Pretty Little Liars’ Janel Parrish is back in this new Feature, MIGHTY OAK. Check-out this brand-new Trailer!
Synopsis:
MIGHTY OAK tells the story of Gina (Janel Parrish, “Pretty Little Liars,” To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before), a band manager who struggles after losing her brother/lead singer (Levi Dylan, 12 Mighty Orphans) in a fatal car accident while traveling to a gig. A decade later, Gina meets a 10-year-old music prodigy named Oak, played by newcomer Tommy Ragen, a real-life prodigy whose music inspired the screenplay. Oak seems to possess the same qualities as Gina’s late brother, inspiring her to pull her life back together and try to reunite the band with Oak as its new front man.
MIGHTY OAK is available digitally Tuesday, July 7, 2020.
(Photo/video credit: Paramount Pictures)
Beginning July 1, 2020, Hollywood Suite kick-off their spotlight on Canada’s finest with round-the-clock offerings including:
· The Red Violin (1998) 12:40 pm on HS90 – This drama, directed by François Girard and starring Samuel L. Jackson, Sandra Oh, Don McKellar and Greta Scacchi spans four centuries and five countries as it tells the story of a mysterious red-coloured violin and its many owners.
· The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974) 3:35 pm on HS70 – Based on Mordecai Richler’s novel, Richard Dreyfus stars as Duddy, a poor boy raised in Montreal, driven by power, money and owning land as he dreams of becoming the next rag-to-riches story.
· Meatballs (1979) 9:00 pm on HS70 – Ivan Reitman’s ode to summer camp features Bill Murray in his first starring role as Tripper, head counsellor at the cut-rate Camp North Star. Shot in Haliburton, Ontario, the film is full of high jinks and pranks as Camp North Star competes in annual games against Camp Mohawk, a more elite camp. Meatballs gave rise to the careers of Murray and Reitman along with the chant “It Just Doesn’t Matter.”
· Canadian Bacon (1995) 9:00 pm on HS90 – Michael Moore directed this US-Canada co-pro about a US president who tries to boost his sagging approval rating by starting a war with Canada. Alan Alda, Rhea Perlman and Kevin Pollack lead the charge with John Candy in his final movie role.
· Strange Brew (1983) 10:40 pm on HS80 – Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis take their goofy SCTV characters Bob and Doug Mackenzie on a big-screen adventure. Max von Sydow plays an evil brewmeister who plans to take over the world by placing a mind-control drug in Elsinore beer. Little does he know the power of the hoser, eh?
· Eastern Promises (2007) at 11:20 pm on HS00 – Directed by David Cronenberg and starring Naomi Watts, Viggo Mortensen, Armin Mueller-Stahl and Vincent Cassel, this gritty crime drama centres around a Russian teenager living in London who dies during childbirth. Clues in her journal lead a midwife to the girl’s ties with a violent Russian mob family.
As announced previously their THE BEST OF THE BEST Spotlight also is ongoing featuring Films which have either won Oscars, BAFTAs or Independent Spirit Awards beginning July 2, 2020.
Schedule below:
July 2–July 5 Oscar Best Director
· The Graduate (1967) Thursday, July 2 at 9:00 pm on HS70 – Mike Nichols’ Academy Award-winning romantic comedy tells the story of recently-graduated college student Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman), who is seduced by Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), a bored housewife. Things get complicated when he falls in love with her daughter.
· Traffic (2000) Friday, July 3 at 9:00 pm on HS00 – Steven Soderbergh’s crime drama follows four intersecting story lines revolving around the drug trade in America. Benicio del Toro, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, James Brolin, Albert Finney, Amy Irving, Benjamin Bratt, Topher Grace and Erika Christensen lead an all-star cast.
· Saving Private Ryan (1998) Saturday, July 4 at 9:00 pm on HS90 – Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Barry Pepper, Edward Burns, Vin Diesel, Giovanni Ribisi and Tom Sizemore headline in Steven Spielberg’s epic war drama that follows the Normandy Landings and a group of US soldiers’ quest to go behind enemy lines to rescue a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action.
· Cabaret (1972) Sunday, July 5 at 9:00 pm on HS70 – Wilkommen, bienvenue, welcome to Cabaret where Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey and Michael York electrify in this celebrated musical set in decadent 1930s Berlin during Hitler’s rise to power. The film chronicles Cambridge student Brian Roberts’ friendship with the high-spirited Sally Bowles, a singer at the sleazy Kit Kat nightclub.
July 6–12 Oscar Best Picture
· Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) Monday, July 6 at 9:00 pm on HS00 – Michael Keaton made his cinematic comeback as a faded Hollywood actor best known for playing the superhero “Birdman,” as he struggles to mount a Broadway play.
