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TV,eh? What's up in Canadian television
The Ron James Show

Ron James’ New Year’s Eve special airs December 31 on CBC

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From a media release:

LAUGH AWAY THE OLD YEAR AND RING IN THE NEW ONE WITH THE RON JAMES SHOW’S 7th ANNUAL NEW YEAR’S EVE SPECIAL ON DECEMBER 31 AT 9 PM ON CBC TELEVISION

  • Season Four begins Monday, January 7 at 8:30 p.m. (9 NT)

Resolve to laugh with Canada’s favourite funny man, Ron James, as he reprises the annual New Year’s Eve tradition of bringing his iconic brand of humour to the entire country. THE RON JAMES SHOW: NEW YEAR’S EVE EDITION airs Monday, December 31 at 9 p.m. (9:30 NT), on CBC Television, in an extended one-hour version of James’ trademark razor-sharp comedy.

In his seventh annual New Year’s Eve special, comedian Ron James sends off 2012 in style. As all of us successfully head into 2013, Ron vows “never to listen to a Mayan again” and makes a few startling predictions of his own for the year ahead. The Royal Family has been especially ‘visible’ in 2012 and in her annual message to the Queen, Aunt Vivien isn’t afraid to tell the naked truth. With nothing left to eat, Sir John Franklin explains why their expedition will continue to live on in our imaginations. Ron plays a man surprised to learn he’ll face hard time if he has a hard time keeping his New Year’s resolution. Conservative Radio show host (and new recurring ‘Ron James Show’ character) Buell Crawford gets hot under the collar over all this climate change baloney. And back in 1967 coal town Cape Breton, fan favourite L’il Ronnie resolves never to let Cousin Becky trick him again… but his resolution may be as doomed as the rest of ours! And when a couple’s left-leaning friends all mysteriously turn Tory after a strange comet lands, something just doesn’t seem right in ‘Night of the Young Conservatives’. Joining James to celebrate are special guests: Linda Kash, Patrick McKenna, Raoul Bhaneja & Lauren Ash.

This year THE RON JAMES SHOW debuts with our traditional New Year’s Eve Special, a critical and ratings success year after year for Ron James. Regular episodes of the series fourth season move to Monday nights, with the first half hour scheduled to air on Monday, January 7, at 8:30 p.m. (9 NT).

Viewers can look forward to a new season of THE RON JAMES SHOW showcasing the talents of renowned and much-beloved comedian Ron James, and his poetically charged observations about surviving life in the modern world. Anchored by James’ hilarious stand-up and cutting field sketches that are rich in satire and physical comedy, THE RON JAMES SHOW is a coast-to-coast hit on CBC-TV.

Season Four will also feature brand new sketches chock full of recognizable guest stars and satirizing a wide variety of hot button issues. Ode to the Road segments return in episode one, with Ron trying to find his inner cowboy at the 100th Calgary Stampede. Regularly hailed by critics, Ron says “I’m just trying to make sense of the daily chaos we’re all walking through on this rapidly spinning planet.”

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Haven

Haven finale airs December 21 on Showcase

Haven

From a media release:

HAVEN DOUBLES UP WITH A NEW EPISODE AT 9PM FOLLOWED BY THE SEASON 3 FINALE AT 10PM FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21 – 9PM ET/PT AND 10PM ET/PT

Season three of Showcase’s supernatural hit series Haven comes to a thrilling conclusion with two back-to-back new episodes on Friday, December 21. Beginning at 9pm ET/PT, viewers can watch the penultimate episode, “Reunion,” featuring a string of murders that bring Nathan (Lucas Bryant; The Vow) and Duke (Eric Balfour; Skyline) back to Haven High School to help Audrey (Emily Rose; ER) search for a troubled killer. In a two-episode story arc, Laura Vandervoort (Smallvillle) guest stars as a woman driven to the brink of madness by love.

Then at 10pm ET/PT, viewers should buckle up for the twists and turns ahead in the shocking finale. With a season that saw new mysteries arise amid revelations about Audrey, her past and Haven itself, Audrey must face hard truths and make a terrible decision as the very existence of Haven hangs in the balance. In the finale episode entitled “Thanks for the Memories,” Audrey, Nathan and Duke square off against the Bolt Gun Killer – and Audrey’s own life-threatening fate.

