CTV Acquisitions for 2019/20

[mtlguy]

Hollywood Standout STUMPTOWN, Hot Spin-off 9-1-1: LONE STAR, and TV Phenomenon THE MASKED SINGER Lead CTV Acquisitions for 2019/20 Season

Toronto — May 29, 2019

– Art imitates life in emotional legal drama FOR LIFE –
– CTV snares Chuck Lorre’s next big sitcom BOB HEARTS ABISHOLA –
– CTV lands courthouse drama ALL RISE, mystery thriller EMERGENCE, and the ultimate family drama NOT JUST ME –
– CTV unveils Fall 2019 primetime schedule June 6 in Toronto –

“[STUMPTOWN] has emerged as a standout…” – The Hollywood Reporter

“THE MASKED SINGER is the most ludicrous, showstopping, and impossibly entertaining singing competition show there is…” – Hidden Remote

TORONTO (May 29, 2019) – CTV announced today that it has landed the most-coveted and star-laden slate of big-buzz new series at this year’s Los Angeles Screenings. Already described as the standout drama of the season, the CTV slate is headlined by the triumphant return of Canada’s Cobie Smulders in the action drama STUMPTOWN, as well as Rob Lowe in Ryan Murphy’s hugely anticipated spin-off, 9-1-1: LONE STAR, the most buzzed-about series at the New York Upfronts. CTV announces its 2019 Fall Schedule on June 6 at the #CTVUpfront in Toronto.

CTV’s fall lineup features the sophomore season of TV’s #1 new series THE MASKED SINGER, the biggest sensation of the year, along with three of the network’s new dramas including the compelling courthouse series ALL RISE, in addition to Chuck Lorre’s next big sitcom BOB HEARTS ABISHOLA.
For the network’s 2019/2020 mid-season slate, CTV also scooped up the emotional drama FOR LIFE, inspired by the real life of Isaac Wright Jr. and from executive producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.

Completing the list of CTV’s 2019/20 acquisitions are:

• EMERGENCE, a character-driven thriller about a police chief who takes in a young child she finds near the site of a mysterious accident who has no memory of what has happened.
• NOT JUST ME, the dramatic story of an unusual family formed through extreme odds.
• FILTHY RICH, a southern Gothic family drama in which wealth, power, and religion collide – with outrageously soapy results.
• NExT, a propulsive, fact-based thriller about the emergence of a deadly, rogue artificial intelligence.
• OUTMATCHED, a multi-camera family comedy about a blue-collar couple trying to raise four kids – three of whom just happen to be certified geniuses.
• ELLEN’S GREATEST NIGHTS OF GIVEWAYS, an all-new slate of specials from the TV icon, who will be making a list and checking it twice this December as she kicks off a new holiday tradition packed with massive surprises.

In addition to Smulders and Lowe, stars coming to CTV next broadcast year include Nick Cannon, Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger, and Robin Thicke (THE MASKED SINGER); Simone Missick and Marg Helgenberger (ALL RISE); Timothy Hutton, Brittany Snow, and Emily Osment (NOT JUST ME); Allison Tolman and Donald Faison (EMERGENCE); Nicholas Pinnock, Indira Varma, Joy Bryant, and Mary Stuart Masterson (FOR LIFE); Kim Cattrall and Gerald McRaney (FILTHY RICH); Jason Biggs (OUTMATCHED); John Slattery (NExT); and Billy Gardell (BOB HEARTS ABISHOLA).

The acquisitions come from an impressive list of acclaimed, heavy-hitting producers including Chuck Lorre (THE BIG BANG THEORY), Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk (GLEE), Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson (POWER), Manny Coto (24: LEGACY), George Tillman Jr. (THE HATE U GIVE), Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters (MARVEL’S AGENT CARTER), Jason Katims (FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS), Tim Minear (AMERICAN HORROR STORY), and Hank Steinberg (WITHOUT A TRACE), and Michael M. Robin (MAJOR CRIMES).

“Inspirational, timely, and truly entertaining, great television is coming to CTV this Fall, led by a clean sweep of Hollywood’s most riveting dramas featuring the biggest stars, a new comedy franchise, and the addition of television’s biggest new reality series phenomenon, THE MASKED SINGER,” said Mike Cosentino, President, Content and Programming, Bell Media.