· Chariots of Fire (1981) Tuesday, July 7 at 9:00 pm on HS80 – The movie, with Vangelis’s unforgettable theme song, is based on the true story of Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell who race for the gold in the 1924 Olympics. While one runs for his faith, the other participates to leave prejudice behind.
· The Artist (2011) Wednesday, July 8 at 9:00 pm on HS00 – Two silent film stars fall in love, but their romance becomes complicated when one of their careers takes off and the other goes downhill with the introduction of talkies.
· Casablanca (1942) July 9 9:00 pm on HS70 – During WWII, Rick (Humphrey Bogart), a nightclub owner in Casablanca, agrees to help his former lover Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) and her fugitive husband.
· Silence of the Lambs (1991) July 10 9:00 pm on HS90 – Have a nice chianti and some fava beans to savour alongside this psychological thriller about a young FBI cadet (Jodie Foster) who must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer (Anthony Hopkins) to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.
· The King’s Speech (2010) July 11 9:00 pm on HS00 – Colin Firth plays King George VI who tries to overcome his stammering problem with the help of speech therapist Lionel Logue, portrayed by Geoffrey Rush, and makes himself worthy enough to lead his country through World War II.
· Annie Hall (1977) July 12 9:00 pm on HS70 – It’s the most fun you’ll have without laughing. Follow the on-again, off-again romance between Annie and Alvy who break all the rules of a romcom, and the fourth wall.
July 12–19 Film Independent Spirit Awards Best Film
· Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) Monday, July 13 at 9:00 pm on HS00 – Ang Lee’s visual masterpiece tells the story of a warrior, the woman he loves, a daring outlaw and a princess with dreams of becoming a fighter. The film is a revelation for its mix of amazing choreographed martial arts battles, breathtaking scenery and poetic drama.
· Sideways (2004) Tuesday, July 14 at 9:00 pm on HS00 – Jack (Thomas Haden Church) and Miles (Paul Giamatti) confront middle age on a road trip through Santa Barbara County wine country to celebrate Jack’s final days as a bachelor.
· The Wrestler (2008) Wednesday, July 15 at 9:00 pm on HS00 – Mickey Rourke gained recognition and awards in Darren Aronofsky’s drama for his portrayal of ageing wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson who struggles to keep up with life as he is too old to continue his wrestling career.
· Juno (2007) Thursday, July 16 at 9:00 pm on HS00 – Diablo Cody’s coming-of-age comedy drama showcases Ellen Page as a 16-year-old dealing with things way beyond her maturity level when an unplanned pregnancy makes her grow up faster than she wanted.
· Lost in Translation (2003) Friday, July 17 at 9:00 pm on HS00 – For relaxing times, make it Suntory time. Bill Murray brings intensity to Sofia Coppola’s drama about a fading movie star who forms an unlikely friendship with a young woman he meets in Tokyo.
· The Player (1992) Saturday, July 18 at 9:00 pm on HS90 – Robert Altman’s satire features Tim Robbins as a Hollywood studio exec with a sketchy moral compass who gets embroiled in a murder.
· Pulp Fiction (1994) Sunday, July 19 at 9:00 pm on HS90 – The lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption. Quentin Tarantino’s neo-noir crime film is filled with a memorable bestselling soundtrack and unforgettable performances by Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer.
July 20–26 Oscar Best Supporting Actor
· Django Unchained (2012) Monday, July 20 at 9:00 pm on HS00 – Quentin Tarantino’s revisionist western, starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington and Samuel L. Jackson, deserves both your curiosity and your attention. With the help of a German bounty hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner.
· Good Will Hunting (1997) Tuesday, July 21 at 9:00 pm on HS90 – Gus Van Sant directs this touching drama from virtually unknown screenwriters and young actors, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. The movie tells the story of Will Hunting, a young MIT janitor who is a headstrong, working-class genius failing at life. Robin Williams won an Academy Award for his performance as a sensitive therapist who may be the only one to reach Will. How do you like them apples?
· Inglourious Basterds (2009) Wednesday, July 22 at 9:00 pm on HS00 – This Tarantino ensemble cast includes Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Mike Myers, Christoph Waltz, Eli Roth, Michael Fassbender and Mélanie Laurent. In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a plan to assassinate Nazi leaders by a group of Jewish US soldiers coincides with a theatre owner’s vengeful plans for the same.
· Little Miss Sunshine (2006) Thursday, July 23 at 9:00 pm on HS00 – Alan Arkin, Abigail Breslin, Greg Kinnear, Paul Dano and Toni Collette take their family dysfunction cross-country in a VW bus to get their young daughter into the finals of a beauty pageant.
