– Citytv scoops the buzziest new shows and big stars for Fall, with Jimmy Smits’s legal drama Bluff City Law and Bradley Whitford’s ensemble comedy Perfect Harmony –
– 17 series and events return to Citytv, including A Million Little Things, Manifest, and the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards® –
– Citytv greenlights Season 2 of original hit series Hudson & Rex, with new Canadian shows Dead Still and Vagrant Queen joining the schedule in 2020 –
– Superstar Kelly Clarkson joins Citytv with daytime talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show –
TORONTO, May 30, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With curated additions and celebrated returns to capture the hearts of Canadian TV lovers, Citytv today announced its 2019/20 schedule, featuring 15 new shows and 17 returning favourites. Rick Brace, President of Rogers Media, and Colette Watson, SVP of TV & Broadcast Operations, will unveil Citytv’s new Fall schedule and mid-season lineup at a media event this morning.
“The power of TV is stronger than ever, and that power comes from compelling content. Whether viewers are watching on a big screen in their living room or a smartphone on the go, these deep connections are unique to the TV content experience,” said Brace. “Last fall, Canadians watched more television than the year before*. They fall in love with the characters who feel like family, they connect to the relationships and stories that unfold over time. And this is why they keep coming back.”
The 2019/20 schedule offers audiences and advertisers a winning mix of compelling drama, smart comedy, and water-cooler reality shows. Additions to Citytv’s lineup feature new shows starring A-list talent, including Kelly Clarkson, Jimmy Smits, Bradley Whitford, Kristin Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Tom Everett Scott, Anna Camp, and Forest Whitaker; and projects by heavyweight producers Dick Wolf, Jerry Bruckheimer, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Mindy Kaling. Building on Citytv’s commitment to prime-time drama, go-to comedy blocks, and can’t-miss reality competitions, the 2019/20 schedule is designed to engage and grow its loyal, largely-female audience.
“With curated additions that complement our returning series, we are seamlessly guiding our viewers through a great night – and week – of entertainment,” said Watson. “We’ve stacked the hit new-to-Citytv Chicago franchise on Wednesday, paired emotionally-potent dramas A Million Little Things and Four Weddings and a Funeral on Thursday, and boosted Sunday’s must-see animation block with Bless the Harts. This is our strongest and most diverse schedule ever.”
Proven hits and fan favourites return as Citytv dishes up drama, loads of laughs, and can’t-miss reality competition throughout the 2019/20 season. Last season’s hit dramas, A Million Little Things and Manifest return to Citytv, along with his-and-hers The Bachelor / The Bachelorette franchise, Black-ish, Bob’s Burgers, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Dancing with the Stars, Family Guy, Hockey Night in Canada, Hudson & Rex, Little Big Shots, Mom, The Simpsons, and Citytv’s weekly dose of XOXO with the Fall in Love Fridays movies block. The iconic New Year’s Eve countdown celebration Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards® also return to Citytv this season.
Here’s a look at Citytv’s 2019 Fall schedule, day-by-day:
Mondays
Citytv delivers all the dramatic twists and turns…of ballroom dancing…when Dancing with the Stars returns for two-hours of star-studded, sequin-dusted competition at 8 p.m. (s). Then, father-daughter legal team tackles David-and-Goliath cases with the buzziest new drama of the year – Bluff City Law, starring Jimmy Smits, at 10 p.m. (s).
Tuesdays
Citytv’s #1 Canadian series returns as Hudson & Rex cop-and-canine duo tackle new cases at 8 p.m. At 9 p.m. (s), new prequel series mixed-ish is paired with black-ish at 9:30 p.m. (s) for an insightful – and funny – hour of Tracee Ellis Ross.
Wednesdays
Citytv blows away the competition on Wednesdays with a blockbuster stack from the Windy City. Chicago Med at 8 p.m. (s), Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. (s), and Chicago PD at 10 p.m. (s) deliver three hours of tried-and-tested Dick Wolf drama that brings loyal viewers back week after week.
Thursdays
The West Wing alums are back-to-back as Emmy- and Academy Award-winner Allison Janney returns with Mom at 8 p.m., followed by the launch of the year’s most anticipated comedy Perfect Harmony at 8:30 p.m. (s) starring Bradley Whitford. Then, it’s a pair of dramas with all the feels with the return of last season’s must-see hit A Million Little Things at 9 p.m. (s), followed by the new Mindy Kaling-produced series Four Weddings and a Funeral at 10 p.m.
