All The News About CTV's Fall Schedule

Here's what I picked up at the CTV fall press rumble:
*** Lloyd Robertson tells me he's just about finished writing his 300 page biography due out for Christmas release. We go way back to the early 1970s and I asked him if he included the anecdote of the day during the CBC press tour in 1977 when CBC news head Knowlton Nash announced "I've just lost my Mr. Clean"--it was the day Robertson defected to CTV.
*** Brian Williams says he'll rise above the criticism leveled at him in Richard Stursberg's recent memoir of life at the CBC. Always the classy guy, Williams is concentrating on getting the act together for his coverage of the Summer Olympics in London which he says could be one of the biggest ever ratings wise.
*** Executive producer and co-creator of the Degrassi franchise, Linda Schuyler reports that sometime in the new season Degrassi will hit over 400 episodes. After all the perennial winner has been around for decades. "What still irks me is my series Riverdale which could still be going on CBC but we needed more money. It should have run daily in the 7:30 p.m. slot --where Coronation St. is now and it could have been just as big a hit."
As far as CTV's fall goes it's business as usual. Now firmly grouped under the Bell Media banner, there are actually two networks CTV and the "B" franchise, CTV Two.
CTV program president Phil King can deservedly crow that "We just simply did not have a lot of holes in our schedule that we had to fill."
In fact CTV has but one new American series The Mob Doctor. Also snapped up are three new half hour comedies Anger Management with Charlie Sheen, The New Normal with Ellen Barkin and the Neighbors with Jamie Gertz.
CTV Two has three new U.S. dramas: Nahshville best described as a country variant on Smash, Emily Owens. M.D. starring Mamie Gumer (Meryl Streep's gifted daughter) and a new version of The Green Arrow retitled Arrow featuring Torontonian Stephen Amell.
Of the 18 hours of ptime time CTV has 16 1/2 hours simulcast with the American networks meaning CTV ciould be in some sort of identity crisis.
Canadian shows include the valuable franchise W5 with Robertson, the fifth and final season of Flashpoint.
CTV seems to have ditched an earlier promise to rebuild its Canadian sitcom traditions after the cancellation of both hiccups and Dan For Mayor.
However CTV will have a new Canadian made medical drama Saving Hope which debuts next week and looks promising.
CTV Two will show new episodes of the Toronto made The Listener Saturday nights this fall.
The decision to close down Flashpoint after five seasons and 75 episodes was made by executive producer Bill Mustos who said the show will end on a high note with a two hour finale. Flashpoint was one of the few Canadian series (Due South) is another) to have broken onto American TV network schedules --CBS ran it on Fridays for several years.
"Usually producers do not have the luxury of deciding when a series ends," Mustos said --CTV had requested a sixth season. Co-star Hugh Dillon said he hoped to work again with Enrico Colantoni who has become his best bud.
Jordana Spiro of the new series The Mob Doctor said she's actually seen mobster John Giotti walking around Manhattan on occasion--it's the sole new U.S. series to get on the CTV main schedule.
Hayden Panettiere who stars as the bitchy newcomer in Nashville said growing up in the business she had seen people like the one she's playing and understands where that meanness can come from. Co-starring is Connie Britton as a country legend battling the years and the competition from Panettiere's character.
Also present at the launch were blonde and buxom Megan Hilty from Smash which returns to CTV midseason and Shemar Moore from the ratings evergreen Criminal Minds.
And to counter suggestions from rival networks that CTV is geared for the over 55 crowd CTV's King showed a graph indicating it remains far ahead as the network of choice for viewers 18 to 34.