· Julia (1977) Friday, July 24 at 9:00 pm on HS70 – Vanessa Redgrave and Jane Fonda are Julia and Lillian, two childhood friends whose relationship is challenged when Julia asks Lillian to smuggle large sums of money into pre-war Germany to buy the freedom of Jewish prisoners.
· Jerry Maguire (1996) Saturday, July 25 at 9:00 pm on HS90 – Cuba Gooding Jr. plays Rod Tidwell, an arrogant football player who becomes super-sports agent Jerry Maguire’s sole client after Jerry is fired for having a moral epiphany. Show me the Money! Show him the Oscar!
· Whiplash (2014) Sunday, July 26 at 9:00 pm on HS00 – A promising young drummer (Miles Teller) enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor (J.K. Simmons) who will stop at nothing to realize a student’s potential.
July 27–31 BAFTAs Best Actress
· Secrets and Lies (1996) Monday, July 27 at 9:00 pm on HS90 – A successful Black optometrist discovers that her birth mother is an underprivileged white woman who had kept her teenage pregnancy a secret. Brenda Blethyn and Marianne Jean-Baptiste’s performances as the reunited mother and daughter won critical acclaim and award recognition.
· Charade (1963) Tuesday, July 28 at 9:00 pm on HS70 – Billed as a suspenseful romantic comedy, Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant try to escape several men who are searching for the missing, stolen fortune of her dead husband.
· The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1981) Wednesday, July 29 at 9:00 pm on HS80 – The romantic drama film intercuts the stories of two romantic affairs: one, a Victorian period drama involving a gentleman palaeontologist, Charles Smithson, and the complex and troubled Sarah Woodruff, known as “the French lieutenant’s woman.” The other affair is between the actors Mike and Anna, playing the lead roles in a modern filming of the story. In both segments Jeremy Irons and Meryl Streep play the lead roles.
· A Taste of Honey (1961) Thursday, July 30 at 9:00 pm on HS70 – In this kitchen-sink drama, British teen Jo (Rita Tushingham) struggles to find love in her bleak day-to-day life, which is dominated by her alcoholic mother, Helen (Dora Bryan). Jo’s pregnancy further obscures their relationship.
· Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974) Friday, July 31 at 9:00 pm on HS70 – After her husband dies, Alice (Ellen Burstyn) and her son, Tommy, leave their small New Mexico town for California, where Alice hopes to make it as a singer. Money problems force them to settle in Arizona instead, where Alice takes a job as waitress in a small diner.
More on Hollywood Suite‘s Website here.
(Photo credit: Hollywood Suite)
Launching June 26, 2020, Disney+ will feature on their main page an O CANADA Collection section in anticipation of Canada Day! The Collection celebrates Canadian talent and landscapes!
See the O Canada Spot:
(Photo/video credit: Walt Disney Studios Canada)
FAN EXPO Canada usually marks the end of Summer here in Toronto for many, however with COVID-19, the event has been forced to go a modified route. The August event now has been cancelled this year. In its place LIMITED EDITION event will run from November 6-8, 2020. Instead of its usual capacity, a reduction to a cap of 25,000 tickets will be sold to ensure adherence to proper safety and social distancing guidelines.
Admission tickets purchased already for August’s event have been transferred to the new November event and refunds are to be requested before July 31, 2020.
Special events are to be refunded as well.
Photo and Autograph Ops purchased via Epic Photo Ops can be refunded.
Reservations at official hotels of Fan Expo also will be cancelled.
For more info, visit here.
(Photo credit: Fan Expo Canada)
MADE | NOUS is celebrating Canadian-made Films this Summer with a Blockbuster Series across the Country! The Series kicks-off with Denis Villeneuve‘s ARRIVAL.
ARRIVAL locations and dates:
Additional films and locations will be announced throughout the summer. Summer Blockbuster Series locations and dates currently include:
More on the Program here.
(Photo credit: Made | Nous)
Coming soon to Amazon Prime Video, check-out this new Teaser for WORLD’S TOUGHEST RACE: ECO-CHALLENGE, a ten-episode Series hosted by Bear Grylls!
Synopsis:
Filmed last fall in Fiji, World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji is a battle to the finish for 330 competitors (who form teams of five, including four racers and an assistant crew member); however, the greatest challenges are not the competing teams, but the unforgiving 671 kilometers of terrain which stands between all those competing and the finish line. Viewers worldwide will see the limits of human physical and mental endurance tested like never before. At its core, World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji is about perseverance. People from all walks of life and every corner of the globe join together to overcome the most incredible obstacles. The challenges lie both within the course itself, and competitors’ equally daunting personal struggles, which are only magnified by the demands of the expedition.
WORLD’S TOUGHEST RACE: ECO-CHALLENGE FIJI arrives on Amazon Prime Video Friday, August 14, 2020.
