Imagine More - More New, More Favourites, More Choice. Citytv Unveils 11 New Shows for 2018/19 Prime-Time Schedule

– Citytv brings drama to the 10 p.m. slot with A Million Little Things and Manifest –

– Citytv adds hottest reboots Murphy Brown and The Twilight Zone to its lineup –

– Bart and Homer are heading to Citytv, with the addition of The Simpsons on Sundays –

– Citytv's #1 hit reality and awards shows, America's Got Talent and the GRAMMYs^®, return with multi-year deals, alongside 16 powerhouse renewals for the 2018/19 season –

Tweet this release: https://bit.ly/2JhhPWG #RogersUpfront

TORONTO, June 5, 2018 /CNW/ - Imagine a prime-time schedule packed with more programming that stirs excitement and captures the hearts of Canadian TV lovers. Today Rogers Media unveils Citytv's 2018/19 schedule, anchored by last season's proven hits and strengthened by highly-anticipated buzzy new shows. Rick Brace, President of Rogers Media, Colette Watson, Senior Vice President of Television & Broadcast Operations, together with the executive team, will present Citytv's new Fall and midseason schedules to advertisers and media this afternoon at Toronto's iconic Massey Hall.

The new Citytv schedule boasts 11 new shows, the return of 16 fan favourites, 3 live events and specials, and underscores a renewed investment in the 10 p.m. timeslot with two nights of compelling new dramas. While Hockey Night in Canada reigns supreme on Saturday nights, viewers will discover exciting new shows every other night of the week during the 2018/19 season.

"Canadians love TV. Last year, more than 30 million Canadians watched television every week, and they currently spend nearly 10x more time watching TV than they do browsing social platforms – that's because TV delivers an experience unmatched by any other entertainment medium," said Brace.  "TV is the place where Canadians come for an immersive and emotional connection to characters and stories, and where advertisers have the greatest reach and impact. That's the power of television."

"We have created the strongest schedule in Citytv's history, delivering more of what viewers want," added Watson.  "We know viewers tune in for family and friendship, to see trailblazing women who spark greatness, action and intrigue with unpredictable plot twists, and stories of everyday people who make us laugh, cry, and capture our imagination.  Our 2018/19 season delivers a dynamic mix of comedy, drama and reality series, and the result is a pure entertainment schedule that reflects our Citytv brand."

Stories with Heart:

Whether bonded by blood or by choice, the power of family and friendship runs deep through Citytv's 2018/19 lineup, with dramas and live-event programming that explore these complicated, messy, and tender relationships with the people who – for better or worse – matter the most. Rocked by the sudden loss of one of their own, Boston friends support each other through love, loss, and life in A Million Little Things – the fall season's most anticipated breakout hit drama. New drama Manifest explores the unsettling lives of the long-missing passengers and crew of Montego Air Flight 828 as they try to understand what happened to them – and what they're meant to do with second chances. Parenthood is tough – and family life in the Marvel Universe is no exception when mom and dad discover their kids have mutant super powers in the new-to-Citytv family adventure The Gifted. And renegades with retro style are coming to Citytv this Fall, as the code-cracking crime-solving Bletchley women take their formidable skills stateside to tackle new mysteries in the Citytv original The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco.

Lighten Up:

Life is tough, take a break and laugh-it-out with another season of celebrated Citytv comedies! In one of the most anticipated comedy reboots of the year, Murphy Brown returns to FYI News – two decades later – bringing her whip-smart newsroom skills and biting wit into today's era of 'fake news', 24/7 cable news cycles, and social media. Thirty years in, The Simpsons is still making audiences laugh-out-loud with their irreverent take on the world today. Bart, Homer, Marge and the gang are bringing their outrageous antics to Citytv this Fall. Single Parents finds the funny in navigating parenthood alone…except for those well-meaning, nosy, pushy fellow single parent friends determined to 'help'. If you ever wondered what became of those rowdy kids at the back of the class, The Cool Kids are wreaking havoc in their retirement community – because growing old with dignity is for chumps! And in new comedy Rel, Rel becomes a single, long-distance dad after discovering his wife's affair – with his own barber – and he's not sure which loss is the bigger blow.  

A Dose of 'Reality':

A new perspective can change the world. This season, Citytv brings audiences stories of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, people transformed by events and inspired to do more and be more. In midseason, a contemporary take on a dramatic sci-fi classic, The Twilight Zone returns, reimagined with metaphorical stories for a modern era by Get Out director Jordan Peele. From reality TV heavyweights Mark Burnett and Mike Darnell, Citytv celebrates incredible talent in The World's Best – a global competition show with a twist.

