SHOWCASE AND W NETWORK ANNOUNCE MUST-WATCH FALL PREMIERES FEATURING EIGHT ALL-NEW SERIES, ONE FEATURE-LENGTH DOCUMENTARY, AND FIVE RETURNING SEASONS
August 10, 2022
Star-Studded Peacock Titles Include Comedic Thriller The Resort and Limited Drama Series A Friend of The Family on Showcase and Supernatural Young Adult Drama Vampire Academy, Comedy Series Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin, and Chapter 2 of Days of our Lives: Beyond Salem on W Network
In Addition, Showcase Will See the Modern Reimagining of the Classic Sci-Fi Novel, The Midwich Cuckoos; Enthralling Action-Adventure Mystery, Tom Swift; and Riveting, Action Thriller, The Lazarus Project and W Network Introduces Wild-West Origin Story, Walker Independence
Corus Entertainment Presents Sex with Sue, a Feature-Length Documentary Premiering on W Network, Which Explores the Prolific Career of Sex Educator and Television Personality Sue Johanson
W Network’s Hallmark Channel’s Fall into Love Will ‘Leaf’ You Smiling With 19 Exclusive Movie Premieres and Canada’s Most Watched Holiday Programming Event, Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas, is Back in October
Stream Showcase and W Network Live and On Demand with STACKTV
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For Immediate Release
TORONTO, August 10, 2022 – Corus Entertainment’s drama networks and Top 10 specialty stations*, Showcase and W Network, announced today its highly-anticipated fall premiere dates for its new and returning programming. With premium series backed by major star power, buzzworthy Peacock titles, and fan-favourite Hallmark Channel programming events, Showcase and W Network will deliver another strong season of must-watch TV, all streaming live and on demand with STACKTV.
“This fall, we continue to offer audiences a strategically curated mix of bold dramas, exciting thrillers, smart comedies, true-crime and movies featuring compelling storytelling and memorable characters,” said Daniel Eves, Senior Vice President, Broadcast Networks, Corus Entertainment. “As the Canadian home to the most coveted high-quality content, with exclusive streaming availability on STACKTV, Showcase and W Network guarantee an entertaining fall season for viewers providing flexibility and choice for how they want to consume different content.”
Showcase
The fall season opens on Showcase with the modern reimagining of the classic sci-fi novel, The Midwich Cuckoos premiering Thursday, September 1 at 9 p.m. ET. In the drama starring Keeley Hawes and Max Beesley, a mysterious blackout renders the inhabitants of a quiet English town unconscious. When they awake, every woman of child-bearing age is found to be pregnant, but their brood are no ordinary children.
On Sunday, September 11 at 9 p.m. ET, check into Peacock’s comedic thriller series The Resort. From the creators of Palm Springs and Mr. Robot, The Resort is a multi-generational, coming-of-age love story disguised as a fast-paced mystery about the disappointment of time. An anniversary trip puts a marriage to the test when the couple finds themselves embroiled in one of the Yucatan’s most bizarre unsolved mysteries that took place fifteen years prior. The series stars William Jackson Harper, Cristin Milioti, Nick Offerman, Skyler Gisondo, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Nina Bloomgarden, and Gabriela Cartol.
Originally introduced to audiences in Season 2 of Nancy Drew, the character of Tom Swift is set to appear in a new drama series. Inspired by the book series, Tom Swift is an enthralling action-adventure drama debuting Tuesday, September 13 at 8 p.m. ET. As an exceptionally brilliant inventor with unlimited resources and unimaginable wealth, the devilishly charming Tom Swift (Tian Richards) is a man who many men would kill to be, or be with – a man with the world in the palm of his hand. But that world gets shaken to its core after the shocking disappearance of his father, thrusting Tom into a breathtaking adventure full of mysterious conspiracies and unexplained phenomena. Tom Swift also stars Ashleigh Murray, Marquise Vilsón, April Parker Jones and Albert Mwangi, with LeVar Burton as the voice of Barclay, Tom’s AI.