[mtlguy]

Complete Descriptions for CTV’s New 2019/20 Acquisitions:

STUMPTOWN
Based on the acclaimed “Stumptown” graphic novel series, STUMPTOWN stars Cobie Smulders as Dex Parios – a strong, assertive and sharp-witted army veteran in Portland, Ore. with a complicated love life, gambling debt, and a brother to take care of. Her military intelligence skills make her a great PI, but her unapologetic style puts her in the firing line of hardcore criminals and not quite in alliance with the police. Writer Jason Richman produces the series with Ruben Fleischer and David Bernad (THE DISTRICT), Greg Rucka (author of the “Stumptown” graphic novel series), Matthew Southworth, and Justin Greenwood (illustrators of the “Stumptown” graphic novel series). James Griffiths is an executive producer and directed the pilot. STUMPTOWN features Cobie Smulders (HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.) as Dex Parios, Tantoo Cardinal (FRONTIER) as Sue Lynn Blackbird, Cole Sibus (SPARE ROOM) as Ansel Parios, Adrian Martinez (THE BLACKLIST: REDEMPTION) as Tookie, Camryn Manheim (THE PRACTICE) as Lieutenant Cosgrove, and Michael Ealy (THE GOOD WIFE) as Detective Miles Hoffman.

9-1-1: LONE STAR
Hit cop drama 9-1-1 expands its reach to the city of Austin, Tex., with its first-ever new installment. From 9-1-1 co-creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Tim Minear, the series stars Rob Lowe (THE GRINDER, PARKS AND RECREATION, THE WEST WING) as a sophisticated New York cop who, along with his son, re-locates to Austin and must try to balance saving those who are at their most vulnerable with solving the problems in his own life. Lowe also serves as a co-executive producer on the series.

THE MASKED SINGER
CTV delivers the second season of THE MASKED SINGER, an American reality singing competition television series. Based on an international format, and already a viral phenomenon with over half a billion fans worldwide, THE MASKED SINGER features celebrities facing off against one another with one major twist: each singer is shrouded from head to toe in an elaborate costume, complete with full face mask to conceal his or her identity from other contestants, panelists, and the audience. Hosted by Nick Cannon, THE MASKED SINGER features panelists Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger, Ken Jeong, and Robin Thicke.

FOR LIFE
Inspired by the life of Isaac Wright Jr., FOR LIFE is a fictional, serialized, legal dramaabout a prisoner who becomes a lawyer, litigating cases for other inmates while fighting to overturn his own life sentence for a crime he didn't commit. His quest for freedom is driven by his desperate desire to get back to the family he loves and reclaim the life that was stolen from him. The series will also, through the window of his ferocious struggle and his complicated relationship with a progressive female prison warden, examine the flaws and challenges in our penal and legal systems. From Hank Steinberg, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson via G-Unit Film & Television, Doug Robinson and Alison Greenspan of Doug Robinson Productions, and Isaac Wright Jr. The pilot is directed and executive produced by George Tillman Jr. (THE HATE U GIVE). FOR LIFE features Nicholas Pinnock (MARCELLA) as Aaron, Indira Varma (GAME OF THRONES) as Kate, Joy Bryant (BALLERS) as Marie, Glenn Fleshler (BILLIONS, BARRY) as Frank, Dorian Missick (SOUTHLAND) as Jamal, Tyla Harris (SIX) as Jasmine, Mary Stuart Masterson (BLINDSPOT) as Anya, and Boris McGiver (HOUSE OF CARDS) as DA Maskins.

ALL RISE
ALL RISE is a courthouse drama that follows the chaotic, hopeful, and sometimes absurd lives of its judges, prosecutors, and public defenders, as they work with bailiffs, clerks, and cops to get justice for the people of Los Angeles amidst a flawed legal process. Among them is newly appointed Judge Lola Carmichael (Simone Missick), a highly regarded and impressive deputy district attorney who doesn’t intend to sit back on the bench in her new role, but instead leans in, immediately pushing the boundaries and challenging the expectations of what a judge can be. Greg Spottiswood, Len Goldstein, and Emmy® Award winner Michael M. Robin are executive producers for Warner Bros. Television. Robin directed the pilot from a script by Spottiswood. ALL RISE stars Simone Missick (LUKE CAGE) as Lola Carmichael, Wilson Bethel (HART OF DIXIE) as Mark Callan, Marg Helgenberger (CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION) as Judith Benner, Jessica Camacho (THE FLASH) as Emily Lopez, J. Alex Brinson (TRAVELERS) as Luke Watkins, Lindsay Mendez (ELEMENTARY) as Sara Pratt, and Ruthie Ann Miles (THE AMERICANS) as Sherri Kanski.

