CTV Unveils 2014 Summer Lineup, Headlined by Season 2 of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA Beginning July 8

- Canada's favourite summertime series THE AMAZING RACE CANADA returns July 8 -
- New buzzed-about reality competition series RISING STAR joins the CTV summer schedule beginning June 22 -
- CTV original hit series THE LISTENER returns for its fifth season, May 26 -
- CTV puts a spotlight on specialty with encore presentations of Bravo original drama 19-2 (June 5), and hit Space original series BITTEN and ORPHAN BLACK -
- Plus, all-new seasons of the wildly popular MASTERCHEF (May 26), ANGER MANAGEMENT (May 27), SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (May 28), MISTRESSES (June 2), HOT IN CLEVELAND (June 15), UNFORGETTABLE (June 29), and more -
- In all, CTV delivers 12 new and returning series to viewers -

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TORONTO, May 5, 2014 /CNW/ - Following an extreme winter, Canadians have earned an amazing summer, and CTV is ready to help heat things up with a summer schedule full of 12 new and returning series. Canada's most-watched network today unveiled its Summer 2014 schedule, anchored by THE AMAZING RACE CANADA. The most-watched Canadian television series on record kicks off its heart-pounding second season on Tuesday, July 8 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. As also announced today, new to the schedule this summer is the buzzed-about reality series RISING STAR (June 22), which reinvents the traditional singing competition by giving viewers the final say as they vote for competitors in real time as they perform.

CTV's summer schedule also features fan-favourite returning hits including the CTV original series THE LISTENER (May 26), as well as MASTERCHEF (May 26), ANGER MANAGEMENT (May 27), UNFORGETTABLE (June 29), SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (May 28), MISTRESSES (June 2), and HOT IN CLEVELAND (June 15). CTV also remains the destination for live events and award shows as well as hit movies, delivering THE 2014 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS (May 18), Much's CTV takeover for a super simulcast of the 2014 MUCH MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS (June 15), and the Canadian broadcast premiere of TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON (June 8).

This summer, CTV also puts the spotlight on an amazing year from Bell Media's specialty division with encore presentations of the nuanced, character-driven Bravo original series 19-2 (June 5). The most-watched Space original series on record, thriller BITTEN, and Season 2 of the acclaimed Space original series ORPHAN BLACK are also set to join the schedule later this summer.

"With a new roster of teams and stellar new challenges, THE AMAZING RACE CANADA is sure to again have viewers racing right along with the competitors from the starting line to the pit stops and everything in between," said Mike Cosentino, Senior Vice-President, Programming, CTV Networks. "Joined by a strong mix of original series, fan favourites, exciting new shows, live events, and blockbuster movies, CTV is set to bring the best in summer television entertainment to Canadians."

** Media Note ** Download photos for CTV's summer series at BellMediaPR.ca

A closer look at the Summer 2014 programming:

Mondays are hot and dramatic on CTV beginning May 26, as things start off in the kitchen with the return of MASTERCHEF at 8 p.m. ET/PT, with host and award-winning chef Gordon Ramsay, restaurateur Joe Bastianich, and acclaimed chef Graham Elliot back for Season 5 of the culinary smash-hit series. Then, Season 5 of the hit original series THE LISTENER returns at 9 p.m. ET/PT, and finds Toby (Craig Olejnik) still reeling from killing a suspect, while Sgt. McCluskey (Lauren Lee Smith) works to juggle motherhood with her policing duties. Beginning June 2 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, things get steamy with the second season of the provocative drama MISTRESSES, which will continue to focus on the scandalous lives of four girlfriends.

The race of a lifetime continues with the second season premiere of the blockbuster, record-breaking, original series THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, hosted by Olympic champion and Canadian hero Jon Montgomery. Season 2 airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT beginning July 8.

Making its debut on CTV is reality series RISING STAR, which will have Canadians singing Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT beginning June 22. The fastest-selling talent show ever, RISING STAR is executive produced by Ken Warwick (AMERICAN IDOL) and Nicolle Yaron (THE VOICE), and features a group of aspiring singers as they perform live behind a giant wall of TV screens. During the performances, viewers at home, the judges, and the studio audience vote in real time to determine if the singer will advance in the competition.