(Photo/video credit: Amazon Prime Video)
Here’s your first look at MUPPETS NOW, coming next month to Disney+!
Synopsis:
In a true first for the studio, “Muppets Now” is an unscripted series filled with improv comedy, off-the-cuff gags, and the Muppets’ celebrity friends. In the six-episode season, Scooter rushes to make his delivery deadlines and upload the brand-new Muppet series for streaming. They are due now, and he’ll need to navigate whatever obstacles, distractions, and complications the rest of the Muppets throws at him.
Overflowing with spontaneous lunacy, surprising guest stars and more frogs, pigs, bears (and whatevers) than legally allowed, the Muppets cut loose in “Muppets Now” with the kind of startling silliness and chaotic fun that made them famous. From zany experiments with Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker to lifestyle tips from the fabulous Miss Piggy, each episode is packed with hilarious segments, hosted by the Muppets showcasing what the Muppets do best.
MUPPETS NOW arrives on Disney+ Friday, July 31, 2020.
(Photo/video credit: Disney)
Pot Roast with Giant Yorkshire Pudding. A good old-fashioned, Pot Roast never goes out of style. I love that there’s always leftovers which are just perfect for a sandwich the next day… and day after! We pair our Pot Roast with a giant Dutch Baby-like Yorkshire Pudding and gravy! While not the most tender of cuts, this one is easy to find. Cooking at about 20 minutes at 325°F per lb, should set you up for success.
Pot Roast:
3 lb Sirloin Tip Roast
2 cups beef broth
2 white potatoes, skinned and chopped into chunks
1 white onion, chopped into chunks
2 stalks celery, chopped into chunks
3 shallots, chopped into chunks
1 carrot, skinned and chopped into chunks
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp Herbes de Provence
1 tbsp Rosemary
Handful of parsley, bunched with twine
Sea salt and pepper
Olive oil
Instructions:
1. Season pot roast in salt and pepper and refrigerate covered overnight.
2. Pre-heat oven to 325°F.
3. In large skillet on medium-high heat, heat olive oil and sautée shallots, garlic and onion.
4. Add potatoes, celery and carrots. Cook till potatoes start to brown. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Season pot roast with Herbes de Provence and Rosemary.
6. Push vegetables to side of skillet. Place roast on skillet and sear each side of pot roast for 1 minute.
7. Place roast into roasting pan and set aside.
8. Add broth to skillet and scrape brown bits. Bring to boil.
9. Add vegetables and liquid to roasting pan. Top-up with more broth till roast is covered part-way.
10. Cover with foil or lid and roast for about 1 hour.
11. Remove from oven. Separate roast and vegetables. Let stand 30 minutes before carving.
12. Run drippings through sieve and prepare gravy.
Gravy:
2 cups juices from Pot Roast (excess oil skimmed if you like)
1 cup beef broth
2 tbsps butter
3-4 tbsps flour or corn starch
1 tbsp soy sauce (optional)
Instructions:
1. Melt butter in sauce pan on medium-high heat.
2. Pour in juices and broth and bring to boil.
3. In small bowl, mix flour and equal parts water and mix into a smooth paste.
4. Once boiled, add in flour paste and whisk till sauce thickens. If lumpy, run through sieve.
5. Add soy sauce if desired to taste, stir and remove from heat.
Giant Yorkshire Pudding:
3 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk, room temperature (out for about an hour)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ladle of beef drippings
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Throw all ingredients into blender or mix with handmixer.
3. Ladle drippings into 9″ cast iron skillet.
4. Heat pan in oven for about 3 minutes (don’t leave too long as drippings with char).
5. Pour batter into skillet.
6. Bake in oven 20 minutes.
7. Reduce heat to 300°F for 5 more minutes.
8. Serve with Pot Roast and Gravy.
Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
We’re thoroughly impressed with the commitment to repesentative voice casting in OVER THE MOON. Check-out the Trailer for this new Animated Feature coming to Netflix this Fall!
Synopsis:
Fueled with determination and a passion for science, a bright young girl builds a rocket ship to the moon to prove the existence of a legendary Moon Goddess. There she ends up on an unexpected quest, and discovers a whimsical land of fantastical creatures. Directed by animation legend Glen Keane, and produced by Gennie Rim and Peilin Chou, Over the Moon is an exhilarating musical adventure about moving forward, embracing the unexpected, and the power of imagination. The film stars Cathy Ang, Phillipa Soo, Ken Jeong, John Cho, Ruthie Ann Miles, Sandra Oh, Robert G. Chiu, Margaret Cho, and Kimiko Glenn.
See the Trailer:
(Photo/video credit: Netflix)
Corus and Global have just unveiled their Fall 2020/2021 TV Programming Lineup. Returning are several favourites and coming are several exciting new additions!
