CTV's New Paranormal Thriller THE RIVER Begins Feb. 7 With Two-Hour Premiere

- Starring Canadians Bruce Greenwood and Leslie Hope -
- Paranormal Activity's Oren Peli is executive producer and writer -

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"It's the most engaging, exciting, downright entertaining TV thriller since LOST." - Alex Strachan, Postmedia

"Creepy, kind of terrifying and one hundred percent intriguing." - Jean Bentley, HuffPost TV

"This one's got …  monster hit written all over it." - Washington Post

TORONTO, Jan. 30, 2012 /CNW/ - Warning: what viewers are about to witness is downright terrifying. Starring Canadians Bruce Greenwood and Leslie Hope and executive produced and written by Paranormal Activity's Oren Peli, paranormal thriller series THE RIVER debuts with a special two-hour series premiere, Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, on CTV and CTV Mobile on Bell Mobile TV (visit CTV.ca to confirm local broadcast times). The eight-part series' mind-blowing scare tactics and disturbing scenes are unlike anything previously created for network television. Shot in the raw visual style of a hand-held-camera, THE RIVER is expertly-crafted to rattle viewers to the core. The heavily buzzed-about series follows the story of world famous wildlife expert and TV personality Dr. Emmet Cole (Quebec-native Bruce Greenwood, Star Trek) after he goes missing deep in the Amazon. THE RIVER airs Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV (visit CTV.ca to confirm local broadcast times).

**Media Note** Photography for THE RIVER is available online at BellMediaPR.ca.

"Family drama, reality show type twists, or straight-up horror - no matter what you're looking for, THE RIVER has enough of it to grab viewers at every turn," said Phil King, President, CTV Programming and Sports. "A mind-altering, edge-of-your seat paranormal thriller, THE RIVER will not disappoint."

In THE RIVER, famed explorer Dr. Emmet Cole (Greenwood) went looking for magic deep in the uncharted Amazon and never returned. The shocking truth about his disappearance is out there, waiting to be discovered. To the millions of kids who grew up watching his show, Dr. Cole was a hero. To his own son, Lincoln (Joe Anderson, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Parts 1 and 2), he was more of an enigma. Now, six months later, and at the urging of his mother, Tess (Halifax-native Leslie Hope, 24), Lincoln reluctantly joins her on a search for his father when his emergency beacon suddenly and mysteriously goes off. To fund the rescue, they agree to let Dr. Cole's cagey ex-producer, Clark (Paul Blackthorne, LIPSTICK JUNGLE), film the mission documentary-style.

A mixed crew of old friends and new acquaintances join the search for Emmet. The team includes the alluring and resourceful Lena (Eloise Mumford, LONE STAR), whose father also disappeared as part of Dr. Cole's crew, and loyal mechanic Emilio (Daniel Zacapa, RESURRECTION BLVD) who was oddly left behind for the ill-fated voyage. Also amongst the travelers are lethal bodyguard Captain Kurt Brynildson (Thomas Kretschmann, King Kong), camera operator Andreus Jude "A.J." Poulain (Shaun Parkes, The Mummy Returns), and Emilio's curious daughter Jahel Valenzuela (up-and-comer Paulina Gaitán, Sin Nombre).

In the two hour series premiere (Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV), after a fruitless search for missing adventurer and television personality Dr. Emmet Cole (Bruce Greenwood) comes up empty, his family and friends abandon hope and hold a memorial service to commemorate his amazing life. His grieving wife, Tess (Leslie Hope), reluctantly tries to face the reality that her husband is gone, while her son, Lincoln (Joe Anderson), is more than ready to bury his past. Six months later, Emmet's location beacon mysteriously begins to relay a signal from deep inside the Amazon. Tess persuades Lincoln to join her and Emmet's film crew on a journey through the jungle to find him, a journey on which horrifying and almost mythical events will push them to their limits.

New episodes of THE RIVER will also be available the day following their CTV television broadcast on the CTV Video Player at CTV.ca, on the CTV iPad App, and on Bell Mobile TV featuring CTV Mobile.

THE RIVER, from Amblin's Steven Spielberg, DreamWorks Television's Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey, and showrunner/executive producer Michael Green (HEROES, KINGS), is also executive-produced by Oren Peli (Paranormal Activity), Zack Estrin (PRISON BREAK), Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity 1, 2 and 3) and Steven Schneider. Teleplay by Michael R. Perry and Michael Green, story by Oren Peli & Michael R. Perry and Michael Green. The pilot is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and produced by ABC Studios.

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About CTV
CTV, Canada's Olympic Network, is also Canada's largest private broadcaster. Featuring a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming, CTV is Canada's most-watched television network and lead broadcaster of the London 2012 Olympic Games. CTV is a division of Bell Media, Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio and digital. 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

Tonia Addison, CTV, CTV Two, 416.384.2194 or [email protected]
Jim Quan, CTV, CTV Two, 416.384.5311 or [email protected]