Laura Linney’s Showtime Series ‘The Big C’ Sets Netflix Release in Multiple Countries
Netflix just announced its November 2025 lineup, but it omitted a major title that is heading to Netflix globally this November: the complete four-season run of the Golden Globe-winning Showtime dramedy, The Big C. The series, which stars the renowned Laura Linney, will be available to stream across multiple international regions, including the United States.
Running on Showtime from 2010 to 2013 across 40 episodes and 4 seasons (the final season a 4-episode miniseries), the multi-award-winning series is distributed by Sony Pictures Television.
The series is a dark comedy-drama following Cathy Jamison (Laura Linney), a reserved, suburban high school teacher in her 40s who is diagnosed with terminal Stage IV melanoma. Cathy chooses to keep her illness a secret from her immature but well-meaning husband, Paul (Oliver Platt), and her teenage son, Adam (Gabriel Basso). Instead of seeking treatment or sinking into depression, she decides to radically transform her life, making impulsive and often selfish decisions to live life on her own terms, finally.
Over the course of its four seasons, the show explores how Cathy’s new, reckless attitude affects her family, her relationships with an eccentric neighbor (Phyllis Somerville), and a prickly student (Gabourey Sidibe), all while forcing her to confront her own mortality.
The Big C received significant critical acclaim during its run, particularly for its writing and Laura Linney’s performance, something she went on to demonstrate her acting prowess with Netflix with Ozark.
When is The Big C coming to Netflix?
The complete series of The Big C (Seasons 1-4) is scheduled to be released on Netflix on Friday, November 14, 2025.
The series will be arriving on Netflix in a significant number of regions on this date. The confirmed regions set to receive the entire series are the United States, Latin America, Australia, and the United Kingdom, as well as several European territories, including France and Italy. Canada is one of the major exceptions we found in our research. This marks the series’ first time ever being on Netflix anywhere in the globe.
Who is in the cast?
A stellar cast anchors the series:
- Laura Linney as Cathy Jamison: A multiple Emmy and Golden Globe winner. Her notable film work includes The Truman Show, Mystic River, Love Actually, and receiving Oscar nominations for You Can Count on Me and The Savages.
- Oliver Platt as Paul Jamison: Platt is known for a long career in both film and television. His prominent roles include White House Counsel Oliver Babish in The West Wing, the main cast member Dr. Daniel Charles in the Chicago Med franchise, and his film roles in Flatliners, A Time to Kill, and 2012. More recently, he has appeared as Uncle Jimmy in FX’s The Bear.
- John Benjamin Hickey as Sean Tolke: Known for his stage work, including a Tony Award win for The Normal Heart, Hickey’s other TV roles include Neil Gross in The Good Wife and the lead role of Colin in the recent season of In Treatment.
- Gabriel Basso as Adam Jamison: Basso is best known to current Netflix audiences for his lead role as FBI Agent Peter Sutherland in the action-thriller series The Night Agent. He also had roles in the films Super 8 and Hillbilly Elegy (as JD Vance).
- Gabourey Sidibe as Andrea Jackson: Sidibe’s breakthrough performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for her debut role as the title character in the film Precious (2009). She is also famous for her main roles as Becky Williams in the series Empire and Queenie in several seasons of American Horror Story.
- Phyllis Somerville as Marlene: The late actress was a veteran of stage and screen. Her notable film credits include Little Children and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. She also appeared in TV series such as Outsiders, Daredevil, and The Good Wife.
The complete series of The Big C arrives on Netflix on November 14, 2025.