NEW FALL PRIMETIME SERIES ON GLOBAL
Departure
Departure is a six-part event series that follows the investigation into the shocking disappearance of Flight 716, a passenger plane that vanishes over the Atlantic Ocean. Brilliant investigator Kendra Malley (Panjabi) is brought in by her mentor Howard Lawson (Plummer) to lead the team looking into the crash. Click here to watch the trailer.
The Equalizer
The Equalizer is a reimagining of the classic series starring Academy Award® nominee and multi-hyphenate Queen Latifah (Chicago, Bessie) as Robyn McCall, an enigmatic woman with a mysterious background who uses her extensive skills to help those with nowhere else to turn. McCall presents to most as an average single mom who is quietly raising her teenage daughter. But to a trusted few, she is The Equalizer – an anonymous guardian angel and defender of the downtrodden, who’s also dogged in her pursuit of personal redemption.
neXt
From creator and executive producer Manny Coto (24: Legacy) and executive producers and directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra (This Is Us), neXt is a propulsive, fact-based thriller about the emergence of a deadly, rogue artificial intelligence that combines pulse-pounding action with a layered examination of how technology is invading our lives and transforming us in ways we don’t yet understand. Click here to watch the trailer.
RETURNING SERIES AND SPECIALS ON GLOBAL
DRAMA AND REALITY
From character-driven dramas, to crime solving investigative series, Global is home to some of the boldest dramas and most adventurous reality series on TV including: medical drama and last fall’s Top 10 program New Amsterdam; psychological thriller Evil; Dick Wolf’s Top 20 hits for total viewers FBI and FBI: Most Wanted*; captivating crime thriller The Blacklist; action-adventure series MacGyver; military drama SEAL Team; Top 20 legal drama Bull; and franchise juggernaut NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: New Orleans.
Last fall and spring’s most-watched series, reality champ Survivor returns for a 41st Season offering viewers more must-see TV moments.
COMEDY
Global packs on the laughs this fall with returning comedy favourites The Neighborhood starring Cedric the Entertainer and Max Greenfield and The Unicorn starring Walton Goggins.
Plus, fresh off its win of the coveted Golden Screen Award for Canada’s most-watched comedy or drama, smash-hit detective series Private Eyes Season 4 joins Global’s fall lineup. Featuring 12 new episodes, Shade (Jason Priestley) and Angie (Cindy Sampson) are back on the case and have their hands full of new twisty, thrilling, and dangerous cases to solve. Production partners Corus Entertainment and leading independent studio Entertainment One (eOne) are also proud to announce the renewal for Season 5 of the popular international hit series, which will air on Global later in 2021.
SPECIALS
Global celebrates the best of Canadian country music with 2020 Canadian Country Music Awards airing Sunday, September 27 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Global. Uniting fans and an entire nation, this year’s broadcast will take place in both Toronto and Nashville and feature performances, collaborations, and some heartfelt surprise moments. With a backdrop of rolling hills and wide-open spaces, the CCMA’s are bringing country back to the country for this incredibly special show in an all-new format.
NEWS, FACTUAL, AND ENTERTAINMENT
Committed to providing Canadians with accurate, balanced, timely and comprehensive news coverage, Global News has become the #1 digital news brand in Canada** with content being consumed on more platforms than any other news outlet in the country. Global News continues into 2020/21 with flagship newscast Global National and local daily newscasts across the country.
New this fall, Emmy® Award-winning news magazine 60 Minutes, and the award-winning law and justice series 48 Hours, join Global’s repertoire of compelling investigative storytelling and crime genre, along with a new season of Global’s Crime Beat, a true crime series that takes viewers deep into some of Canada’s most infamous criminal cases.
For the lifestyle and entertainment lovers, The Morning Show returns with a new season featuring celebrity guests, lifestyle contributors, and fun informative segments. Hosted by Jeff McArthur and Carolyn MacKenzie, The Morning Show touches on all the trending topics that Canadians are talking about. Then, always delivering the latest in entertainment news, ET Canada returns for a 16th season. Hosted by Cheryl Hickey, with Senior Entertainment Reporter Roz Weston, Entertainment Reporters Sangita Patel and Carlos Bustamante, Correspondent Keshia Chanté, and Digital Reporters Graeme O’Neil and Morgan Hoffman, ET Canada continues to bring viewers closer to the stars with exclusive interviews and specials with the biggest celebrities in Hollywood.
DAYTIME AND LATE NIGHT
Keeping viewers entertained from day to night, Global offers engaging and entertaining content throughout the day with returning daytime talk show series The Talk, Tamron Hall and Rachael Ray. While Global’s late night offering also returns with a new season of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Season 2 of freshman series A Little Late with Lilly Singh, while EMMY® Award-winning series Saturday Night Live will also return.
