From a media release:
On Your Mark, Get Set, Go! CTV Sets Amazing Summer Lineup
- Canadians get in the game with the premiere of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, July 15
- New CTV comedy SATISFACTION couples begins June 24
- Fan favourite THE LISTENER returns for its fourth gripping season, May 29
- Last summer’s #1 drama SAVING HOPE returns June 25
It’s shaping up to be an eh-mazing summer on CTV as the network unveiled the first wave of its summer lineup today. As announced yesterday, Canada’s must-see reality TV program of the year anchors a new must-see Monday lineup on CTV as adventure-seekers across the country go head-to-head on THE AMAZING RACE CANADA (@AmazingRaceCDA). With new programs still to be announced, CTV’s summer schedule already features a lineup of returning hits such as SAVING HOPE (@SavingHopeTV) and THE LISTENER (@listenertv), along with the premiere of the all-new comedy SATISFACTION (@SatisfactionTV), as well as encore broadcasts of this season’s newest hit MOTIVE (@MotiveTV).
CTV’s new Monday night destination lineup kicks off the week with laughs and thrills starting with the debut of SATISFACTION (June 24), a hilarious exploration of romantic woes and wins, life crises, and personal ambitions starring a sexy young cast. Mondays will then thrill audiences as THE AMAZING RACE CANADA starts to make its way to the finish line.
Dramas hitting the summer schedule on CTV include the return of CTV’s hit original series THE LISTENER (May 29), back for an action-packed fourth season, as telepath Toby Logan (Craig Olejnik) goes up against increasingly dangerous criminals. As well, last summer’s most-watched drama series SAVING HOPE (June 25), starring Erica Durance, Michael Shanks, and Daniel Gillies, joins the Tuesday lineup for its highly-anticipated second season.
Completing CTV’s unstoppable summer lineup is MOTIVE (May 20), the #1 new Canadian series of the 2012/2013 broadcast season, which returns with encore presentations in simulcast with ABC.
NEW SERIES
SATISFACTION – Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CTV beginning June 24
CTV original comedy SATISFACTION takes a humorous look at a group of friends who are completely uninhibited as they share their relationship woes and romantic wins, life crises, and personal ambitions. Dedicated single man Mark (Ryan Belleville, THE L.A. COMPLEX) hustles the dating scene while his best friends and long-term couple Jason (Luke MacFarlane, BROTHERS & SISTERS) and Maggie (Leah Renee, BLUE MOUNTAIN STATE) work at keeping the sparks flying as they face the day-to-day challenges of being in a committed relationship.
THE AMAZING RACE CANADA – Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV beginning July 15
Get ready for the race of the summer! THE AMAZING RACE CANADA is set to give Canadians the opportunity to race around Canada and discover the country they love in a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Teams will race to the finish line, criss-crossing up to 9,000 kilometres. A stunning depiction of the Canadian fabric, the teams will travel through both the country’s urban centres as well as the most remote outposts in the land, all while exploring its broad cultural and ethnic diversity, wildlife, and iconic landmarks.
RETURNING SERIES
THE LISTENER – Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV beginning May 29
Season 4 of CTV’s hit original series THE LISTENER, sees telepathic former paramedic Toby Logan (Craig Olejnik, The Timekeeper) working hard to sharpen his police skills, as he becomes involved in the Integrated Investigative Bureau’s (IIB) cases as a Special Consultant. His personal life also heats up as he deepens his relationship with crime reporter Tia Tremblay (Melanie Scrofano, BEING ERICA), who is inexplicably the one person he can’t read. Life will be no less dramatic for Toby’s colleagues, as Sgt. Michelle McCluskey (Lauren Lee Smith, CSI) navigates a complicated marriage with her husband, and IIB head Alvin Klein (Peter Stebbings, MADISON) attempts to protect himself and his team from the political manoeuvrings of the ambitious new police superintendent Nichola Martell (Ingrid Kavelaars, LIVING IN YOUR CAR). Meanwhile, new director of emergency services Oz Bey (Ennis Esmer, THE L.A. COMPLEX) realizes that being the boss isn’t as easy as he thought it would be.
