CORUS ENTERTAINMENT’S SPECIALTY DRAMA NETWORKS, SHOWCASE AND W NETWORK, ANNOUNCE WINTER 2022 PREMIERE DATES FEATURING 12 NEW AND RETURNING TITLES

CORUS ENTERTAINMENT’S SPECIALTY DRAMA NETWORKS, SHOWCASE AND W NETWORK, ANNOUNCE WINTER 2022 PREMIERE DATES FEATURING 12 NEW AND RETURNING TITLES 

Showcase Debuts Action Comedy MacGruber Starring Will Forte; DC Drama Naomi from Oscar®-Nominee and Emmy®-Winner Ava DuVernay; Forensic Crime Series Wolfe, and Highly Anticipated Drama Bel-Air in 2022; Plus, New Seasons of A.P. Bio, Hitmen and Code 404 and New Episodes of Batwoman, Legacies, 4400 and All American 

W Network Welcomes New Anthology Drama Series I AM and Dramedy This Way Up In Addition To Returning Seasons of W Network’s #1 Series Outlander and Fan Favourite Series Charmed 

Stream Showcase and W Network Live and On Demand with STACKTV and the Global TV App

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For Immediate Release TORONTO, December 9, 2021 – New year, new premieres! With 2022 around the corner, Corus Entertainment’s Showcase and W Network have set their winter programming lineups of bold, premium dramas packed with infinite star power and returning seasons of exclusive hit series, all available to stream live and on demand with STACKTV and the Global TV App. SHOWCASE

Based on the iconic Saturday Night Live parody sketch, Will Forte reprises his iconic role in the Peacock Original comedy action series MacGruber, which lands Sunday, January 9 at 9 p.m. ET. After rotting in prison for over a decade, America’s ultimate hero and uber patriot MacGruber (Will Forte) is finally released. His mission: to take down a mysterious villain from his past – Brigadier Commander Enos Queeth (Billy Zane). With the entire world in the crosshairs, MacGruber must reassemble his old team, Vicki St. Elmo (Kristen Wiig) and Dixon Piper (Ryan Phillippe) in order to defeat the forces of evil. Will Forte serves as writer and executive producer alongside John Solomon and Jorma Taccone who will also both direct. Lorne Michaels, John Goldwyn, Andrew Singer and Erin David also serve as executive producers. MacGruber is from Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, and Broadway Video.

From Oscar®-nominee and Emmy®-winner Ava DuVernay and Arrow‘s Jill Blankenship and starring Kaci Walfall in the title role, new DC drama Naomi premieres on Tuesday, January 11 at 9 p.m. ET. The series follows a teen girl’s journey from her small northwestern town to the heights of the Multiverse. When a supernatural event shakes her hometown to the core, Naomi sets out to uncover its origins, and what she discovers will challenge everything we believe about our heroes.

Premiering Monday, February 21 at 10 p.m. ET, crime drama series Wolfe stars Babou Ceesay as Wolfe Kinteh, a celebrated forensic pathologist professor and North England’s finest crime scene expert. He’s a doting dad and a family man but his unpredictable approach complicates his personal life. Half genius, half liability, he’s worth the bother as he gets results. Propped up by an eclectic team whose lives are as complicated as their mentor’s, each week Wolfe is propelled onto a new case to piece together the parts – in some cases literally. One thing is for sure though, he won’t be solving the crime in a way anybody expected. Wolfe is produced by AbbottVision in association with Sky Studios. The series is directed by Adrian Shergold and Sean Spencer and executive producers for the show are Paul Abbott, Martin Carr and Paul Coe. The show is produced by Emma Burge and script produced by Henry R. Swindell.

This January, don’t miss the Season 4 premiere of the critically-acclaimed comedy series, A.P. Bio on Sunday, January 9 at 9:30 p.m. ET, followed by the Season 2 premiere of Hitmen at 10 p.m. ET and the Season 2 premiere of Code 404 on 10:30 p.m. ET. Plus, tune into new episodes of the #1 program on Showcase last winter*, Batwoman on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET beginning January 12, 4400 on Mondays in a new timeslot at 9 p.m. ET beginning January 17, Legacies on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET beginning January 27, and All American on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET beginning February 21.

Get ready to be “flipped-turned upside down” with the highly anticipated Peacock Original drama series Bel-Air premiering in 2022 on Showcase. Set in modern-day America, Bel-Air is a serialized one-hour dramatic analogue of the ‘90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which leans into the original premise: Will’s complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air. With a reimagined vision, Bel-Air will dive deeper into the inherent conflicts, emotions and biases that were impossible to fully explore in a 30-minute sitcom format, while still delivering swagger and nods to the original show. Bel-Air is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, and Westbrook Studios, a division of Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith’s media company Westbrook Inc. Morgan Cooper, who wrote the film, is the creator, writer and executive producer. TJ Brady and Rasheed Newsom will serve as showrunners and executive producers. The series is also executive produced by Will Smith, Terence Carter, James Lassiter, Miguel Melendez, Quincy Jones, Benny Medina, and Andy & Susan Borowitz.

