Moonshine is a Canadian television drama series, which premiered on September 14, 2021, on CBC Television.^[2] The series stars Jennifer Finnigan as Lidia Bennett, daughter of Ken and Bea Finley-Cullen played by Peter MacNeill and Corrine Koslo, the owners of a ramshackle summer resort on the south shore of Nova Scotia who are keen to retire but whose adult children are battling for control.^[3]

Cast and characters

Main

• Jennifer Finnigan as Lidia Bennett: an architect and the eldest Finley-Cullen sibling who wants to redevelop and exploit the Moonshine
• Anastasia Phillips as Rhian Finley-Cullen: Lidia's often-overlooked younger sister who sees The Moonshine as her own chance to shine
• Emma Hunter as Nora Finley-Cullen: Lidia's sister and a host at the local radio station who knows all the family secrets
• Tom Stevens as Ryan Finley-Cullen: Rhian’s twin, who is running his own marijuana business out of the resort
• Alexander Nunez as Sammy Finley-Cullen: Lidia’s musically gifted adopted brother who holds secrets of his own
• Erin Darke as Crystal LeBlanc: Ryan's supportive girlfriend who has something to prove of herself
• Farid Yazdani as Oscar Finley-Cullen: a police officer trying to shut down the Moonshine who goes undercover as a guest
• Corrine Koslo as Bea Finley-Cullen: Ken's wife and the matriarch of the Finley-Cullen family and co-owner of the Moonshine with secrets to hide
• Peter MacNeill as Ken Finley-Cullen: Bea's husband and the patriarch of the Finley-Cullen family and co-owner of the Moonshine, trying to decide who should take over the Moonshine from him and Bea
• James Gilbert as Terry Gallagher: Rhian's cop husband who is having an affair with her sister Nora
• Allegra Fulton as Jill LeBlanc (season 1, recurring seasons 2-3): an old family friend with some nefarious motives and secrets of her own
• Celia Owen as Eleanor Bennett (season 2–present, recurring season 1): Lidia's annoyed and environmentally-friendly daughter who dislikes staying at the Moonshine
• Calem MacDonald as Finn Bennett (season 2-present, recurring season 1): Lidia's son who struggles with his sexual identity at the Moonshine
• Allan Hawco as Gale Favreau (season 2, guest season 1 and 3): Lidia's biker love interest who ropes Lidia into his dangerous occupation
• Leigh-Ann Rose as Aunjanue Arnold (season 3, recurring season 2): Sammy's biological mother who worked at the Moonshine in her teen years
• J.D. Martin as Weston Lonergan (season 3)

Recurring

• Jonathan Silverman as Daniel Bennett: Lidia’s husband and a star architect, suffering through his own mid-life crisis
• Stephen Lawrence as Bruce Barrington: a musician living in Foxton
• T. Thomason as Michael Hurson (season 1): Finn and Eleanor's love interest
• Loretta Yu as Moira Lancaster (season 1): a cop working with Oscar/Colin who worries when he begins to fail at his job
• Shelley Thompson as Felicia Finley-Cullen (season 2): Lidia's late aunt who favors her and leaves 49 percent of the Moonshine to her when she passed

Episodes

Season 1 (2021)

Season 2 (2022)

Season 3 (2023)

Production

Created by Sheri Elwood for Six Eleven Media and Entertainment One,^[3] the series was first announced in 2020 under the working title Feudal.^[1]

Following the conclusion of the first season, the CBC announced that the series was renewed for a second season, which is slated to add Allan Hawco to the cast.,^[5] with Leigh-Ann Rose in a primary recurring role. A third season adds J.D. Martin to the primary cast.

Release

International

The series was released on Amazon Freevee in the United Kingdom on March 10, 2023, with both seasons and all 16 episodes on the platform at launch. It premiered in the United States on The CW on July 7, 2023.^[6]

Critical response

John Doyle of The Globe and Mail wrote that the series had some good and fun aspects, but "there is, literally, too much going on. It’s like there are several series packed into one, and some of those involved aren’t quite sure which one they’re starring in."^[7]