MOTIVE – Airs Monday, May 20 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, moves to Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV beginning May 23
MOTIVE, the #1 new Canadian series of the 2012/2013 broadcast season joins the summer schedule, with encore presentations airing in simulcast with ABC. The CTV hit original series is a captivating one-hour crime drama that follows spirited female homicide detective Angie Flynn on a backwards chase for clues to a killer that has already been revealed to viewers. An unconventional way to watch a crime unfold, the “whydunit” stars Kristin Lehman (THE KILLING), Gemini Award-winning Louis Ferreira (SGU STARGATE UNIVERSE), and Lauren Holly (NCIS).
SAVING HOPE – Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV beginning June 25
Last summer’s #1 Canadian drama SAVING HOPE returns for a compelling second season with former Chief of Surgery, Dr. Charlie Harris (Michael Shanks, STARGATE SG-1) awake from his coma and reunited with his fiancée Dr. Alex Reid (Erica Durance, SMALLVILLE). This season, Alex and the other doctors of Hope Zion Hospital – including Alex’s ex-boyfriend, Dr. Joel Goran (Daniel Gillies, VAMPIRE DIARIES) – continue to handle gripping medical cases full of twists and turns, while Charlie struggles with a secret that could jeopardize his career and his relationship with Alex: he can still see and communicate with ghosts. Gemini-nominated actor Jason Priestley (CALL ME FITZ) and Gregory Smith (ROOKIE BLUE) are each set to direct an episode this season, joining directors David Wellington (THE ELEVENTH HOUR, WOULD BE KINGS, ROOKIE BLUE) Ken Girotti (BOMB GIRLS), John Fawcett (ORPHAN BLACK), and Jeff Woolnough (Jack). Plus, Gemini Award-winning actress Erin Karpluk (BEING ERICA) joins SAVING HOPE for a recurring guest starring role this season, playing a single mother and one of Dr. Joel Goran’s (Daniel Gillies) patients.
This year’s Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Award winners will be announced on April 22. We’ve been catching up with many of the writers nominated in the comedy and drama categories. Saving Hope‘s Esta Spalding was nominated for her episode “Bea, Again”.
Can you describe the episode “Bea, Again” and how it fit into the Saving Hope season?
The episode “Bea, Again” was the episode of Saving Hope that came after the three week break the series had taken so that CTV could air the Olympics. Right before the break, in episode 8, there was a very big cliffhanger: Charlie (a lead character who has been in a coma since the first episode and has been walking around the hospital as a ghost) is unplugged from life support. Alex, his fiancee, is devastated. In my episode, Charlie has to survive this process. The plug is pulled in episode 8, but he needs to be hanging between life and death and only declared alive at the end of episode 9. Now, in real life, once the plug is pulled you either live or die. So the challenge was to make that process last for a TV-hour without having it last for an actual hour. I also knew that dramatically Alex needed to be with Charlie, at his bedside, but that the show’s mandate was for her to have a high-stakes medical case each week. How could I do both things? It was such a strange, challenging crossword puzzle. Maybe because of my background as a poet, I found all of the limitations really energizing and I came up with a very fun structure and story.
What does this recognition mean to you?
This recognition means so much to me. There’s no higher honor than to be honored by your peers — your fellow writers in the trenches. I am thrilled to have been nominated.
If there was one Canadian show that is no longer on the air that you could see honored at this year’s awards, what would it be? (If you have a specific episode, even better).
I’ve been watching Aaron Sorkin’s Newsroom show on HBO and thinking how much better Semi Chellas’s Eleventh Hour was. There was always great critical acclaim for that show, but I wish that show had found a larger audience while it was on the air. It’s a show I’d still be happy to be writing for, all these years later.
Saving Hope season one airs Saturday nights on CTV Two. Season two is slated to air this summer.
From a media release:
ICF Films and Entertainment One Announce Start of Production on Season 2 of CTV’s Hit Drama SAVING HOPE
- Jason Priestley and Gregory Smith set to direct episodes this season, shooting in Toronto
- Gemini Award-winning actress Erin Karpluk (BEING ERICA) lands recurring guest starring role this season
ICF Films and Entertainment One (eOne), in association with CTV, announced today that production is underway on Season 2 of the original Canadian hit drama SAVING HOPE. Gemini-nominated actor Jason Priestley and Gregory Smith (ROOKIE BLUE) are each set to direct an episode in the upcoming second season, joining directors David Wellington (THE ELEVENTH HOUR, WOULD BE KINGS, ROOKIE BLUE) Ken Girotti (BOMB GIRLS), John Fawcett (ORPHAN BLACK), and Jeff Woolnough (Jack). Plus, Gemini Award-winning actress Erin Karpluk (BEING ERICA) joins SAVING HOPE for a recurring guest starring role this season, playing a single mother and one of Dr. Joel Goran’s (Daniel Gillies) patients. The 18-episode, one-hour series will shoot in and around Toronto until September 2013.
