What a very slight difference a year makes. CTV on Tuesday unveiled a fall schedule almost unchanged from its 2008/09 lineup — thanks in no small part to the net’s continued winning streak with its U.S. imports — while the grid for its sibling A channels has been largely redrawn.
CTV also added two Canadian series to its roster, confirming it has ordered 13 episodes each of Hiccups and Dan for Mayor — both from alumni of its now-retired hit Corner Gas.
Those two will, if history is any indicator, appear on the schedule sometime in the off-season. In the meantime CTV has filled the gap left by Gas on its Monday nights with Dancing With the Stars, which is expanding to two hours in simulcast. On Tuesdays, Without a Trace gives up its 8 p.m. slot to So You Think You Can Dance Canada.
The Mentalist — in simulcast, and promoted from the A channels — fills in for the flatlined ER, Thursdays at 10 p.m. CTV has also followed NBC’s lead and moved the cop drama Southland to Fridays at 9 p.m., kicking Supernanny to the curb, where it was recently picked up by Rogers.
Otherwise, barring some changes outside of primetime, CTV’s schedule looks much the same. The network has added the The Dr. Oz Show, a health and wellness series that will follow Oprah weekdays at 5 p.m., and the teen-aimed The Vampire Diaries, which will simulcast Thursdays at 7 p.m. and, no doubt, prompt comparisons to the Twilight franchise. It is based on the books by L.J. Smith and stars Nina Dobrev of Degrassi: TNG fame.
Also look for E1 Entertainment’s cop drama The Bridge to premiere on CTV and CBS sometime in mid-season.
By comparison, the fall plans for the As bear almost no resemblance to those of 2008/09, except for Two and a Half Men which continues to thumb its nose at critics from the Monday 9 p.m. slot.
CTV’s little sister has rebuilt its Wednesday nights with simulcasts of new arrivals Hank, The Middle and Eastwick, all from ABC, and as previously reported, CW’s The Beautiful Life.
Hank, a laugher produced by and starring Kelsey Grammer kicks things off at 8 p.m., followed by The Middle — a comedy starring Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) and Neil Flynn (Scrubs) that comes from Warner Bros TV. Both counter the main net’s reality fare for that slot, America’s Next Top Model.
Up next is Beautiful Life, an edgy drama about life on the catwalk starring Mischa Barton (The O.C.), followed at 10 p.m. by Eastwick, a series version of The Witches of Eastwick starring Paul Gross.
Alongside its orders for Hiccups and Dan for Mayor, CTV also said its Cancon will include a two-hour Degrassi MOW, Paradise City: Degrassi Goes to Hollywood, to air in September.
Hiccups is exec produced by and stars Brent Butt as a life coach helping a children’s author, former Gas star Nancy Robertson, address her anger issues. Dan For Mayor — from top comedy writers and Gas veterans Mark Farrell, Paul Mather, and Kevin White — stars Fred Ewanuick as a bartender who runs for mayor of his town.