Corus Entertainment Announces Biggest Slate Of Specialty Programming Ever

By Brent Furdyk.

Get ready for some serious TV watching come fall, now that Corus Entertainment has unveiled its most ambitious slate of specialty channel series to date.

Corus remains home of Peacock originals, including such highly anticipated upcoming series as true-crime thriller “Dr. Death” Emmy Rossum’s “Angelyne”, the reimagined “Fresh Prince” reboot “Bel AIr” and the “Tiger King”-inspired “Joe Exotic”, set to air across Corus Entertainment’s powerful suite of specialty networks and platforms.

“Corus is positioned to deliver one of the most sought-after lineups of must-see TV this year with our biggest slate of specialty series ever, all backed by the biggest names in Hollywood in front of and behind the camera,” said Daniel Eves, Corus’ senior vice president of networks. “Thanks in large part to firmly established relationships with our U.S. partners, we’re proud to unveil an unmatched offering of new and returning hits across the spectrum of scripted and unscripted entertainment.”

SCRIPTED DRAMA & COMEDY

As the Canadian home of marquee Peacock Original series in English Canada, the following can’t-miss content packed with major star power will land on Corus’ top drama networks, W Network and Showcase, in addition to STACKTV and the Global TV App with full series, long-term stacking rights.

This fall, high-octane action comedy “MacGruber” debuts, starring and executive produced by Will Forte, as well as “Dr. Death”, inspired by the terrifying true story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch and starring Canadian actor Joshua Jackson, Grace Gummer, AnnaSophia Robb with Christian Slater and Alec Baldwin.

RELATED: Corus Announces New Series Coming To Its Specialty Channels For 2021-22 TV Season

From page to screen, two series based on best-selling novels join the lineup including “Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol”, based on the third novel in the Da Vinci Code series, and “One of Us is Lying”, based on the novel of the same title by Karen M. McManus, which tells the story about five high schoolers who walk into detention and only four make it out alive.

Corus specialty also adds new titles with fresh takes on iconic series and retellings of true stories with “Bel-Air”, a dramatic and timely update of the ’90s sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” with a notable executive producer team of Will Smith, Terence Carter, James Lassiter, Miguel Melendez, Quincy Jones, Benny Medina, and Andy and Susan Borowitz.

Also confirmed to premiere is “Angelyne”, starring Emmy Rossum, about the enigmatic billboard queen who was famous for being famous long before the rise of reality TV celebrities and social media influencers.

Additional series include a vibrant reimagining of pioneering LGBTQ+ series “Queer as Folk”; ensemble comedy “Bust Down”, executive produced by Lorne Michaels; and a third movie from the mystery-comedy franchise “Pysch”, titled “Psych 3: This is Gus”.

W Network and Showcase attract even more drama with new attention-getting pickups such as the slasher series “Chucky” starring Jennifer Tilly, then “4400”, a sci-fi drama based on the original TV series, which follows the story of 4,400 overlooked, undervalued, or otherwise marginalized people who vanished without a trace and inexplicably, were all returned in an instant to Detroit, MI. New DC drama “Naomi” from Ava DuVernay follows a teen girl’s journey from her small northwestern town to the heights of the Multiverse.

More information, along with network and streaming details for these highly-anticipated series, will be announced at a later date.

RELATED: Global Announces New And Returning Shows Including Global Original ‘Family Law’, ‘CSI: Vegas’ And ‘New Amsterdam’

This fall, Adult Swim ushers in brand new animated series “Teenage Euthanasia”, centring around the Fantasy family and their inland Florida funeral home, Tender Endings, and “Smiling Friends”, an animated take on self-help, in which Smiling Friends Inc. is there to lend a helping hand to any city inhabitant who calls their hotline with their troubling situation. “Blade Runner: Black Lotus”, an anime series set in the world of the Blade Runner film franchise, is also set to premiere this fall.

UNSCRIPTED AND REALITY

The full slate of Peacock Original unscripted and reality titles will also premiere on Corus-owned networks, including the eagerly anticipated “Real Housewives Mash-Up”, which whisks away an all-star franchise cast from their respective cities to a fabulous locale where fireworks will surely ignite. Reality TV lovers can also look forward to “The Real Housewives of Miami” (in development), the addition of “Below Deck: Down Under”, showcasing the upstairs/downstairs of an Australian-based super-yacht, and “Ex Rated with Andy Cohen”, a no-holds-barred series aimed at empowering singles with insight on how they can improve their romantic experiences.

Foodies can look forward to two delicious new series sure to tickle their taste buds. “Top Chef Family Style” showcases exceptionally talented young chefs teaming up with an adult family member partner to compete for a chance to be crowned champions. Grammy-winning global powerhouse Meghan Trainor will host the series and serve as a judge alongside acclaimed chef winner and best-selling cookbook author Marcus Samuelsson and a list of surprising and iconic guest judges. Come the holiday season, event series “Baking It” from executive producer Amy Poehler will kick off with teams of two talented home bakers competing with their most delectable savoury and sweet edible creations.

Food Network Canada, the nation’s authority for masterful cuisine content, sees a jam-packed lineup of new and returning programming featuring famous faces, respected culinary icons and heart-racing competition series. Viewers can look forward to extensions of their favourite franchises “Buddy vs. Duff: Baker Battle”, starring the teams of the kings of cake Buddy Valastro and Duff Goldman, and “The Great Food Truck Race: All Stars”, which sees seven winning alumni teams return for an action-packed culinary journey to decide which truck is the ultimate champion, hosted by Tyler Florence. Later this fall, baked-goods lovers are treated to the most wonderful time of the year with a slate of spellbinding Halloween titles including “Halloween Baking Championship”, a new season of “Halloween Wars” and a fresh slate of festive holiday content to come. .

HGTV Canada moves into the fall with brand new programming set to satisfy every style. “Home Town” duo Ben and Erin Napier extend their franchise with a spectacular whole-town makeover in “Home Town Takeover”. The six-episode event series will showcase 12 major renovations all over Wetumpka, Ala., including restaurants, shops, historic homes, public spaces, a new farmers’ market — and even an entire downtown street — with the goal that the impact will ripple through the community for generations to come. Then, the network introduces the Charleston, South Carolina-based series “Breaking Bland”, with new designer Mary Welch Stasik, who breaks all design boundaries and encourages clients to eschew traditional looks to create a truly personalized space. Also debuting is “Curb Appeal Xtreme”, following a talented trio of design experts as they dramatically overhaul the front and backyards of homes in Nashville, Tenn., creating breathtaking outdoor living spaces.

Bringing history to life with expert storytelling, compelling characters, and dramatic recreations, History sets a legendary lineup for the upcoming season. Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman joins the network in “Great Escapes with Morgan Freeman”, and reveals in detail history’s greatest convict escapes from some of the most notorious prisons in the world. Additional new History series include “Machines That Built America”, “Modern Marvels: Machines” and “Man vs. History”, where acclaimed storyteller and local historian Bil Lepp discovers the truth behind mysteries and legends of American history.

Slice kicks off fall with “Summer House: Winter Charm”. Featuring a popular cast of members from “Summer House” and “Southern Charm”, as well as their friends, the series follows their adventures during a two-week vacation at a ski house in Vermont. Come early 2022, new series “Below Deck Adventure” joins the slate, seeing wealthy thrill-seekers on the mega-yacht trip of a lifetime experiencing thrilling adventures and daredevil activities all against some of the world’s most beautiful backdrops.

More information about the Corus fall specialty lineup can be found here.

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Summer TV Preview 2021



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