TV, eh?

8 p.m.

Millie (Nancy Robertson) tries out life as an office worker, while Stan (Brent Butt) tries out a new look.

From Etan Vlessing of the Hollywood Reporter:

• Canadian sitcoms, reality TV outdo dramas
  The funny thing about Canadian TV nowadays are sitcoms and light reality fare are outperforming edgy homegrown dramas in primetime. The March 5 two-hour series premiere of the CTV police drama “The Bridge” from E1 Television debuted Friday night with 998,000 viewers, just shy of the 1.009 million viewers that tuned in to the recent series premiere for the CBC’s P.I. drama “The Republic of Doyle.” Read more.

From Bill Brioux at TV Feeds My Family:

• House Call Bad Medicine for Hiccups, Dan For Mayor

8 p.m.

Millie (Nancy Robertson) runs into trouble with the head of her strata council while Taylor (David Ingram) struggles to hold up his end of a bargain with Joyce (Laura Soltis).

From Myles McNutt of Cultural Learnings:

• Series Premieres: CTV’s Hiccups and Dan for Mayor
  “CTV has effectively gotten two shows out of one, with Butt creating (and starring in) Hiccups featuring fellow Corner Gas alum (and wife) Nancy Robertson, and Fred Ewanuick taking on the title role in Dan for Mayor as a follow-up to his role as Hank on Butt’s former show. And as someone who had lost my taste for Corner Gas (while maintaining my respect for the show’s starting point, considering I wrote a thesis chapter about it), it’s nice to see the talented people involved bringing two new series to the table.” Read more.

From a media release:

CTV’s HICCUPS and DAN FOR MAYOR Debut with 1.9 Million Viewers Each

• Two new homegrown comedies win timeslots against HOUSE and THE BACHELOR
• Inaugural CTV.ca live online chats a great success with almost 700 comments submitted
• HICCUPS and DAN FOR MAYOR latest to join CTV’s online line-up at CTV.ca

CTV’s newest homegrown comedies, HICCUPS and DAN FOR MAYOR, premiered to 1.9 million viewers each last night, becoming the most-watched premieres of any scripted Canadian series this season. The two new series won the 8 – 9 p.m. ET timeslot against both HOUSE (Global/FOX, 1.3 million) and the season finale of THE BACHELOR (City/ABC, 1.3 million, 8-9 p.m.). Head-to-head, HICCUPS delivered 240% more viewers than 18 TO LIFE (CBC; 558,000) at 8 p.m. ET, while DAN FOR MAYOR delivered 374% more viewers than LITTLE MOSQUE ON THE PRAIRIE (CBC; 404,000) at 8:30 p.m. ET.

(more…)

From Greg David of TV Guide:

• Life after ‘Gas’
  “It’s not fair, but everyone will compare Brent Butt’s new sitcom, Hiccups, to his old one. You know, that little show called Corner Gas? It ran for six seasons, its characters became beloved friends to millions of viewers and it scored a pantload of Geminis, Canadian Comedy awards and Writers Guild of Canada awards? Yeah, that one.” Read more.

From Glen Schaeffer of the Vancouver Province:

• Corner Gas star refuels with new supporting cast
  “The last time Brent Butt created a TV series, he launched an ensemble of players into six years of regular series work and beyond. ‘Corner Gas made us all higher profile,’ says Nancy Robertson, who met and married costar Butt while working on that show in Saskatchewan.” Read more.

From Robert Cushman of the National Post:

• The return of Dog River’s finest
  “Tonight, CTV unwraps two new comedy shows that, while not exactly spinoffs of Corner Gas, trade in the same kind of gentle urban-folksy humour. An American sitcom, even one as sophisticated as Seinfeld, virtually screams at you “aren’t these people crazy?” A Canadian sitcom is likelier to roll its eyes and ask you to identify with its people while suggesting that they are, really, rather odd. Both Hiccups and Dan for Mayor look, on the strength of their first episodes, mildly promising, with an emphasis on the adverb.” Read more.

From Patricia Treble of Macleans’ Magazine:

• The good, the funny, and the ugly
  “Canadians have endured a zillion promos for CTV’s three new shows—The Bridge, Dan for Mayor and Hiccups. Are they worth watching?” Read more.

From Rob Salem of the Toronto Star:

• Salem: Still a few Hiccups to overcome
  “But what the network may perceive as Hiccups’ greatest asset turns out to be its greatest liability. Butt’s appearance onscreen – which he was, I gather, reluctantly persuaded to do by the network – is a distraction from this singular showcase for his wife’s considerable comedic skills. At the same time, who better to write and produce a vehicle so impeccably well-suited to her talents?” Read more.

From Rob Salem of the Toronto Star:

• Corner Gas stars out from behind Butt
  “Nancy Robertson and Fred Ewanuick, the former Wanda and Hank, return as Millie and Dan in two separate new CTV sitcoms” Read more.

