The CW is about to revive a popular Canadian crime show, but for some reason, there’s only one streaming service you can catch up on the original.
Reboot and sequel TV shows are the rage these days. However, a sequel to a series that only ended five years ago is unusual. That’s happening as the CW acquired the U.S. broadcast rights to Private Eyes West Coast, a sequel to the 2016-2021 Canadian crime series Private Eyes, which has already aired its first season in Canada.
It’s fun news for fans of the original show who are hopeful the sequel continues the mix of breezy crime cases, some humor, and some heart as well. However, rather than Hulu, Netflix, or Prime Video, the only place you can stream Private Eyes is Hallmark+. Why such a strange spot for this show?
Why Private Eyes is popular
First, a quick recap of Private Eyes. The show began in 2016, focusing on Matt Shade (Jason Priestley), a former pro hockey player forced to retire early due to injuries. A divorced father to his visually impaired daughter, Jules (Jordyn Negri), Matt is making a go at being a sports agent, only for a client to suffer a drug overdose.
Thinking someone bigger is going on, Matt investigates and runs into Angelina Susan “Angie” Everett (Cindy Sampson), a tough private eye taking up her late father’s business. Despite friction, the pair solves the case with Matt realizing he likes this line of work and becomes Angie’s new partner.
The series is the typical Canadian crime show with episodic cases ranging from cheating husbands to murder. There are long-range plotlines like Angie finding out secrets about her dad, Matt dealing with his daughter and ex-wife, and both bantering along with differing romances. The show ended in 2021 after five seasons with a final scene of Matt and Angie finally kissing.
The new West Coast series has Priestley and Sampson returning as Matt and Angie, moving to Vancouver, where they catch new mysteries while also handling their changed relationship. The series has already been renewed for a second season, expected to hit Canadian TV later this year.
With the sequel show coming, one would expect the series to be around for a binge-watch.
The series did air on broadcast in the U.S., on the ION channel, which was home to quite a few Canadian crime series. It’s owned by Corus Entertainment, which licenses various Canadian productions to U.S. streamers and networks. The CW is a primary beneficiary of this deal, as they air several Canadian shows, such as Wild Cards and Sullivan’s Crossing, with more on The CW website.
The show can be viewed on Fubo, and you can buy episodes on Amazon or Apple TV+. That Hallmark+ is the only streaming place for it seems odd, but the streamer is home to other Canadian shows such as The Spencer Sisters, The Way Home and the successful When Calls the Heart franchise. It’s likely Hallmark+ made a better offer for Private Eyes than other streamers as well as the complex rights issues involving studios.
With the new version coming to the CW later this year, it’s logical to assume the CW website can add the previous Private Eyes show for viewers to catch up on it. There’s no word on that, however, so for now, Hallmark+ is the only place to stream this underrated crime series and a great time to get onto it before the revival hits!
Add us as a preferred source on Google