Peacock Scripted Originals Continue to Make Waves Across Corus’ Specialty Drama Networks With a Lineup of New Exclusive Content Including Pitch Perfect (wt) Starring Adam Devine, A Friend of the Family with Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Colin Hanks, Lio Tipton, Mckenna Grace and Hendrix Yancey, The Undeclared War with Hannah Khalique-Brown, Simon Pegg, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Edward Holcroft, Adrian Lester, Alex Jennings, German Segal, Tinatin Dalakishvili, Hattie Morahan, Ed Stoppard, Kerry Godliman and Mark Rylance, The Best Man: The Final Chapters Featuring the Film’s Original Cast, and More
Corus’ Unrivaled Slate of Unscripted Titles Includes New Series Below Deck Adventure, Christina in the Country Following Christina Hall, Edge of the Unknown with Jimmy Chin, Guy’s Ultimate Game Night, History’s Greatest Heists with Pierce Brosnan, History’s Greatest of All-Time with Peyton Manning, More Power with Tim Allen and Real Girlfriends In Paris
Magnolia Network Canada Provides an Ongoing Slate of Inspiring TV That Feels Like Home Curated by Chip and Joanna Gaines
W Network Continues to Deliver Year-Round Signature Hallmark Channel Premieres to Massive Audiences
With Four of the Top Five English Kids Specialty Stations****, Corus’ Kids Networks are the Leading Destinations for Family Entertainment with Brand New Titles Including Gremlins: The Secrets of Mogwai, Batwheels, Bugs Bunny Builders and More, Plus a Returning Season of Are You Afraid of the Dark?
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TORONTO, June 8, 2022 /CNW/ – With Corus’ total specialty networks reaching over 25 million Canadians each month*****, Corus continues to dominate in entertainment specialty with more Top 20 stations than any other broadcaster***. Announced today as part of the #CorusUpfront, the company’s 2022/23 lineup of premium specialty programming delivers star-studded scripted series, must-see factual and reality titles, and best-in-class kids’ content. Debuting across Corus’ powerful roster of networks and streaming platforms, this newly acquired content is in addition to the previously announced slate of Canadian originals renewed and greenlit for its specialty portfolio.
“With new and longstanding partnerships, beloved brands that viewers love, big talent and always-fresh content, Corus continues to be the leader in Canada’s entertainment and kids specialty programming. As the exclusive Canadian home to the most coveted content, Corus is proud to deliver the most sought-after lineup of must-see TV year after year,” said Daniel Eves, Senior Vice President, Broadcast Networks, Corus Entertainment. “By offering all of our top premium programming live and on demand on our streaming platforms, including STACKTV, we continue to generate new audiences and increase reach of our content. This year on STACKTV, audiences are up 80 per cent and continue to grow as we expand our distribution.”
Corus Entertainment presents its 2022/23 slate of new and returning series across its specialty networks below.
A full overview of new and returning series are listed below. For more details on all specialty programming, please click here.
SCRIPTED DRAMA & ADULT COMEDY
As the exclusive home of marquee Peacock Original programming in English Canada, last year saw Top 10 specialty entertainment programs including Dr. Death, Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol****** and Bel-Air* driving massive audiences on linear specialty networks as well as on STACKTV, and this broadcast season will deliver even more new buzzworthy Peacock series backed by the biggest stars. Landing on Corus’ top drama networks, W Network or Showcase, the following must-watch series will also be available to stream live and on demand on STACKTV with full series and long-term stacking rights. More information and network details for these highly-anticipated series will be announced as the broadcast season progresses.
Coming soon to the schedule is Pitch Perfect (wt) starring Adam Devine who reprises his beloved character Bumper Allen from the hit film franchise as he moves to Germany to revive his music career when one of his songs becomes big in Berlin. True crime fans can look forward to the compelling limited drama series, A Friend of the Family, starring Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Colin Hanks, Lio Tipton, Mckenna Grace and Hendrix Yancey, and based on the harrowing true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan was kidnapped multiple times over a period of years by a charismatic, obsessed family “friend.” Then, The Resort – from the creators of Palm Springs and Mr. Robot – is a dramedy about a multi-generational exploration of love, marriage, and family vacations, set amidst one of the Mayan Riviera’s most bizarre unsolved mysteries. Also coming soon, The Best Man: The Final Chapters, written and directed by Malcolm D. Lee, reunites the film’s original cast including Morris Chestnut, Melissa De Sousa, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long and Harold Perrineau nearly 25 years after the film premiered in theatres. Lovers of young adult fiction can sink their teeth into Vampire Academy, based on a series of young adult paranormal romance novels by international bestselling author Richelle Mead, and Saturday Night Live alumni Pete Davidson stars in Bupkis, a heightened, fictionalized version of his real life with Edie Falco playing his mom.