BOB HEARTSABISHOLA
From award-winning creator, executive producer, and writer Chuck Lorre (THE BIG BANG THEORY), BOB HEARTSABISHOLA is a love story about a middle-aged compression sock businessman from Detroit who unexpectedly falls for his cardiac nurse, a Nigerian immigrant, while recovering from a heart attack and sets his sights on winning her over. Undaunted by Abishola’s (Folake Olowofoyeku) lack of initial interest or the vast differences in their backgrounds, Bob (Billy Gardell) is determined to win Abishola’s heart, in this comedic examination of immigrant life in America. BOB HEARTSABISHOLA stars Billy Gardell (MIKE & MOLLY) as Bob, Folake Olowofoyeku (HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER) as Abishola, Christine Ebersole (BLUE BLOODS) as Dottie, Matt Jones (BREAKING BAD) as Douglas, Maribeth Monroe (THE GOOD PLACE) as Christine, Vernee Watson (GENERAL HOSPITAL) as Gloria, Shola Adewusi (CHEWING GUM) as Auntie Olu, Barry Shabaka Henley (MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.) as Uncle Tunde, and Travis Wolfe Jr. (BEYOND MY SKIN) as Dele.

EMERGENCEIn this character-driven genre thriller, Police Chief Jo Evans (played by Allison Tolman), takes in a young child she finds near the site of a mysterious accident who has no memory of what has happened. The investigation draws Jo into a conspiracy larger than she ever imagined, and the child’s identity is at the center of it all. Written and executive produced by Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters, Paul McGuigan directs the pilot and is an executive producer. EMERGENCE features Allison Tolman (FARGO) as Jo, Alexa Swinton (BILLIONS) as Piper, Owain Yeoman (THE MENTALIST) as Benny, Ashley Aufderheide (GOING IN STYLE) as Bree, Robert Bailey Jr. (THE NIGHT SHIFT) as Officer Chris, Zabryna Guevara (GOTHAM) as Abby, Donald Faison (SCRUBS) as Alex, and Clancy Brown (THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION) as Ed.

NOT JUST ME
From executive producer Jason Katims (FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, PARENTHOOD) and writer Annie Weisman (ABOUT A BOY, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES), NOT JUST ME is the story of an unusual family formed through extreme odds, exploring such hot-button issues as identity, human connection, and what it truly means to be a family. An only child (Brittany Snow, PITCH PERFECT) finds her life turned upside down when her father (OSCARS^® winner Timothy Hutton, AMERICAN CRIME) reveals that, over the course of his prize-winning career as a pioneering fertility doctor, he used his own sperm to conceive upwards of a hundred children, including two new sisters (Megalyn Echikunwoke, THE FOLLOWING, and Emily Osment, THE KOMINSKY METHOD). As these three young women slowly embrace their new reality, they will attempt to form an untraditional bond as sisters, even as they must welcome a tidal wave of new siblings into their rapidly expanding family.

FILTHY RICH
From writer/director Tate Taylor (THE HELP, THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN), FILTHY RICH is a southern Gothic family drama in which wealth, power, and religion collide – with outrageously soapy results. When the patriarch (Emmy® Award-winner Gerald McRaney, THIS IS US) of a mega-rich Southern family, famed for creating a wildly successful Christian television network, dies in a plane crash, his wife (Emmy® Award and Golden Globe® nominee Kim Cattrall, SENSITIVE SKIN) and family are stunned to learn that he fathered three illegitimate children, all of whom are written into his will, threatening their family name and fortune. With monumental twists and turns, FILTHY RICH presents a world in which everyone has an ulterior motive – and no one is going down without a fight. FILTHY RICH stars Gerald McRaney, Kim Cattrall, Melia Kreiling (TYRANT), Aubrey Dollar (BATTLE CREEK), Corey Cott (THE GOOD FIGHT), Benjamin Levy Aguilar (STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON), Mark L. Young (THE COMEBACK), Olivia Macklin (THE YOUNG POPE), and Steve Harris (THE PRACTICE).

