ION To Add Two Canadian Dramas; The CW Picks Up 6 Returning Series for 2009-2010 Season

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

ION To Add Two Canadian Dramas; The CW Picks Up 6 Returning Series for 2009-2010 Season

ION Television announced the acquisition of two new one-hour original dramatic series, The Border and The Guard, each making their U.S. debuts on ION later this year.
ION Television has signed a deal with Fireworks International, the television and digital programming distribution arm of ContentFilm, to secure the exclusive U.S. original broadcast rights for The Border, the award-winning procedural crime drama series. The Border follows members of the elite Canadian Immigration and Customs Security Unit working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to secure the border on both sides of the line.
ION Television, in a separate deal with Lionsgate, also secured the exclusive U.S. original broadcast rights for The Guard, an original action-drama series focusing on the members of a Coastguard Search and Rescue team. ION also has all U.S. television, digital media rights, Internet streaming and video-on-demand rights for both shows.
The Border, which garnered two prestigious Gemini Awards with ten nominations, including Best Dramatic Series, is a hard-driving crime drama featuring strong, topical stories from terrorist threats and drug smuggling, to trafficking in illegal organs and underage brides, to corporate and international espionage -- and brings a cool lens to the grit of urban life. Stars include James McGowan, Sofia Milos, Grace Park, Graham Abbey, Mark Wilson, Jim Codrington, Jonas Chernick, Nazneen Contractor and Catherine Disher.
The Guard, produced by Halifax Film and Brightlight Pictures Inc., is shot in the scenic wilderness of Squamish, British Columbia. A character-driven ensemble series, it focuses on the lives of four imperfect, offbeat and sometimes difficult, but heroic Canadian Coast Guard Rescue specialists who face danger daily out on the Pacific Ocean, saving lives as they search for meaning in their own. This gripping, high-action drama series stars Steve Bacic as Duty Captain Miro Da Silva, Jeremy Guilbaut as Rescue Specialist Andrew Vanderlee and Sonya Salomaa as First Mate Laura Nelson. David James Elliot (JAG, Closer to Home) also guest stars in the recurring role of David Nelson.
ION Television also as previously announced will have the original series Durham County coming later this year. Not to mention reruns of the popular crime series Criminal Minds coming in the fall. Is ION going after the CBS audience with three original series and many off-network crime dramas?

The CW announced early pickups of six series, including five of the network's signature dramas and the reality hit America's Next Top Model, which will all return in Fall 2009. The series receiving early pickups for next season are The CW's Monday tandem of sophomore sensation Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill, which combined to lift The CW to become the fall's #1 network on Monday with women 18-34. Both Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill have scored double-digit gains compared to their previous seasons. Freshman hit 90210 has improved the network's Tuesday night by double-digit increases in key demos. Wednesday anchor America's Next Top Model, which consistently wins its time period with young women, will also be back with superstar Tyra Banks and new groups of aspiring models for cycles 13 and 14.
Also renewed were the network's established Thursday team of Smallville, which will be going into its ninth season, and Supernatural, which after posting ratings growth this season, will enter its fifth season next year.
The jury is still out on series such as Everybody Hates Chris, The Game, Privileged, and Reaper. More pickups won't be announced most likely until the May upfront.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Sunday, November 17

The Simpsons - "Go Big or Go Homer" (Fox, 7:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Homer is demoted and must supervise interns, among whom is a go-getter who asks Homer to be his mentor; when Homer inspires him to start a business of his own, the two find themselves being chased by the mob.

Bob's Burgers - "Boys Just Wanna Have Fungus" (Fox, 7:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Unable to afford a rare gourmet mushroom for a Burger of the Day, Bob and Gene jump into the cutthroat world of mushroom foraging; Tina's powerful new prescription glasses lead her to believe she has a superpower.

The Simpsons - "Livin La Pura Vida" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
The Simpsons join other Springfield families on the Van Houtens' annual trip to Costa Rica, which they obviously can't afford; Homer befriends Patty's new girlfriend; Lisa tracks down the real reason the Van Houtens can go on this trip every year.

Bless the Harts - "Myrtle Beach Memoirs" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
When The Last Supper is closed for repairs, the Harts head to Myrtle Beach for a family vacation that they can't afford; Jenny sees an opportunity to win some cash by competing in an intense mini-golf tournament.

Bob's Burgers - "Land of the Loft" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Bob and Linda challenge themselves and attend a loft party on a stormy night; the kids challenge their babysitter and face the storm in an ice cream truck.

Family Guy - "Heart Burn" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
In celebration of Peter and Lois' anniversary, the Griffins recount their own versions of three well-known love stories.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of November 11)

Friday, November 15

Shia LaBeouf (Even Stevens) - Watch Shia on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Lil Rel Howery (Rel/The Carmichael Show) - Lil Rel appears on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Tig Notaro (One Mississippi) - Tig visits The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Cobie Smulders (Friends from College/How I Met Your Mother) - Cobie is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Kristin Chenoweth (Trial & Error/Kristin) - Kristin appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Lea Michele (The Mayor) - Lea is a guest on a repeat of A Little Late with Lilly Singh at 1:35am on NBC.
Patrick Stewart (The Blunt) - Patrick stops by The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Tracee Ellis Ross (black-ish/Girlfriends) - Tracee is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
Lena Waithe (Master of None) - Lena appears on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
Whoopi Goldberg (Whoopi/Bagdad Cafe) - Whoopi dishes about her new book The Unqualified Hostess on The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
Tony Hale (Veep/Arrested Development) - Tony talks about Disney+'s Forky Asks a Question on Access Daily, so check your local listings.
Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/One Day at a Time) - Valerie appears on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
Jeff Garlin (The Goldbergs/Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Jeff talks about his new Netflix comedy special on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
Autumn Reeser (Entourage/Complete Savages) - Autumn talks about Christmas Under the Stars on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show) - Wilmer is a guest on Access Daily, so check your local listings.