More premium scripted dramas include The Lazarus Project, a riveting, action thriller; Irreverent, a fish out of water crime drama; and The Midwich Cuckoos, a modern reimagining of the classic sci-fi novel led by the incomparable Keeley Hawes and Max Beesley. Upcoming drama series created, directed and co-written by Peter Kominsky, The Undeclared War, set in the world of cyber security and stars Hannah Khalique-Brown, Simon Pegg, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Edward Holcroft, Adrian Lester, Alex Jennings, German Segal, Tinatin Dalakishvili, Hattie Morahan, Ed Stoppard, Kerry Godliman and Mark Rylance; plus, Gemma Arterton stars in Funny Woman, a story of a young woman who finds her voice in the male dominated world of the 1960s sitcom.
Corus’ drama networks will also see Tom Swift, an enthralling action-adventure mystery starring Tian Richards and Ashleigh Murray and inspired by the Tom Swift book series that hails from Stratemeyer Syndicate, which also publishes the Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and Bobbsey Twins books. Also coming this fall is Walker: Independence, a wild-west origin story to CW’s Walker set in the late 1800s, and later this year, DC comics fans can look out for Gotham Knights, a new superhero series featuring a team of mismatched fugitives who must band together to become its next generation of saviors known as the Gotham Knights.
In addition to this newly announced premium content, W Network, a Top 10 specialty network**, invites returning seasons of popular drama series including Season 2 of young adult drama series One of Us Is Lying; the sixth and final season of The Good Fight, Top 20 specialty entertainment program Nancy Drew, Season 2 of Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and Graham which takes place in New Zealand, and Season 7 of Top 10 specialty entertainment program Outlander*.
New seasons of fan-favourite series will also return to Showcase including Season 2 of Top 10 specialty entertainment program Bel-Air*, Season 2 of horror series Chucky, Season 2 of the award-winning, music-infused comedy series We Are Lady Parts, Season 3 of hit DC series Pennyworth, and Season 5 of the critically-acclaimed drama series All American.
Adult Swim, a Top 20 specialty network**, continues to offer the best in original animation and live action programming to its massive loyal fanbase of young adults. Adult Swim fans can look forward to Housing Complex C, which centres around Kimi who lives in a small, low-cost housing complex located in the seaside town of Kurosaki, where trouble seems to follow her wherever she goes and horrific incidents begin to occur. Also coming soon to Adult Swim in Canada are two new animated series Royal Crackers, which follows two brothers who live in their comatose father’s house waiting for him to die (he never does) so they can inherit his cracker company empire; and Uzumaki, a four episode mini-series based on the Shogakukan manga by legendary author Junji Ito. Plus, fans can get excited for an anime spin-off of the Emmy-winning series, Rick and Morty: The Anime, which will also be coming to the network.
New seasons of Rick and Morty, a Top 10 specialty entertainment program********, Harley Quinn, Bob’s Burgers, Family Guy and The Eric Andre Show will also return.
HALLMARK CHANNEL ON W NETWORK
Through Corus’ established partnership with Hallmark Channel, W Network continues to bring in significant audiences with its popular seasonal programming events and fulsome offering of heartfelt content which have built a dedicated Canadian fanbase. As Canada’s Christmas Network, the most-watched holiday programming event, Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas, has become an annual tradition in Canadian homes. The highly-anticipated seasonal stunt continues to be a top audience driver, propelling W Network to the #1 specialty station overall with Women 25-54 during the programming event again this year*******.
UNSCRIPTED AND REALITY
Top 10 specialty network,** Food Network Canada is one of the most influential brands in the country, offering an always fresh lineup of premium culinary programming full of fan-favourite faces. This fall, viewers will be treated to new series Bobby and Sophie On the Coast, with Bobby Flay and his daughter Sophie setting off on an incredible food tour across the sunny California coastline. Come fall, Guy’s Ultimate Game Night will see Guy Fieri host Hollywood celebrities and their closest friends and family for an evening of off-the-hook food, drinks and games.
