CTV has ordered the new, one-hour daily talk show The Social from Bell Media In-House Productions, their parent company Bell Media announced Monday.
The homegrown series, slated for the upcoming 2013/2014 broadcast season, will add five new hours of Canadian content weekly to CTV’s daytime lineup, according to a company release.
Cast from Bell Media’s original productions, The Social will be co-hosted by news anchor Melissa Grelo, gossip blogger Lainey Lui, relationship expert Cynthia Loyst and entertainment reporter Traci Melchor.
The Social will “deliver a unique Canadian voice to the CTV daytime schedule,” Bell Media said. The live program will open with a round-table discussion by the co-hosts on the day’s top headlines. The Social will also feature celebrity news and lifestyle topic discussions. Throughout the show, the co-hosts will also check in to social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and via text messaging and email to engage with viewers and keep the discussions topical.
The Social will be produced before a live studio audience at Bell Media’s Queen Street headquarters, and is exec produced by The Marilyn Denis Show‘s Michelle Crespi.
The series will also air live on CTV Mobile and be available on demand at CTV.ca and TheLoop.ca.
On the industry side, The Social will also offer custom sponsorship and brand partnership opps, including product integration and original branded content for CTV’s advertising partners, Bell Media said.