NExT
From creator and executive producer Manny Coto (24: LEGACY) and executive producers and directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra (THIS IS US), NExT is a propulsive, fact-based thriller about the emergence of a deadly, rogue artificial intelligence that combines pulse-pounding action with a layered examination of how technology is invading our lives and transforming us in ways we don’t yet understand. The show stars Emmy^® Award nominee John Slattery (MAD MEN) as a Silicon Valley pioneer who discovers that one of his own creations – a powerful A.I. – might spell global catastrophe. Slattery teams up with a cybercrime agent (Fernanda Andrade, THE FIRST) to fight a villain unlike anything we’ve ever seen – one whose greatest weapon against us is ourselves.

OUTMATCHED
A multi-camera family comedy, OUTMATCHED focuses on a blue-collar couple in Atlantic City trying to raise four kids – three of whom just happen to be certified geniuses. Parenting is a challenge for anyone, but for Cay (Maggie Lawson, LETHAL WEAPON), a caustic, take-no-prisoners casino pit boss, and husband Mike (Jason Biggs, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK), a handyman and uncultivated guy’s guy, parenting may as well be advanced calculus. Dealing with the demands and egos of three high-IQ children would be tricky for any parent, but it’s especially hazardous for two working stiffs who barely got through high school. Mike and Cay are committed to bringing some normalcy to their kids’ hectic, unconventional childhoods, but these geniuses don’t make it easy. OUTMATCHED takes an honest and heightened look at every parent’s worst fear – that they’re “ruining” their kids.

ELLEN’S GREATEST NIGHTS OF GIVEWAYS
The TV icon will be making a list and checking it twice this December as she kicks off a new tradition packed with massive surprises. In this series of all-new specials, DeGeneres with enlist her celebrity friends to help her deliver incredible gifts to unsuspecting people who've topped her nice list.

[mtlguy]

Pretty much filling the holes for fall shows.

Only questions about scheduling is Monday/Tuesday 8PM hour. Will they simulcast The Resident on Tuesday and have The Conners on Monday with Bob ♥ Abishola (if they can get The Conners in pre-release) or will they pre-release The Resident in it's old timeslot on Monday and have The Conners in simulcast Tuesdays with Bob.

Other one is Thursday, will they bring back Grey's Anatomy in simulcast and move Sheldon at 9pm with newbie Outmatched or the opposite. There is also the 10pm slot, will they leave L&O SVU and put HTGAWM on CTV2? Most likely I say.

Then Friday they now have Magnum at 9pm, so that leaves 8pm hours to simulcast American Housewife at 8pm with post The Goldberg at 8:30.

Weird that they picked up the 9-1-1 spinoff, why pick a spin-off when you don't have the original. Probably to piss off Global. ;) But that does not make much sense scheduling wise, as they are planning to have the spinoff in the original's slot when it goes in winter hiatus. So Global will have a slot to fill and CTV will have to move something. unless Fox gave CTV a different scheduling plan for the spinoff.

[InMontreal]

Weird that they picked up the 9-1-1 spinoff, why pick a spin-off when you don't have the original. Probably to piss off Global. ;)

Good question !
- CTV has the Goldbergs, Global picked up its spin-off Schooled.
- Citytv has Black-ish, Corus has Grown-ish.
- CTV kept SVU despite the #OneChicago crossovers on Global.
- Arrowverse crossovers : CTV has Arrow & Legends, Corus has Supergirl, Netflix has Flash. Who will get Batwoman?
- CTV had the Shondaland lineup, except Scandal was on City for a few years. (New upcoming Shondaland shows will be on Netflix)
- CTV picks ABC sitcoms they don't intend to put on the air, and should have left them to Citytv, which can't simsub the whole evening. And when Citytv has the opportunity, they prioritize a Fox show instead...
- Add the specialties hoops : CTV picks OWN shows for Bravo, PLL not on ABC Spark, Showtime's Homeland on SC instead of TMN/HBO...

[lostjon]

Following Disney's takeover of 20th Century FOX and given Bell's existing deal with ABC Studios, this marks the first time in a while that CTV ended up picking up a whole lot of shows from the FOX Network.