The most-watched drama series (overall) on Canadian television last summer, SAVING HOPE reigns as the most-watched Canadian drama of the 2011-12 broadcast year, with an impressive Season 1 average of 1.7 million viewers each week.
SAVING HOPE returns for a compelling second season with former Chief of Surgery, Dr. Charlie Harris (Michael Shanks) awake from his coma and reunited with his fiancée Dr. Alex Reid (Erica Durance). This season, Alex and the other doctors of Hope Zion Hospital – including Alex’s ex-boyfriend, Dr. Joel Goran (Daniel Gillies) – continue to handle gripping medical cases full of twists and turns, while Charlie struggles with a secret that could jeopardize his career and his relationship with Alex: he can still see and communicate with ghosts.
SAVING HOPE stars 2013 Canadian Screen Award-nominee Erica Durance (SMALLVILLE), Michael Shanks (STARGATE ATLANTIS), Daniel Gillies (THE VAMPIRE DIARIES), 2013 Canadian Screen Award-winner Wendy Crewson (REVENGE), Huse Madhavji (CALL ME FITZ), Julia Taylor-Ross (ROOKIE BLUE), Kristopher Turner (THE LISTENER), Michelle Nolden (REPUBLIC OF DOYLE), and Benjamin Ayres (LESS THAN KIND).
SAVING HOPE is produced by Ilana C Frank Films Inc. (ICF Films) with Entertainment One, in association with CTV. The series is executive produced by Ilana Frank and David Wellington, John Morayniss (ROGUE, KLONDIKE) for Entertainment One, and Lesley Harrison. Executive Producers and Showrunners are Morwyn Brebner (ROOKIE BLUE) and Adam Pettle (KING). The series was created by Malcolm MacRury (CRASH AND BURN, REPUBLIC OF DOYLE) and Morwyn Brebner. For Bell Media, Trish Williams is Director, Drama, Independent Production; Corrie Coe is Senior Vice-President, Independent Production; Mike Cosentino is Senior Vice-President, Programming, CTV Networks; Phil King is President, CTV Programming and Sports. All distribution rights are handled by eOne.
From a media release:
2013 WGC Screenwriting Awards Finalist List
ANIMATION
- Johnny Test “Johnny vs. The Tickler” Written by John Derevlany
- League of Super Evil “Kinderprison” Written by Phil Ivanusic-Vallee & Davila LeBlanc
- Scaredy Squirrel “Grand Ole Grocery” Written by Terry McGurrin
- Sidekick “I, Sidebot” Written by Dan Williams & Lienne Sawatsky
CHILDREN & YOUTH
- Finding Stuff Out “Animals Big and Small” Written by Lisa Hunter
- How To Be Indie “How To Make a Christmas Miracle” Written by John May & Suzanne Bolch
- My Babysitter’s a Vampire “Independence Daze” Written by Simon Racioppa & Richard Elliott
- My Babysitter’s a Vampire “Hottie Ho-Tep” Written by Miles Smith
DOCUMENTARY
- Sorry State Written by Mitch Miyagawa
- Surviving:) The Teenage Brain (for Nature of Things) Written by Robert Lower
- We Were Children Written by Jason Sherman
MOVIES & MINISERIES
- The Phantoms Written by Andrew Wreggitt
- Picture Day Written by Kate Melville
- The Samaritan Written by Elan Mastai & David Weaver
- Still Written by Michael McGowan
SHORTS & WEBSERIES
- Bill & Sons Towing “Bikini Calendar” Written by Mark De Angelis
- Ruby Skye P.I.: The Haunted Library “#Creepy” Written by Julie Strassman-Cohn & Jill Golick
- The Runner “Things Just Got Outta Hand, Right?” Written by Liz Scully
- Totally Amp’d “Episode 9” Written by Karen McClellan
TV COMEDY
- Less Than Kind “Danger, Wrestling” Written by Denis McGrath
- Less Than Kind “Fugue State” Written by Mark McKinney