Shaw Media: Business As Usual

Shaw Media which owns Global TV as well as a bevy of lucrative specialty channels unveiled a fall schedule filled to the over brimming  with American hits.
In the fall Global will add only seven new acquisitions, an indication the Canadian network is already stuffed with such big ticket shows as Glee, twin versions of NCIS, Bones, Hawaii Five-0 and The Good Wife.
The gala presentation was held at the brand new Trump hotel which is ironical since Global told the Donald Trump "You're fired" when it shunted his lack luster TV effort The Apprentice to Saturday nights.
But it took veteran TV scribe Bill Brioux to impudently ask the big question of the day: in terms of Canadian content "Where's the beef ?"
Global won't have a single scripted Canadian series old or new on its fall schedule and Global vice president Barb Williams says that's been deliberately planned.
Williams pointed out Global's huge new Canadian hit Bomb Girls might have bombed given the intense competition during the new fall season.
Instead Global carefully plopped it into the midseason schedule, watched it prosper and it will be returning for a second season.
Currently running is Global's Rookie Blue a hit also on ABC because it is scheduled after the prime time season officially ends.
When I asked Williams if it hurt to see such an outstanding series as Combat Hospital bomb on ABC yet be such a hit up here, she nodded. It won't be coming back for a second season because it's too costly to make on its own.
Global also dropped the fine Canadian procedural cop show King when it failed to get a U.S. pick up. Williams says on reflection she should have run it on Global instead of Showcase which specializes in quirkier homegrown series like Haven and Lost Girl.
All in all Shaw had better Canadian drama series the past year than did CBC.
Williams also told scribes the network collectively cheered a bit when Fox moved Glee to Thursdays at 9. She says it's the nature of the Canadian programming beast to go for as many simulcasts as possible and this fall Global will simulcast 16 prime time hours a week  out of a grand total of 21 hours.
New acquisitions include yet another modern day version of Sherlock Holmes featuring Jonny Lee Miller and in a strange twist Lucy Liu as Watson.
After viewing 41 pilots for new shows Williams picked it as the possible break out show. But I gently reminded her she said the thing about last season's dud Prime Suspect.
Williams replied NBC should not have plopped that one into the most competitive hour on TV: Thursdays at 10.
New  drama acquisitions include the submarine saga Last Resort with Andre Braugher and Scott Speedman, the 1960s drama Vegas with Dennis Quaid, the legal minded Made In Jersey with Janet Montgomery and Chicago Fire with Jesse Spencer from House.
And Global has two new sitcoms: Go On with Matthew Perry and Guys With Kids with Jesse Bradford. Waiting in the wings are new episodes of the faltering The Office.
It's big news that Shaw is bringing the U.S. cable channel Lifetime to Canada and rebranding its faltering cable outlet Showcase Diva to do so. And H2 will be a new cable channel spinoff of History, Canadian TV's most popular channel with such fare as American Pickers and Pawn Stars.One of Lifetime's upcoming reality shows will highlight the adventures of transgendered star Jenna Talackova and there'll also be the new TV flick Liz And Dick starring Lindsay Lohan.
Global is also picking up for daytime the latest talk show effort starring Ricki Lake who had a chatter show from 1993 to 2004.
With Oprah's departure Lake says there's an opening for a thoughtful talk effort --something like the old Phil Donahue show. "I did 11 seasons . I actually signed for this before Oprah left. " The way she was received on Dancing with The Stars convinced her the fan base was still there.
Global's other big visiting U.S. star LL Cool J said he enjoyed the crossover with Hawaii Five-0. Asked what other CBS shows his NCIS: LA gang could cross over to he said 60 Minutes but then offered Big Bang Theory because "I could put a gun to a nerd's head."
No wonder he tweeted that he was briefly detailed at the border by Canadian Immigration.