Premiering Monday, October 17 at 9 p.m. ET, Peacock’s true-crime limited drama series A Friend of The Family featuring an all-star cast including Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Colin Hanks, Lio Tipton, Mckenna Grace and Hendrix Yancey is based on the harrowing true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan was kidnapped multiple times over a period of years by a charismatic, obsessed family “friend.” The Brobergs – devoted to their faith, family, and community – were utterly unprepared for the sophisticated tactics their neighbour used to exploit their vulnerabilities, drive them apart, and turn their daughter against them. This is the story of how their lives were permanently altered – and how they survived.
Gripping action thriller The Lazarus Project starring Paapa Essiedu, Anjli Mohindra, Tom Burke, Caroline Quentin, Rudi Dharmalingam and Charly Clive premieres Thursday, October 20 at 9 p.m. ET. George (Essiedu) is the latest recruit to The Lazarus Project – a secret organization that has harnessed the ability to turn back time every time the world is at threat of extinction. But when a freak accident harms someone close to George, Lazarus won’t let him turn back time to undo it – unless there is the threat of global extinction. Now George must choose to stay loyal or go rogue, as he is faced with the question: if you had the power to rewrite your past, what would you sacrifice to do it…? The Lazarus Project is a propulsive action thriller and a gripping exploration of memory, fate, and the limits of love and self-sacrifice, all shot through with the trademark dark humour of writer Joe Barton.
Plus, Showcase sees the Season 2 return of hit series Chucky on Wednesday, October 5 at 9 p.m. ET, which Season 1 is currently available on demand on STACKTV.
W Network
Returning for Chapter 2 with a marathon of all five episodes beginning at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Sunday, September 4, Peacock’s Days of our Lives: Beyond Salem is back with an epic, action-packed tale that spans the entire globe, from Monte Carlo to Hong Kong, beloved characters from Days of our Lives once again go “Beyond Salem” as they trade the comforts of home for an adventure of a lifetime! Over the course of five thrilling episodes, heartwarming family reunions take a dangerous turn as a mysterious adversary wreaks havoc on their lives. The next chapter of Days of our Lives: Beyond Salem is a story full of larger-than-life romance, jaw-dropping twists, and high-stakes drama – and it all connects back to a plot that long-time “DOOL” fans will surely remember. Catch up on Season 1 of Days of our Lives: Beyond Salem on STACKTV now.
Critically acclaimed series The Good Fight concludes with its sixth and final season on Thursday, September 8 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The upcoming season has Diane (Christine Baranski) feeling like she’s going crazy, struggling with an uneasy sense of déjà vu, with everything from Roe v. Wade, to voting rights, to Cold War aggressions returning. Meanwhile, the lawyers of Reddick & Associates wonder if the violence that they see all around them points to an impending civil war.
Young adult fiction lovers and fans of the best-selling novels by Richelle Mead can look forward to Peacock’s Vampire Academy premiering Sunday, September 18 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. From executive producers Julie Plec and Marguerite MacIntyre comes a story of friendship, romance and danger. In a world of privilege and glamour, two young women’s friendship transcends their strikingly different classes as they prepare to complete their education and enter vampire society. One as a powerful Royal, the other a half-vampire Guardian trained to protect against the savage ‘Strigoi’ who threaten to tear their society apart. That is, if Royal infighting doesn’t do the job first. The series stars Sisi Stringer, Daniela Nieves, Kieron Moore, André Dae Kim, J. August Richards, Anita-Joy Uwajeh, Mia Mckenna-Bruce, Rhian Blundell, Jonetta Kaiser and Andrew Liner.
There’s a new Walker in town. Debuting Sunday, October 9 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, Walker Independence is an origin story of The CW’s Walker. Set in the late 1800s, the drama series follows Abby Walker (Katherine McNamara), an affluent and tough-minded Bostonian whose husband is murdered before her eyes while on their journey out West. On her quest for revenge, Abby crosses paths with Hoyt Rawlins (Matt Barr), a lovable rogue in search of purpose. Abby and Hoyt’s journey takes them to Independence, Texas, where they encounter diverse, eclectic residents running from their own troubled pasts and chasing their dreams, all while becoming agents of change themselves in the small town. Also starring Greg Hovanessian, Justin Johnson Cortez, Katie Findlay, Philemon Chambers and Lawrence Kao.
