Wild Cards is a police procedural television series co-produced by the Canadian CBC Television network and American network The CW. It premiered on January 10, 2024 in Canada, followed by its U.S. premiere on January 17, 2024.
On May 23, 2024, it was announced that the series was renewed for a second season which premiered on January 8, 2025 in Canada, and premieres on February 3, 2025 in the U.S.[1][2]
Premise
Cole Ellis, a demoted water-cop, arrests Max Mitchell, a transient con woman. While in custody and being held at the station, she helps him solve another crime. The pair are offered an opportunity at redemption – Ellis a chance to get back his detective badge, and Max a chance to stay out of jail – they just have to pair up and work together.
To regain his detective status, Cole Ellis, a demoted by-the-book cop, is assigned to work with Max Mitchell, a spirited con artist whose charismatic street smarts could help catch an elusive thief.[8]
A community outreach lecture on porch pirates turns into a murder investigation when Max and Ellis find an elite sports agent dead in his condo. Max's dad George gives her advice from his jail cell.[8]
Things go from quaint to creepy when Max and Ellis look into the disappearance of a butcher in a small rural town, Max quizzes Ellis on his personal life.[8]
After a surfer gets shot and washes up on the beach, Ellis goes under cover and Max puts on her detective hat to unravel a criminal plot worthy of Hitchcock.[8]
After an infamous accountant set to testify against the mob is kidnapped, Ellis gets an urgent call from an old friend to help get him back, Chief Li tells Max and Ellis they're on thin ice.[8]
Max and Ellis go behind-the-scenes of a long-running vampire TV show when a stalker sends cryptic death threats to the cast. Max opens up to Ellis about her mom.[8]
When a celebrated therapist and best-selling author is murdered, a bickering Max and Ellis go undercover as a married couple at her wellness retreat and discover more than their chakras.[8]
When Max is taken hostage during a bank robbery, Ellis goes against protocol to secretly infiltrate the bank, where he and Max work together to negotiate the release of hostages.[8]
Ellis is drawn into a case involving Max, her ex, and a world-famous Imperial egg, where a cat-and-mouse heist tests their friendship, their partnership, and their trust in each other.[8]
In early June 2023, CBC announced its new dramas for the 2023–24 season would include a new show titled Wild Cards from showrunner Michael Konyves. Shawn Piller would serve as executive producer, with Noelle Carbone as head writer/executive producer, and James Genn as pilot director/executive producer. Later that same month it was confirmed that production and filming had begun.[20][21] The series is produced Blink49 Studios, Front Street Pictures and Piller/Segan in association with CBC Television in Canada; in October 2023, it was announced that The CW in the U.S. would also produce the series.[22][23]
Casting
In early October 2023, the first casting announcements were made for the two main roles with Giacomo Gianniotti to play the cop and Vanessa Morgan to play the con woman.[24] In December 2023, it was announced that Jason Priestley had joined the cast.[25]
Filming
Filming took place in Vancouver, British Columbia between July 24, 2023 and October 27, 2023, followed by a single day of filming in Toronto, Ontario.[26]
Release
Wild Cards was ordered to series by both Canadian broadcaster CBC and U.S. network The CW. The 10 episode[27] first season premiered on January 10, 2024 on CBC Television in Canada and its associated digital streaming platform CBC Gem, as well as on-demand and both platforms' respective websites in Canada, and on January 17, 2024 on The CW,[26] and the following day its app, on-demand and its website in the United States.
