# The Lake
**The Lake** is a Canadian television comedy series created by Julian Doucet for Amazon Prime Video, and the first scripted Canadian Amazon Original comedy series. It stars [Jordan Gavaris](https://www.edgepedia.org/jordan-gavaris), Julia Stiles, and Madison Shamoun in the story of Justin, a recently divorced gay man who spends a summer in Ontario cottage country trying to reconnect with Billie, the teenage daughter he gave up for adoption, while fighting his stepsister Maisy-May for ownership of the family cottage.[1](https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/amazon-prime-video-begins-production-on-the-lake-the-first-scripted-canadian-amazon-original-comedy-series-834858733.html) • [2](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/the-lake/cast/1060154368/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | Half-hour comedy-drama, 8 episodes per season, 16 episodes total, TV-MA rating[3](https://epguides.com/Lake/) • [2](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/the-lake/cast/1060154368/) • [10](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/the-lake) |
| Run | Season 1 premiered June 17, 2022; season 2 premiered June 9, 2023; status canceled/ended[3](https://epguides.com/Lake/) • [4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_lake) |
| Creator | Julian Doucet, writer and executive producer, from Ottawa, Ontario[5](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/8c/8a/aa9820ea419f82fb4bf1c6d56581/azs-econdoc-r8.pdf) |
| Lead cast | Jordan Gavaris as Justin, Julia Stiles as Maisy-May, Madison Shamoun as Billie[1](https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/amazon-prime-video-begins-production-on-the-lake-the-first-scripted-canadian-amazon-original-comedy-series-834858733.html) |
| Setting and filming | North Bay, Ontario and surrounding cottage country, including Eagle Lake, Trout Lake, Sundridge Hockey Opportunity Camp, and the Mattawa River[5](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/8c/8a/aa9820ea419f82fb4bf1c6d56581/azs-econdoc-r8.pdf) |
| Production company | AMAZE, founded by producing partners Michael Souther and Teza Lawrence[1](https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/amazon-prime-video-begins-production-on-the-lake-the-first-scripted-canadian-amazon-original-comedy-series-834858733.html) |
| Availability | Prime Video, in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide[1](https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/amazon-prime-video-begins-production-on-the-lake-the-first-scripted-canadian-amazon-original-comedy-series-834858733.html) |
## Spoilers
### Premise
The series centers on the Canadian cottage experience. Justin (Jordan Gavaris), 35, is a recently divorced gay man returning to Canada after years living overseas, including a long-term relationship in Australia that fell apart. He brings his 16-year-old daughter Billie (Madison Shamoun), whom he gave up for adoption as a teenager, to the lake that was his family's vacation spot, hoping the summer will bring them closer. Instead he finds that his parents left the family cottage to his stepsister Maisy-May ([Julia Stiles](https://www.edgepedia.org/julia-stiles)), and the season follows his attempts to reclaim the property, bond with Billie, and repair his relationship with his late father.[2](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/the-lake/cast/1060154368/) • [6](https://www.tvgoodness.com/2022/06/12/julian-doucet-talks-prime-videos-the-lake/) • [3](https://epguides.com/Lake/)
The supporting cast includes Terry Chen as Victor Lin, Travis Nelson as Riley, Declan Whaley as Opal Lin, Natalie Lisinska as Jayne, Jon Dore as Wayne, and [Lauren Holly](https://www.edgepedia.org/lauren-holly) as Mimsy.[2](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/the-lake/cast/1060154368/)
## Production
Amazon Prime Video announced the start of production on August 5, 2021, describing The Lake as the first scripted Canadian Amazon Original series. It was the fourth announced Canadian Amazon Original at the time, following the revival of the sketch comedy [The Kids in the Hall](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-kids-in-the-hall), the docu-series [All or Nothing](https://www.edgepedia.org/all-or-nothing): [Toronto Maple Leafs](https://www.edgepedia.org/toronto-maple-leafs), and the comedy-variety series LOL: Last One Laughing Canada.[1](https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/amazon-prime-video-begins-production-on-the-lake-the-first-scripted-canadian-amazon-original-comedy-series-834858733.html)
Filming took place in and around [North Bay, Ontario](https://www.edgepedia.org/north-bay-ontario), with locations including Eagle Lake, Eagle Lake Narrows Country Store in South River, Trout Lake, the Sundridge Hockey Opportunity Camp, and the Mattawa River. IMDb lists season 1 filming dates of August 3 to October 8, 2021, and season 2 filming from August 15 to September 29, 2022.[5](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/8c/8a/aa9820ea419f82fb4bf1c6d56581/azs-econdoc-r8.pdf) • [7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15176890/locations/) The production employed more than 150 Ontario-based crew members in roles including production design, photography, music composition, and picture editing.[5](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/8c/8a/aa9820ea419f82fb4bf1c6d56581/azs-econdoc-r8.pdf)