8 p.m. – HICCUPS – SERIES PREMIERE
Millie (Nancy Robertson) seeks help from Stan (Brent Butt) after causing a public disturbance at a coffee shop. In spite of his ineptitude Stan manages to gain Millie’s trust as a client. Meanwhile Joyce (Laura Soltis) threatens to cancel an important event unless Millie finds the help she needs.

From Bill Harris of QMI Agency:

• ‘Corner Gas’ stars get ‘Hiccups’
  There actually are “expectations” for these two new sitcoms that debut Monday on CTV, with Brent Butt and Nancy Robertson starring in Hiccups and Fred Ewanuick starring in Dan For Mayor.” Read more.

From a media release:

Viewers Can Chat Live with Stars of HICCUPS and DAN FOR MAYOR as Series Premiere March 1

• CTV.ca offers interactive experience for CTV viewers to complement broadcast premieres
• Features HICCUPS’ star Nancy Robertson and DAN FOR MAYOR’s Fred Ewanuick

For the first time on CTV.ca, viewers can interact live with the stars of two new series as the shows premiere on CTV. Fans can get online and engage with CORNER GAS stars Nancy Robertson and Fred Ewanuick as they launch HICCUPS and DAN FOR MAYOR, back-to-back on Monday, March 1.

Bringing viewers closer to the stars than ever before, CTV.ca launches its first LIVE chat with HICCUPS’ Nancy Robertson from 8 to 8:30 p.m. ET. Then, from 8:30 to 9 p.m. ET, viewers can stay online at CTV.ca to connect with Fred Ewanuick of DAN FOR MAYOR to get exclusives on his new series. Viewers watching the tape-delayed premieres in other time zones can log on to read the chats in their entirety.

Viewers can log on to CTV.ca to weigh in with thoughts and comments about the show, ask questions and get real-time answers straight from the stars themselves.

(more…)

From Bill Harris of QMI Agency:

• Robertson nervous of ‘Hiccups’ role
  “Speaking of weird, fans of Robertson and her hubby Brent Butt are going to have to get used to them in a new TV show, starting Monday, March 1 on CTV. That’s the day Hiccups debuts, with Robertson and Butt teaming up for a post-Corner Gas kick at the sitcom can.” Read more.

From John Doyle of the Globe and Mail:

• What to catch in between the gold medals
  “Meanwhile, back in the TV Racket: The Olympics are mere cover for feverish activity. New shows coming. New shows in production. Casting decisions made. Many shows ready to go to air as soon as the Olympics end. Some have even snuck onto the schedule already. Herewith, a summary of what’s happening.” Read more.

From a media release:

Viewers No Longer Need to Hold Their Breath: CTV Original Series Hiccups Premieres March 1

• Featuring Brent Butt, HICCUPS stars CORNER GAS alumnus Nancy Robertson
• Original series leads Monday Comedy block on CTV at 8 p.m. ET
• A second bout of HICCUPS can be caught on The Comedy Network, Saturdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT
• New episodes available post-broadcast on The CTV Video Player at CTV.ca and on popular internet download stores

Prolonged laughter is often the cause of HICCUPS. This isn’t news for HICCUPS creator and writer Brent Butt: his latest brainchild, and CTV’s newest original series, premieres Monday, March 1 at 8 p.m. ET (visit CTV.ca to confirm local broadcast times). The 13-part, half-hour comedy series stars Nancy Robertson as Millie Upton, a successful children’s author who’s prone to flying off the handle, and features Brent Butt as Stan Dirko, Millie’s less-than-qualified life-coach. Together, they work through Millie’s…err…unpredictable spasms, and lead the laughs on CTV’s two-hour Monday night comedy block.

(more…)

From a media release:

Olympic Games Launch Pad: New CTV Original Series HICCUPS, DAN FOR MAYOR, and THE BRIDGE Get Post-Olympic Games Premieres

• Brent Butt, Nancy Robertson and Fred Ewanuick return in HICCUPS and DAN FOR MAYOR, March 1
• Aaron Douglas heats up Friday Nights in new police drama THE BRIDGE, March 5

CTV announced today it has strategically scheduled three new Original Canadian series to debut next month, immediately following the conclusion of the VANCOUVER 2010 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES. The three series will benefit from weeks of promotion during what is to be one of the most-watched television events of the year.

(more…)

From Cassandra Szklarski of the Canadian Press:

• Variety, cable, single-camera sitcoms mark decade of flux and creative risks
  “TV rediscovered variety, premium cable transformed the serial drama, and sitcoms overtly broke the fourth wall in the 2000s as the small screen shifted into new territory in a bid to keep eyeballs glued to the tube. Meanwhile, audiences splintered as they embraced an increasing number of specialty and pay channels, PVR viewing and on-demand entertainment, raising the bar for all shows seeking viewer loyalty.” Read more.