TORONTO – Bell Media’s Bravo and CraveTV have joined forces to land the Canadian rights for highly-anticipated new drama The Handmaid’s Tale, in a deal with MGM Television.
The 10-episode first season will air in Canada exclusively on Bravo, beginning with a special two-hour premiere event on April 30 from 9:00 to 11:00 PM ET (10:00 PM – midnight PT). The one-hour drama will continue to air Sundays at 9:00 PM ET/10:00 PM PT beginning May 7. The entire first season will launch on CraveTV this spring, following the season finale on Bravo.
A television adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel, the series stars Elisabeth Moss (Top Of The Lake, Mad Men), as Offred (pictured), one of the few remaining fertile women in Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was formerly part of the United States. Facing environmental disasters and a plunging birth rate, Gilead is ruled by a twisted fundamentalist regime that treats women as property of the state. Click here for a first look at The Handmaid’s Tale.
“We’re proud to be the exclusive Canadian home of The Handmaid’s Tale, a landmark series that seems more timely now than ever,” said Mike Cosentino, Bell Media’s SVP content and programming, in the news release. “The series will anchor Bravo’s truly big spring schedule and guarantees to be appointment television.”
