- Groundbreaking unscripted reality series Becoming Us, procedural drama Stitchers and mystery drama Open Heart premieres
- The Fosters, Melissa & Joey and Baby Daddy return this June
TORONTO, April 14, 2015 /CNW/ - Corus Entertainment's ABC Spark unveils its robust summer programming slate starting Tuesday, June 2 at 8 p.m. ET with the network premiere of teen mystery series Open Heart followed by the series premiere of the procedural drama Stitchers. Fan favourite comedies return on Wednesdays with Melissa & Joey and Baby Daddy beginning June 3 at 8 p.m. ET. Then, the groundbreaking new unscripted drama Becoming Us debuts with the return of pop culture phenomenon series The Fosters starting Monday, June 8 at 8 p.m. ET.
Later this summer new premieres include the comedy series Kevin From Work, reality series Job or No Job, Monica the Medium, Startup U and Next Step Realty: NYC.
New Premieres
Open Heart – Network Premiere
Premieres: Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET starting June 2
In the wake of her father's disappearance, 16-year-old Dylan Blake (Karis Cameron) falls in with the wrong crowd, gets arrested, and earns court-ordered community service volunteering at Open Heart Memorial, the hospital where her mother and sister are doctors, where her grandparents are board members and benefactors… and where her father was last seen the day he vanished. Open Heart is produced by the team behind Degrassi, Epitome Pictures, a DHX Media company, in association with marblemedia.
Stitchers – Series Premiere
Premieres: Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET starting June 2
The procedural drama, Stitchers, follows Kirsten (Emma Ishta), a young woman recruited into a covert government agency to be 'stitched' into the minds of the recently deceased, using their memories to investigate murders and decipher mysteries that otherwise would have gone to the grave. Working alongside Kirsten is Cameron (Kyle Harris), a brilliant neuroscientist whose passion for the program is evident in his work. The secret program is headed by Maggie (Salli Richardson-Whitfield), a skilled veteran of covert operations, and includes Linus (Ritesh Rajan), a socially immature bioelectrical engineer and communications technician. Kirsten's roommate, Camille (Allison Scagliotti), a gifted computer science grad student, is also recruited to use her skills to assist Kirsten in her new role as a 'stitcher.' Created and written by Jeffrey A. Schechter (Overruled!), who will executive produce alongside Jonathan Baruch and Rob Wolken, Stitchers stars newcomer Emma Ishta as Kirsten, Kyle Harris (Carrie Diaries) as Cameron, Ritesh Rajan (upcoming Jungle Book feature) as Linus, Salli Richardson-Whitfield (Eureka, I Am Legend) as Maggie, and Allison Scagliotti (Warehouse 13) as Camille. Todd Holland (The Larry Sanders Show, Malcolm in the Middle) will direct the premiere episode.
Becoming Us – Series Premiere
Premieres: Mondays at 9 p.m. ET starting June 8
The groundbreaking new unscripted drama series Becoming Us (formerly known as My Transparent Life) centres on a teenager named Ben who is learning to live with his dad becoming a woman. The series will follow Ben, his family and his friends as they support one another through this unexpected journey and navigate their new world with Charlie now living as Carly. The show is a generational story of a loving family and circle of friends supporting one another through this unfamiliar situation.
Returning Summer Premieres
Melissa & Joey – Summer Premiere
Premieres: Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET starting June 3
Melissa & Joey picks up where the first half of the season left off, with newlyweds Mel (Melissa Joan Hart) and Joe (Joey Lawrence) waiting to find out if she's pregnant. Meanwhile, Ryder (Nick Robinson) announces he's joining the Navy and Lennox (Taylor Spreitler) struggles with her feelings while working on a short film with her ex-boyfriend Zander (recurring guest star Sterling Knight).
Baby Daddy – Summer Premiere
Premieres: Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET starting June 3
In the summer premiere of Baby Daddy, Riley can't face the mess she has made out of her relationships with Ben and Danny, so she runs home to her mom's (Alex Kapp Horner) house in Jersey to hide from her problems. Once Ben realizes where Riley has gone, he stages a "friendervention" to get her to come home, but will Riley and Danny be able to move past their hurt feelings? Bonnie is thrilled when their next door neighbor, Evelyn, dies and plots to get the apartment listing. Once she discovers that Evelyn's granddaughter Ashley (Lindsey Gort) is a big Danny Wheeler fan and knows all his hockey stats, Bonnie tries to trade her son for the listing, despite the fact that Danny is still dating Robyn (Christa B. Allen). Meanwhile, Tucker is determined to get his hands on the items Evelyn promised him. Eddie Cibrian (The Playboy Club) and country superstar Reba McEntire also guest star later this season.
The Fosters – Summer Premiere
Premieres: Mondays at 8 p.m. ET starting June 8
Now in its third season, the critically-acclaimed drama picks up during summer, a few weeks after the cliffhanger finale left off, as the family deals with the aftermath of the terrible car accident involving Mariana, Jesus and their pregnant biological mother Ana. Now that Callie is back at the Adams Foster's home, she is feeling secure for the first time in a long time and determined to have a summer of free-spirited fun, including trying her best to get over Brandon. Meanwhile, Brandon is going to Idyllwild Music Program, where he will be faced with serious competition. Jude and Connor continue to develop their relationship and what it means to be a young teen exploring new love. Stef and Lena continue to face challenges as a couple and as parents, yet are determined to fight through them together.
