Catherine Reitman on the final season of ‘Workin’ Moms’

When Catherine Reitman yelled “Wrap” during the final taping of the final episode of the final season of her comedy series Workin’ Moms last September, she received a special parting gift given to all winning team leaders: a Gatorade shower. It’s been a well-deserved kudos, because what she’s accomplished over the past five years is arguably even rarer than a Super Bowl win: She’s created, written, and starred in a homegrown CBC sitcom that’s — thanks to a Netflix acquisition in 2019 – had a huge success, loyal following and critical acclaim on both sides of the border.

But as a thoroughly soaked Catherine reiterated in her roadside closing speech (which can be seen on her Instagram), “Workin’ Moms” was a comedy born out of a moment of sadness. “Nine years ago I had a little boy,” she said, “and I just didn’t feel like myself anymore. And[husband/co-star Philip Sternberg and I]really struggled to find content that represented that — that.” showed how (messed up) having kids can be.” Now, nearly a decade later, the Workin’ Moms saga comes to a close after another difficult and transformative time in her life.

Catherine’s father Ivan — the cinematic mastermind behind Meatballs, Twins and the Ghostbusters franchise — died last February at the age of 75. 3) initially allowed her to overcome the pain, Catherine admits that grief overflowed at the moment when filming ended. “My dad was really formative and he was very involved in preparing the show with me and he was so helpful and such an incredible mentor,” she says. “To wrap this up without being able to look him in the eye and be like, ‘Dad, I did it!’ is really painful.”

The impact of this absence is even more profound as Catherine’s breakthrough success with Workin’ Moms took place right here, in the same city where her father launched his career in the ’70s. Though Catherine was born and raised in Los Angeles, her family’s deep local roots practically grant her honorary citizenship — and she’s dutifully paid her respects by not only filming “Workin’ Moms” in Toronto, but the show in the city ​​hosted. Inclusion of local restaurants, shops and points of interest in scenes and intermediate montages.

“This was the place that gave hope to my grandparents after they escaped the Holocaust,” she says. “Toronto opened its doors to them, and then my father had his chance. When I returned to Toronto to start my career, I couldn’t help noticing how much the city can give to the people who live in it. It’s a really extraordinary place that opens a lot of doors, so I’m really happy that I’ve spent the last almost ten years there figuring out what I can do creatively.”

While the end of “Workin’ Moms” means a return to Los Angeles for now, Catherine believes Toronto will still be part of her future. After all, earlier this year the eldest of her two sons enjoyed his first summer at White Pine (the dormitory camp in Haliburton, Ontario where his grandfather shot “meatballs”), laying the groundwork for an annual pilgrimage. It also remains to be seen how long Rosedale-based Catherine will survive in the West without easy access to her beloved matcha lattes from Pilot Coffee Roasters in Leslieville or fried chicken from Bernhardt’s in Dovercourt. But now that she’s devoting more time to the second half of the “Workin’ Moms” equation, she’s thinking about her ideal Sunday on the town.

On the way in the morning

“I usually cook french toast or pancakes for the boys. It’s a working mom’s ultimate overcompensation guilt move: I wake up and try to make the most elaborate sugar-lacing breakfast I can for the two of them. As soon as they’re into sugar, we walk the dogs in the neighborhood. After that I always go jogging. I usually take the beltline from Chorley Park – it’s so beautiful in summer especially when all the trees meet overhead and you’re in that canopy. Everyone is out there with their dog and their stroller and I can kind of hear myself thinking.”

The midday rest

“We’re not big brunchers. The idea of ​​waiting in line for brunch after the hours I’m doing just sounds like more work to me. So I cook a lot. I was fortunate to live within walking distance of our Summerhill Market so I took the kids there and they each got to choose a snack and I picked out a few things to cook. We came back to do some serious cooking and napping while the kids got to watch some afternoon TV.”

food inside

“Philip and I love PAI for Thai food. This is an absolute favorite in our house. We do take-out – we’re big couch potatoes on the weekends. So we eat at home and try to introduce the kids to one of the movies we grew up watching – funny movies from the 80’s or 90’s that are kid-friendly, like Back to the Future. Or “Short Circuit” – they loved that. My boys are nine and six and they are both big hearted and sensitive. I accidentally showed them Austin Powers and my big boy said in the middle, ‘Mom, this movie is totally inappropriate!’”

homework time

“I spent a good four hours on Sunday nights memorizing lines for the week because I have a lot of words to say on the show. So while the kids and Phil watched TV or slept, I paced my little office and memorized lines for a few hours. I know it’s not the hottest Sunday, but it sent me into Monday with no shudders!”

SHARE: