TORONTO – CBC Television on Wednesday announced its lineup of new shows for the winter season, including three dramatic series, a new half-hour comedy, a daily daytime lifestyle show and a new reality TV series.
The shows are: The Border, a new drama series focused on border-security issues centered around what happens along the “world’s longest undefended border” (debuts Monday, January 7 at 9 p.m.); MVP, a drama about some fictitious professional NHL hockey players, their wives, lovers and puck bunnies (debuts Friday, January 11 at 9 p.m.); Sophie, a comedy series about a modern woman making her way in the world (debuts Wednesday, January 9 at 8:30 p.m.); jPod, a quirky drama series that chronicles the amoral, light-hearted and often shocking adventures of Ethan Jarlewski and his four coworkers (debuts Tuesday, January 8 at 9 p.m.); an untitled new daily lifestyle show featuring the original Designer Guys, Steven Sabados and Chris Hyndman (debuts Monday, January 14 at 2 p.m.); and The Week the Women Went, a reality TV series about what happens when the women of Hardisty, AB leave town for seven days (debuts Monday, January 7 at 8 p.m.).
The Border’s cast includes James McGowan, Sofia Milos, Graham Abbey and Nazneen Contractor. MVP stars Kristen Booth, Lucas Bryant, Deborah Odell, Natalie Krill, Peter Miller, Dillon Casey and Anastasia Phillips. Sophie stars Natalie Brown, Sebastian Spence-Cook, Jeff Geddis, Amy Lalonde, Mimi Kuzyk, Sara Botsford, Chantelle Chung and Catherine Bérubé. JPod stars Alan Thicke, David Kopp, Emilie Ullerup, Steph Song and Sherry Miller.
“We are excited about our winter season lineup of new programs. They offer viewers many choices—from a riveting drama like The Border, to the very steamy MVP and the return of Steven and Chris to daytime television,” said CBC-TV executive director of network programming Kirstine Layfield.
Also coming to the CBC airwaves are The Englishman’s Boy, a two-part, four-hour miniseries (broadcasts March 2 and 9); and H2O II: The Trojan Horse, the sequel to the 2004 two-part thriller H2O (airs March 30 and April 6). Test the Nation returns for another special on January 20; along with Project X, a new series focused on science; The Confidential Series, about the multi-billion dollar doggie couture business; and another installment of Canada’s Next Great Prime Minister.
CBC also announced it has acquired the rights to both Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune from CBS Paramount International Television. Both programs will air in September 2008.
