From a media release:

Citytv Original Documentary Series Hail Mary Touches Down September 15

• New 11-part, half-hour series exposes the triumphs and tribulations of football players aspiring to turn pro
• Hail Mary follows the journey of six CFL hopefuls from Canada and the United States

Adding even more original programming to its robust fall lineup, Citytv announced today broadcast details for an all-new original Canadian documentary series, Hail Mary.  Premiering Saturday, Sept. 15 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, the 11-episode, 30-minute football series follows Edmonton Eskimos GM Eric Tillman, assistant GM Paul Jones, and head coach Kavis Reed as they scout, train, and groom a group of football players vying for a spot in the starting lineup of the CFL team.  Commissioned by Citytv and produced by Anaïd Productions (The Liquidator), Hail Mary was filmed on location in Canada and the United States.  

“Hail Mary gives viewers a rare look at the challenges athletes face in pursuit of a career in professional sports,” said Claire Freeland, Director of Original Programming, Rogers Media Broadcasting.  “With a distinctly Canadian angle, the series delves into the stories of regular men battling against all odds to achieve their dream.”

Hail Mary reveals the human side of football by portraying the heart-warming – but often heartbreaking – journey players experience on and off the field.  With their dreams on the line, the CFL hopefuls fight to avoid the chopping block and secure a position on the team.  After trading their star quarterback and losing their all-Canadian running back to the NFL, Tillman, Jones, and Reed set out to rebuild the Eskimos roster, and restore football glory to Edmonton. 

“This series is going to be a great opportunity to give not only our current fans, but new fans as well, a really unique behind-the-scenes look at the team,” says Len Rhodes, President and CEO of the Edmonton Eskimos.  “The insight that the show will provide is going to be real, it’s going to be authentic, and we wouldn’t want it any other way.”

In the series premiere, “Open Tryouts Cincinnati,” Eskimos assistant GM Jones holds an open tryout in Cincinnati, Ohio – the same town where he found star running back John Goebel last year.  Although Goebel is going up to Edmonton for training camp, will anybody else from this year’s tryouts impress Jones enough to get the call?  Now, Goebel must juggle the demands and pressures of camp with planning his wedding. 

“Hail Mary will move audiences regardless of whether or not they love football,” said Margaret Mardirossian, Executive Producer, Anaïd Productions.  “That’s because we’re telling the underdog’s story.  The moment these players step out on the field, everything is stacked against them, and it’s up to them to fight for their dreams.”

Citytv original series Hail Mary is produced by Anaïd Productions in association with Rogers Broadcasting Limited, with the participation of the Canada Media Fund and assistance of the Alberta Multimedia Development Fund and the Canadian Film and Video Production Tax Credit Program.  Margaret Mardirossian (The Liquidator, Anaïd Productions) and Helen Schmidt (The Liquidator, Anaïd Productions) serve as executive producers, and David Benson (The Rig, Anaïd Productions) is the producer.  Claire Freeland is director of original programming, Rogers Media Broadcasting, and Carol Commisso is production executive for Rogers original programming.  Hail Mary joins the growing roster of high-profile original series currently in production for Citytv, including The Bachelor Canada, Seed, Package Deal, and the recently announced Saskatchewan documentary The Sky is the Limit.

From a media release:

W Network’s Top Rated Series Undercover Boss Canada Returns with Grimier Tasks and Tougher Challenges

• New episodes air Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT beginning September 6 

Corus Entertainment’s W Network announced the names of the 10 companies who will be featured on Undercover Boss Canada this fall. From fisheries to the oil and gas sector to hockey, viewers will have an inside look at iconic Canadian industries and meet the new bosses from Canlan Ice Sports Corp, Cooke Aquaculture, East Side Mario’s, Home Hardware, PJ’s Pets, Premiere Van Lines, Purdy’s Chocolates, Tervita Corporation, T&T Supermarket and the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON), who are pushed to their limits with grittier and grimier tasks. From Alliance Films, produced in association with W Network, Undercover Boss Canada premieres on Thursday, September 6 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, with Canadian owned and operated retailer Home Hardware.

Back with 10 new episodes, Undercover Boss Canada follows executives as they leave the comfort of their top floor offices to go undercover on the ground floor. Each episode features an executive who is transformed into a frontline worker with a covert disguise and a convincing back story. Working alongside their employees, each “boss” embarks on an often emotional journey as they struggle to learn new skills not required at the CEO level and discover the effects their decisions have on others, the perception of the company, and who the unsung heroes of their workforce are. Most importantly, they learn how to apply what they have gained from the experience – both for their company and for themselves.

Below is a list of the 10 companies and executives participating in the series:      

• Home Hardware – The Executive Vice President and COO (Chief Operating Officer) Terry Davis returns to his roots working in the warehouse by making his own improvements on Thursday, September 6 at 9 p.m. 
• Canlan Ice Sports Corp – CEO Joey St-Aubin goes undercover in the largest private owned sports facilities in North America, in an effort to win back cost-conscious customers on Thursday, September 13 at 9 p.m.     
• Purdy’s Chocolates – The Director of Chocolate Merchandising and Marketing Kriston Dean goes undercover in Purdy’s Chocolates stores and factory floors to find out if she can boost chocolate sales on Thursday, September 20 at 9 p.m. 
• Cooke Aquaculture – CEO Glenn Cooke spends a week working undercover at the Canadian leader in salmon farming, encountering the Maritimers who nurture his fish and their remarkable stories on Thursday, September 27 at 9 p.m.
• Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) – CEO Judith Shamian works undercover to see first-hand the pressure that nurses and caregivers are under and quickly discovers that working in disguise is riddled with risks on Thursday, October 4 at 9 p.m.
• East Side Mario’s – CEO John Rothschild works in disguise in his own kitchens in a bid to check on the front lines of his business. (Air date TBD) 
• Premiere Van Lines – Vice President Kirsten Flynn sweats it out packing and moving during a heat wave and discovers some of her staff are lacking the tools that they need. (Air date TBD)
• PJ’s Pets and Pets Unlimited – President Margaret Kordas tries to overcome her phobia of spiders when she goes undercover in one of the nation’s oldest pet store chains. (Air date TBD)
• T&T Supermarket – Executive Director, Strategy & Operations Tina Lee is secretly searching for ways to attract more customers but struggled to work undercover in her stores while pregnant. (Air date TBD)
• Tervita Corporation – Tervita specializes in dirty jobs, providing environmental cleanup for Western Canada’s booming energy and mining industries. Vice President Fory Musser works in disguise among his own workers to find out how to attract more employees. (Air date TBD)