## Origins
The story is rooted in the life of creator Julian Doucet, previously a writer and producer on CTV Sci-Fi's Killjoys and Citytv's Hudson & Rex. Doucet, from Ottawa, met his own birth daughter later in life after giving her up for adoption when he was a teenager. He was brought into the project after Prime Video approved the initial concept but wanted to take it in a different direction, and he incorporated his own history into the story.[8](https://toronto.citynews.ca/2022/06/16/in-prime-videos-the-lake-ontario-actor-jordan-gavaris-takes-centre-stage/) • [6](https://www.tvgoodness.com/2022/06/12/julian-doucet-talks-prime-videos-the-lake/)
Gavaris, born and raised in Caledon, Ontario and best known for [Orphan Black](https://www.edgepedia.org/orphan-black), said the role appealed to him because the character's queerness was not the subject of the story. "It's just a love story between a birth father and a daughter," he said in a 2022 interview at the Banff World Media Festival.[8](https://toronto.citynews.ca/2022/06/16/in-prime-videos-the-lake-ontario-actor-jordan-gavaris-takes-centre-stage/)
## Reception
Season 1 holds a 63% Tomatometer average on Rotten Tomatoes based on 8 critic reviews, with an 87% average audience score on the site's Popcornmeter.[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_lake) Reviewers singled out the lead performances: John Anderson of The Wall Street Journal praised the "deft comic performances" of Gavaris, Shamoun, and Stiles, and Bill Brioux of Brioux.tv wrote that Gavaris's character grows more interesting each episode. More critical takes included a C+ from Manuel Betancourt of The A.V. Club, who called the series a breezy binge with one-note characterization, and a 5/10 from Alex Hudson of Exclaim!, who described a "tedious barrage of threesomes, fish with herpes, and references to past hookups."[9](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_lake/s01)
The series ran for two seasons before ending, with the final episode airing June 9, 2023.[3](https://epguides.com/Lake/)
## Context in Canadian television
The Lake was part of a wave of Amazon originals produced in Canada between 2021 and 2022, a period in which [Amazon MGM Studios](https://www.edgepedia.org/amazon-mgm-studios) reported more than 30 scripted and unscripted productions in the country and an estimated 13,000 jobs across industries including actors, producers, set developers, drivers, and caterers.[5](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/8c/8a/aa9820ea419f82fb4bf1c6d56581/azs-econdoc-r8.pdf) Canadian Press coverage at launch placed the series alongside the Disney+ film [Fire Island](https://www.edgepedia.org/fire-island) and [Billy Eichner](https://www.edgepedia.org/billy-eichner)'s film Bros as major studio releases centered on gay romantic comedy, and noted that it was billed as Prime Video's first scripted narrative series in Canada.[8](https://toronto.citynews.ca/2022/06/16/in-prime-videos-the-lake-ontario-actor-jordan-gavaris-takes-centre-stage/)
## References
1. [Amazon Prime Video Begins Production on The Lake, the First Scripted Canadian Amazon Original Comedy Series, Amazon Canada via CNW (August 5, 2021)](https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/amazon-prime-video-begins-production-on-the-lake-the-first-scripted-canadian-amazon-original-comedy-series-834858733.html)
2. [The Lake – Full Cast & Crew, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/the-lake/cast/1060154368/)
3. [The Lake (a Titles & Air Dates Guide), epguides.com](https://epguides.com/Lake/)
4. [The Lake, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_lake)
5. [Amazon MGM Studios' Economic Impact in Canada 2021–2022, About Amazon](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/8c/8a/aa9820ea419f82fb4bf1c6d56581/azs-econdoc-r8.pdf)
6. [Julian Doucet Talks Prime Video's The Lake, TV Goodness (June 12, 2022)](https://www.tvgoodness.com/2022/06/12/julian-doucet-talks-prime-videos-the-lake/)
7. [The Lake (TV Series 2022–2023) – Filming & production, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15176890/locations/)
8. [In Prime Video's "The Lake," Ontario actor Jordan Gavaris takes centre stage, The Canadian Press via CityNews Toronto (June 16, 2022)](https://toronto.citynews.ca/2022/06/16/in-prime-videos-the-lake-ontario-actor-jordan-gavaris-takes-centre-stage/)
9. [The Lake: Season 1 – Reviews, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_lake/s01)
10. [The Lake - Parents' Guide & TV Review](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/the-lake)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Scripted television and comedy series › Sitcom and comedy series › Comedy series outside the US and UK › Premiered 2022 to 2026*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license