2021
Looking ahead to 2021, Global serves up fresh Original content and top performing returning shows. Last fall’s #1 new series Prodigal Son returns for a bone-chilling sophomore season, along with Season 4 of Canada’s Top 5 program 9-1-1, and the adrenaline-fueled S.W.A.T. Global Original legal drama Family Law debuts starring Jewel Staite (Firefly) and Victor Garber (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow), and Season 2 of Global original breakout hit Nurses, from ICF Films and eOne, also joins the 2021 schedule.
PEACOCK ORIGINALS
CORUS and NBC Universal have inked a deal for Corus networks to carry original programming available in the U.S. to Peacock (NBC‘s upcoming streaming service) subscribers!
The deal includes star-studded series from some of the biggest names in entertainment, including highly anticipated new shows like Girls5Eva from Emmy and Golden Globe® Winning executive producer, Tina Fey; Dr. Death, based on the hit podcast; Angelyne starring Emmy Rossum; and an adaptation of the Aldous Huxley’s classic novel, Brave New World, starring Alden Ehrenreich, Harry Lloyd and Jessica Brown Findlay; Rutherford Falls, created by Ed Helms, Sierra Teller Ornelas and Mike Schur; and returning comedy A.P. Bio; alongside the continuation of iconic series Punky Brewster starring Soleil Moon Frye; and Saved By The Bell starring Mario Lopez and Elizabeth Berkley.
FOOD NETWORK CANADA
Canada’s destination for culinary excellence, exhilarating competitions, informative travelogues, and in-the-kitchen programming, Food Network Canada greenlights 11 new and returning Canadian Original series. This spring, the network makes its first foray into the documentary realm with Cheese: A Love Story (6×60), an exploration of one of the world’s most beloved foods as host and the world’s youngest Maître fromager (Cheese Master), Afrim Pristine travels the globe in search of extraordinary cheeses and the people who make them. The schedule also sees renowned pastry chef Steve Hodge (Great Chocolate Showdown) guide struggling bakery businesses, alongside HGTV Canada’s design guru Tiffany Pratt (Family Home Overhaul), in the new series Bake or Break (wt)(10×60). Top 10 programs on Food Network Canada this spring, return for new seasons including Wall of Chefs (10×60), Great Chocolate Showdown (8×60), Top Chef Canada (8×60),the #2 program on the network and growing significantly year over year, along with a second season of kids competition series Junior Chef Showdown (8×60), the best Canadian Original new series on the network this broadcast year among total viewers. Big Food Bucket List (26×30) with John Catucci, and Carnival Eats (13×30) with host Noah Cappe, both return with all new seasons this fall, while grilling competition series Fire Masters (15×60) and holiday baking competition series The Big Bake (18×60) join the schedule in winter/spring.
Food Network Canada also debuts new stunt series, Chopped: Beat the Judge, where fearless returning winners compete for a chance to face off against Chopped judges, as well as Bakeaway Camp with Martha Stewart and Big Time Bake, hosted by Buddy Valastro. This fall, returning series include Restaurant: Impossible with Robert Irvine, Duff Takes the Cake featuring cake-master Duff Goldman, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, The Great Food Truck Race, and new episodes of Beat Bobby Flay and Guy’s Grocery Games.
HGTV CANADA
The nation’s destination for home renovation and design, real estate and DIY projects, HGTV Canada welcomes eight new and returning Canadian Original series. This fall, the network debuts Corus Studios Original series, Family Home Overhaul (8×60), where HGTV Canada’s top contractors and designers transform households for deserving families, as well as east coast renovation series Rock Solid Builds (10×60). The winter warms up with Farmhouse Facelift(10×60)revealing stunning vintage farmhouse transformations, and the #1 series on the network and #3 entertainment specialty program, Island of Bryan (13×60) returns for a third season to give viewers an all-access pass to Bryan and Sarah Baeumler’s continued journey as they open their boutique resort in the Bahamas. Additional Original series returning include Property Brothers: Forever Home(40×60)with Drew and Jonathan Scottas they turn couples’ houses into their forever homes, and the #3 program on the network this spring Scott’s Vacation House Rules(13×60)with Scott McGillivray, and DIY-inspired series $ave My Reno (14×30) and Backyard Builds (8×30).
The network’s fall schedule offers new series Help! I Wrecked My House featuring Jasmine Roth as she helps homeowners overhaul their do-it-yourself disasters, and based in New Orleans, Selling the Big Easy highlights the buying and selling of beautiful historic properties. Celebrity IOU, the #1 freshman series on the network this broadcast year and a Top 10 entertainment specialty program, returns for another star-studded season with hosts Drew and Jonathan Scott as they help award-winning celebrities with a special renovation. New seasons of hit series Home Town, Christina on the Coast and Love It or List It also return to the schedule this year.
