What happens when a star isn’t born? An adaptation of Vivek Shraya’s hit play and subsequent book How To Fail as a Popstar, the CBC Gem original series of the same name answers this question with hilarity, vulnerability, a healthy dose of imagination, and of course, music. The series tracks the journey of a young queer brown boy growing up in Edmonton trying to achieve pop stardom and what went almost right along the way – from the perspective of the now 40-something trans femme artist that boy became.

Starring Shraya alongside Adrian Pavone (Star Trek: Discovery, Grand Army), and Chris D’Silva (Slumberland, The Handmaid’s Tale) as Vivek at various stages of life. Written by Shraya, the CBC Gem original comedy series is directed by Vanessa Matsui (Son of a Critch, Midnight at the Paradise) with Shraya co-directing one episode. The cast also includes Ayesha Mansur Gonsalves (Sort Of, Y: The Last Man, Star Trek: Discovery), Nadine Bhabha (Letterkenny, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Terror Train), Arwen Humphreys (Murdoch Mysteries, Run the Burbs), Eric Johnson (Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, American Gods, Vikings), Vanessa Matsui (Ghost BFF, Letterkenny, Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments), and introducing Aayushma Sapkota in her first role.