Refreshing new doc series Get Hooked casts off old stereotypes to highlight the healing power of fishing, March 17 on OUTtv, OUTflix and AMI+
– Further exploring the intersection of queerness, disability, and nature with humour and heart, the Get Hooked companion podcast for AMI and OUTtv launches April 17 –
TORONTO (February 11, 2025) — This isn’t your dad’s fishing show. A thought-provoking and barrier-breaking new six-part documentary series, Get Hooked (6x30) is an invitation to explore diverse joy in nature and redefine what it means to fish. Co-commissioned by OUTtv and Accessible Media Inc. (AMI), the series is created by Heidi Lynch (showrunner of Avocado Toast the series and Series Mania “Canada’s Producers to Watch” 2024) and Leah Vlemmiks (“Tesfay” music video by Witch Prophet), directed by Vlemmiks, and produced by Lynch through Bone Vault Inc.
Get Hooked premieres Monday, March 17 on AMI+ (Canada), OUTtv.com (Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand), and OUTflix.com (UK, Ireland, and Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland via Allente). In Canada, viewers can also catch the series weekly on both AMI-tv and OUTtv broadcast channels, beginning Monday, March 24 at 9 p.m. ET.
“For too long, the outdoors – and fishing in particular – has only been marketed to one specific group of human beings,” said Lynch. “We want to showcase a different side of the fishing world – one that welcomes diversity, queerness, and the power of simply being present in nature for the good of our collective mental health. Get Hooked is funny, heartfelt, and deeply personal, and we hope it inspires people to find their own healing connection to the natural world.”
Get Hooked follows a Canadian angling guide per episode sharing their use of fishing as a lifeline for mental well-being with a group of queer, comedic outsiders. Set against the backdrop of breathtaking Ontario landscapes, each episode is more than just a fishing story – it’s a celebration of resilience, identity, and the healing power of nature. But as these anglers find solace on the water, the series asks a crucial question: why isn’t this access available to everyone?
“At its heart, Get Hooked is about how a shared passion can be a great connector – to nature, to each other, to ourselves,” added Lynch. “This series challenges outdated ideas of who belongs in outdoor spaces and highlights the joy, humour, and healing that come from casting a line in good company. In the divisive place we currently find ourselves, connection is a breath of fresh air. Get Hooked will always include great men as part of the story, but told through a different gaze than you normally see in fishing documentaries and shows.”
Bringing a unique and diverse mix of lived experiences, perspectives, and personalities, the captivating cast of anglers featured in the series are Demiesha Dennis (founder/director of Brown Girl Outdoor World), Dave Furgoch (organizer for the Blind Anglers International Tournament), Lisa Goodier (guide at the Ottawa River Musky Factory), Rosie Jones (comedian/actor/author), Rick Klatt (The Last Cull, participant in the Blind Anglers International Tournament), Frank Leaney (program coordinator and addictions counsellor at the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health), Chrisine Luckasavitch (owner/executive consultant of Waaseyaa Consulting), Faye Marsay (actor, Game of Thrones, Andor), Emily O’Brien (founder of ComeBack Snacks), SJ Todd (founder/creative director of SJT Studio), Kenneth Tse (science teacher and fishing guide), Emma Tweddle (co-owner of Brain Box Studios), and Vik Watson (co-owner/graphic designer of Brain Box Studios).
Additionally, the Get Hooked companion podcast (6x20) for OUTtv and AMI launches on April 17, exploring how we, as society, can make the mental health benefits of the outdoors more accessible to the LGBTQ+, disability, and BIPOC communities. In each episode, series creator Heidi Lynch sits down with notable game changers and community creators about fishing, nature, hunting, or travel. Guests include Faye Marsay, actor Verada Sethu (Andor, Doctor Who), singer-songwriter Christa Couture (Postcards From), Amie Battams (Fishing Whilst Gay), and Nicole Moore (Shooting Girl With An Afro). Available wherever you get your podcasts.
Get Hooked was developed with the support of the Telus Fund, Bell Fund, Ontario Creates, AMI, OUTtv, Destination Canada, and Ottawa Tourism, with special thanks to the Fairmont Chateau Laurier and Algonquin Outfitters.
Social Media
Instagram: @gethookedtheseries
TikTok: @gethookedtheseries
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bonevaultinc
- 30 -
About Heidi Lynch
Heidi Lynch is a Canadian Screen Award-nominated and internationally acclaimed writer, actor, and producer. Her work prominently features female-focused narratives that delve into underrepresented storylines. She served as co-showrunner/co-producer on both seasons of Avocado Toast the series on Amazon Prime (OUTtv) and Peacock, and is currently in development on her series Finding Green (KindaTV). Outside of the digital space, Lynch has a 6 x 1-hour erotic thriller in development with Orphan Black’s Cosima Herter. Lynch was recently recognized by Telefilm/Ontario Creates as one of Canada's "Producers to Watch" in Lille, France at Series Mania 2024 and was selected for the Toronto International FIlm Festival’s Series Incubator.
About Leah Vlemmiks
Leah Vlemmiks is a self-taught Canadian filmmaker, screenwriter, editor, and photographer. Her films have screened at SXSW, Rhode Island International Film Festival, Raindance, HBO Urbanworld, Nuit Blanche and many more. Her music video collaboration with Canadian artist Witch Prophet won Best Music Video at the BAFTA-qualifying Aesthetica Film Festival, was nominated for Best International R&B/Soul Video at the UKMVAs and was voted to the Prism Prize Top Ten by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. Leah's feature film, GOSWINA, is currently in development in the UK with support from Canada Council for the Arts. Leah's short film, AGNES, received a Belief Grant from The Uncertain Kingdom in 2024 and is slated for production in winter 2024/25.
About Bone Vault Inc
Bone Vault Inc. is an award winning, digital strategy-first, film and television production company passionate about telling the stories that don't get told enough. The company mandates a minimum of 55% women/non-binary team members on every project both in front of and behind the camera. With gender parity in decision making roles projected for 2215 in the Canadian film and tv industry - it's time to put our feet on the gas and change the narrative. bonevaultinc.com
About OUTtv
OUTtv is the world’s leading LGBTQ+ television and streaming service. Home to a compelling mix of inclusive, queer-focused content from comedy to drama, documentaries, reality, and award-winning movies. OUTtv is dedicated to telling stories by and for the community and is the world’s leading provider of queer content. OUTtv Originals include For the Love of DILFS, Sew Fierce, X-Rated: NYC, The Villbergs Chronicles, Call Me Mother, Sugar Highs, Trixie Mattel: Skinny Legend, My Trans Journey and the documentary strand OutSpoken.
OUTtv’s streaming platform is available at OUTtv.com where subscribers can stream their favorite series and movies and discover new content exclusive to the service. OUTtv.com is available for iOS and Android devices, Apple TV, Roku and on web browsers in the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. OUTtv is also available in the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand as an Amazon Prime Video Channel, in the USA, Canada and Australia as an Apple TV Channel. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @OUTtv or TikTok @outtv.global
About Accessible Media Inc.
AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca. Follow AMI on Facebook and Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc, and TikTok and YouTube @accessiblemedia
For interview requests, screeners, or more information, please contact:
Steph Perron, BAE Communications
steph@baecommunications.ca
647.278.6799
UK: DDA
outtv@ddaglobal.com
Tel: +44 20 7932 9800