CTV unveils mixed-bag fall line-up, with comedies, superheroes, dramas

TORONTO – CTV unveiled a varied fall line-up Thursday, betting that a mixed bag of comedies, superhero series and dark dramas will capture the broadest audience of Canadians.

“The Millers,” starring Beau Bridges and Will Arnett as father and son, will join CTV’s Thursday night comedy block with “The Big Bang Theory,” “Two and a Half Men” and new series “The McCarthys.”

Building on the buzz around comic book series, the Ben McKenzie vehicle “Gotham,” “Marvel’s Agent Carter,” “Forever” and “The Flash” join CTV’s already popular “Arrow” and “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”

“How to Get Away with Murder — a new Shonda Rimes series starring Viola Davis,” the Ryan Phillippe drama “Secrets and Lies,” and fantasy series “Resurrection” round out CTV’s drama offerings including “American Crime.”

Bell Media runs CTV as well as specialty channels The Comedy Network, Bravo and E!. Elizabeth Hurley’s British monarchy comedy “The Royals” will join E!, while “Angie Tribeca,” a spoof of police procedurals created by Steve Carell and his wife Nancy, was added to The Comedy Network’s line-up.

CTV has also ordered a new two-hour “MasterChef Canada” holiday special that will air this winter and has renewed Canadian comedy “Spun Out” for another season.

“Some networks program to women, others to men,” said Phil King, president of CTV, Sports and Entertainment, in a statement. “We’re not the home of comedy, nor the home of drama. CTV is the home of hit television, delivering mass audiences every night of the week, in every timeslot, in every genre.”

CTV also announced that it is teaming up with the Canadian Marketing Association for the Super Bowl Canadian Ad Challenge, a competition designed to elevate Canadian Super Bowl advertising. The winner will receive advertising time during CTV’s broadcast of the Super Bowl.