As the exclusive Canadian broadcast home of Magnolia content, Magnolia Network Canada is a collection of inspiring stories with something for everyone in the family. Curated by Chip and Joanna Gaines, featuring some of the most talented makers, artisans, chefs, designers, and entrepreneurs across home and design, food and gardening, the arts, and more. This summer, the brand-new special Silos Baking Competition will see talented home bakers compete for $25,000 and an opportunity to get their winning dessert on the menu at Chip and Joanna’s Silos Baking Co. bakery. Later on, fans of home improvement content can look forward to new series In With the Old, following designers, builders, and old-home enthusiasts with a passion for transforming abandoned structures, and Making Modern with Brooke & Brice, featuring a married duo who launch a home remodeling business which flips the script on traditional home renovation roles by seeing Brooke as the builder and Brice as the designer. Come next year, new series The Retro Plant Shop with Mikey & Jo follows Mikey McCall, with help from her big sister Joanna Gaines, launching the business of her dreams: a retro-inspired plant shop that blends her passion for gardening with her love of unique, vintage items. Rounding out the schedule, Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines and Restoration Road with Clint Harp both return for new seasons sure to delight viewers.
Top 10 specialty network,** HGTV Canada is a haven for design, renovation, and inspiration, and moves into the fall with brand new programming full of familiar faces and fabulous spaces. New series Christina in the Country will follow Christina Hall, star of mega-hit series Flip or Flop and Christina on the Coast, on her next adventure expanding her design business across the country and putting down roots at her Tennessee farm as a second home. Next year, the network will introduce Farmhouse Fabulous (wt) with Chelsea and Cole DeBoer, formerly known from Teen Mom 2, sharing a look into their new venture launching a full-time renovation and design business in South Dakota. Up next, Good Bones star and designer Mina Starsiak Hawk will take on the biggest renovation challenge of her career in the new spin-off series, Good Bones: Risky Business where she purchases and restores a heritage home to its former glory.
National Geographic, a Top 20 specialty network,** will see the premiere of the much-anticipated new series Edge of the Unknown with Jimmy Chin, from Academy Award®-winning executive producers E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin. The series takes audiences inside the minds of elite adventure athletes through transformative stories of confronting fear, devastating personal loss and Mother Nature at her harshest. Also returning to the schedule are new seasons of fan-favourite series Cesar Milan: Better Human, Better Dog, where Cesar Millan will take on his most challenging cases yet, and Running Wild with Bear Grylls, with the famed survivalist pushing the bodies and minds of A-list celebrities to the limit in order to successfully complete the adventure of a lifetime.
Slice viewers can look forward to a buzzworthy slate of new and returning titles. New series Below Deck Adventure will delight fans of the Below Deck franchise, with the inaugural season set in Norway’s glacial fjords where wealthy thrill-seekers will experience dramatic adventures during their mega-yacht trip of a lifetime. Reality TV lovers can also look forward to the new series Real Girlfriends in Paris, with six bold twenty-something American women packing their bags for the City of Lights where they find each other, encounter a romantic rendezvous or two, and embrace the spontaneity that comes with living in an exciting new city. The third season of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, continuing to share the unconventional lives of successful women navigating an exclusive social circle in a city where religion, status and perfection are praised to the highest degree. Winter House also returns for a new season, with some of the most beloved Summer House and Southern Charm cast members and their friends packing their bags and bundling up for another cool winter getaway packed with wild parties, steamy hookups, and so much more.
Exploring stories of human endeavour, achievement and progress through award-winning series and specials, The HISTORY Channel is set to premiere a sensational slate of new content. This summer, fans of Alone can look forward to two brand-new franchise spin-offs with Alone: Frozen and Alone: Skills Challenge. Come fall, new series History’s Greatest Heists with Pierce Brosnan goes inside the most unbelievable, elaborate real-life heists of all time, and History’s Greatest of All-Time with Peyton Manning will see the former star quarterback countdown the greatest achievers of all-time across categories. More Power features Tim Allen alongside his Home Improvement co-star Richard Karn and DIY expert April Wilkerson, as they task three of the best and brightest makers each episode to create mind-blowing builds for a chance to win $5,000.
