When it comes to Bell Media’s programming strategy, content head Justin Stockman is focused on staying the course.

That determination is reflected in the digital and linear broadcaster’s 2024-25 programming lineup, with a raft of renewals for CTV, Crave and its specialty channels. The company is touting 839 hours of content in the announced slate, and are anticipating an additional 300 hours to be announced in the coming year.

“CTV has been number one for 23 years, and we don’t want to screw that up,” Stockman, Bell Media’s VP, content and programming, tells Playback Daily, adding that the team feels “very confident” that the new lineup will keep that streak going.

Some of the key originals keeping that momentum going are The Amazing Race Canada (Insight Productions), which was the No. 1 program on CTV last year, Sullivan’s Crossing (Topsail Entertainment, Reel World Management), CTV’s No. 1 Canadian drama in 2023, and Acting Good (Kistikan Pictures), the No. 1 show on specialty channel CTV Life.

The CTV renewals include The Traitors Canada (Entourage Television), Sight Unseen (Blink49 Studios, Front Street Pictures), Battle of the Generations (Bell Media Studios, Motion Content Group) and Children Ruin Everything (New Metric Media). Over on Crave, returning originals are Late Bloomer (Pier 21 Films), Sisters (Shaftesbury, Peer Pressure), The Trades (Trailer Park Boys Inc., Kontent House) and Shoresy (New Metric Media). 

Also in the mix are a slew of renewed originals on Bell Media’s specialty channels, including Highway Thru Hell (Great Pacific Media), The Mightiest (Bell Media Studios), Pets & Pickers (Tyson Media) and SurrealEstate (Blue Ice Pictures).

Not every show is coming back for additional seasons, however. Stockman confirmed that Crave original Bria Mack Gets A Life (New Metric Media) and CTV sitcom Shelved (Counterfeit Pictures) had ended their runs. 

“[With Bria Mack], we couldn’t find an audience that was big enough to be able to renew it,” he says. “For Shelved, we actually did have a pretty good audience, we just couldn’t figure out how to make the financing work for a future season.”

Bell Media has been actively forming international partnerships in order to bring in additional financing for its original productions. The company has production and development deals with Lionsgate and Fox Entertainment. Stockman says projects are currently in development with both companies, with official announcements to come later on.

“[Lionsgate] has done a similar deal with [Australia’s] Stan and we’re just a couple of years behind them,” he says. “Now you’ve seen all the Stan shows that are out there in the market. We’re on a two year delay.”

There are some greenlights in the current slate, however. Among them is Bad Trips (Blink49 Studios, Real Friends Media, The Donaldson Company, Dreamchaser Entertainment), which will be Crave’s second limited drama series, following in the footsteps of the award-winning Little Bird.

The series is led by co-showrunners Sasha Leigh Henry (Bria Mack Gets A Life) and Tania Thompson. It follows a 19-year-old girl from Toronto who gets mixed up in a drug smuggling incident in Australia.

“It’s perfect for Crave,” says Carlyn Klebuc, Bell Media’s GM of original programming. “It’s an interesting take on a Canadian story that we think will really resonate with viewers. It’s got that streaming bingeability.”

The series is indicative of an ongoing push from Bell Media to amplify not only unique creative voices on Crave, but ones that have already garnered a following in the digital space and are looking to build on it with a bigger production value. 

Case in point, the recently renewed Late Bloomer (Pier 21 Films) from Jasmeet Raina and upcoming series The Office Movers (Counterfeit Pictures) with Jae and Trey Richards. All three talents got their start on YouTube and were part of the initiative Much Digital Studios. The company is also dipping into the TikTok realm with Made for TV with Boman Martinez-Reid (Alibi Entertainment). The show’s titular personality has more than two million followers on the platform to date.

“These first-person unique perspectives are an interesting way for us to go,” says Stockman.” If you think about it, [so was] Letterkenny, in a weird way. It was Jared’s [Keeso] view of small town life, and his very specific view of it was a way for us to really capture Canadian audiences. [Spinoff] Shoresy is another interesting view he has of the hockey space. I think we’re following in those footsteps.”

Klebuc adds that The Trades followed a similar path to major success. It is the top scripted Canadian series launch for first week streams on Crave’s history, and currently the No. 1 Canadian show on the streamer in 2024, according to Bell Media. 

Of the new U.S. acquisitions to keep an eye out, Stockman highlights the mockumentary St. Denis Medical from Superstore creator Justin Spitzer, and the much-anticipated Rescue: Hi-Surf, which was originally slated for the 2023-24 schedule, before the writers’ and actors’ strikes delayed production.

“I was surprised by how active [the L.A. Screenings were],” says Stockman. “There were some competitive shows and it was dynamic… it feels like, whatever the new normal is, we’re almost there.”

Pictured (L-R): Paul Rabliauskas, Robb Wells, Karine Vanessa, Jasmeet Raina and Boman Martinez-Reid. Image courtesy of Bell Media.