairs category and picked up two nominations at the Yorkton Film Festival, including Factual Documentary Series.

The French-language version

The Assembly is not the only Canadian take on Les Rencontres du Papotin. Radio-Canada has its own French-language version, Facteur A, which CBC says has also been “renewed for a second season.” CBC’s announcement notes that other international versions of the format exist, though it does not list them.

Where Hudson Williams’s breakout streams

Williams comes to the show from Crave. He plays Shane Hollander in Heated Rivalry, the Crave Original created by Jacob Tierney, whose earlier work includes Letterkenny and Shoresy (the Sudbury end of that world is mapped in A Screen Trip to Sudbury). The series adapts Rachel Reid’s Game Changers books, published by Harlequin, with Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov, Hollander’s rival on the ice and, later, his romantic partner.

Bell Media says the six one-hour episodes of season one premiered on Crave on Friday 28 November 2025, with a weekly rollout to the 26 December finale. Outside Canada, season one streams on HBO Max in the US and Australia and on Neon in New Zealand, according to the same release. Crave has confirmed a second season, which Bell Media says “is set to premiere in Spring 2027,” with Williams and Storrie both returning.

For the rest of the public broadcaster’s fall schedule, including what else is new on Gem alongside The Assembly, see CBC Gem’s Fall, Sorted.

Where to watch

The Assembly season two · CBC Gem · CA · From Sun 1 Nov, 9 a.m. ET (ASL and Producer’s Cuts)
The Assembly season two · CBC TV · CA · Sun 1 Nov, 9 p.m. (9:30 p.m. NT)
The Assembly season one (six episodes): CBC Gem · CA · Streaming free now
Heated Rivalry season one: Crave · CA · Streaming now