“It has a lot of heart to it,” begins producer Katie Uhlmann.
We’re discussing Cows Come Home, the new TV comedy series that she has co-created with actor Lindsey Middleton, and which is set to premiere on Bell Canada’s Fibe TV1 in spring 2025. Set in rural Canada, the show centres around Sam Acres (Middleton), a chaotic yet loveable character who returns to her small-town roots to heal her broken heart. Hoping to piece her life back together with the support of her best friend, Sam plunges anew into the world of competitive cow showing.
Yes, that’s right. Along with the heart comes a lot of cows.
In a warm and delightful discussion focused on the genesis and development of Cows Come Home, Middleton and Uhlmann displayed the charm and energy that make them charismatic presences, both on-screen and off. Their easy camaraderie is rooted in friendship, as well as a shared personal connection to small-town life, which powers their new series.
Middleton, a 2024 Dora Award Winner and Canadian Screen Award Nominee, is an Ontario native whose personal life inspired many of the show’s story elements. “I grew up in a very small town outside of Niagara Falls called Ridgeway, which is inside of Fort Erie, Ontario,” she recounts. “My grandma was best friends with a woman whose husband owned a dairy farm, and she would bring me to the farm, and I got interested in the calves… I was already horseback riding and very much a farm lover, and one thing led to another. The, next thing I knew, I was part of the club and competing” . . . by showing cows.
Though her 4-H career was cut short, the experience had a lasting impact. “I qualified for nationals at the youngest age possible, which was pretty exciting,” she recalls. “But in a tragic twist of fate, I wasn’t actually able to go to nationals because my calf got ringworm.” As a result, “there was always a bit of unfinished business I felt with competitive cow showing. And now, with the show, I feel like I’m finally tying up that bow.”
When she first heard about Middleton’s experiences with cow showing at a birthday party, the Trenton Ontario-born Uhlmann, who is known for her work on Nurses and the hit series My Roommate’s an Escort, had the eureka moment that sparked the show: “I was looking for a rural story to produce, and hearing Lindsey’s stories about 4-H and cow showing, I thought, ‘This is it!’” Uhlmann recalls. The small town ethos is at the core of the show: “It was really important for us to represent the communities and the people that we love and grew up with.” And in keeping with this goal, the duo is committed to keeping Cows Come Home humorous, yet grounded.
The show centres on the character of 29.5 year old Sam Acres, played by Middleton, as she navigates the challenges and the comedy of starting fresh in her rural hometown and renewing the relationship with her longtime best friend. Middleton, whose other credits include Out with Dad and the Roku Channel series Just Hysterics, is unabashedly bringing her personal experiences to the role – especially her background in cow showing. For my benefit as an ignorant urbanite, Middleton explained that “competitive cow showing is a sport.” And that this sport is judged in “two different categories: there’s ‘confirmation,’ which is essentially ‘how beautiful is your calf?’—it’s kind of like a beauty pageant. And then there’s ‘showmanship,’ which is you working with the animal, with small choreography, and certain looks and positioning towards the judge.”
Middleton explains how filming on location in Ridgeway has grounded the production in real places that shaped her actual life — adding verisimilitude to the storytelling. “We’re filming on two main farm locations,” she explains. “One is the dairy farm where I used to train my calves—it still has the same owner, and it’s still the same family. And the other is where I learned to ride horses. Both farm owners have been generous enough to say, ‘Come back home, and tell your story!’”
And that’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to support from the local community: “The Ridgeway community has come together to really give us locations, and everyone wants to donate meals,” Uhlmann notes. “It’s very much been a whole-town effort,” nods Middleton. “Fort Erie has been extremely supportive every step of the way. It’s exhilarating to merge my two worlds together!”
For their part, Middleton and Uhlmann have assembled a stellar ensemble cast, with actors including Allie Dunbar (Cross, Cruel Intentions), Chai Valladares (The Expanse), and Patrick McManus (Anne with an E), who each bring depth and charisma to the series. The show also features notable actors like Jake Epstein (Degrassi, Designated Survivor), Gordon Hecht (Murdoch Mysteries), and Dale Boyer (The Umbrella Academy), alongside comedy legends Luba Goy (Air Farce) and Clarice Goetz (Lucky Weekend). With young actors Boe and Remy Smith also in the mix, the series is poised to capture the diverse charm and spirit of a close-knit rural community.
Though Cows Come Home is currently planned as a six-episode series, the creators “definitely have ideas for multiple seasons”. But first things first. “For now, we’re so focused on doing the best we can with this season,” notes Uhlmann. “It’s such a big opportunity!” But as they prepare to bring their heartfelt comedy to audiences in 2025, Middleton and Uhlmann are profoundly grateful for this chance to showcase their world and for the support that has brought them this far.
“It feels exhilarating to bring what we do here in Toronto to home—to a small town,” Middleton smiles. “It’s a very personal project.” And as recent Canadian hits like Schitt’s Creek and Kim’s Convenience have shown, personal stories rooted in small-town or community charm can find big success, resonating with audiences locally and globally. By providing a warm window into the delightfully quirky world of competitive cow showing, Cows Come Home promises its own heartwarming homage to small-town community, female friendship, and following your dreams.
With its heart, personality, and choreographed calves, might Cows Come Home be the next Canadian comedy gem to capture the imagination of audiences? Watch for it in spring 2025, and judge for yourself.
© Arpita Ghosal, Sesaya Arts Magazine, 2024
