TORONTO – Global brought out some serious star power to help promote its new fall schedule at the Shaw Media “upfront” presentation Wednesday.
Celebrities including Queen Latifah, Blair Underwood, Susan Lucci, Alan Thicke, Daniel Dae Kim and many more were on hand at Toronto’s Elgin Theatre to promote Global’s fall and mid-season lineup, which includes 11 new dramas and seven new comedies. Queen Latifah joins Global Daytime with her new talk show The Queen Latifah Show, featuring musical performances and celebrity guests. Blair Underwood stars as detective Robert Ironside in the new NYC police drama Ironside (which apparently is inspired by, but not a remake, of the 1975 series which starred Raymond Burr).
“Coming off of a blockbuster year for Global, we set out determined to land the most anticipated and star-stacked series to add to our schedule,” said Barbara Williams, SVP of content for Shaw Media, in a release. “The addition of gothic horrors, gritty dramas, nail-biting thrillers and a brand new slate of comedies complement our returning flagship series, making for an exceptional schedule that will hook audiences the entire season.”
Along with Ironside, the network is expanding is drama lineup with an edgy thriller called The Blacklist starring James Spader; Dracula, from the producers of the critically acclaimed hit Downton Abbey and starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers; lavish fantasy-thriller Sleepy Hollow; and sci-fi action adventure Almost Human from executive producer J.J. Abrams.
New mid-season dramas include: Chicago PD, Crossbones, Rake, Reckless, Remedy (a new original Canadian series), along with the much-anticipated return of Jack Bauer in 24: Live Another Day, starring Kiefer Sutherland.
Well-known actors are also driving Global’s new comedies. Michael J. Fox stars in the own eponymously named The Michael J. Fox Show, based loosely on the actor’s personal life; Will Arnett and Beau Bridges star in The Millers; Sean Saves the World stars Sean Hayes as a recently divorced dad juggling an overbearing boss, a teenage daughter and a know-it-all mother played by Linda Lavin; Welcome to the Family features Glee’s Mike O’Malley and Gossip Girl’s Ella Rae Peck; About a Boy directed by Jon Favreau and starring Minnie Driver; with Tony Shalhoub, Jerry O’Connell and Kal Penn rounding out the lineup in We Are Men.
A new Canadian-produced comedy called Working the Engles will air mid-season.
Returning shows include Bones, Chicago Fire, Elementary, Family Guy, Glee, Hawaii Five-0, NCIS, NCIS:LA, The Simpsons, Survivor, Entertainment Tonight, Entertainment Tonight Canada, The Good Wife, Parenthood, Crime Time, Bob’s Burgers and American Dad.
Also joining the primetime lineup this fall are Canadian original docu-series Obsessions, which investigates the sometimes unusual and extraordinary obsessions people can develop, and Walk the Walk a six-part series that explores the relationship between heroes who inspire Canada’s Walk of Fame recipients and the impact that they have had on these heroes.