- Less Than Kind “Jerk Chicken” Written by Kim Coghill
- Todd & the Book of Pure Evil “B.Y.O.B.O.P.E.” Story by Ian Malone, Charles Picco & Craig David Wallace; Teleplay by Ian Malone & Craig David Wallace
TV DRAMA
- Bomb Girls “Jumping Tracks” Written by Michael MacLennan
- Continuum “End Times” Written by Simon Barry
- Heartland “Life is a Highway” Written by Leila Basen
- Heartland “Breaking Down and Building Up” Written by Heather Conkie
- The L.A. Complex “Down in L.A.” Written by Martin Gero
- Saving Hope “Bea, Again” Written by Esta Spalding
From CBC:
See all television Canadian Screen Award nominations here. Selected nominations:
Best animated TV show:
Almost Naked Animals
Jack
Producing Parker
Rated A for Awesome
Best comedy:
Good God
Kenny Hotz: Triumph of the Will
Less Than Kind
Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays
Mr. D
Best dramatic miniseries:
Cyberbully
Magic Beyond Words: The J.K. Rowling Story
Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town
Wrath of Grapes: The Don Cherry Story 2
Best drama:
Arctic Air
Bomb Girls
Continuum
Flashpoint
King
Best international drama:
The Borgias
The Crimson Petal and the White
Titanic
Best music, variety or sketch comedy:
2012 MuchMusic Video Awards
Battle of the Blades
Canada Sings
The JUNO Awards 2012
Rick Mercer Report
Best Children’s or Youth Fiction Program or Series:
Degrassi
The Haunting Hour
Mudpit
That’s So Weird
What’s Up Warthogs
Best Reality/Competition Program or Series:
Canada’s Greatest Know-It-All
Canada’s Handyman Challenge
Dragons’ Den
The Real Housewives of Vancouver
Redemption Inc.
Best Writing in a Comedy Program or Series:
Less Than Kind, “Reparations and Renewal” – Jenn Engels
Less Than Kind, “March Fourth” – Mark McKinney, Garry Campbell
Less Than Kind, “Play it Again, Sam” – Mark McKinney
Todd and the Book of Pure Evil, “Two Girls, One Tongue” – Charles Picco
Michael: Tuesdays & Thursdays, “Bridges” – Matt Watts
Best Writing in a Dramatic Series:
Lost Girl, “Into the Dark” – Emily Andras
Continuum, “A Stitch in Time” – Simon Barry
Flashpoint, “Day Game” – Aubrey Nealon
Rookie Blue, “A Good Shoot” – Greg Nelson
Being Erica, “Dr. Erica” – Jana Sinyor, Aaron Martin
Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Comedic Role:
Almost Heroes – “Terry and Peter vs. Season Finale” – Ryan Belleville
Mr. D, “The Basketball Diaries” – Gerry Dee
This Hour Has 22 Minutes, “X mas Special” – Shaun Majumder
Michael: Tuesdays & Thursdays, “Sleeping with People” – Bob Martin
I, Martin Short, Goes Home – Martin Short
Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Comedic Role:
Michael: Tuesdays & Thursdays, “Heights” – Jennifer Irwin
This Hour Has 22 Minutes, “X mas Special” – Cathy Jones
InSecurity, “Agent Ex” – Natalie Lisinska
Less Than Kind, “The Fwomp” – Wendel Meldrum
Michael: Tuesdays & Thursdays, “Endings” – Tommie-Amber Pirie
Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role:
Flashpoint, “Day Game” – Enrico Colantoni
The L.A. Complex 2, “Don’t Say Goodbye” – Andra Fuller
Combat Hospital, “Triage” – Elias Koteas
Combat Hospital, “Reason to Believe” – Luke Mably
Blackstone, “Hitchin” – Steven Cree Molison
Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role:
Saving Hope, “Heartsick” – Erica Durance
Being Erica, “Please, Please Tell Me How” – Erin Karpluk
King, “Lori Gilbert” – Amy Price-Francis
Haven, “Audrey Parker’s Day Off” – Emily Rose
Bomb Girls, “Armistice” – Meg Tilly