HISTORY
HISTORY unveils seven new and returning Canadian Original series, including Big Timber (10×60)following the work of loggers on Vancouver Island debuting this fall, and docu-series Backroad Truckers (8×60) featuring the daring lifestyle of independent truckers in northern B.C., coming in winter 2021. The network also sees the final season of hit historical drama and consistent Top 20 entertainment specialty program*, Vikings (10×60), take its final bow later this year. Three Corus Studios Original series return including Rust Valley Restorers (12×60), following the Rocky Mountain-based restoration team, the fascinating documentary-series History Erased (6×60), and the family-owned demolition business is revisited in a new season of Salvage Kings (10×60). Additionally, Remembrance Day special Fight to the Finish (1×90)is a definitive account of Canada’s greatest war, set to debut this fall.
The highly-anticipated premiere of The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch launches this fall, featuring a team of scientists as they conduct a search of one of the most secretive locations of paranormal activities. The juggernaut reality series, and the #1 fall program for all of specialty, The Curse of Oak Island, returns for its eighth season later this year as the Lagina brothers continue with their exploration. Companion series, Beyond Oak Island, chronicling the team’s greatest hunts is set to premiere this fall along with limited series Grant, executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, outlining the life of Ulysses S. Grant and spin-off series Swamp People: Serpent Invasion. New seasons of Mountain Men, Forged in Fire, Ancient Aliens, and Lost Gold of World War 2 also join the schedule.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
The country’s destination for fascinating non-fiction and award-winning content, National Geographic debuts new series Barkskins, filmed in Quebec and starring Marcia Gay Harden (The Newsroom), high-octane competition survival series Race to the Centre of the Earthand Trafficked with Mariana Van Zeller asthe Award-winning journalist investigates the global underworld.
The network also sees the return of the hotly-anticipated scripted miniseries on the life of Aretha Franklin, Genius: Aretha, as well as popular travelogue series Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted, seeing Ramsay venturing even more off grid to explore global cuisines. Additional returning series include Running Wild with Bear Grylls, The Incredible Dr. Pol, Dr.Oakley: Yukon Vet, and Secrets of the Zoo: Tampa.
SLICE
Known for big personalities, bold unscripted programming, and premium lifestyle content, Slice™ continues to be the exclusive broadcaster of The Real Housewives franchises, airing all series in tandem with the U.S. This year, the franchise has garnered over 5.5 million viewers to date,** and now welcomes the highly-anticipated new addition of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, coming soon.
W NETWORK
For the third consecutive year, W Network remained the #1 entertainment specialty network in the fall, and this year delivers another unbeatable lineup of hit drama series and beloved made-for-television movies, strengthened by its partnership with Hallmark Channel. W Network bolsters its robust movie catalog with the exclusive worldwide premieres of My Birthday Boyfriend (1×120), Vintage Hearts (1×120) and Learning To Love Again,airing as part of Hallmark Channel’s Fall Harvest, and Starring Christmas and Inn for Christmas as part of Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas.Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas helped rank W Network as the #1 specialty station overall with Women 25-54 and placed W Network above conventional networks with Women 25-54 on weekends during the run of the event last year***, and this year the celebrated annual event will be bigger than ever before with W Network delivering sleigh-fulls of non-stop holiday movies airing 24/7 in November and December. Plus, complementing the slate of original titles and theatrical movies every weekend, Global News Morning Toronto host Jennifer Valentyne will continue to welcome guests into her home with new episodes of the interstitial series W Network’s Movie Date.
In addition to being the home of Hallmark Channel in Canada, W Network is also home to compelling dramas. The network’s fall schedule sees the Season 4 return of The Good Fightand premieres of star-studded comedic drama Why Women Kill; sophisticated thriller, Devils; and workplace sitcom Intelligence starring David Schwimmer and Nick Mohammed. Additional returning series this year include Outlander, Nancy Drewand Charmed.
SHOWCASE
This fall, escape the ordinary with Showcase, a Top 5 specialty network. Its dynamic fall lineup delivers more new hours in primetime than last season with new series including Tell Me A Story, ariveting anthology series; No Activity, a comedic seriesfrom Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Funny Or Die; Interrogation, a crime series with each episode structured around interrogations informed by real police case files; Bulletproof, an adrenalin-fueled action show which follows undercover cops as they chase down hardened criminals in London’s East End; and Strange Angel, inspired by the real-life story of rocket engineer Jack Parsons. This fall also sees the highly-anticipated Season 3 return of Absentia, starring Canadian Stana Katic as Emily Byrnes, who will stop at nothing to protect her family. Batwoman soared as the #2 overall entertainment specialty series last fall, and will be returning to Showcase in the 2020-2021 broadcast year along with new seasons of Supergirl, Pennyworth, The Sinner, Legacies, All American, and Roswell, New Mexico.