KIDS
YTV embraces its role as a leader in all things fun for families as the first dedicated network for kids in Canada. This fall, get ready for hit tween drama series The Next Step as it pirouettes over to YTV for Season 8 and a returning season of Are You Afraid of the Dark?.
Over on TELETOON, hilarious comedy, unexpected surprises and edge-of-your-seat action ensues through best-in-class animation. Coming this fall exclusively to TELETOON, the epic prequel Gremlins: The Secrets of Mogwai from HBO Max unlocks the mystery of how a 10-year-old Sam Wing (future shop owner Mr. Wing in the 1984 Gremlins movie) met the young Mogwai called Gizmo.
Treehouse is devoted to children from breakfast to bedtime providing a strong balance of educational, imaginative and entertaining programs in a safe place trusted by parents. This fall, the network welcomes Batwheels, a preschool animated action-adventure comedy series featuring the most heroic and iconic vehicles from the DC universe, and Bugs Bunny Builders, where at ACME Construction Company, Bugs Bunny and Lola Bunny manage a crew of builders who by working together as a team, use their tools and wild vehicles to pull off some of the looniest construction jobs ever.
For the newest Disney series and movies, Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD are the go-to networks, providing entertainment for the whole family with exclusive programming airing day and date with the U.S. Coming soon to Disney Junior, families can enjoy a brand new season of Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends.
Sources: *Numeris PPM Data, Total Canada, SP’22 STD (Jan 3 – May 15/22), confirmed data, 3+ airings, A25-54, AMA(000), CDN SPEC COM ENG, excluding sports
**Numeris PPM Data, Total Canada, BY’21-22 YTD (Aug 30/21 – May 15/22), confirmed data, M-Su 2a-2a, A25-54, AMA(000), CDN SPEC COM ENG
***Numeris PPM Data, Total Canada, BY’21-22 YTD (Aug 30/21 – May 15/22), confirmed data, M-Su 2a-2a, A25-54, AMA(000), CDN SPEC COM ENG, excluding sports and news
****Numeris PPM Data, Total Canada, BY’21-22 YTD (Aug 30/21 – May 15/22), confirmed data, M-Su 2a-2a, K2-11, AMA(000), Kids English Specialty Networks
*****Numeris PPM Data, Total Canada, Aug 30/21 – Mar 27/22, confirmed data, M-Su 2a-2a, Corus Specialty, Ind. 2+, CumRch(000) averaged by Broadcast Month
******Numeris PPM Data, Total Canada, Fall’21 (Aug 30/21 – Jan2/22), confirmed data, 3+ airings, A25-54, AMA(000), CDN SPEC COM ENG, excluding sports
*******Numeris PPM Data, Total Canada, CTC (Oct18 – Dec 26/21) confirmed, Mo-Su 2a-2a, AMA(000), F25-54, CDN SPEC COM ENG
********Numeris PPM Data, Total Canada, SM’21(May 31 – Aug 29/22), confirmed data, 3+ airings, A25-54, AMA(000), CDN SPEC COM ENG, excluding sports
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About Corus Entertainment Inc.
Corus Entertainment Inc. (TSX: CJR.B) is a leading media and content company that develops and delivers high quality brands and content across platforms for audiences around the world. Engaging audiences since 1999, the company’s portfolio of multimedia offerings encompass 33 specialty television services, 39 radio stations, 15 conventional television stations, a suite of digital and streaming assets, animation software, technology and media services. Corus is an internationally-renowned content creator and distributor through Nelvana, a world class animation studio expert in all formats and Corus Studios, a globally recognized producer of hit scripted and unscripted content. The company also owns innovative full-service social digital agency so.da, lifestyle entertainment company Kin Canada, leading 2D animation software supplier Toon Boom and children’s book publishing house, Kids Can Press. Corus’ roster of premium brands includes Global Television, W Network, HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, Magnolia Network Canada, The HISTORY® Channel, Showcase, Adult Swim, National Geographic, Disney Channel Canada, YTV, Global News, Globalnews.ca, Q107, Country 105, and CFOX, along with broadly distributed Canadian streaming platforms STACKTV, Nick+, the Global TV App and Curiouscast. For more information visit www.corusent.com.
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