Fridays
Starting the weekend with hearts and flowers, Citytv presents Fall in Love Fridays at 8 p.m., a weekly movie block featuring rom-coms and feel-good flicks.
Saturdays
Canada’s game reigns supreme on Saturdays as Ron MacLean and Don Cherry deliver another season of Canada’s most-watched sports program, Hockey Night in Canada.
Sundays
Citytv’s Sunday night animation domination continues. Back for a record 31st season, The Simpsons leads the night at 8 p.m. (s), followed by the new animated series Bless the Harts with the incomparable voice talent of Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph at 8:30 p.m. (s). The laughs continue with Bob’s Burgers at 9 p.m. (s) and Family Guy at 9:30 p.m. (s).
Weekdays
For viewers who can’t wait for prime time, superstar Kelly Clarkson headlines an all-new talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, weekdays at 4 p.m. (s).
Full episodes and past seasons are available on Citytv Now online, on Rogers on Demand, and on the authenticated Citytv app for iOS, Android, and fourth-generation Apple TV.
Citytv’s New Series Descriptions – Fall
All times ET/PT; s=simulcast
BLESS THE HARTS
30-minute animated comedy series
Sundays at 8:30 p.m. (s)
Always broke and forever struggling to make ends meet, Jenny Hart is a single mom and waitress in the small town of Greenpoint, NC. While Jenny’s the head of her family, she’s often at odds with – or scheming with – her lottery scratcher-obsessed mother Betty and her witty daughter Violet. Jenny’s doting boyfriend of 10 years, Wayne Edwards, is a charming dreamer who may never hit the big time, but he’s not going to give up the fight. The Harts may not have much, but with friends, family, and laughter they just might have everything they need.
PRODUCTION COMPANY: 20th Century Fox Television, FOX Entertainment
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Emily Spivey, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Kristen Wiig, and Seth Cohen
VOICE CAST: Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids) as Jenny Hart, Maya Rudolph (The Good Place) as Betty Hart, Jillian Bell (Workaholics) as Violet Hart, and Ike Barinholtz (Neighbors) as Wayne Edwards (Guest voice cast: Fortune Feimster as Brenda, Drew Tarver as Randy, Mary Steenburgen as Crystalynn)
BLUFF CITY LAW
60-minute scripted drama series
Mondays at 10 p.m. (s)
Coming from a Memphis family famous for confronting injustice, brilliant lawyer Sydney Strait worked at her father Elijah’s celebrated law firm until their rocky relationship drove her away. After barely speaking to her dad for years, Sydney is suddenly thrust back into the family fold when her philanthropist mother dies unexpectedly. In the wake of their loss, hoping to reconnect with the daughter he loves, Elijah asks Sydney to rejoin his firm. She agrees, because despite her lingering resentment and distrust, she knows that working alongside her father is her best hope at changing the world… if they can ever get along.
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Universal Television in association with David Janollari Entertainment
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Dean Georgaris, Michael Aguilar, David Janollari
CAST: Jimmy Smits (NYPD Blue), Caitlin McGee (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Barry Sloane (Revenge), Michael Luwoye (The Gifted), MaameYaa Boafo (Thru 25), Stony Blyden (Hunter Street), and Jayne Atkinson (House of Cards)
CHICAGO FIRE
60-minute scripted drama series
Wednesdays at 9 p.m. (s); New to Citytv
While all others flee, the firefighters, rescue squad, and paramedics of Firehouse 51 risk their lives to save and protect Chicago citizens when their world is burning around them. It takes a special team to embrace danger, day in and day out. Lt. Matthew Casey leads the truck company and brash Lt. Kelly Severide runs the rescue squad, supported by their extended “fire family” which includes Battalion Chief Wallace Boden, firefighters Stella Kidd and 51 veteran Christopher Herrmann, and paramedics Gabriela Dawson and Sylvie Brett.
