LIDO TV

Welcome to LIDO TV, a variety show unlike anything you’ve seen. Created and hosted by the remarkable Lido Pimienta, the artistic powerhouse and Polaris Prize–winning musician, this hilarious and thoughtful new CBC Gem series defies genre as it establishes a new creative benchmark for its format.

The show’s pastel-coloured sets and playful nature evoke familiar children’s programming, but LIDO TV is certainly not for the preschool set. Joining Lido are her four co-stars, the puppets Sunnyflower, Tomato, Tomáto, and Sol — all of whom are insightful foils to Lido as she explores the themes of colonialism, beauty, and feminism that are deeply relevant to our contemporary lives. The three episodes shown here offer an eclectic combination of animated spots, documentary segments, and comedy sketches, and Lido welcomes a roster of her talented friends, including Nelly Furtado, Bear Witness, and Kittie, with whom she sings an impromptu metal version of the sexist, far-right men’s rights movement manifesto.

Those familiar with Lido’s musical performances won’t be surprised that the series is layered, complex, wholly entertaining, and wildly funny. An expert at blending genres and influences — including from her Afro and Indigenous communities — the transnational star’s LIDO TV is a pitch-perfect show for the moment.

Lido is a gifted storyteller who warmly welcomes us into her world, even while recounting difficult stories of her childhood in Colombia and her adulthood in Canada. Lido’s respect for and intimacy with her guests and audiences is evident. Amid the pointed social commentary and the cutting-edge humour (including one skit pitting white Canadians against each other to give the best land acknowledgement), Lido’s inspirational generosity of spirit and profound kindness shine the brightest.

JASON RYLE