E1 Drama Scores CBS Slot

LOS ANGELES/TORONTO: The E1 Entertainment production The Bridge for CTV has been picked up for broadcast by CBS, becoming the third Canadian drama to recently secure a U.S. network slot.

CTV ordered The Bridge in November and shared the pilot with CBS, which has already fared well with another CTV commission, Flashpoint. The pilot, in development since 2005, was shot as a two-hour TV movie in Toronto last summer. It is inspired by the insights of former Toronto police union head Craig Bromell. CBS has billed the show as a "procedural drama through the unique lens of a charismatic and dynamic union leader who is battling criminals on the street and fighting his own bosses, and sometimes corruption in the ranks, to protect his fellow officers." The cast includes Aaron Douglas as outspoken union head Frank Leo; Paul Popowich as Frank’s partner and confidante Tommy Dunn; as well as Inga Cadranel, Frank Cassini, Theresa Joy and Ona Grauer, among others. E1 Entertainment begins production in the spring, and E1 Television International will handle worldwide distribution.

CBS has licensed 13 episodes from E1 for launch next season. Nancy Tellem, the president of CBS Paramount Network Television Entertainment Group, noted: "Nina (Tassler) and David (Stapf) both consider The Bridge a high-quality, compelling drama that fits with the network’s line-up and the studio’s roster, respectively. And, we all look forward to working again with our creative partners at CTV. Together, we’ve already launched an exciting new show and a successful new model to deliver programming to the North American market."

Susanne Boyce, the president of creative, content and channels at CTV, commented: “Craig Bromell and Alan Di Fiore and their teams at E1 and 990 have done a beautiful job in creating a distinct and authentic view of life behind the scenes of a modern police force.”

"This marks E1 Entertainment’s first drama series for CBS and continues a long and successful relationship with CTV," said John Morayniss, the CEO of E1 Television. "We’re thrilled to be working with our partners at 990 Multi Media Entertainment Company and look forward to representing the series internationally and bringing it to audiences worldwide."