New Supernatural Original Drama Houdini & Doyle Premieres Monday May 2 at 9pm ET/PT on Global

Canada/UK Co-Production from Shaftesbury (Canada) and Big Talk Productions (UK) Airs in Simulcast with FOX

Houdini & Doyle is Also Available on GlobalTV.Com and Global Go Following the Premiere

Accompanying Digital Documentary Series Houdini & Doyle: World Of Wonders Investigates the Real Houdini and Doyle

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TORONTO, Feb. 25, 2016 /CNW/ - Houdini and Doyle leave no stone unturned in Global's thrilling new original drama series Houdini & Doyle premiering Monday, May 2 at 9 pm ET/PT. Starring Michael Weston, Stephen Mangan, and Canadian Rebecca Liddiard, the Canada/UK Co-Production will air in simulcast with FOX in the US. Co-created and executive produced by Canadians David Hoselton (House, Chicago P.D.), and David Titcher (The Librarians), with Canadian acclaimed Executive Producer David Shore (House), the 10-episode mystery adventure series unites skeptical illusionist Harry Houdini and supernatural believer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to investigate unsolved and seemingly paranormal crimes. Inspired by true events, the two men of the 20^th Century grudgingly join forces with New Scotland Yard to investigate these inexplicable cases. 

"Houdini & Doyle is an exciting addition to our spring 2016 lineup," said Christine Shipton, Senior Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, Shaw Media. "Set against a gorgeous cinematic landscape, viewers will be captivated by these fascinating true-life characters, their rivalry of wits, and the clever mysteries they undertake."

Shot on location in the UK and Canada, Houdini & Doyle follows Harry Houdini (Michael Weston) – master magician, escape artist and paranormal debunker – and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Stephen Mangan) – prolific writer, creator of "Sherlock Holmes" and paranormal aficionado. The pair join forces in 1901 London and Canada to investigate unsolved and inexplicable crimes with a supernatural slant in collaboration with New Scotland Yard Constable Adelaide Stratton (Rebecca Liddiard).  

In the series, Houdini, Doyle, and Stratton are tasked with the cases that nobody else can solve. It challenges their sense of what is real and what is not. Houdini is a skeptic, while Doyle believes in the unseen. Their diverse viewpoints make solving crime a challenge and often Stratton is put in the middle. The trio face cases that appear to involve vampires, ghosts, monsters, and poltergeists…or are they a ruse to conceal murder?

Houdini & Doyle is also complemented by an original digital series, Houdini & Doyle: World of Wonders. Hosted by Houdini & Doyle star Rebecca Liddiard, the 10-part mini-documentary series explores the real lives and times of Houdini and Doyle through contemporary magic and mind-bending illusions, delivering a fresh and modern take on a time when the worlds of science and spiritualism collided. Houdini & Doyle: World of Wonders premieres on Monday, April 11 exclusively on GlobalTV.com and Global Go. The digital series is produced by Shaftesbury's digital arm, Smokebomb Entertainment, in association with Shaw Media and the Canada Media Fund.

Viewers who miss the premiere can catch up on Houdini & Doyle following the broadcast the next day on GlobalTV.com and Global Go. 

The drama originated from Canadian production company Shaftesbury, and was ordered straight to series for Global in Canada and ITV Encore in the UK, and licensed in the US on FOX. Acclaimed director Stephen Hopkins (24, Californication) directed the pilot.

Produced in association with Shaw Media, ITV Encore and Sony Pictures Television, Houdini & Doyle is a Canada/UK treaty co-production from Shaftesbury (Canada) and Big Talk Productions (UK) in association with Shore Z Productions. The series is executive produced by David Shore (House), David Titcher (The Librarians) and David Hoselton (House, Chicago P.D.) along with Christina Jennings, Maggie Murphy and Scott Garvie for Shaftesbury and Kenton Allen, Matthew Justice and Luke Alkin for Big Talk Productions. Producers are Suzanne Colvin-Goulding (Canada) and Adrian Sturges (UK). The series is distributed by Sony Pictures Television and produced with the support of the Canada Media Fund, the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit and the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit.

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About Shaw Communications
Shaw Communications Inc. is a diversified communications and media company. Shaw serves 3.2 million consumers and businesses through a reliable and extensive fibre network. Shaw provides consumers with broadband Internet, WiFi, Digital Phone and Video services. Shaw Business provides businesses with Internet, data, WiFi, telephony, Video and fleet tracking services, and ViaWest provides collocation, cloud and managed services. Shaw Media provides Canadians with engaging programming content through one of Canada's largest conventional television networks, Global Television, and 19 specialty networks, including HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, HISTORY® and Showcase. Shaw is traded on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges and is included in the S&P/TSX 60 Index (Symbol: TSX – SJR.B, NYSE – SJR). For more information about Shaw, please visit www.shaw.ca.

About Shaftesbury
With offices in Toronto and Los Angeles, Shaftesbury is an award-winning creator and producer of original content for television and digital platforms, sold in 120 countries worldwide. Shaftesbury's slate includes new drama series Houdini & Doyle for Sony Pictures Television, Shaw Media, ITV and Fox; thriller series Slasher for Super Channel and Chiller; nine seasons of Murdoch Mysteries for CBC, UKTV and ITV STUDIOS Global Entertainment; and hit Kids' CBC series The Moblees. Shaftesbury's digital and technology arm, Smokebomb Entertainment, produces original digital, convergent and branded entertainment projects including the hit YouTube series Carmilla, funded by U by Kotex®; supernatural drama V Morgan Is Dead; fashion comedy series MsLabelled, produced in partnership with Shaw Media and the Tetley tea brand; and the Emmy®-nominated Murdoch Mysteries: Curse of the Lost Pharaohs. Shaftesbury and Smokebomb recently launched shift2, an innovative agency that helps brands explore their millennial voice using scripted series and social media to drive measurable results. Visit us online at http://shaftesbury.ca. 

SOURCE Shaw Media

For media inquiries, interview and set visit opportunities please contact: Jacqui VanSickle, Senior Publicist, Global Television, 416-966-7261, [email protected]; Ashley Applebaum, Publicity Manager, Global Television, 416-934-8481, [email protected]