Returning favourites premiering as part of the summer schedule on CTV also include SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, which leaps into its 11th season with two-hour episodes beginning May 28. Poppy Montgomery and Dylan Walsh return for Season 3 of UNFORGETTABLE beginning June 29, while Betty White starrer HOT IN CLEVELAND is back June 15 and new episodes of ANGER MANAGEMENT starring Charlie Sheen begin May 27. CTV original series MOTIVE will also see an encore of its second season airing in simulcast with ABC.

Completing the network's summer lineup are special encore presentations of Bravo's acclaimed original series 19-2, which became a Top 3 program on Bravo this calendar year to date, and is also Bravo's #1 new series of the season. 19-2's first season airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT beginning June 5. Space's most-watched original series BITTEN is also set to join the schedule, and Season 2 of the hit Space original conspiracy thriller ORPHAN BLACK will make its return to CTV as well.

Awards season coverage continues this summer with THE 2014 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS (May 18), airing live from from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and the 2014 MUCH MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS (June 15), with its first-ever live super simulcast on Much and CTV in celebration of its 25^th anniversary. The Canadian broadcast premiere of the third instalment of the Transformers series, TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON, also premieres Sunday, June 8 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

All programming is subject to change, and all times ET/PT. Visit CTV.ca to confirm local broadcast times.

NEW SERIES

RISING STAR - Sundays at 9 p.m. beginning June 22 with a special two-hour premiere
Available live and on demand on CTV.ca and the CTV GO app
Based on an Israeli format, new reality series RISING STAR completely reinvents the traditional singing competition by giving the audience the final say on who stays in the competition in real time. Featuring aspiring singers, including solo vocalists, duos, and vocal groups, RISING STAR sees competitors perform alone behind a giant wall of TV screens. As viewers at home (including Canadians), the judges, and the studio audience vote, competitors see how they're doing in real time. Once the competitors' votes reach a certain level, the screen in front of them slowly rises and a new star is revealed.

NEW TO CTV

19-2 Season 1 - Bravo Original Series - Thursdays at 10 p.m. beginning June 5
Available live on CTV.ca and the CTV GO app
Following its recent second season order, 19-2 gets its world conventional premiere with CTV airing Season 1 in its entirety. The richly-nuanced and character-driven drama is Bravo's #1 new series of the season, and has reached more than 3.3 million Canadians to date. 19-2 revolves around the gritty, daily lives of two unwilling partners of the Montreal Police Department, officers Nick Barron (Adrian Holmes, ARROW) and Ben Chartier (Jared Keeso, FALLING SKIES). Upon returning to work after the tragic loss of his partner, Nick is unhappy to be stuck with Ben, a new transfer to Station 19 from the provincial police. Bound together by the street beat and cruiser #2, they are forced to come to terms with the strains and bonds that develop between them - two incompatible men of very different temperaments and lives.

BITTEN Season 1 - Space Original Series - Coming Later This Summer
Available live on CTV.ca and the CTV GO app
During its premiere season on Space, BITTEN amassed a loyal following and grew to become Space's #1 original series of all time, and the #1 program on Space this broadcast year, reaching almost 5 million viewers to date. The series has also gained a loyal social media following with 903 million estimated impressions from 364,430 Twitter mentions, by 288,071 users using the hashtag #Bitten. Based on the New York Times best-selling novels by Canadian author Kelley Armstrong, BITTEN is an emotionally charged thriller that follows reluctant heroine Elena Michaels (Laura Vandervoort, SMALLVILLE), the world's only female werewolf, who is forced to take on life-threatening responsibilities, in a male dominated world. Most of the werewolves are monitored by The Pack, a powerful, organized werewolf family based in the grand manor of Stonehaven, the place where Elena's life as a werewolf began. When a dead girl is discovered in the woods outside the town of Bear Valley (the adopted home of The Pack), it's the genesis of an all-out war against the Mutts - rogue werewolves whose aim is to destroy The Pack. Torn between the new life she's created in Toronto and loyalty to her Pack family, Elena will fight her own battle between the woman, and the wolf within.

OPRHAN BLACK Season 2 - Space Original Series - Coming Later This Summer
Available live on CTV.ca and the CTV GO app
The buzzed-about series makes its return to CTV later this summer, and in the explosive Season 2 premiere Sarah (Tatiana Maslany, Cas & Dylan) is out of options, on the run, and being pursued by deadly adversaries. Desperate to find her daughter Kira (Skyler Wexler, ALPHAS), Sarah's scorched earth tactics bring her face to face with the "pro-clone" Rachel (Maslany). Meanwhile, with Alison's (Maslany) carefully crafted suburban world spinning out of control, and the genetic illness affecting Cosima (Maslany) threatening them all, Sarah must negotiate a dangerous world of new enemies and shifting allegiances to get to the bottom of the experiment that made them who they are.