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Universal Television and Wolf Entertainment
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Dick Wolf, Derek Haas, Todd Arnow, Andrea Newman, Michael Gilvary, Michael Brandt, Arthur Forney, and Peter Jankowski
CAST: Jesse Spencer (House), Taylor Kinney (Vampire Diaries), Monica Raymund (Lie to Me), Kara Killmer (Chicago PD), David Eigenberg (Sex and the City), Miranda Rae Mayo (Pretty Little Liars), Yuri Sardarov (Argo), Joe Minoso (Boss), Christian Stolte (Boss), and Eamonn Walker (Oz)
CHICAGO MED
60-minute scripted drama series
Wednesdays at 8 p.m. (s); New to Citytv
Treating critical cases and ethical dilemmas with high doses of courage, compassion, and state-of-the-art medical care, the trauma centre team at Chicago’s busiest emergency department work to hold it all together. Supervising attending physician Dr. Will Halstead struggles to balance the ED with his relationship with pediatrics resident Dr. Natalie Manning. Heart surgeon Dr. Connor Rhodes tackles a new challenge in close proximity to his former rival; Dr. Daniel Charles remains the Sherlock Holmes of psychiatry; former Navy flight surgeon Dr. Ethan Choi brings his battlefield skills to the ED front lines; and hospital head Sharon Goodwin, faces intense fiscal scrutiny to preserve the bottom line while ensuring all patients receive exceptional care – while answering to the newly-hired COO, Gwen Garrett. But to really know what is going on at the Gaffney Chicago Medical Centre, check with the nurses – stat!
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Universal Television and Wolf Entertainment
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Dick Wolf, Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, Michael Waxman, Matt Olmstead, Michael Brandt, Derek Haas, Arthur W. Forney, Peter Jankowski
CAST: Nick Gehlfuss (Shameless), Yaya DaCosta (The Butler), Torrey DeVitto (Pretty Little Liars), Colin Donnell (Arrow), Brian Tee (Deadland), Marlyne Barrett (Night Call), Norma Kuhling (Fallen), S. Epatha Merkerson (Law & Order), and Oliver Platt (The Three Musketeers)
CHICAGO PD
60-minute scripted drama series
Wednesdays at 10 p.m. (s); New to Citytv
To protect and serve, Det. Sgt. Hank Voight and his Intelligence team considered rules as guidelines more than actual laws. But now, it's a new day in Chicago, and police are under siege and under a microscope, their every moved watched by citizens, politicians, and the government – and Voight’s team feels the pressure. As racial tensions, political agendas, and new federal regulations accelerate police reform, the team is challenged to find new ways to achieve their ultimate goal: justice.
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Universal Television and Wolf Entertainment
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Dick Wolf, Rick Eid, Peter Jankowski, Arthur Forney, Derek Haas, Michael Brandt and Eriq La Salle
CAST: Jason Beghe (Californication), Jon Seda (Treme), Jesse Lee Soffer (The Mob Doctor), Patrick John Flueger (The 4400), Marina Squerciati (Gossip Girl), LaRoyce Hawkins (The Express), Amy Morton (Boss), and Tracy Spiridakos (Bates Motel); Anne Heche (The Brave) is a recurring guest star
FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL
60-minute scripted drama series
Thursdays at 10 p.m.
Four American friends reunite for a fabulous London wedding, but when a bombshell at the altar throws their lives into turmoil, a tumultuous year of romance and heartbreak follows. Relationships are forged and broken, political scandals exposed, London social life lampooned, love affairs ignited and doused, and of course, there are four weddings… and a funeral.
PRODUCTION COMPANY: MGM Television and Universal Television
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Mindy Kaling, Tracey Wigfield, Richard Curtis, Matt Warburton, Jonathan Prince, Howard Klein of 3Arts Entertainment, Charlie Grandy, Tristram Shapeero, and Charles McDougall
CAST: Zoe Boyle (Downton Abbey), Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones), Guz Khan (Turn Up Charlie), Sophia La Porta (The Five), Harish Patel (Coronation Street), Nikesh Patel (Indian Summers), John Reynolds (Stranger Things), Rebecca Rittenhouse (The Mindy Project), and Brandon Mychal Smith (You’re the Worst)
THE KELLY CLARKSON SHOW
60-minute talk show
Weekdays at 4 p.m. (s)
Award-winning superstar Kelly Clarkson offers a daily dose of charm, celebrity, and chat with The Kelly Clarkson Show. Following her critically-acclaimed eighth studio album and tour this year, Clarkson’s all-new talk show brings viewers remarkable stories, celebrity guests, spontaneous surprises, humour, heart, and great music! With Clarkson’s openness and warmth, The Kelly Clarkson Show makes the world feel a little bit smaller by celebrating all of the good things people have in common.