Corus Entertainment’s Sex with Sue premieres on Monday, October 10 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on W Network. The feature-length documentary explores the prolific and decades-long career of world-renowned sex educator Sue Johanson. Sex with Sue is a W Network Original, directed by Lisa Rideout, produced by Banger Films and distributed by Corus Studios. From the health room of a public school in Toronto to the late night stages of David Letterman and Conan O’Brien, Sue never shied away from her brand of “in-your-face” sex talk. Through the HIV/AIDS epidemic, facing off with anti-abortion activists and inadequate school curriculums, Sue was on the front lines, empowering her listeners with judgement-free guidance. Shan Boodram, Dan Savage, Nina Hartley, Russell Peters, George Stroumboulopoulos, Delta Work, Bree Mills, Margaret Cho and others reflect on Sue’s influence on them while looking forward to what’s next in progressive sexual education. Set in today’s sexually oversaturated world, where a rise in conservative politics threatens sexual education and rights, there has never been a more relevant time for audiences to learn the deeper story of Sue Johanson – and how necessary it is to carry on her legacy, even today.
Then, get aca-ready for the premiere of Peacock’s Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin on Thursday, December 8 with back-to-back episodes at 9 p.m. and 9:30 ET/PT. The comedy series stars Adam Devine who reprises his beloved character Bumper Allen from the hit film franchise as he moves to Germany to revive his music career when one of his songs becomes big in Berlin. The series also stars Flula Borg, Sarah Hyland, Lera Abova, and Jameela Jamil.
Hallmark Channel’s Fall into Love is currently in full swing on W Network with 10 consecutive weeks of romantic and heart-warming movies back-to-back every weekend and 19 all-new exclusive premieres Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT until October 16. Then, W Network’s tentpole holiday programming event, Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas, will begin in October again this year with a jam-packed festive lineup of movie premieres and back-to-back movies every day during the holiday season. Movie titles and broadcast details will be announced at a later date.
Showcase is available on National Free Preview from October 1-31 and W Network is available on National Free Preview from November 1 – November 30.
Showcase and W Network can be streamed via STACKTV, available on Amazon Prime Video Channels, FuboTV, Rogers Ignite TV and Ignite SmartStream. The networks are also available through all major TV distributors, including: Shaw, Shaw Direct, Rogers, Bell, Videotron, Telus, Cogeco, Eastlink and SaskTel.
*Source: Numeris PPM Data, Fall’21 (8/30/2021 – 1/2/2022), Total Canada, A25-54, Ind. 2+, AMA(000), CDN COM SPEC ENG, M-Su 2a-2a
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About Corus Entertainment Inc.
Corus Entertainment Inc. (TSX: CJR.B) is a leading media and content company that develops and delivers high quality brands and content across platforms for audiences around the world. Engaging audiences since 1999, the company’s portfolio of multimedia offerings encompass 33 specialty television services, 39 radio stations, 15 conventional television stations, a suite of digital and streaming assets, animation software, technology and media services. Corus is an internationally-renowned content creator and distributor through Nelvana, a world class animation studio expert in all formats and Corus Studios, a globally recognized producer of hit scripted and unscripted content. The company also owns innovative full-service social digital agency so.da, lifestyle entertainment company Kin Canada, leading 2D animation software supplier Toon Boom and children’s book publishing house, Kids Can Press. Corus’ roster of premium brands includes Global Television, W Network, HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, Magnolia Network Canada, The HISTORY® Channel, Showcase, Adult Swim, National Geographic, Disney Channel Canada, YTV, Global News, Globalnews.ca, Q107, Country 105, and CFOX, along with broadly distributed Canadian streaming platforms STACKTV, Nick+, the Global TV App and Curiouscast. For more information visit www.corusent.com.
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