Jason Priestley stars as an unsavoury car salesman with a conscience in Call
Me Fitz, a new Canadian original comedy on HBO Canada

• New Canadian original series from Movie Central and The Movie Network premieres Sunday, September 19 at 8 p.m. ET/MT on HBO Canada
• Series premieres with back-to-back half-hour episodes leading into the debut of HBO's Boardwalk Empire

TORONTO, Aug. 17 /CNW/ - Some men are born sleazy, some achieve sleaziness, and then there's Richard "Fitz" Fitzpatrick. Call Me Fitz, starring Jason Priestley as Richard "Fitz" Fitzpatrick, is a biting, dark comedy about a morally bankrupt yet charismatic used-car salesman who is forced to become business partners with his inner conscience. The series premieres Sunday, September 19 at 8 p.m. ET/MT with back-to-back episodes on HBO Canada, a multiplex channel of Corus Entertainment's Movie Central (Western Canada) and Astral's The Movie Network (Eastern Canada).

"Call Me Fitz is an outstanding addition to HBO Canada's line-up. Fitz is like a corrupted modern version of Frank Sinatra, Casanova and Gordon Gekko, and it takes a special actor to make a character like this likeable," said Joanna Webb, Vice President, Head of Programming and Production Corus Entertainment. "But with the great writing of Sheri Elwood and the talents of Jason Priestley, the show really comes together with boundary-pushing results.

"Call Me Fitz shows a side of Jason Priestley Canadians have never seen before," said Aubie Greenberg, Director, Original Programming, Movie Services, Astral Television Networks. "Jason's performance as Fitz, coupled with an ensemble cast of oddball, edgy and dysfunctional characters, adds up to one wild, twisted and hilarious ride. Hang on tight."

Created by Sheri Elwood (Defying Gravity), Call Me Fitz tells the story of a handsome, substance-abusing scoundrel who torments his naïve co-workers, stoops to shameful lows to get the best of the competition, sleeps with any woman who has a pulse and thinks his life is perfect. That is, until a major accident unleashes something from within Fitz - the actual living embodiment of his conscience, or at least that's what Larry, the tall and lanky do-gooder, claims to be. As the last unblemished corner of Fitz's damaged soul, Larry is intent on rehabilitating Fitz's battered psyche and, in turn, the entire Fitzpatrick family's sleazy way of life, one disaster at a time.

The 13-part made-in-Canada half-hour comedy series was originally developed by Amaze Film + Television and is produced by Amaze Film + Television, Big Motion Pictures and Entertainment One, with the financial participation of The Movie Network and Movie Central. Executive Produced by Sheri Elwood, who is also the series Show Runner, the show was filmed in New Minas, Nova Scotia and boasts a strong ensemble cast including Ernie Grunwald (The High Life) as Larry, Peter MacNeill (Rookie Blue), Kathleen Munroe (CSI: NY), Brooke Nevin (Animorphs), Husein Madhavji (Star!), Tracy Dawson (The Gavin Crawford Show) Phyllis Ellis (Three Chords from the Truth), Joanna Cassidy (Six Feet Under), Rachel Blanchard (Flight of the Concords) and Jonathan Torrens (Trailer Park Boys).

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To view and share video content from Call Me Fitz, including a 75-second promo and on-set featurettes, please visit: http://hbocanada.com/callmefitz/video.php

Call Me Fitz will premiere Sunday, September 19 at 8 p.m. ET/MT with back-to-back episodes before the premiere of HBO's Boardwalk Empire at 9 p.m. ET/MT. New episodes of Call Me Fitz will air regularly at 8:30 p.m. ET/MT on Sundays on HBO Canada.

Call Me Fitz will be simulcast on HBO Canada HD, and will be available on demand and also on The Movie Network OnLine with Bell TV following its network premiere.

HBO Canada is a multiplex channel offered by Astral Media's The Movie Network (Eastern Canada) and Corus Entertainment's Movie Central (Western Canada). HBO Canada brings Canadians the current slate of signature dramatic programs for which HBO is known, together with new and never-before-seen programming including comedy series, live specials, sporting events, behind-the-scenes content and titles from HBO's extensive library - all in an uncut and commercial-free environment. HBO Canada is offered in high definition on HBO Canada HD and programming is accessible on demand where available by service provider. For more information, please visit www.hbocanada.com.

Movie Central is owned by Corus Entertainment Inc. (CJR.B/CJR), a Canadian-based media and entertainment company. Corus is a market leader in specialty television and radio with additional assets in pay television, advertising services, television broadcasting, children's book publishing and children's animation. Experience Corus on the web at www.corusent.com.

The Movie Network is a member of the Astral family. Astral is one of Canada's largest media companies. It operates over 100 of the country's most popular pay and specialty television, radio, out-of-home advertising and digital media properties. Astral plays a central role in community life across the country by offering diverse, rich and vibrant programming that meets the tastes and needs of consumers and advertisers. To learn more about Astral, visit astral.com.

For access to The Movie Network's media room or Movie Central's press site, please visit http://tv.astral.com or http://mediacentre.corusent.com.

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