After this year’s upfronts, the story for both CTV and CBC is, largely, that there isn’t much of a story. But that’s a good thing.

Last year, there was more emphasis on the new shows. CTV and Global gave prognosticators more than they could handle in terms of predicting which of the fresh programs would stick. Not many did. Not even some of the most highly touted, such as Global’s Back to You. And then there are some shows that one suspects have been renewed in part because of the writers strike, and the fact that there just isn’t enough else on the go. CTV’s Dirty Sexy Money, anyone?

CBC, whether by serendipity, design, or a little bit of both, benefited from its staggered approach of premiering some shows in the fall, and then some more in January. At that time, CTV – and especially Global – were being stung by the Writers Guild of America strike, and the Ceeb was able to get some extra attention for a generally strong group of shows, and now Sophie and The Border will be back this fall. Not too shabby.

So the upfronts at the number-one network and the national pubcaster were less about launching rookie series into the choppy waters of the fall season than about celebrating the recent successes they both have enjoyed.

Over at CTVglobemedia’s splashy Four Seasons Centre do, Ivan Fecan stood at the pulpit with all the confidence the top dog at the top net should have, pounding home the point that CTV had 18 of the top 20 shows (2+) in the past season, including the top show on Canadian TV (American Idol), the top drama (Grey’s Anatomy), and the top comedy (domestic phenom Corner Gas). All but one of CTV’s Top 20 hits will be back on the main network starting this fall, the exception being Private Practice, the most successful U.S. pickup from last season, which will now find a home on A, the rebranded A-Channel.

At CBC’s more modest presentation in the atrium of its Toronto HQ, it was the heartening congregation of a budding Canadian star system. And, for a little veteran glamour, there was Sudbury native Alex Trebek, host of Jeopardy! – which CBC describes as having wrested out of the hands of CTV – and which will air weekdays at 7:30 p.m. Does it seem appropriate for our pubcaster to air an American game show? Frankly, it doesn’t. But media buyers, who care more about eyeballs than cultural mandates, think it’s a great move for the network.

And when CBC programming boss Kirstine Layfield says that the revenues from Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune will go back into financing domestic shows, it becomes pretty hard to argue. Right now, nobody is doing Cancon better than the Ceeb. Of course, that’s the way it ought to be. But the talent assembled that day, including cast members of Dragon’s Den, The Border, Little Mosque on the Prairie, Heartland, Sophie, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, The Hour’s George Stroumboulopoulos and Rick Mercer, was proof the caster is doing its job.

CTV also deserves props for an invigorated commitment to original programming. The upfront was a bittersweet affair for the network. It was the last time the cast of Corner Gas would appear on stage together at such an event – a truly touching moment – as the show will soon wrap production and air its final season this fall.

Nonetheless, the network is pressing on with new Canadian shows – including something new with Brent Butt, which was downplayed in favor of the Gas send-off. There is something borrowed from the U.S. – So You Think You Can Dance Canada – as well as the shows CTV developed with its production partners: the copper drama Flashpoint and the paranormal The Listener, which have pulled off the unlikely, selling to CBS and NBC, respectively.

Fecan spoke of this originals push as a way for the net to better control its own destiny. And in the digital age, with all the various platforms and the rights headaches that they bring, that’s smart thinking.

The biggest surprise out of all this was CTV’s aggressive reinvention of the As. One can only imagine the collective sigh over at CTVgm head office when they learned they would have to sell the Citytvs and keep the As. But, after drying their tears, the brains over at CTV decided to embrace the opportunity, and are loading the As with a number of strong shows, including Private Practice, Gossip Girl and Pushing Daisies. It will also be the launch pad for new U.S. pickups, including Fringe (the latest from Lost creator J.J. Abrams), Eleventh Hour (from Jerry Bruckheimer), and The Mentalist.

One media buyer contacted after the presentation admitted to being nonplussed about the As in the past, but being very impressed with the new lineup for the station group.

CTV and CBC are starting this fall from positions of strength. Meanwhile, Canwest – and we’ll take a closer look at it later – is in a slightly different place, and has trotted out 13 new shows, compared to seven from CTV. With fewer slam dunks on its Global and E! lineups, the network had more schedule holes to fill. It will be the broadcaster the fortunetellers will be keeping the closest eye on come the fall.