Shaftesbury Films Announces Start of Production on Season Two of the
CTV/SPACE/Fox International Channels series THE LISTENER

- Canada's own Lauren Lee Smith (CSI, Lie with Me) among new actors to join
ensemble cast currently shooting in Toronto -
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TORONTO, Sept. 22 /CNW/ - Shaftesbury Films, in association with CTV, SPACE and Fox International Channels, today announced that production is underway on season two of the original Canadian drama series The Listener. Gemini-nominated actress Lauren Lee Smith (CSI, The L Word) and Tara Spencer Nairn (Corner Gas) are among new members to join the ensemble cast which includes Craig Olejnik (The Timekeeper, In God's Country), Ennis Esmer (Billable Hours, Young People F*#king) and Mylène Dinh-Robic (Da Vinci's City Hall, Battlestar Galactica). The Listener is broadcast on CTV and SPACE in Canada, and in 120 countries and 33 languages internationally by Fox International Channels. The 13-episode one-hour series will shoot in and around Toronto until February, 2011.

** Media Note ** - Download photos for THE LISTENER at www.ctvmedia.ca

Lauren Lee Smith joins the cast of THE LISTENER, beginning production on Season 2

Vancouver native Lauren Lee Smith will star as Sergeant Michelle McCluskey in the new season of The Listener. Smith also stars in Shaftesbury's highly anticipated new comedy series from Ken Finkleman, Good Dog, and the independent film A Night For Dying Tigers alongside Jennifer Beals, which recently premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival^®. 

During The Listener's first season, the fast-paced and compelling drama instantly became a hit in Canada, with the series premiere debuting at #1 in its 10 p.m. timeslot on CTV, with a preliminary audience of 1.1 million viewers.*

In season two, Toby Logan (Craig Olejnik) steps up his game and further embraces his telepathic powers while working alongside his partner "Oz" (Ennis Esmer). When he stumbles into a case investigated by the Integrated Investigations Bureau (IIB) of the RCMP, he finds he must reveal his gift to Sgt. Michelle McCluskey (Lauren Lee Smith). Despite her initial skepticism, Michelle comes to realize Toby's extraordinary potential. While maintaining his standing as a paramedic, Toby is enlisted to consult with IIB. There he joins Michelle as well as her brilliant junior partner, computer maven Corp. Dev Clark (Rainbow Sun Francks, Stargate Atlantis), and Alvin Klein (Peter Stebbings, Madison) the Bureau's in-house legal expert to help solve IIB's most difficult cases.

Other new faces that will join the staff at St. Luke Hospital to work alongside Dr. Olivia Fawcett (Mylène Dinh-Robic) are Sandy (Tara Spencer Nairn, Corner Gas), a triage nurse who runs the floor with military precision and dry humour, and neurosurgeon Dr. Shane Lawson (Sebastien Roberts, Canada Russia '72), who develops feelings for Olivia.

The Listener is produced by Shaftesbury Films in association with CTV, SPACE and Fox International Channels. The series is executive produced by Emmy^® and Gemini award-winning Christina Jennings (Murdoch Mysteries, Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures) and Scott Garvie for Shaftesbury Films, and Sam Egan (Sanctuary, Masters of Science Fiction). Susanne Boyce is President, Creative, Content and Channels, CTV Inc. Sharon Tal Yguado is Executive Producer for Fox International Channels. The Listener is distributed internationally by Shine. Produced with the financial participation of The Canadian Film or Video Tax Credit and The Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit.

Viewers who want to catch-up on the first season can currently watch episodes online at CTV.ca and/or spacecast.com.

About Shaftesbury Films
Founded in 1987, Shaftesbury is Canada's leading creator and producer of original fiction and nonfiction content for television and multiple platforms. Recent productions include Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures for HBO Canada based on the Giller Prize-winning book by Dr. Vincent Lam; The Listener for CTV and Fox International Channels; and the fourth season of Murdoch Mysteries for Citytv and UKTV's Alibi. Shaftesbury also produces a variety of award-winning children's programming, including the global hit series Life with Derek, which is broadcast in more than 120 countries worldwide, and the hit movie follow-up to the series, Vacation with Derek. Shaftesbury's newest series, Good Dog, is a half-hour comedy created, written and directed by Ken Finkleman (The Newsroom) that will premiere on The Movie Network and Movie Central in 2011. Shaftesbury's divisions include Shaftesbury Factual, which is focused on non-fiction storytelling across a broad spectrum of genres; Smokebomb Entertainment, the company's digital media division responsible for the development and production of original online series and companion web experiences for Shaftesbury's slate of properties; and Shaftesbury Sales Company, which manages international sales and distribution for the company's content. Visit Shaftesbury at www.shaftesbury.ca.

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. CTV Inc. also owns radio stations across the country and owns or has interests in leading national specialty channels, featuring news, sports, factual, arts, entertainment, music, youth and fashion programming. Official broadcaster of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and London 2012 Games of the Olympiad, CTV Inc. is owned by CTVglobemedia Inc., Canada's premier multi-media company, which also owns Canada's national newspaper, The Globe and Mail. More information about CTV may be found on the network's website at www.ctv.ca.

About SPACE
SPACE's ongoing support of Canadian independent productions has been a major contributor to the success of series such as TODD & THE BOOK OF PURE EVIL, SANCTUARY, THE LISTENER, DEFYING GRAVITY, STORMWORLD, and RABBIT FALL. Documentaries include FAMOUS MONSTER and PRETTY BLOODY. SPACE is Canada's national science fiction, horror and fantasy channel.  SPACE is truly the boutique station for all those who dare to challenge their imagination (www.spacecast.com). SPACE is owned by CTV Limited, a division of CTVglobemedia, Canada's premier multi-media company.

About FOX International Channels
FOX International Channels (FIC) is News Corporation's international multi-media business. We develop, produce and distribute 183 wholly- and majority-owned entertainment, factual, sports and movie channels across Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa, in 35 languages. These networks and their related mobile, non-linear and high-definition extensions, reach over 300 million subscribing households (875 million cumulative) worldwide. We also operate a global online advertising unit, .FOX (pronounced "dot-fox") specialized in online video and display, and four TV production houses. In operation since: August 14, 1993.

*Source: BBM Nielsen Media Research Preliminary Overnight Reports

/NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited members of the media/

For further information:

or to arrange an on-set interview please contact:
Sue Baldaro, Shaftesbury Films, 416.363.1411 ext 154/ 647.802.0739 mobile or[email protected]
Matthew Almeida, CTV Inc., 416.384.2629 or[email protected]