Single Mom. Double Life. Julia Stiles Stars in BLUE, Streaming Now on CTV EXTEND

- The award-winning series is written and directed by Emmy^® nominated director and screenwriter Rodrigo García (IN TREATMENT, Albert Nobbs), and available at CTV.ca and on CTV GO -

- Digital series is latest addition to CTV EXTEND's robust line up of programming including Canadian commissions GUIDESTONES: SUNFLOWER NOIR and JOKE OR CHOKE, also premiering this month -

To tweet this release: http://bit.ly/1n0aWFB

TORONTO, July 7, 2014 /CNW/ - CTV announced today it has acquired the popular award-winning digital series BLUE, starring Emmy and Golden Globe^®-nominee Julia Stiles (DEXTER, Silver Linings Playbook). Season 1, Season 2, and the all-new Season 3 are streaming now on CTV EXTEND at CTV.ca and on the CTV GO app. BLUE is from Emmy nominated director and screenwriter Rodrigo García (IN TREATMENT, Albert Nobbs), and follows the story of a single mother, Blue (Stiles), with a scarred past who's trying to protect her son, Josh (Uriah Shelton, THE GLADES), from the consequences of her secret career as an upscale escort. Tangled in a web of lies and struggling to keep her two identities a secret, each episode gives viewers a glimpse into a different part of Blue's life, as she tries to earn extra money to keep her math wizard 13-year-old son in a good school.

In addition to the eight hours of content provided by the series, CTV EXTEND will also be home to numerous digital extras for BLUE, including behind-the-scenes vignettes that provide a glimpse into the minds of the filmmakers, writers, actors, and crew. 

**Media Note** Photography for BLUE available online at BellMediaPR.ca

"BLUE features a stellar cast and addictive plot, with a storyline that's a little different and edgier, providing some great variety to our CTV EXTEND lineup," said Mike Cosentino, Senior Vice-President, Programming, CTV Networks.

In Season 3, available exclusively on CTV EXTEND, Blue (Stiles) finds herself getting a little too close to a client (guest star Eric Stoltz, Pulp Fiction), and her son (Shelton) keeps a life-changing secret from her. A man (James Morrison, REVENGE) from Blue's past also resurfaces and has some unexpected news for her, and Stiles' real-life sister, Jane O'Hara (LAW & ORDER), appears as Blue's sister, a free-spirited woman who crashes at Blue's apartment with her lover (Alexz Johnson, INSTANT STAR).

BLUE also stars Oscar^®-nominee Kathleen Quinlan (CHICAGO FIRE), David Harbour (THE NEWSROOM), Golden Globe-nominee William Petersen (CSI), Carla Gallo (BONES), Daren Kagasoff (THE SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER), Laura Spencer (THE LIZZIE BENNET DIARIES), and newcomer Brooklyn Lowe. The digital series also features guest stars Sarah Paulson (12 Years a Slave, AMERICAN HORROR STORY), Mark Consuelos (ALL MY CHILDREN), Jeanne Tripplehorn (CRIMINAL MINDS), Holly Robinson Pete (MIKE & MOLLY), Wanda De Jesus (SONS OF ANARCHY), and Michelle Forbes (ORPHAN BLACK).

BLUE is written and directed by WIGS co-creator Rodrigo García (Albert Nobbs, IN TREATMENT). Karen Graci (IN TREATMENT) is co-writer on the series, which is executive produced by Jon Avnet (Black Swan, Fried Green Tomatoes), Garcia, and Jake Avnet (Righteous Kill).

Also joining the CTV EXTEND lineup are two exclusive new commissioned series. Launching on Tuesday, July 15 is the second season of the EMMY^® Award-winning Canadian series GUIDESTONES, GUIDESTONES: SUNFLOWER NOIR. Produced by iThentic/3'oclock.tv in association with Bell Media, the Independent Production Fund (IPF), the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC), and the Canada Media Fund (CMF), 18 episodes of GUIDESTONES: SUNFLOWER NOIR will be available to viewers. Also available on July 15 is the half-hour digital comedy pilot JOKE OR CHOKE from Insight Productions and Executive Producer Howie Mandel.

About CTV EXTEND
CTV EXTEND is a free-to-consumer ad-supported digital hub available at CTV.ca, the #1 network destination for online video streams in Canada, and on CTV GO. Launched on April 29, 2014, CTV EXTEND features exclusive original and acquired series, as well as extensions of popular CTV shows. Current programming includes original series BACKPACKERS, SPACE RIDERS: DIVISION EARTH, and THE LISTENER: THE TOBY LOGAN FILES, as well as acquired series BLUE, and ARROW: BLOOD RUSH. Upcoming CTV EXTEND content includes original series GUIDESTONES: SUNFLOWER NOIR, JOKE OR CHOKE, and the VERONICA MARS spin-off PLAY IT AGAIN, DICK. This digital initiative is a first for a private Canadian broadcaster.

About CTV
CTV is Canada's #1 private broadcaster. Featuring a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming, CTV has been Canada's most-watched television network for the past 13 years in a row. CTV is a division of Bell Media, Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, digital, and Out-of-Home. Bell Media is part of 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.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Twitter:

@CTV_PR
@CTV_Television
Julia Stiles - @MissJuliaStiles
Uriah Shelton - @uriahshelton
David Harbour - @TheDavidHarbour
William Petersen - @thewpap
Carla Gallo - @CarlaGallo14
James Morrison - @JamesPMorrison
Alexz Johnson - @alexzjohnson
Brooklyn Lowe - @heybrooklynlowe
Rodrigo García - @WIGS

Facebook:
Facebook.com/CTV

SOURCE: CTV

Matthew Almeida, CTV Networks, 416.384.2629 or [email protected] 
Christy Sullivan, CTV Networks, 416.384.3624 or [email protected]