Haven, based on the novella The Colorado Kid from renowned author Stephen King, follows former FBI agent Audrey Parker, who becomes a cop in the small town of Haven, Maine, and soon discovers the town’s many secrets, which also hold the key to unlocking the mysteries of her lost past.

This season of Haven also starred Dorian Missick, Bree Williamson, Kate Kelton, and Adam Copeland in recurring roles.

Haven has been renewed for a fourth season slated to air Fall 2013.

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Motive

Motive gets post-Superbowl premiere on CTV

Motive
From a media release:

CTV’s New Original Series MOTIVE gets SUPER BOWL Kick-Off Sunday, Feb. 3 on CTV

  • Special sneak peek promo to air during FLASHPOINT series finale, Dec. 13
  • MOTIVE stars Kristin Lehman (THE KILLING), Louis Ferreira (SGU STARGATE UNIVERSE), and Lauren Holly (NCIS)
  • Beginning Feb. 10, MOTIVE airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT

CTV’s newest original Canadian production has scored a touchdown with the announcement today that the thrilling new scripted dramatic series MOTIVE will premiere in the most coveted timeslot in prime time television – immediately following a hand-off from SUPER BOWL XLVII on Sunday, Feb. 3. The announcement comes just hours before CTV says goodbye to FLASHPOINT – the hit TV series that spawned a resurgence in quality Canadian television. Viewers get a special sneak peek promo of MOTIVE during the explosive series finale of FLASHPOINT, tonight at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV.

Anchoring CTV’s stellar mid-season schedule following its post-SUPER BOWL XLVII debut, the compelling new CTV Original Series joins the network’s blockbuster Sunday night lineup in its regular timeslot of Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT beginning February 10. Viewers can catch full episodes of MOTIVE across CTV’s digital platforms following its television broadcast on CTV.ca, the CTV App, the CTV Mobile channel, and through video on demand partners.

From acclaimed Executive Producer Daniel Cerone (THE MENTALIST, DEXTER), MOTIVE 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. Set and shot in Vancouver, the “whydunit” stars Kristin Lehman (THE KILLING), Gemini Award-winning Louis Ferreira (SGU STARGATE UNIVERSE), and Lauren Holly (NCIS).

An unconventional way to watch a crime unfold, MOTIVE pieces together the clues of a murder as each episode begins by revealing not only the victim, but the killer as well. It’s an intense cat-and-mouse game as the homicide team sets off to piece together clues from the crimes committed. How did they do it? How are the victim and killer connected? What’s the motive? As the mystery unfolds, winding between revealing flashbacks and present time – viewers navigate the twisted and complicated maze of each murder, solving the puzzle alongside Detective Angie Flynn and her team.

In the premiere episode entitled “Creeping Tom” (Sunday, Feb. 3, immediately following SUPER BOWL XLVII on CTV), Detective Angie Flynn (Kristin Lehman) is introduced as a street-smart, intuitive homicide detective whose teenaged son, Manny (Cameron Bright), looks out for her as much as she takes care of him. MOTIVE’s first victim is a well-liked, karaoke-singing, high school science teacher (Joey McIntyre, DANCING WITH THE STARS) who is found murdered in his bedroom. A home invasion gone wrong seems too perfect for Detective Flynn and her partner, Detective Oscar Vega (Louis Ferreira). They follow a plausible lead to an adulterous wife and the motive of a crime of passion, but Angie’s second sense points her in the direction of one of the dead teacher’s students, a serial thief known only as “The Creeper”.

In addition to Joey MacIntyre’s guest-starring turn in the series premiere, MOTIVE features a dynamic lineup of guest appearances throughout the season, including Molly Parker (THE FIRM, DEXTER) and Liane Balaban (SUPERNATURAL), and acclaimed directors including David Frazee (FLASHPOINT) and Oscar-nominated Sturla Gunnarsson (Rare Birds, Beowulf & Grendel).