Citytv Is On A Roll

This is the week the three Canadian commercial networks --CTV, Global and Citytv get to strut their fall wares.
Back from the buying wars and chock full of American purchases the networks host dazzling parties for potential advertisers plus the very few TV critics left on the beat.
First up Tuesday was fledgling network Citytv which once again staged its gala at Massey Hall  followed with booze and dainties next door at the Hard Rock Cafe.
The theme of City is simple: we attract the young, hop viewers so if you're after viewers 55 and older then look elsewhere.
Rogers Media which snapped up City a few years back enjoyed a great past season --eight of their 12 U.S. pick ups will be back this fall and the network which is trying to emulate Fox TV has purchased Canadian rights to nine new U.S. comedies plus four new comedies.
But what's surprising is the lack of scripted Canadian series. Rogers dumped Murdoch Mysteries (which has a new home on CBC) and there's nothing quite ready to replace it. This fall Rogers will have just two hours of Canadian content on its prime time --the new series Bachelor Canada as well as Mantracker from OLN.
Citytv will have to make up its Canadian content quota later in the year and perhaps is thinking plopping vulnerable Canadian shows into the competitive fall schedule might just be a one way ticket to cancellation.
Some of Citytv's new imports seem very promising. Citytv has snatched Jimmy Kimmel Live from CHCH and also got Canadian rights to Katie Couric's new daily afternoon chatter hour.
When she met the press Couric shrugged off reports the talk shows wars are heating up again saying that after Oprah's retreat to her OWN network the field is open for a more thoughtful show.
"I have endless curiosity," she said to explain her qualifications and thought the "Darwinian process" of selection might result in weaker entries getting cancelled.
Couric said she'd certainly be interested in re-interviewing Sarah Palin on her show but doubted the ex-governor would appear.-Palin's interview sank Palin's chances as a potential vice president.
But not every show would be serious: "I'm not a snob either about modern culture."
Also guesting at the City launch were the new co-stars of Partners described as a bromance between a straight and a gay guy. The gay one will be played by Ugly Betty star Michael Urie --he's just finished a run of 150 performances on Broadway in How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying created by Abe Burrows whose son James is going to direct all the season of Partners.
And Urie's partner in the show will be Brandon Routh, who's re-starting his career after the movie Superman did less than expected business.
Other guests included Max Greenfield, Schmidt on New Girl, who polled  critics about his chances for an Emmy nomination (he certainly deserves one). But I was surprised he only got about a 50 percent favorability rating from this group.
And there was tall Tyler Harcott, originally from Calgary, the amiable host of the new reality outing The Bachelor Canada.
And Dominic Monaghan popped in to talk about his new OLN series Wild Things and talk about his life long love affair with insects.
Other new U.S. sitcoms include Ben And Kate about an exuberant brother moving in with his sister and little daughter starring Dakota Johnson and Nat Faxon.  City also purchased the new Reba McEntire sitcom Malibu Country --all about a divorced mom finding herself with her mother (Lily Tomlin) in tow. The Mindy Project stars Mindy Kaling who also created it.
New drama acquisitions include Revolution created by Jon Favreau and J.J. Abrams about life in a futuristic society without electricity.
And there's the horror outing 666 Park Avenue about young couple Rachael Taylor and Dave Annable who take over a luxury apartment in a building that may be haunted.
And midseason  comedy acquisitions include  Bill Pullman in 1600 Penn and Sarah Chalke in How To Live With Your Parents For The Rest Of Your Life. Midseason comedy acquisitions include The Carrie Diaries (Carrie Bradshaw aged 16) and the TV debut of killer Hannibal Lecten based on the character from the Thomas Harris novel.
Returning U.S. hits include The B---- In Apartment 23, Suburgatory, Last Man Standing, Revenge (moving to Sunday nights), Person Of Interest and scandal.
Rumblings at the Rogers affair included persistent rumors Rogers may make a bid to take over Hockey Night In Canada away from CBC. Price tag would be over $100 million but it would solve Rogers' Canadian content problems.
And Rogers has green lighted two scripted Canadian comedies to run in the New Year: Package Deal created by Andrew Orenstein (Malcolm In The Middle) and Seed created by Joseph Raso.





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Continuum: A New And Smart TV Peripheral

