Meanwhile, U.S. genre channel Syfy has picked Jan. 14 as the premiere date for carriage of Showcase-original series Continuum (pictured). The show stars Rachel Nichols (Criminal Minds, Alias) as a cop from the future who finds herself trapped in the present day.

In addition to the first two seasons for on-air transmission, Syfy has acquired the U.S. home entertainment rights to Continuum. Universal Studios Home Entertainment will handle the DVD distribution and is planning a DVD release  after the season finale on Syfy.

Its executive producers are Simon Barry (The Art of War), Jeff King (Stargate SG-1, White Collar), Tom Rowe (Tin Man), Pat Williams (Smallville), and Reunion Pictures. Writer: Simon Barry. Director: Jon Cassar (24, Terra Nova).

Filmed in Vancouver, it is developed and produced in association with Shaw Media.

Turning a metaphorical corner, original Canadian action series Transporter: The Series, starring Chris Vance, will crash its way onto the airwaves with an HBO Canada double-episode premiere on Jan. 4. The show, based on the Luc Besson  movie franchise and shot in Toronto and France, follows the action as a former British commando finds himself in high octane moments as he operates a discreet for-hire car service.

The first film in the franchise hit the screens in 2002 and featured Jason Statham in the lead role. The TV show has been sold to a raft of countries, including into the U.S., Hungary, Turkey, German, France, Italy, Space and Belgium.

Elsewhere, Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan (pictured) starts on OLN on Jan. 21. The high-profile natural history program follows the Lord of the Rings and Lost star on an international search for the most frightening insects and reptiles on the planet.

For example, in the premiere episode, he travels from the snake-infested rice paddies of Vietnam’s Mekong Delta to a crocodile filled lake in search of the venomous Giant Water Bug. Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan  is an OLN, BBC America, and Channel Five original production, produced by Cream Productions and Wildfire Television. Executive Producers are Dave Brady and Jenn Kuzmyk. Claire Freeland is director of original programming, Rogers Media Television and Marni Goldman is production executive for Rogers Original Programming.

Awards

The Immigrant, from Toronto-based Levy brothers Josh and Robi, and

Kids in the Hall alumnus Scott Thompson, has taken the best comedy prize at the Hamilton Film Festival. The award follows previous honours at the Nevada City Film Festival in August, where it also won best comedy, and at the L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival in May, where it was named best of the fest.

Additionally, Martha Fusca has been awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her contributions to the Canadian broadcasting and production sector.

Fusca co-founded the television and film production company Stornoway Productions, and spearheaded the launch in 2000 of Stornoway Communications, which owns and operates ichannel, The Pet Network and bpm:tv.

She is currently leading FUSION, an application for a specialty digital licence under a 9(i)(h) order.

The Medal was created to commemorate the 2012 celebrations of the 60^th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the Throne as Queen of Canada.