TORONTO – CTV has signed a deal with an American distribution company to find spots for its heralded Canadian sitcom, Corner Gas, in the United States.
CTV has announced it signed Arthur Hasson’s Multi-Platform Distribution Company (MPDC) to market the hit Canadian comedy series south of the border. Since it was launched in January, 2004, Corner Gas has outperformed all U.S. sitcoms in Canada and is the only Canadian scripted series on Canada’s Top 20 list of programs, says CTV. MPDC will begin shopping Corner Gas immediately to broadcasters and potentially other platforms.
Corner Gas is an ensemble comedy series about a quirky bunch of tiny-towners "who get up to a whole lot of nothing in the fictional prairie town of Dog River, Saskatchewan," says the release. Nominated for an International Emmy Award in 2004, Corner Gas won the 2005 Gemini Award for Best Comedy Series. Corner Gas is the most-watched comedy series (Canadian or American) on Canadian television among adults 25-54, besting The Simpsons and Family Guy as well as My Name is Earl, Everybody Hates Chris and The War at Home, notes CTV.
The series has seen audience growth in each of its three seasons and with production about to begin on the series’ fourth season, 50 half-hour episodes are now available.
"I really stood up and noticed when Corner Gas – a comedy – broke through," said Hasson in the release. "The fact that it is a home grown show and not an American show was startling."
"Corner Gas is perfectly cast, smart and funny," said Susanne Boyce, CTV president of programming and chair of the CTV Media Group. "It’s a series that stands among the best programs on television, period. Because Canadian TV habits mirror those in the United States, this property has tremendous potential in the U.S."
Hasson adds: "The show is both familiar and fresh. Once you see a few episodes it is easy to see why it is so successful. Like the great sitcoms we all know, the characters of Corner Gas are immediately relatable and likeable." 
Corner Gas focuses on the life (or lack thereof) of Brent LeRoy (Canadian comedian Brent Butt), proprietor of a gas station that is the only stop for miles around and a hub of action on the Canadian Prairies. Dog River is a place where everyone knows everyone else’s business.
The television series has also spawned a merchandise line which is now available at hundreds of retailers across Canada (including Sears) while a coffee table book for fans of the will be released by Penguin this fall. A live touring production of the series – "Corner Gas Live!" – sold out theatres across in Canada in both 2004 and 2005. Seasons 1 and 2 of Corner Gas have been released on DVD and hit the top 10 in sales in Canada.
Additional accolades for the series in Canada include: five Canadian Comedy Award wins, a Director’s Guild of Canada Award (for Outstanding Team Achievement In a Television Series – Comedy), two Canadian Screen Writing Awards (for Best Comedy/Variety), a Banff Festival Rockie nomination as well as being lauded as the "Funniest Show on TV" by readers of TV Guide.
Hasson has been a respected syndication executive for the past 24 years, most recently at NBC Universal Television Distribution as executive vice-president, cable, Canada and ancillary sales, where Law & Order: Criminal Intent was sold for record dollars, continues the release. Hasson led all U.S. cable sales and in Canada he was responsible for the sales of all current NBC network programming and Universal Pictures feature films. Prior to NBCU, Hasson served as executive vice-president of sales and new business for Universal Television Distribution where he drove all first run and off network syndication efforts in the US and Canada.
While at Studios USA, he was part of the team that successfully introduced and sold the industry’s first dual-platform programming. Hasson has also successfully launched shows like Law & Order and Xena into video games and publishing. Hasson began his career with Orion Pictures where he cut his teeth on shows like Saturday Night Live and Hollywood Squares. In 2005, Hasson formed the Multi-Platform Distribution Company and Corner Gas is the first property for MPDC.
Corner Gas is produced in association with CTV by Prairie Pants Productions, comprised of Virginia Thompson of Vérité Films and 3-35 Productions, a partnership of Brent Butt and David Storey.
