TORONTO – To celebrate the life of the unforgettable Gord Downie, CTV announced Wednesday afternoon it will now present the film about The Tragically Hip and its beloved frontman, Long Time Running, in a special advance, commercial-free world television premiere event this Friday, October 20 at 8 p.m.
The 95-minute film was previously scheduled to debut in November, but CTV (wisely and wonderfully, it says here) chose to move up the airdate because of Downie’s death, announced Wednesday morning.
“Canadians from across the country are grieving the passing of this extraordinary individual, and in consultation with the band, we thought this was the right time to share with fans this intimate peek into last summer’s tour,” said Randy Lennox, president, Bell Media, in the press release. “Gord Downie’s talent, passion, and heart made this country a better place. Gord, we miss you already.”
From award-winning directors Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas De Pencier, Long Time Running, commissioned by Bell Media, chronicles The Tragically Hip’s iconic 2016 Man Machine Poem tour and emotional final concert in their hometown of Kingston, Ont. Viewers are given a unique and exclusive perspective into The Tragically Hip’s world through interviews, verité, intimate behind-the-scenes moments, fan testimonials, audience experience, and performance footage.
The film premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival to rave reviews and was previously announced to make its world television premiere in mid-November. Long Time Running will encore on its original airdate of Sunday, Nov. 12 at 8 p.m. ET on CTV, before it begins streaming on Canada’s premium TV streaming service, CraveTV.