Fan Favourites:

Proven hits and fan favourites return as Citytv confirms the renewal of 16 prime-time series, delivering more laugh-out-loud moments, dramatic plot twists, and thrilling competition through the 2018/19 season. Returning series are Citytv's #1 show America's Got Talent, his-and-hers The Bachelor / The Bachelorette franchise, Canadian mob thriller and Citytv original Bad Blood, Black-ish, Bob's Burgers, fan favourite Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Dancing with the Stars, Family Guy, Hell's Kitchen, Hockey Night in Canada, Lethal Weapon, Life in Pieces, Modern Family, Mom, and last year's breakout comedy hit The Orville. 

The iconic New Year's Eve countdown celebration Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve and the 61^st Annual GRAMMY Awards^® also return to Citytv this season. Then in 2019, an all-new live musical production of the Tony Award-, Grammy Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Rent brings the unforgettable story of friendship, love, and hope among seven struggling artists in New York's gritty East Village to a whole new audience.

All programming is available on Citytv.com and on mobile through the City Video app for iOS and Android, and on all Citytv+ digital platforms launching this Fall. Premiere dates will be announced soon; shows not listed on the Fall schedule below will be announced at a later date.

Citytv's Fall Schedule
All times ET/PT; s=simulcast

Monday

• 8 p.m. Dancing with the Stars (s)
• 10 p.m. Manifest *NEW* (s)

Tuesday

• 8 p.m. The Gifted *NEW to Citytv* (s)
• 9 p.m. Lethal Weapon (s)
• 10 p.m. Mom
• 10:30 p.m. Mom

Wednesday

• 8 p.m. Black-ish (post-release)
• 8:30 p.m. Cool Kids *NEW* (pre-release)
• 9 p.m. Modern Family (s)
• 9:30 p.m. Single Parents *NEW* (s)
• 10 p.m. A Million Little Things *NEW* (s)

Thursday

• 8 p.m. Bad Blood *Citytv original*
• 9 p.m. Mom (s)
• 9:30 p.m. Murphy Brown *NEW* (s)
• 10 p.m. Mom
• 10:30 p.m. Mom

Friday

• 8 p.m. The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco *NEW Citytv original*
• 9 p.m. Hell's Kitchen (s)
• 10 p.m. Mom
• 10:30 p.m. Mom

Saturday

• Hockey Night in Canada

Sunday

• 8 p.m. The Simpsons *NEW to Citytv* (s)
• 8:30 p.m. Bob's Burgers (s)
• 9 p.m. Family Guy (s)
• 9:30 p.m. Rel *NEW* (s)
• 10 p.m. Mom
• 10:30 p.m. Mom

**NOTE: Broadcast details for the following Citytv programs will be announced in the coming months: new series The Twilight Zone and The World's Best; new live musical Rent; returning awards show the 61^st Annual GRAMMY Awards^®; and iconic New Year's Eve countdown celebration Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. 

CITYTV NEW SERIES DESCRIPTION

New Series:

A MILLION LITTLE THINGS
60-minute scripted drama series
Wednesdays at 10 p.m.

Friendship isn't one big thing – it's a million little things. This is true for a group of friends from Boston who bonded under unexpected circumstances. Some have achieved success, and others are struggling in their careers and relationships – but all of them feel stuck. When one of them suddenly dies, it's an urgent wake-up call for the rest to start really living. And as they do, they discover that these friendships may be the only thing to save them from themselves.

PRODUCTION COMPANY: ABC Studios and Kapital Entertainment
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: James Griffiths, Dana Honor, Aaron Kaplan, and DJ Nash
CAST: David Giuntoli (13 Hours: Secret Soldiers of Benghzi), Lizzy Greene (Macbeth), Ron Livingston (Band of Brothers), Romany Malco (Weeds), Allison Miller (13 Reasons Why), Christina Moses (The Originals), Christina Ochoa (Valor), James Roday (Psych), and Stephanie Szostak (The Blacklist)

THE BLETCHLEY CIRCLE: SAN FRANCISCO
60-minute scripted Citytv original drama series
Fridays at 8 p.m.

Meet the original women who code. The first Bletchley Circle series followed a group of four female codebreakers at the elite Second World War code-breaking centre Bletchley Park, who used their skills to investigate a series of complex crimes. This new season picks up three years later in 1956, as Jean and Millie depart London for San Francisco to investigate the murder of a close friend. They are joined there by North American code-breakers Iris and Hailey who, like their British counterparts, find themselves undervalued and overlooked despite their indispensable war efforts. With renewed purpose, the code-breaking-turned-crime-solving team teases out an array of mysteries in the Bay Area.

PRODUCTION COMPANY: Produced by Omnifilm Entertainment in Association with BritBox and World Productions
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Brian Hamilton, Jake Lushington, and Michael MacLennan
CAST: Crystal Balint (Prison Break), Julie Graham (Doc Martin), Chanelle Peloso (Level Up), and Rachael Stirling (Detectorists) 

THE COOL KIDS
30-minute scripted comedy series
Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m.

