TORONTO — Corus is beefing up its prime time lineup on Global with several new U.S. acquisitions, including Susan Sarandon-led country drama “Monarch.”
The company announced its programming slate for Global and its specialty networks on Wednesday during the annual presentation for advertisers known as the upfronts.
Among those set to premiere in fall is the multi-generational musical dynasty series “Monarch,” which stars Oscar winner Sarandon, along with actress Anna Friel and country singer Trace Adkins.
Global is also adding “So Help Me Todd,” with Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden as a high-powered attorney who hires her aimless son Todd as her firm’s in-house investigator, and “Fire Country,” starring Max Thieriot as a convict who joins a prison release firefighting program and finds himself battling wildfires in Northern California.
The network’s top performing imports will be making a return too, led by “Survivor,” “9-1-1,” “CSI: Vegas” and “Ghosts.”
Meanwhile, original Canadian dramas “Departure” and “Family Law” are also set to return for third seasons on Global, and production is underway for the previously announced original series “Robyn Hood,” a modern retelling of the classic tale created by Canadian music director and filmmaker Director X.
“We have this vibrant schedule of stronger, older shows and brand new hits that are all working in their subsequent seasons,” said Daniel Eves, senior vice-president of broadcast networks for Corus Entertainment, in an interview, noting that original dramas haven’t often been successful enough for repeated renewals at Global.
“But that (combination) worked last fall,” he added.
“And so it really was just about asking, ‘What do we tweak to keep that momentum, what’s worked in the past?'”
Historically, that’s been lifestyle and unscripted series, which continue to lead the company’s programming slate, with six new series and 16 returning shows across specialty channels that include Food Network Canada, HGTV Canada, History Channel, and W Network.
New lifestyle programming includes a History Channel two-hour documentary in recognition of Canada’s National Day of Truth and Reconciliation; HGTV Canada’s “Pamela’s Garden of Eden” from Pamela Anderson; and W Network’s “Sex with Sue,” which spotlights the career and legacy of sex educator Sue Johanson.
Returning lifestyle series are Food Network Canada’s “Top Chef Canada,” “The Big Bake” and “Fire Masters,” along with History Channel’s “Lost Car Rescue” and “Salvage Kings,” and HGTV Canada’s “Island of Bryan,” among others.
“Lifestyle doesn’t necessarily always get the gravitas of a drama or comedy, it’s a genre that’s always been shortchanged, but it has a really nice, diverse mix of talent and resonates with Canadians across the country; they see themselves in it. So it’s always been successful for us.”
The company also continues to offer its top programming live and on demand on streaming platforms, including StackTV.
Thanks to a longtime relationship with U.S. network NBC, Eves said the originals acquired from its streaming service Peacock (“Dr. Death,” “Bel-Air”) not only performed well on linear TV this year, but have become strong acquisition drivers for StackTV.
Corus has acquired a long list of scripted Peacock series, which will land on either W Network or Showcase. They include a “Pitch Perfect” spinoff series starring Adam Devine; limited true crime series “A Friend of the Family,” starring Anna Paquin; and multi-generational love story “The Resort,” among others.
“As we continue to grow, as the playing fields even and every media company has a streaming extension, it will all reverse back down to who has the right kind of shows and what’s resonating and what breaks through,” said Eves.
The company also announced Wednesday that the free ad-supported streaming service Pluto TV will be launching with Corus in Canada this fall, and will offer a curated slate of original Corus series.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 8, 2022.