Last year, ABC had nine new scripted series, six of which were picked up by CTV while FOX had only four, and two of those went to Citytv. The remainder never got picked up by any Canadian broadcasters.

This year, almost the opposite, with ABC picking up just six scripted series, and three of them - all dramas picked up by CTV (Emergence, For Life and Stumptown).

FOX has ten, with five of them going to CTV (Dramas Not Just Me, NExt, Filthy Rich, 9-1-1: Lone Star and sitcom Outmatched) . They passed on the three animated comedies all of which will likely go to Citytv and a couple of dramas - one for fall (Prodigal Son) and the other for midseason (Deputy).

My take:

New sitcom Bob (Hearts) Abishola and new drama All Rise on Mondays, with The Good Doctor capping off the night. Hole to fill at 8:00pm - something CanCon perhaps?

If CTV chooses to move The Resident to Tuesdays in simulcast, I can see them airing The Conners in pre-release at 7:30pm. After that, This Is Us and new drama Emergence.

Wednesdays this fall could look different on CTV with The Masked Singer, Not Just Me and Stumptown. This could mean that they possibly dropped The Goldbergs or it just moves over to CTV2. In the latter case, it will likely be paired with reruns of a sitcom that Bell currently has rights to. In the former case, Citytv could have worked out a deal to pick up The Goldbergs from CTV in a similar arrangement like they did with Mike & Molly for its latter seasons (where CTV retained rights to syndicated reruns), and while they are at it, also pick up Schooled (The Goldbergs spinoff) from Global since there really is no room with their jam-packed schedule on the evening between Survivor and the #OneChicago franchise. In this way, Citytv can have the whole Wednesday night ABC comedy lineup in simulcast.

Outmatched will only debut on Thursdays in January, potentially airing after Young Sheldon for the 8:00pm hour, and followed by new drama Filthy Rich at 9:00pm. This is assuming that FOX makes no changes to its Thursday lineup after the NFL season concludes and CTV airs Grey's Anatomy in pre-release on Wednesdays.

CTV will more than likely keep Law & Order: SVU on Thursdays 10:00pm, which means How to Get Away with Murder could either air in pre-release at 9:00pm or in post-release Friday 8:00pm. There's no room on CTV2 as they have Thursday Night Football in simulcast with FOX.

For some reason, I think CTV is dropping American Housewife. They really did not do it any favors by moving it to Fridays and then benching it for Big Bang reruns. Until now, there are a number of episodes since March that remain on the shelf and it remains to be seen whether they will even make it to air. A potential pickup for Channel Zero / CHCH since they already have Fresh Off the Boat on Friday nights. CTV has Magnum, P.I. and Blue Bloods to round out the night.

Sunday seems pretty straightforward enough with NFL postgame coverage, God Friended Me, Shark Tank and The Rookie, moving over from Tuesday.

Indeed, the most puzzling pickup is the 9-1-1 spinoff for reasons already mentioned.

[InMontreal]

...from Global since there really is no room with their jam-packed schedule on the evening between Survivor and the #OneChicago franchise. In this way, Citytv can have...

Scratch that, Citytv just announced they picked up the #OneChicago franchise.

[InMontreal]

CTV Unveils 2019/20 Primetime Schedule, Featuring Dynamic Dramas with Big Stars and Big Stories
https://www.bellmedia.ca/the-lede/pr...d-big-stories/

Let's see... Conners in pre-release mondays 8pm before Bob Hearts 8:30pm, thursday, Young Sheldon in pre-release at 7:30pm and Grey's in simulcast, HTGAWM in pre-release at 9 before L&O:SVU in simulcast.

CTV has nothing to simsub fridays at 8pm, so they scheduled Spectrum Original "LA's Finest" with Jessica Alba instead of 2x TBBT reruns. As for CTV2, they opted to keep American Housewife in simsub, with a TBBT rerun to fill the remaining 30-minutes before a 2-hours movie...

Dunno why there's Goldbergs wednesdays at 7:30pm on CTV (while mon, tue & fri are syndication TBBT simsub) if the new episode is on CTV2 in simsub, which is the only new episode that night.

[mtlguy]

I did another thread as this was about acquisition and I wanted us to have a proper 2019-20 one.