Late Summer Premieres
Monica the Medium is a fascinating look at Monica, a junior at Penn State navigating friends, family, relationships…and the fact that she's a medium and can talk to dead people. Her uncommon vocation provides an endless supply of emotional and engaging stories, with a unique millennial perspective. The show is produced by Dave Caplan's Trooper Entertainment in association with Lionsgate TV. Caplan will serve as executive producer alongside Malachi McGlone.
Job or No Job is an unscripted series from the producers of Undercover Boss that follows one young adult per episode on his/her journey to land a first job. Each job seeker will go on three interviews, and we will watch the intense ride to find out if he or she lands three, two, one... or zero offers. The series is produced by Studio Lambert/All3Media America. Stephen Lambert, Eli Holzman, Greg Goldman and Sara Quick serve as executive producers.
Next Step Realty: NYC is a business based docu-series following the passionate and ambitious employees of Next Step Realty. The Manhattan-based real estate firm specializes in helping recent college graduates find their apartments in New York City while navigating interpersonal and professional conflicts in the workplace. Danielle Rossen (What Would You Do?) serves as the executive producer.
Kevin from Work is a half-hour workplace comedy, centers on Kevin, a young man who declares his unrequited love for his coworker Audrey in a letter, believing he'll never see her again after he accepts a job overseas. But when the opportunity falls through and Kevin is forced to return to his old job, how will he and Audrey continue to work together now that his feelings are no longer secret? The series is written, created and executive-produced by Barbie Adler (How I Met Your Mother). Aaron Kaplan at Kapital Entertainment (Chasing Life) and McG at Wonderland Sound & Vision (Charlie's Angels) serve as Executive Producers. The comedy stars Noah Reid (Backpackers) as Kevin, Paige Spara as Audrey, Matt Murray (Rookie Blue) as Brian, Jordan Hinson (Eureka) as Roxie, Punam Patel as Patti, with guest star Amy Sedaris (Strangers with Candy) as Julia.
Startup U is an unscripted, one hour series from the producers of House of Food that follows a group of entrepreneurial millennials as they embark on a semester at Draper University in Silicon Valley. Led by billionaire founder and venture capitalist Tim Draper, the seven week program teaches the fundamentals of launching a startup company under the mentorship of America's business leaders. In the end, students pitch their ideas to a panel of hungry venture capitalists with the hope that they'll receive a life-changing investment to launch their business. To date, more than 150 Draper graduates have received funding totaling more than $15 million from mogul investors and Tim Draper himself. Brimming with innovation and determination, "Startup U" pulls back the curtain on what it takes to achieve success in the most innovative and competitive marketplace in the world. Viewers join a group of savvy millennials as they suffer through hard lessons and grab opportunities with both hands, all in the pursuit of their dreams. "Startup U" is produced by Ugly Brother Studios, a Sky Vision partner. Mike Duffy, Tim Duffy and Tim Draper serve as executive producers.
Young & Hungry returns with more episodes with Gabi continuing to cook up drama and laughs in Josh's kitchen and his life! Josh rolls out his biggest app yet, Elliot revels in the state of his love life and Yolanda gets even closer to Gabi and Sofia. Pretty Little Liars star Keegan Allen guest stars in one episode as Tyler.
Chasing Life continues where it left off starting moments after Leo's surprising marriage proposal, finding April trying to live life to the fullest despite of her recent relapse. From wedding dress shopping to a surprise trip, and a bachelorette party ending in jail time, April is determined to enjoy everything. Meanwhile the rest of the Carver family must deal with the effects of April's illness and choices as the medical bills start to mount up and questions arise about the surprising engagement.
Switched at Birth returns as Bay continues to deal with the fall-out of her assault and her break-up with Emmett, and Daphne struggles to find a balance between college and a new love, the Kennish family is rocked by news of an unexpected pregnancy.
Pilots
Beyond is a one-hour drama about a young man who wakes up from a coma after 12 years and discovers new supernatural abilities that propel him into the middle of a dangerous conspiracy. From Imperative Entertainment and Automatik, Beyond is created, written and executive produced by Adam Nussdorf (Once Upon a Time in Wonderland). Tim Kring (Heroes), Zak Kadison, Justin Levy and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones will serve as Executive Producers.
Gorgeous Morons is a half-hour multi-cam comedy that focuses on two stunningly handsome but ridiculously simple brothers – one is a model, the other a personal trainer – who find their lives rocked by their brainy new roommate, a female literature PhD whose looks are, by their standards, in desperate need of help. Gorgeous Morons is co-created and executive produced by Emmy® Award-nominated Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupnitsky (The Office, Bad Teacher, Hello Ladies, Trophy Wife), alongside former The Office head writer Danny Chun (Happy Endings, The Office, The Simpsons). Chun is penning the script.
2016 Programming
Recovery Road based on the popular young adult novel by Blake Nelson, focuses on a teenage girl dealing with addiction. Maddie (Jessica Sula, UK's Skins) has a reputation as a party girl who doesn't think she has a problem, until she's confronted one day by her school guidance counselor (Alexis Carra) and is forced to choose between expulsion and rehab. Maddie makes the difficult decision to live with other recovering addicts at a sober living facility while facing the daily pressures of her teenage life. Sebastian De Souza, Kyla Pratt, Sharon Leal, Daniel Franzese and David Witts also star.
Connect with ABC Spark:
www.abcspark.ca
@abcsparkcanada
www.facebook.com/abcsparkcanada
Hi-res images can be downloaded at Corus Entertainment's Media Centre, here.
SOURCE ABC Spark
For more information on ABC Spark, please contact: Catrina Jaricot, Corus Entertainment - ABC Spark, [email protected]; Netta Rondinelli, Corus Entertainment - ABC Spark, [email protected]
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