ADULT SWIM
Celebrating the first anniversary of its launch in Canada this past April, Adult Swim has quickly grown into a powerhouse network, securing itself as a Top 20 specialty station and having more than doubled its audience****. This fall includes new seasons of Tigtone, Gemusetto Machu Picchu, Lazor Wulf, and the second half of Season 1 ofprehistoric series,Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal. Topping off the fall schedule are new seasons of fan favourites Bob’s Burgers and Family Guy. Fans can look forward to the Season 5 premiere of The Eric Andre Showin late 2020 and a brand new season of Archer will return this broadcast year.
KIDS PROGRAMMING
YTV
YTV features a fun-filled family-friendly fall schedule with three new Nelvana-produced series, The Dog & Pony Show (26×30), Ollie’s Pack(26×30), and the live-action mystery drama, The Hardy Boys (13×60). Kids can prepare for another awesome year with Spencer, Tyra, Alex and Duhin from the YTV Dayparts crew on The Zone, The Zone Weekend, and Big Fun Movies. Plus, Spencer and Tyra become the hosts of PC Children’s Charity Presents Kid Food Nation (TBD) as they take viewers on a food tour to explore the science, ingredients and cultures of Canadian cuisine along with the help of KFN heroes and well-known Canadian chefs.
Additional buzzworthy series premiering this fall include Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years, a brand-new animated spinoff of the beloved hit series, SpongeBob SquarePants and Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan, starring kid rapper and pint-sized powerhouse, Young Dylan. The non-stop fall action also includes new episodes of fan favourites including SpongeBob SquarePants, The Loud House, Danger Force, and All That, as well as new seasons of The Casagrandes, Top Elf, and Are You Afraid of The Dark?
TELETOON
Cartoon lovers rejoice! This fall, best-in-class animation station TELETOON is the hub for two new series that feature familiar characters from iconic shows The Flintstones and Looney Toons, Yabba Dabba Dinosaurs and Looney Tunes Cartoons. The network’s fall lineup is chock-full with new seasons including Total Dramarama (26×30), DC Superhero Girlsand The Tom and Jerry Show and new episodes of Bakugan®: Armored Alliance™, ThunderCats Roar, Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?, and Teen Titans Go!
TREEHOUSE
Treehouse is the place to be for preschoolers and parents with an array of enriching series rooted in teaching important lessons and skills – all while having fun! Nelvana-produced series Esme & Roy (26×30), Miss Persona (20×30), and Ranger Rob (26×30) all return for new seasons. Plus, following its massive success on YouTube, Nelvana’s Toon Bops will boogie its way onto the network, with Season 1 (21×1:50) joining the schedule this summer and Season 2 (20×2) airing in the fall. New bedtime routines will include tuning into the must-see spin-off series, The Not-Too-Late-Show with Elmo. Then, later this year Treehouse delivers a new series, Pikwik Pack (26×30),following four adorable animals as they deliver magical packages filled with love to the kind citizens of Pikwik. In addition, new seasons of preschooler-approved favourites including Sesame Street, Blue’s Clues & You!, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Bubble Guppies, Thomas & Friends, and new episodes of Ricky Zoom and Peppa Pig continue this fall.
DISNEY CHANNEL CANADA, DISNEY JUNIOR & DISNEY XD
This 2020-2021 broadcast season, Disney Channel pumps up the fun with returning popular series Raven’s Home, Bunk’d, Gabby Duran and the Unsittables, Sydney to the Max, The Owl House, and Amphibia.
Disney Junior returning preschooler favourites for 2020-2021 include Puppy Dog Pals, PJ Masks, Mira, Royal Detective, Vampirina, Fancy Nancy, Gigantosaurus, and Muppet Babies.
On Disney XD, a new season of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Maximum Venom swings onto the schedule for 2020-2021.
TÉLÉTOON LA NUIT
This spring, TÉLÉTOON La Nuit, the #1 destination for A18-34 & A18-4 in Quebec*****, will see the premiere of two new series Les Frères Apocalypse/Doomsday Brothers (18×30) which is also set to debut in English on Adult Swim in September and Le Télétoon Show/The Teletoon Show (10×30),the network’s first original live-action/cast variety show. Then, join Professor Zarbi and his loyal assistant, Benjamin for more absurd and wacky adventures in a second season of Les histoires bizarres du professeur Zarbi/The Bizarre Stories of Professor Zarbi (10×30) returning this spring.
(Photo/credit: Corus)
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