RETURNING SERIES

THE AMAZING RACE CANADA - CTV Original Series - Tuesdays at 9 p.m. beginning July 8
Available live and on demand on CTV.ca and the CTV GO app
Back with all-new teams and exciting, edge-of-your-seat challenges, the most-watched Canadian television series on record returns for a second season of action-packed adventure. Hosted by Olympic champion and Canadian hero Jon Montgomery, Season 1 of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA raced ahead of the pack with an average audience of 3.5 million viewers each week, and garnered two Canadian Screen Award wins for Best Photography in a Lifestyle or Reality/Competition Program or Series, and Best Writing in a Lifestyle or Reality/Competition Program or Series. The smash-hit original series vaulted into the record books as Canada's most-watched TV series last summer and the second most-watched television program of the entire broadcast year.

THE LISTENER - CTV Original Series - Mondays at 9 p.m. beginning May 26
Available live and on demand on CTV.ca and the CTV GO app
Ranked as a Top 5 Canadian series in all genres, and with an average audience of 1.1 million viewers in its fourth season THE LISTENER returns for Season 5 with telepathic former paramedic Toby Logan (Craig Olejnik) still reeling from killing a suspect, while Sgt. Michelle McCluskey (Lauren Lee Smith) works to juggle motherhood with her policing duties. Faced with a range of challenges at the Integrated Investigative Bureau, the biggest obstacle for Toby, Michelle, and Dev (Rainbow Sun Francks) comes in the form of their new boss, Detective Sergeant Brian Becker (Anthony Lemke, LOST GIRL), who is sceptical about Toby's contributions to the department. Toby also contends with the new status of his romantic life after moving in with crime reporter Tia Tremblay (Melanie Scrofano). He treads a fine line between being too open about his work and holding back, while Tia begins to look into his mysterious past. Meanwhile, Oz Bey (Ennis Esmer) steps away from hospital administration and the world of EMS to take care of people in new ways - as the owner of a popular gastropub.

MASTERCHEF - Mondays at 8 p.m. beginning May 26
Available live and on demand on CTV.ca and the CTV GO app
Hot off the heels of the first season of CTV's blockbuster original culinary competition series, MASTERCHEF CANADA, the Mondays at 8 p.m. timeslot continues to be the home of the MASTERCHEF franchise when MASTERCHEF returns for its fifth season with resident judges Gordon Ramsay, Graham Elliot, and Joe Bastianich. Thirty of the best home cooks will be flown to Los Angeles to present their signature dishes to the judges in hopes of earning a coveted MASTERCHEF apron. With each new challenge, the pressure will mount as the selected home cooks compete for the coveted title of MASTERCHEF, a cookbook deal, and the $250,000 grand prize.

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE - Wednesdays at 8 p.m. beginning May 28
Available on demand on CTV.ca
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE soars into its 11th season with a two-hour premiere event showcasing America's most talented dancers during the country-wide audition rounds. Hosted by Cat Deeley, and featuring resident judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy, the new season of the Emmy Award^®-nominated hit dance competition series will once again include awe-inspiring performances, as well as nail-biting eliminations, as the contestants compete to be named America's Favourite Dancer.

MISTRESSES - Mondays at 10 p.m. beginning June 2
Available live and on demand on CTV.ca and the CTV GO app
Based on the hit U.K. television series of the same name, the provocative and thrilling drama MISTRESSES continues to focus on the scandalous lives of a sexy and sassy group of four girlfriends, each on their own path to self-discovery. With a pregnant Savi's (Alyssa Milano) life hanging in the balance following a car accident that left her flatlining at the end of Season 1 - will she and her baby survive? Season 2 also brings newcomers who'll shake up the lives of April (Rochelle Aytes), Joss (Jes Macallan), and Karen (Yunjin Kim). When it comes to love, these friends find support and guidance with each other as they push the limits, test their boundaries, and discover just how far they are prepared to go.