PRODUCTION COMPANY: NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Kelly Clarkson, Alex Duda, and Brandon Blackstock
HOST: Kelly Clarkson
MIXED-ISH
30-minute scripted comedy series
Tuesdays at 9 p.m. (s)
In the 1980s, Rainbow Johnson lived with her mixed-race family on an idyllic hippy commune – until they didn’t. When her parents Paul and Alicia decide to move from the commune to the suburbs to better provide for their family, Bow and her siblings must navigate the intricacies of school culture in which they’re perceived as neither black nor white. Their experiences highlight the challenges of figuring out who you are when the rest of the world can’t decide where you belong.
PRODUCTION COMPANY: ABC Studios
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Peter Saji, Kenya Barris, Tracee Ellis Ross, Randall Winston, Artists First (Brian Dobbins), Cinema Gypsy (Laurence Fishburne and Helen Sugland), and Anthony Anderson
CAST: Arica Himmel (Thanksgiving), Tika Sumpter (Gossip Girl), Gary Cole (Chicago Fire), Christina Anthony (Key & Peele), Mykal-Michelle Harris (Big Little Lies), and Ethan Childress (Black-ish)
PERFECT HARMONY
30-minute scripted comedy series
Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. (s)
When former Princeton music professor Arthur Cochran unexpectedly stumbles into choir practice at a small-town church, he finds a group of singers that are out of tune in more ways than one. Even with clashing personalities and perspectives, Arthur and his newfound cohorts may just be the perfect mix to help each other reinvent and rediscover a little happiness – just when they each need it most.
PRODUCTION COMPANY: 20th Century Fox Television and Small Dog Picture Company
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Lesley Wake Webster, Jason Winer, Bradley Whitford, Adam Anders and Jon Radler
CAST: Bradley Whitford (The West Wing), Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect), Tymberlee Hill (Drunk History), Rizwan Manji (Schitt’s Creek), Will Greenberg (Wrecked), Geno Segers (Banshee), and Spencer Allport (Zero)
Citytv’s New Series Descriptions – Mid-Season
s=simulcast; dates/times to be announced in the coming months
THE BAKER AND THE BEAUTY
60-minute scripted romantic comedy series (s)
Daniel Garcia is working in the family bakery and doing everything that his loving Cuban parents and siblings expect him to do. But on a wild Miami night, he meets international superstar and fashion mogul Noa Hamilton and his life moves into the spotlight. Will this unlikely couple upend their lives to be together and pull their families into a culture clash? The Baker and the Beauty is based on a hit Israeli show created by Assi Azar, originally for Keshet Broadcasting.
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Universal Television and ABC Studios, in association with Keshet Studios
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Dean Georgaris, Avi Nir, Alon Shtruzman, Peter Traugott, Rachel Kaplan, and Assi Azar
CAST: Victor Rasuk (Lords of Dogtown), Nathalie Kelley (Vampire Diaries), Carlos Gómez (The Glades), Dan Bucatinsky (Scandal), Lisa Vidal (Being Mary Jane), David Del Rio (The Troop), Belissa Escobedo (Sid is Dead), and Michelle Veintimilla (Gotham)
COUNCIL OF DADS
60-minute scripted drama series (s)
When Scott’s life is turned upside-down by a health scare, the father of four calls on a few of his closest allies to step in as back-up dads for every stage of his growing family’s life. Scott’s assembled group of role models includes Anthony, his oldest friend; Larry, his AA sponsor; and Oliver, his surgeon. Together with Scott’s wife Robin, these men commit to supporting and guiding Scott’s family through all of life’s triumphs and challenges life – just in case he can’t be there himself.
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Universal Television in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Midwest Livestock Productions
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman, and KristieAnne Reed
CAST: Sarah Wayne Callies (Colony), Clive Standen (Vikings), Tom Everett Scott (13 Reasons Why), J. August Richards (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Blue Chapman (Preschool in L.A.), Emjay Anthony (Bad Moms), Michele Weaver (Love Is_), Thalia Tran (Little), Steven Silver (13 Reasons Why), and Michael O’Neill (Scandal)
DEAD STILL
60-minute scripted drama series (Canadian)
Dying for the ultimate selfie? Set in 1880s Ireland, Dead Still follows a master photographer with the macabre specialty of “memorial photography” – taking pictures of the dead. But not every photo captures tranquil and eternal repose, and the photographer finds himself embroiled in his subjects’ mysterious deaths or murders.
