CTV Picks Up Two New Drama Series

TORONTO, December 21: Canadian broadcaster CTV has ordered two new, one-hour original drama series—Sniper (working title) and The Listener—with production on both shows to begin in spring 2008.

The two series, consisting of 13 episodes each, were part of CTV’s first foray into pilot production this past summer, marking the first time CTV has ordered pilots as part of its development of new Canadian television series.

The police drama Sniper, starring Enrico Colantoni (Veronica Mars), Hugh Dillon (Durham County) and Whistler’s David Paetkau, tells the story of members of the Strategic Response Unit (SRU), who put their own lives at stake to save others. The show is written and created by Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern, and executive-produced by multiple Gemini Award-winner Anne Marie La Traverse (Hunt for Justice: The Louise Arbour Story, Tripping the Wire) for Pink Sky Entertainment and Bill Mustos for Avamar Entertainment in association with CTV.

The Listener centers on a young paramedic, Toby Logan (Craig Olejnik: In God’s Country), who has the ability to listen to people’s innermost thoughts. Toby must learn to balance his calling as a telepathic sleuth and his regular life as an urban twentysomething. The series was created by Michael Amo (Blessed Stranger: After Flight 111) and the pilot was directed by Clement Virgo (The Wire, Poor Boys Game). The Listener is produced by Shaftesbury Films (producers of CTV’s two highest-rated TV movies: Eight Days to Live and In God’s Country) in association with CTV. The executive producer is Emmy and Gemini Award-winner Christina Jennings (ReGenesis).

These new series add to CTV’s lineup of Canadian programming, which currently includes Corner Gas, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Instant Star, Robson Arms, Canadian Idol, So You Think You Can Dance Canada, Comedy Inc., Comedy Now! and Canada’s original and top-rated entertainment brand, eTalk.

—By Kristin Brzoznowski