TORONTO – CTV’s hit home-grown comedy, Corner Gas, will begin airing on American superstation WGN in 2007, the company announced today, placing the residents of Dog River, Saskatchewan in over 70 million U.S. homes.
The deal was done by Arthur Hasson’s Multi-Platform Distribution Company (MPDC), which began shopping Canada’s No. 1 comedy and most-watched Canadian series in May, 2006, as reported by Cartt.ca.
Today’s announcement follows in the footsteps of several CTV original series which have gone on to premiere in the U.S. The list includes Comedy Inc., Comedy Now!, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Instant Star and Whistler.
The two-year, 88-episode deal with Corner Gas provides exclusive rights to the series in cable and broadcast.
Tribune-owned WGN is known for its diverse, family-friendly and young adult programming, whose lineup includes Sex and the City, 24, America’s Funniest Home Videos, American Idol Rewind, The Cosby Show and Home Improvement.
CTV also announced that Corner Gas has been licensed internationally to broadcasters serving 26 countries including Australia, Iraq, Finland, Morocco and more. UK-based Minotaur International Ltd. brokered these international deals for CTV.
"We’re thrilled at the opportunity to share Corner Gas with the U.S. and so many other international markets," said Susanne Boyce, CTV’s president of programming and chair of the CTV Media Group, in the press release. "Congratulations to the talented cast, crew and creative forces behind the series on another benchmark achievement."
"I’m very excited about both the international and the U.S. deals," said Corner Gas creator/star/director/writer and executive producer Brent Butt. "We get so much American programming up here in Canada, it’s nice to be able to give a little something back. Something besides Celine Dion, I mean."
"This sitcom is very well written and the ensemble cast is very funny!" added Bill Shaw, president, Superstation WGN. "Corner Gas will be a perfect fit for Superstation WGN. It will surely be a hit once the audience in the U.S. is exposed to the series and it can only be found here, on us."
Corner Gas Around the World
North America
Canada (on originating Network CTV)
USA (on Superstation WGN)
International
Abu Dhabi
Finland
Libya
Sudan
Algeria
Iran
Mauritius
Syria
Australia
Iraq
Morocco
Tunisia
Bahrain
Israel
Oman
United Arab Emirates
Chad
Jordan
Qatar
Yemen
Cyprus
Kuwait
Saudi Arabia
Egypt
Lebanon
Somalia