HOT IN CLEVELAND - Sundays at 7:30 p.m. beginning June 15, following an encore of the Season 4 finale June 8
Available live and on demand on CTV.ca and the CTV GO app
HOT IN CLEVELAND returns for a fifth season as Melanie (Valerie Bertinelli) deals with the aftermath of the shocking news she received in the Season 4 finale: she's pregnant. The season will have some more surprises in store for Melanie as she starts to date one of her favourite singers. However, when the relationship goes south and he catches her in a lie, she gets "Taylor Swift-ed" and becomes the target of his latest hit song. HOT IN CLEVELAND also stars Jane Leeves as Joy, Wendie Malick as Victoria, and Betty White as Elka, with guest stars this season including SPUN OUT star Dave Foley, EMMY^® Award-nominated Max Greenfield (NEW GIRL), Angela Kinsey (THE OFFICE), Kirstie Alley (KIRSTIE), Jennifer Love Hewitt (THE CLIENT LIST), and Craig Ferguson (THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON).

ANGER MANAGEMENT - Tuesdays at 8 p.m. beginning May 27
Available live and on demand on CTV.ca and the CTV GO app
Canada's favourite non-traditional therapist continues to give viewers a healthy dose of ANGER MANAGEMENT this summer. With a successful private practice, Charlie (Charlie Sheen) holds therapy sessions in his home each week and performs pro bono counselling for an inmate group at a state prison. Charlie's life turns into an emotional roller coaster as he gets a new sex-study research partner, Dr. Jordan Denby (Laura Bell Bundy, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER), who is a brilliant, recently divorced psychologist, who's fond of alcohol, has wild mood swings, and turns out to be anything but a stabilizing influence for Charlie.

UNFORGETTABLE - Sundays at 10 p.m. beginning July 13; Special time of 8 p.m. June 29 and July 6
Available live and on demand on CTV.ca and the CTV GO app
UNFORGETTABLE returns for a third season starring Poppy Montgomery as Carrie Wells, an NYPD detective with a rare ability that makes her memory so flawless that every memory she experiences is forever embedded in her mind, ready to be accessed at a moment's notice. Armed with her unique ability, and backed up by the people she trusts the most, including her partner Al Burns (Dylan Walsh), Carrie now helps protect the citizens of New York, and each case is more memorable than the last.

SPECIAL EVENT TELEVISION

THE 2014 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS - Sunday, May 18 at 8 p.m.
Available live and on demand on CTV.ca and the CTV GO app
Airing live from from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, THE 2014 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS include performances by Billboard Chart toppers Luke Bryan, Imagine Dragons, John Legend, OneRepublic, and Jason Derulo, among others.

2014 MUCH MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS - Sunday, June 15 at 9 p.m. on Much and CTV - **SUPER SIMULCAST**
Available live on CTV.ca and the CTV GO app
Music fans should mark their calendars and save the date, as the 2014 MUCH MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS (MMVAs) gets set to celebrate its 25th anniversary. For the first time ever, the MMVAs will be simulcast live across the country on Much and CTV. In keeping with MMVA tradition, the corner of Queen and John in Toronto lights up for show-stopping performances and appearances by the hottest celebrities handing out the coveted hardware.

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON (2011) - Canadian Broadcast Premiere - Sunday, June 8 at 8 p.m.
Available live and on demand on CTV.ca and the CTV GO app
In the third instalment of the hit franchise, the Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and to learn its secrets. Directed by Michael Bay (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen) and executive produced by Oscar^®-winner Steven Spielberg (Lincoln), TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON stars Shia LaBeouf (Lawless), Josh Duhamel (Safe Haven), Tyrese Gibson (Fast & Furious 6), and John Turturro (Cars 2), all reprising their starring roles.

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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, digital, and Out-of-Home. Bell Media is owned by 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.

THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, Season 1 (7/15/2013-9/16/2013)
THE LISTENER: Broadcast Year 2012-13 (9/25/2012-8/25/2013).

CTV electronic audience databases incorporate data beginning in 1994.
Audiences prior to August 31, 2009 based on BBM Nielsen Media Research Mark II meters.

SOURCE: CTV

Matthew Almeida, CTV Networks, 416.384.2629 or [email protected]
Tonia Addison, CTV Networks, 416.384.2194 or [email protected]
Jacqui VanSickle, CTV Networks, 416.384.3624 or [email protected]
Tanya Koivusalo, CTV Networks, 416.384.2664 or [email protected]