CTV Presents World Broadcast Premiere of Space Original Series ORPHAN BLACK Beginning Aug. 16

− ORPHAN BLACK stars Critics' Choice Television Award-winner Tatiana Maslany −
− From Temple Street Productions, Season 2 of the Space and BBC America original series premieres Spring 2014 -
− Maslany can currently be seen on one of four covers of Entertainment Weekly for their Comic-Con issue on stands now −

"What dazzled me most about ORPHAN BLACK this season was Maslany's performance. If I had an Emmy ballot, she'd be on the Best Actress list, or at least three of the Best Supporting Actress spots. Or both. She never phoned in any of her clones. They all felt remarkably realized." - Jeff Jensen, Entertainment Weekly

To tweet this release: http://bit.ly/17nVqOk

TORONTO, July 18, 2013 /CNW/ - CTV announced today that it will present the world broadcast premiere and first-ever network run of the hit conspiracy thriller ORPHAN BLACK later this summer. The Space original series from Temple Street Productions, produced in partnership with BBC America, will be introduced to new viewers on Friday, Aug. 16 when it begins its first-ever run on a conventional network, leading to a Season 1 finale on CTV in the heat of the fall season in mid-October. The 10-episode, one-hour series will air in primetime Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV (visit CTV.ca to confirm local broadcast times and on the CTV Mobile channel on Bell Mobile TV. Season 2 of ORPHAN BLACK was ordered by Space and BBC America in May, with production on 10 new episodes set to begin this September in Toronto.

"From the opening scene to the season finale, ORPHAN BLACK grabs you and doesn't let you go," said Mike Cosentino, Senior Vice President, Programming, CTV Networks. "A timely CTV encore run will expose this remarkable Space original series to a whole new audience, creating more momentum and viewer appetite for Season 2 on Space."

** Media Note ** Download photos for ORPHAN BLACK at BellMediaPR.ca

The CTV broadcast comes following series star Tatiana Maslany's (Picture Day) Critics' Choice Award win for Best Actress in a Drama Series, and a recent Television Critics Association Award nomination for Individual Achievement in Drama. As Maslany's star continues to rise, she is currently featured on one of four covers for Entertainment Weekly's Comic-Con issue on stands now. ORPHAN BLACK cast members Maslany, Jordan Gavaris (Felix), and Dylan Bruce (Paul), along with series co-creators Graeme Manson and John Fawcett will also be appearing at Comic-Con in San Diego, with a panel tomorrow evening.

Anchored by Maslany, at its core ORPHAN BLACK (Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT) centres on English punk and streetwise hustler Sarah who returns home after being separated from her daughter. But her homecoming isn't exactly what she expected. After witnessing the suicide of a woman, Beth, who looks just like her, Sarah takes over Beth's life, including her job as a cop as well as her boyfriend Paul (Dylan Bruce, NCIS). Sarah soon discovers that she and Beth are clones, and as she becomes embroiled in the mystery, she learns that there are more of them out there - all genetically identical individuals nurtured in completely different circumstances. As Sarah begins to unravel the mystery surrounding their identities, she also ends up fighting for her life when an assassin begins killing the clones one by one.

ORPHAN BLACK also stars Jordan Gavaris (UNNATURAL HISTORY) as Felix, Sarah's foster brother, a struggling artist worldly beyond his 23 years; Gemini Award-winner Maria Doyle Kennedy (DOWNTON ABBEY) as Mrs. S, Sarah and Felix's hard-nosed working class foster mother; Kevin Hanchard (REPUBLIC OF DOYLE) as Art, a veteran detective who works alongside Beth; Michael Mando (THE KILLING) as Vic, Sarah's sporadically violent ex; Skyler Wexler (ALPHAS) as Kira, Sarah's seven-year-old daughter; Matt Frewer (50/50) as Dr. Aldous Leekie, an academic with an edge and philosopher of the human organism; and Evelyne Brochu (MIRADOR) as Delphine, a student working on her Masters in Molecular and Cellular Biology who becomes intertwined in the mystery.

In the series premiere of OPRHAN BLACK entitled "Natural Selection" (Friday, Aug. 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV), Sarah (Maslany) witnesses the suicide of a stranger who looks just like her, and assumes Beth's identity. Planning to clean out Beth's savings to buy a new life for her and her daughter, Kira (Wexler), Sarah's simple score turns deadly when she finds out that Beth was caught in the middle of a deadly conspiracy, making Sarah the next target.

ORPHAN BLACK is produced by Temple Street Productions in association with Space and BBC America. Executive producers are Ivan Schneeberg and David Fortier (BEING ERICA) at Temple Street Productions, and co-creators Graeme Manson (Cube, FLASHPOINT), and John Fawcett (SPARTACUS, THE SECRET CIRCLE). Manson also serves as writer and Fawcett as director. Production Executives are Trish Williams and Gosia Kamela. Corrie Coe is Senior Vice-President, Independent Production, Bell Media. Catherine MacLeod is Senior Vice-President, Specialty Channels, Bell Media. Rick Brace is President, Specialty Channels and Bell Media Production. Phil King is President, CTV Programming and Sports. BBC Worldwide is distributing the series internationally.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Twitter:
@BellMediaPR
@CTV_PR
@CTV_Television
@TatianaMaslany
@JordanGavaris
@DylanBruce
@KevinHanchard
@MariaDKennedy - Maria Doyle Kennedy
@MandoMichael - Michael Mando

Facebook:
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About Bell Media Independent Production
Bell Media has commissioned and co-produced some of Canada's most-watched and most-acclaimed original programming, while working with the best Canadian independent producers in the country. Hit CTV series include ratings success stories SAVING HOPE, THE LISTENER, and MOTIVE, the #1 new Canadian series of the 2012/13 season. Airing this summer are relationship comedy SATISFACTION and THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, a record-breaking Canadian-produced, complementary version of the hit international series. To premiere later in the 2013/14 season are the drama series PLAYED, multi-cam office comedy SPUN OUT, and hit international format MASTERCHEF CANADA. Among the scripted series on Bell Media specialty channels are the two-time Emmy®-nominated hit DEGRASSI, the recently renewed ORPHAN BLACK, and upcoming dramas BITTEN and 19-2. Bell Media specialty channels are also home to reality series PANIC BUTTON and BRAVE NEW GIRL, game shows MATCH GAME and POP QUIZ, and factual series HIGHWAY THRU HELL, and LAST CAR STANDING, among others. In total, Bell Media ordered 27 new original Canadian series in 2012, and put 35 scripted projects into development.

About CTV
CTV is Canada's #1 private broadcaster. Featuring a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming, CTV has been Canada's most-watched television network for the past 12 years in a row. CTV is a division of Bell Media, Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio and digital. Bell Media is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company. More information about CTV can be found on the network's website at ctv.ca.

SOURCE: CTV

Christy Sullivan, CTV & CTV Two, 416.384.3624 or [email protected]