W NETWORK

New female-led anthology drama series, I AM, opens W Network’s winter schedule on Wednesday, January 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. I AM is made up of semi-autobiographical, personal stories from leading British acting talent developed alongside award winning director Dominic Savage. In developing each episode, Savage collaborates with the respective leading actors, for whom each of the stories holds a deep, personal resonance. The stories are told with improvised dialogue and evoke personal and universal themes, expressed in moments of intimacy, emotion and despair. The films are made simply and viscerally, with a level of authenticity, realism, truth and honesty rarely seen on television. I AM is produced by Me+You Productions in association with Sky Studios. Executive Producers are Richard Yee and Dominic Savage. The series is produced by Me+You co-founder Krishnedndu Majumdar with co-producer Josh Hyams.

Created and written by BAFTA award-winning actor, writer and comedian Aisling Bea, the achingly funny and deeply moving comedy drama series This Way Up premieres Thursday, January 6 at 10 and 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. Bea also stars in the series as Aine, a charming and quick-witted English-as-a-foreign language (TEFL) teacher trying to get her life back in order and regain some semblance of happiness after suffering a “minor nervous breakdown.” Fresh off a stint at a rehab facility, Aine struggles to keep it together for the sake of her anxious older sister Shona (Sharon Horgan), who remains acutely concerned about her younger sister’s well-being even as she grapples with a messy personal life of her own. This Way Up is produced by Merman in association with Sky Studios. Executive producers are Clelia Mountford, Sharon Horgan and Aisling Bea. The series is directed by Alex Winkler and produced by Gavin O’Grady.

#Droughtlander is almost over with the highly anticipated Season 6 premiere of the top 5 overall entertainment specialty program**, Outlander on Sunday, March 6 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The new season of Outlander sees a continuation of Claire and Jamie’s fight to protect those they love, as they navigate the trials and tribulations of life in colonial America. Establishing a home in the New World is by no means an easy task, particularly in the wild backcountry of North Carolina – and perhaps most significantly – during a period of dramatic political upheaval. The Frasers strive to maintain peace and flourish within a society which – as Claire knows all too well – is unwittingly marching towards Revolution. Against this backdrop, which heralds the birth of the new American nation, Claire and Jamie have built a home together at Fraser’s Ridge. They must now defend this home – established on land granted to them by the Crown – not only from external forces, but also from the increasing strife and conflict in the community within their care. For the Frasers and their immediate family, “home” is more than simply a site in which they live, it is the place where they are laying the foundations for the rest of their lives.

Then, the magic continues with the Season 4 premiere of Charmed on Sunday, March 13 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. In the new season, Mel (Melonie Diaz) and Maggie (Sarah Jeffery) find their lives transformed by the death of their beloved sister, Macy. When their grief threatens to undo the Power of Three forever, the surprising arrival of a third Charmed One (Lucy Barrett) gives them a renewed opportunity to fulfill their destinies. This couldn’t come at a better time because a mysterious new enemy is rising in the shadows, instilling fear in every corner of the magical world., As this new foe draws the Charmed Ones and their allies Harry (Rupert Evans) and Jordan (Jordan Donica) deeper into a twisted game, will this new trio be ready for what’s to come?

Following its debut on STACKTV on Thursday, December 16, holiday movie Days of Our Lives: A Very Salem Christmas is set to air on W Network on Thursday, January 27 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Also coming this winter are new episodes of Nancy Drew, a top 5 program on W Network***, returning Sunday, January 9 in a new timeslot at 8 p.m. ET/PT and new episodes of family drama series A Million Little Things continue beginning Wednesday, February 23 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

As the exclusive home of Hallmark Channel year-round, fans can ring in 2022 with Hallmark Channel’s New Year New Movies beginning January 1 to January 30. Cozy up to six all-new premieres and heartwarming movies every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, only on W Network.

Showcase and W Network are Corus Entertainment Networks and are available through all major TV distributors, including: Shaw, Shaw Direct, Rogers, Bell, Videotron, Telus, Cogeco, Eastlink, SaskTel and the new STACKTV, streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video Channels. The Global TV App is available on iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TVs, Roku streaming players, Roku TV™ models, and at watch.globaltv.com.

Source: Numeris PPM Data, Total Canada, 3+ airings, A25-54, F25-54 AMA (000), Confirmed Data,
* Winter/Spring’21 (Jan 4 – May 30/21), Showcase
** Winter/Spring’20 (Dec 30/19 – May 31/20), CDN SPEC COM ENG, excluding sports
*** Winter/Spring’21 (Jan 4 – May 30/21), W Network

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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, HISTORY®, 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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Corus Entertainment
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Corus Entertainment
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