Another day, another Canadian "peripheral" makes its debut.
But Continuum which debuts on Showcase Sunday night at 9 is something different.
It's very smart and great to look at.
Canadian TV's "peripherals" are usually made to blend into the American TV landscape.
Think Flashforward or Rookie Blue which has just returned for its third series.
These shows are set in a strange nether world --one never knows if they are Canadian or American. Because they're both.
Continuum is firmly set in Vancouver in 2012.
So how could it be classed as a sci fi show?
Because it stars a time traveling cop from 2077, one Kiera Cameron (Rachel Nichols) , a loving wife and mother who somehow travels through time and space and winds up in present day Vancouver.
She's a stranger in the past. In her world which is 65 years in the future there are no horses. So it's an experience for her to come in contact with police horses and see how they react.
And 65 years from now there's no running water, no taps as in her hotel room, so she's amazed by the simple act of washing her hands. And eating beef fell out of favor decades ago.
Trying to adapt is a matter of surmounting challenges --she has had SMR or cellular memory recall imbedded in her brain and she uses it to contact 17-year-old genius Alec Sadler  (Erik Knudsen) who operates out of his late father's technical workshop.
Until she can find the formula of getting back to her real time, Kiera uneasily joins forces with Vancouver detective Carlos Fonnegra (Victor Webster) as they investigate the fanatical terrorists who jumped back in time with her.
True, the opening hour has clumsy moments. If you don't believe the premise then this sci fi outing is definitely not for you.
What it has going for it are some pretty audacious conceptions: in the future gigantic corporations rule the world and are far wealthier than any earthly government.
On to this state is matched a TV procedural, the seemingly standard stuff of a mismatched team who somehow compliment each other.
Rachel kicked serious butt on both Alias and Criminal Minds --she does a whole lot of heavy lifting here and seems in great shape.
But having an American actress as the star of this Canadian peripheral is certainly a first.
Partnering her is Calgary born Victor Webster well remembered from such series as Charmed and Melrose Place.
And tn support there's a cast of dedicated Canadians: Stephen Lobo (Godiva's), Brian Markinson (Star Trek), William B. Davis (X Files).
Normally Canadian sci fi runs on Space but Continuum fits right in with some of Showcase's more recent and classy imports. And the series continues Vancouver's dominance as the Sci Fi TV Capital of Canada.
I have this feeling Showcase will attract the sci fi crowd --for one thing it was created by Simon Barry who started out as a camera operator --one reason this series looks so fine.
Continuum's Show Runner is the respected Canadian veteran Jeff King who I remember interviewing on both E.N.G. in 1989 and Due South in 1994. Since then he's produced series as diverse as EZ Streets and White Collar.
So I'm convinced the quality will hold up making this one of those peripherals that's really easy to like.
CONTINUUM PREMIERES ON SHOWCASE SUND. MAY 27 AT 9 P.M.
MY RATING: ***1/2.

Rookie Blue Returns: A Summer Peripheral

It's the close of the regular TV season with most series cliffhangers already out of the way.
Get set for TV's newest species: The TV Peripheral.
It's an industry term that well defines Global TV's Rookie Blue returning for its third summer of new episodes Thursday May 24 at 10 p.m.
But just what is a "Peripheral"?
Well, Rookie Blue exists because it's a very successful co-production between Shaw TV in Canada and American ABC.
Without ABC money the show simply would not exist. The lack of an American network sponsor meant another Global Peripheral --Combat Hospital won't be coming back for a second season.
Rookie Blue is that new breed of TV show made for the burgeoning summertime market. If it were carried during the regular season it would have been killed off in the ratings a long time ago.
A while back Canadian peripherals like Night Heat and Adderly ran on CTV during prime time and on CBS Late Nights.
Canadian producers are telling me they desperately need U.S. financing or they can't turn a profit.
Shaw TV stuck with the stylish police series King for two seasons but never could make that all important U.S. network sale. Series executive producer Bernie Zuckerman told me he should have shopped the pilot to the U.S. networks before proceeding with production --the Americans like to be in on the creative details from casting to plot development.
That's why Rookie Blue so fascinates me. It's a success in both U.S. and Canadian terms.
For Global it's much needed Canadian dramatic content. And it's a grand vehicle to showcase the talents of up and comers --all of them Canadian.
The series shoots in Toronto and abounds with references to Queen Street, the Rochester ferry, Riverdale district. You even see streetcar tracks (as in Night Heat) but so fat I've never spotted a red rocket zooming by.
Missy Peregrym is front and center as the drop dead gorgeous rookie cop Andy --but one question how long can Andy and the gang remain rookies? I'm remembering the fast exit of another similar TV series, ABC's The Rookies, after star Michael Ontkean complained he couldn't remain a rookie forever.
The first new episode was cagily made to attract a big U.S. audience --William (Star Trek) Shatner is the guest giving a sturdy turn as a distraught grand dad who lost his seven-year old granddaughter seven years ago --and he's still fighting to get her back.
The hour worked thanks to taut direction from veteran David Wellington and expert camera work by David Perrault that really got us into the Toronto neighborhoods.
The second new episode a week later (which I've also seen) was more prosaic and lacked drive --all about a Toronto high schoolers prank in stealing a police car.
The fact Rookie Blue stands up is due to its executive producers --Ilana Frank and Tassie Cameron, canny veterans of the TV series wars.
And it boasts a sexy, photogenic cast including Gregory Smith (Everwood), Travis Milne, Charlotte Sullivan, Enuka Okuma, Peter Mooney is onboard as the newest rookie but I notice series regular Eric Johnson is missing.
One nagging question: why does Rookie Blue so remind me of Private Practice?  Both sport well groomed actors who spend considerable time mooning over lost loves --a reason young emales are primarily the biggest fans.
But Rookie Blue is only the first of the Canadian Procedurals to return for the summer.
ROOKIE BLUE'S THIRD SEASON PREMIERES ON GLOBAL TV THURSD. MARCH 24 AT 10 P.M.