This rag-tag group of friends living in a retirement community break every rule to have fun – at their age, what do they have to lose? Hank is the leader of this motley crew, a gruff, opinionated, 21^st century Archie Bunker who will go to great lengths to have a good time. His loyal (but less than helpful) friends include Charlie, a bumbling storyteller who goes on frequent tangents about some bizarre, barely believable episode from his life; and Sid, a naysaying, pill-popping hypochondriac who shoots down every scheme…but still gets roped in. Margaret, a brash and confident woman, complicates matters by forcing her way into their group and refusing to leave (she doesn't take crap from anyone – especially not these three!). They are united by their shared belief that they're not done living yet – not by a long shot.

PRODUCTION COMPANY: 20^th Century Fox Television and FX Productions
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Kevin Abbott (pilot), Charlie Day, Nick Frenkel, and Don Scardino (pilot)
CAST: David Alan Grier (In Living Color), Leslie Jordan (American Horror Story), Vicki Lawrence (The Carol Burnett Show), and Martin Mull (Veep)

MANIFEST
60-minute scripted drama series
Mondays at 10 p.m.

When Montego Air Flight 828 landed safely after a turbulent-but-routine flight, the crew and passengers were relieved. Yet in the span of those few hours, they lost five years. Seeing their life in fast-forward, they discover that their friends, families and colleagues had mourned their loss – and then moved on. With a second chance, their new realities become clear, and a deeper mystery unfolds as some of the returned passengers discover they may be meant for something greater than they ever thought possible.

PRODUCTION COMPANY: Warner Bros. Television and Compari Entertainment
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: David Frankel (pilot), Jeff Rake, Jack Rapke, and Robert Zemeckis
CAST: Luna Blaise (Fresh Off the Boat), Josh Dallas (Once Upon a Time), Athena Karkanis (Wild Kratts), Parveen Kaur (The Strain) J.R. Ramirez (Power), and Melissa Roxburgh (Supernatural)

MURPHY BROWN
30-minute scripted comedy series
Thursdays at 9:30 p.m.

She's back! In a world of 24-hour cable, social media, 'fake news', and a vastly different political climate, the world needs Murphy Brown more than ever! The revival of the ground-breaking comedy about the eponymous broadcast news legend and her biting take on current events returns amid a divided America, chaotic discourse, and rampant attacks on the press. Murphy is back with her original FYI team: lifestyle reporter Corky Sherwood, investigative journalist Frank Fontana, and producer Miles Silverberg. Murphy's son, Avery, shares his mother's competitive spirit and quick wit, and has followed in her journalistic footsteps – perhaps too closely. Now back in the game, Murphy is determined to draw the line between ratings-grabbing headlines and honest reporting.

PRODUCTION COMPANY: Bend in the Road Productions Inc., in association with Warner Bros. Television
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Candice Bergen and Diane English
CAST: Candice Bergen (Boston Legal), Tyne Daly (Cagney & Lacey), Nik Dodani (Atypical), Faith Ford (Hope & Faith), Jake McDorman (Limitless), Joe Regalbuto (Side Order of Life), and Grant Shaud (Oliver Beene)

REL
30-minute scripted comedy series
Sundays at 9:30 p.m.

Based on the life of Lil Rel Howery, Rel stars Howery as a loving husband and father living on the West Side of Chicago, who discovers his wife is having an affair – and not just any affair – an affair with Rel's own barber. It's the worst, because as hard it is to find a good spouse, it's even harder to find a reliable barber. Plus, the barbershop is the epicenter of neighbourhood gossip, so his marital business is known by everyone. Rel's tough-talking, no-B.S. best friend, Brittany; his recently out-of-jail younger brother, Nat; and Rel's Dad all pitch in to lend support – whether he wants it or not. After his kids move to Cleveland with their mom, Rel begins rebuilding his life as a long-distance dad and dips his toe in the dating pool. Ever the optimist, Rel continues his search for love, respect...and a new barber. 

PRODUCTION COMPANY: 20^th Century Fox Television
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Kevin Barnet, Jerrod Carmichael, Lil Rel Howery, Josh Rabinowitz, and Mike Scully
CAST: Lil Rel Howery (Get Out), Jordan L. Jones (NCIS: Los Angeles) Jess "Hilarious" Moore (Wild 'N Out), and Sinbad (The Sinbad Show)

SINGLE PARENTS
30-minute scripted comedy series
Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m.

Will is a man lost in a world of parenting, princesses, and PTA meetings. This single dad has been so focused on raising his daughter that he's lost sight of who he is as a man – but there's help! A group of other single parents of seven-year-old kids help Will rediscover that being a great parent doesn't mean sacrificing your grownup self. 

