New CTV Original Drama SAVING HOPE (Working Title) To Premiere June 7

- Starring Erica Durance (SMALLVILLE), Michael Shanks (STARGATE ATLANTIS) and Daniel Gillies (THE VAMPIRE DIARIES) -
- Series is from award-winning producers Ilana Frank and David Wellington -

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TORONTO, March 15, 2012 /CNW/ - CTV announced today that its new original drama series SAVING HOPE (working title) will air Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT beginning June 7. The series will anchor CTV's summer schedule. Additional CTV summer programming will be announced at a later date.

**Media Note** Photography for SAVING HOPE is available online at BellMediaPR.ca.

In SAVING HOPE, currently shooting in Toronto, Charlie Harris (Shanks), the charismatic Chief of Surgery of Toronto's Hope-Zion Hospital ends up in a coma, leaving the hospital in chaos - and his fiancée and fellow surgeon, Alex Reid (Durance), in a state of shock. Along with newly-arrived star surgeon, Joel Goran (Daniel Gillies, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES), Alex races to save Harris' life. As the action unfolds, comatose Dr. Harris explores the hospital halls in "spirit" form, not sure if he's a ghost or a figment of his own imagination. Reid, along with her fellow doctors, press on to save his life and those of their other patients, as they deal with the complicated and courageous decisions that are made in their daily struggle to keep hope alive.

Starring Erica Durance (SMALLVILLE), Michael Shanks (STARGATE ATLANTIS), (Daniel Gillies, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES), Huse Madhavji (COMBAT HOSPITAL, STAR! DAILY), Julia Taylor-Ross (ROOKIE BLUE), and Kristopher Turner (ROOKIE BLUE, THE LISTENER), the series is from acclaimed Gemini award-winning producers Ilana Frank and David Wellington (THE ELEVENTH HOUR, WOULD BE KINGS, ROOKIE BLUE).

SAVING HOPE is produced by Ilana C Frank Films ("ICFF") with Entertainment One, in association with CTV and NBC. The series is executive produced by Ilana Frank and David Wellington for ICFF, John Morayniss (THE FIRM, HAVEN) for Entertainment One and Lesley Harrison. Executive Producers and Showrunners are Morwyn Brebner (ROOKIE BLUE) and Aaron Martin (BEING ERICA). The series was created by Malcolm MacRury (CRASH AND BURN, REPUBLIC OF DOYLE) and Morwyn Brebner. David Wellington directed the pilot. For Bell Media, Trish Williams is Director, Drama, Independent Production; Corrie Coe is Senior Vice-President, Independent Production; Mike Cosentino is Senior Vice-President, Programming, CTV Networks. Phil King is President, CTV Programming & Sports.

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.

Laura Heath Potter, Director, Communications, Bell Media, 416.384.4633 or [email protected]
Matthew Almeida, Publicist, Bell Media, 416.384.2629 or [email protected]