PRODUCTION COMPANY: a Canada /Ireland treaty co-production, coproduced by Shaftesbury
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Christina Jennings and Scott Garvie
CAST: Michael Smiley (Luther), Kerr Logan (Alias Grace), Eileen O'Higgens (Brooklyn), and Mark Rendall (Versailles)
GODFATHER OF HARLEM
60-minute scripted true-life drama series
This all-star limited series tells the story of infamous crime boss Bumpy Johnson, who in the early 1960s, returned from 10 years in prison to find the neighbourhood he used to rule in shambles and his power gone. With the streets controlled by the Italian mob, Bumpy takes on the Five Families to regain control. To do so, he enlists the help of radical preacher Malcolm X — catching Malcolm’s political rise in the crosshairs of social and political upheaval
PRODUCTION COMPANY: ABC Signature Studios
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Chris Brancato, Paul Eckstein, Forest Whitaker, Nina Yang Bongiovi, James Acheson, and Markuann Smith
CAST: Forest Whitaker (Last King of Scotland), Paul Sorvino (Bad Blood), Vincent D’Onofrio (Men in Black), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad), and Lucy Fry (Bright)
LINCOLN
60-minute scripted drama series (s)
In this thrilling series inspired by best-selling book The Bone Collector, former NYPD detective and forensic genius Lincoln Rhyme was forced out of field work by a serious accident at the hands of a serial killer. When Amelia Sachs, an intuitive young officer with a gift for profiling, finds herself closing in on the killer’s trail, Rhyme discovers a new partner for this game of cat and mouse. As the unlikely duo joins forces to crack the city’s most confounding cases, they also race to take down the enigmatic “Bone Collector” who brought them together.
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Universal Television and Sony Pictures Television and in association with Keshet Studios
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: VJ Boyd, Mark Bianculli, Seth Gordon, Avi Nir, Peter Traugott, and Rachel Kaplan
CAST: Russell Hornsby (Fences), Arielle Kebbel (The Vampire Diaries), Brían F. O'Byrne (Million Dollar Baby), Tate Ellington (Shameless), Courtney Grosbeck (Parenthood), Ramses Jimenez (Fear the Walking Dead), Brooke Lyons (The Affair), Roslyn Ruff (Madam Secretary), and Michael Imperioli (Californication)
VAGRANT QUEEN
60-minute scripted sci-fi drama series (Canadian)
Driven from her throne as a child, queen Elida has wandered the galaxy for 15 years, scavenging for space junk and trying to evade a Republic government out to extinguisher her millennia-old bloodline. When an old frenemy shows up claiming her mother is still alive, Elida returns home to stage a rescue.
PRODUCTION COMPANY: a Canada/South Africa treaty co-production coproduced by Blue Ice, with Hulu and Syfy as the lead commissioners
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Lance Samuels, Daniel Iron, and Armand Leo
CAST: Adriyan Rae (Light as a Feather), Tim Rozon (Wynona Earp), and Paul du Toit (Maze Runner)
* In Fall 2018, Canadians watched 3.70B hours of TV in an average month, up 3.2% versus Fall 2017 (Source: Numeris, Sep-Dec 2018 vs. Sep-Dec 2017)
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About Citytv
Citytv offers viewers intensely-local, urban-oriented, and culturally-diverse content through its seven television stations in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatchewan, Winnipeg, and Montreal, plus the award-winning Citytv Video app and Citytv Now. A distinct alternative to other conventional television stations, Citytv delivers an entertaining mix of Canadian and acquired prime-time programming, news, and local-interactive formats with influential brands such as Cityline, CityNews, and Breakfast Television. Citytv is part of Rogers Media, which is a subsidiary of Rogers Communications Inc. (TSX, NYSE: RCI). Visit Citytv.com.
Media Contacts
Stephanie Perron, Citytv, stephanie.perron@rci.rogers.com, 647.278.6799
Andrea Goldstein, Rogers Media, andrea.goldstein@rci.rogers.com, 647.801.4394