MOTIVE stars Kristin Lehman (THE KILLING) as spirited Detective Angie Flynn, Louis Ferreira (SGU STARGATE UNIVERSE) as her thoughtful and patient partner, Detective Oscar Vega, and Lauren Holly (NCIS) as the team’s lead medical examiner, Dr. Betty Rogers. The series also stars Roger Cross (ARROW) as Staff Sergeant Boyd Bloom, Brendan Penny (THE ASSISTANTS) as the team’s eager young Detective Brian Lucas, and Cameron Bright (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2) as Angie’s teenage son Manny Flynn.

MOTIVE is produced by Foundation Features and Lark Productions in association with Bell Media. Executive producers are Daniel Cerone (DEXTER, THE MENTALIST), Louise Clark (CORNER GAS,THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF VANCOUVER), Rob Merilees (Capote, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus), Erin Haskett (GASTOWN GAMBLE, THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF VANCOUVER), Rob LaBelle (MENTAL), Lindsay Macadam (Battle in Seattle), and James Thorpe (LOST GIRL). Showrunner is James Thorpe. Daniel Cerone wrote the pilot. The series is distributed internationally by NBCUniversal. Trish Williams and Rebecca DiPasquale are the Production Executives from Bell Media, Trish Williams is Director, Independent Production, Bell Media. Corrie Coe is Senior Vice-President, Independent Production, Bell Media. Mike Cosentino is Senior Vice-President, Programming, CTV Networks. Phil King is President, CTV Programming and Sports.

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Flashpoint

Thursday: Flashpoint series finale, Magic Hockey Skates, The Liquidator

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Flashpoint, CTV – “Keep The Peace Part 2”
In the highly anticipated series finale, it’s all hands on deck as Team One joins forces with firefighters, paramedics, and the military to contain a threat that’s gone amiss. As Jules (Amy Jo Johnson) and Parker (Enrico Colantoni) learn the true dark origins of the bomber, they realize this is not a man that can be talked down. In the Team’s final showdown, tragedy and triumph collide as peace is kept at a painful cost.

The Magic Hockey Skates, CBC
The Magic Hockey Skates is a brand new 30-minute animated special based on an original book by Allen Morgan and illustrated by Michael Marchenko. The story follows a young aspiring hockey player, Joey, who is determined to prove he can compete with the big kids – all he needs are some new skates. Joey is disappointed when his father makes him settle for a pair second-hand blades, but the salesmen assures him he won’t be disappointed. Joey is skeptical at first, but all that changes when he hits the ice. Guest voices include CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada’s Don Cherry and Bob Cole.

The Liquidator, OLN – “Man in the Middle”
When a client calls with a batch of tuxedos to sell, Jeff Schwarz knows exactly who to contact. With his rolodex spinning, the expert middleman brings together a series of buyers and sellers, skimming off a bit of cream each time.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

The Liquidator renewed for a third season

From a media release:

OLN Seals the Deal on a Third Season of Original Series The Liquidator

  • The stakes are raised in Season 3 as Jeff Schwarz takes his buy-and-sell shenanigans across Canada
  • OLN original series snags international distribution deal with Discovery Networks International
  • Production on the new 26 half-hour episodes begins January 2013

Demonstrating its unwavering commitment to premium original programming, OLN has ordered a third season of the smash hit series The Liquidator. Viewers will enjoy even more wheeling and dealing as the series expands from 13 to 26 episodes. Additional broadcast details will be announced at a later date.

Beyond its success in Canada, the audience-adored, original OLN series has been acquired by Discovery Networks International, and will be available in households across Europe, including Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Italy, and France.

Building on the high stakes of Season 2, fast-talking liquidator Jeff Schwarz ups the ante next season when he takes his expertise – and antics – on the road. Season 3 will see Schwarz haggle with a new set of characters as he visits cities across Canada on his quest for liquidation gold.

Viewers can catch up on Season 1 of The Liquidator over the holidays during all-day marathons airing Thursday, Dec. 27 at 9 a.m. ET and Sunday, Jan. 6 at 2 p.m. ET on OLN (check local listings).

The Liquidator is an OLN original series produced by Anaid Productions. Margaret Mardirossian and Helen Schmidt (X-Weighted) serve as executive producers, and Candice Tipton is the supervising producer. Claire Freeland is Director of Original Programming, Rogers Media and Marni Goldman is Production Executive for Rogers Original Programming.

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