MY RATING: *** 1/2.

Homicide Hunter : A True Life Procedural

Sick and tired of a TV season filled with slick but empty fictional procedural shows?
Then the new factual series Homicide Hunter is for you --it's the real thing.
Retired homicide detective Joe Kenda sits back and invites us into the action of solving true life murders.
And he's seen a whole heap of them. According to his own statistics he's solved more than 387 homicides in his long career with the Colorado Springs police department.
The first episode on Wednesday May 23 at 8 p.m. on Investigation Discovery catches him in a fond reminiscent mood as he demonstrates all his powers in solving the disappearance and subsequent murder of a flighty waitress dropped off at a bar and never seen again.
Kenda is an odd old bird --he sits impassively with darkness all around him his face a mass of lines as he wearily recounts the salient facts.
And you quickly believe him that he's seen it all and then some.
The first episode happened some time ago because in the dramatic reenactments he's played by a young hunk some 25 years younger than the wizened retiree who sits telling the story.
What gets me is the completely plain talking way the murder is recounted and thrashed about in an ever so slow style of delivery.
At one point talking about the hysterical reaction of the family who figured the police were not doing enough he looks at the camera and drawls "Everybody yells at me."
Yeah, but Kenda never yells back. He simply continues meticulously recounting detail after detail and showing how he was ever so slowly moving toward an arrest.
The dramatic restagings are, well, the dopey part. We want more of Kenda on what it's like to search for a killer when he can't even find a corpse.
He shows us how he interrogates a suspect, drawing out the details and often a confession without any hint of bullying.

In fact Homicide Hunter emerges as Joe Kenda's "Greatest Hits", every case neatly wrapped up without too much sweat on his part. And there are comments from real family members, the D.A. in the case as well as fellow detectives working with him all the way.
The title of an early episode says it all: "Everybody Lies".
But not Joe Kenda. His sad, old eyes have seen it all and then some. It's been his life's work and he's deservedly proud of his record.
HOMICIDE HUNTER PREMIERES ON INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY WED. MAY 23 AT 8 P.M.
MY RATING: ***

Homicide Hunter : A True Life Priocedural

Sick and tired of a TV season filled with slick but empty fictional procedural shows?
Then the new factual series Homicide Hunter is for you --it's the real thing.
Retired homicide detective Joe Kenda sits back and invites us into the action of solving true life murders.
And he's seen a whole heap of them. According to his own statistics he's solved more than 387 homicides in his long career with the Colorado Springs police department.
The first episode on Wednesday May 23 at 8 p.m. on Investigation Discovery catches him in a fond reminiscent mood as he demonstrates all his powers in solving the disappearance and subsequent murder of a flighty waitress dropped off at a bar and never seen again.
Kenda is an odd old bird --he sits impassively with darkness all around him his face a mass of lines as he wearily recounts the salient facts.
And you quickly believe him that he's seen it all and then some.
The first episode happened some time ago because in the dramatic reenactments he's played by a young hunk some 25 years younger than the wizened retiree who sits telling the story.
What gets me is the completely plain talking way the murder is recounted and thrashed about in an ever so slow style of delivery.
At one point talking about the hysterical reaction of the family who figured the police were not doing enough he looks at the camera and drawls "Everybody yells at me."
Yeah, but Kenda never yells back. He simply continues meticulously recounting detail after detail and showing how he was ever so slowly moving toward an arrest.
The dramatic restagings are, well, the dopey part. We want more of Kenda on what it's like to search for a killer when he can't even find a corpse.
He shows us how he interrogates a suspect, drawing out the details and often a confession without any hint of bullying.

In fact Homicide Hunter emerges as Joe Kenda's "Greatest Hits", every case neatly wrapped up without too much sweat on his part. And there are comments from real family members, the D.A. in the case as well as fellow detectives working with him all the way.
The title of an early episode says it all: "Everybody Lies".
But not Joe Kenda. His sad, old eyes have seen it all and then some. It's been his life's work and he's deservedly proud of his record.
HOMICIDE HUNTER PREMIERES ON INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY WED. MAY 23 AT 8 P.M.
MY RATING: ***