PRODUCTION COMPANY: 20^th Century Fox Television and ABC Studios
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Liz Meriwether, JJ Philbin, Katharine Pope, and Jason Winer
CAST: Devin Trey Campbell (Broadway's "Kinky Boots"), Jake Choi (Hawaii Five-0), Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond), Grace Hazelett (Why Him?), Sadie Hazelett (Why Him?), Taran Killam (Saturday Night Live), Kimrie Lewis (Peeples), Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl), and Tyler Wladis (A Christmas Story)

THE TWILIGHT ZONE
60-minute scripted anthology drama series
Midseason

The original 1959-1964 The Twilight Zone series took viewers to another dimension -- a dimension not only of sight and sound, but of the mind. The seminal sci-fi anthology series explored humanity's hopes and despair in ways conventional drama could not. With a contemporary twist on the classic The Twilight Zone returns, reimagined by Get Out director Jordan Peele for the Trump-era. 

PRODUCTION COMPANY: CBS Television Studios in association with Monkeypaw Productions and Genre Films
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Audrey Chon, Simon Kinberg, Jordan Peele, Marco Ramirez, Win Rosenfeld, and Carol Serling
CAST: TBA

THE WORLD'S BEST
60-minute unscripted reality competition series
Midseason

From reality TV heavyweights Mark Burnett (The Voice) and Mike Darnell (American Idol), The World's Best is the first-of-its-kind global talent competition that features acts from every genre, from every corner of the planet. The performers need to impress a panel of three American judges – and break through the "wall of the world," featuring 50 of the world's most accomplished experts from every field of entertainment. The winning act will ultimately be crowned The World's Best.

PRODUCTION COMPANY: MGM Television and Warner Horizon Unscripted & Alternative Television
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Mark Burnett, Mike Darnell, Alison Holloway, Brooke Karzen, Barry Poznick, and Dan Sacks
JUDGES: TBA

New to Citytv:

THE GIFTED
60-minute scripted drama series
Tuesdays at 8 p.m.

Set in Marvel's "X-Men" universe, this family adventure series tells the story of a suburban couple whose ordinary lives are rocked by the sudden discovery that their children possess mutant powers. Forced to go on the run from a hostile government, the family joins an underground network of mutants and fights for survival.

PRODUCTION COMPANY: 20^th Century Fox Television in association with Marvel Television
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Jim Chory, Lauren Shuler Donner, Simon Kinberg, Jeph Loeb, Matt Nix, and Bryan Singer
CAST: Amy Acker (Person of Interest), Coby Bell (Burn Notice), Jamie Chung (Gotham), Emma Dumont (Aquarius), Natalie Alyn Lind (Gotham), Stephen Moyer (Shots Fired), Blair Redford (Satisfaction), Sean Teale (Reign), and Percy Hynes White (Night at the Museum 3)

THE SIMPSONS
30-minute animated comedy series
Sundays at 8 p.m.

D'oh! The Simpsons joins the Citytv lineup for an incredible 30^th season, continuing to strike a chord with fans for irreverently poking fun at anything and everything. The longest-running scripted prime-time series on television, the show is set in the fictional middle-America town of Springfield and follows the dysfunctional antics of the Simpson family, including Homer, the oafish beer-swilling donut-loving father; Marge, the hardworking homemaker mother and wife; Bart, the 10-year-old skateboarding troublemaker; Lisa, the unappreciated eight-year-old genius; and Maggie, the silent pacifier-loving baby. Friends, colleagues, and neighbours – featuring some of the notable actors from stage and screen – round out The Simpsons experience.

PRODUCTION COMPANY: Gracie Films production in association with 20^th Century Fox Television
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS:  James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, and Al Jean
CAST: Bart (Nancy Cartwright), Homer (Dan Castellaneta), Marge (Julie Kavner), Lisa (Yeardley Smith)…and Maggie

About Citytv
Citytv offers viewers intensely-local, urban-oriented, and culturally-diverse content through its seven television stations in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatchewan, Winnipeg, and Montreal, plus the award-winning Citytv Video app. A distinct alternative to other conventional television stations, Citytv delivers an entertaining mix of Canadian and acquired prime-time programming, news, and local-interactive formats with influential brands such as Cityline, CityNews, and Breakfast Television. Citytv is part of Rogers Media, which is a subsidiary of Rogers Communications Inc. (TSX, NYSE: RCI). Visit Citytv.com.

SOURCE City

Media Contacts: Michelle Lomack, Broadcast, Rogers Media, [email protected], 416.819.2783; Andrea Goldstein, Rogers Media, [email protected], 647.801.4394