Bell Media’s Returning English and French-Language Original Programming Series Synopses for 2021/22

Returning Series: THE AMAZING RACE CANADA (Season 8) – CTV As previously announced, multiple Canadian Screen Award-winning THE AMAZING RACE CANADA returns for an eighth season on CTV. Hosted by Olympic Gold Medallist Jon Montgomery, the adventure continues as an all-new cast of racers head to the starting line to push themselves out of their comfort zones in a non-stop, action-packed race. Season 7 of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA was the most-watched in four years, with a season average of 1.9 million viewers, earning the title of Canada’s most-watched summer program for a seventh year in-a-row with A25-54. (Insight Productions Ltd.) CANADA’S DRAG RACE (Season 2) – Crave Some of the fiercest queens in the land are set to showcase their Canadian Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve, and Talent as they compete to become Canada’s Next Drag Superstar. Season 2 of CANADA’S DRAG RACE will bring audiences a few surprises and ‘RU-veals’ that have never been done before, while also celebrating the uniqueness of Canada’s drag scene and queer community. Fans will also be treated to RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE-favourites: Snatch Game, Rumails and Untucked. CANADA’S DRAG RACE recently took home five Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Reality/Competition Program or Series. Season 1 was the best-performing Canadian and Crave Original Series in the platform’s history*, the most-watched series on Crave streaming platforms during its entire 10-week run**, and available internationally in more than 160 countries. (Blue Ant Studios, World of Wonder) CORNER GAS ANIMATED (Season 4) – CTV Comedy Channel The Canadian Screen Award-winning series CORNER GAS ANIMATED is back for Season 4 with the return of the beloved ensemble cast starring Brent Butt, Gabrielle Miller, Eric Peterson, Fred Ewanuick, Lorne Cardinal, Tara Spencer-Nairn, Nancy Robertson, and Corrine Koslo. Season 4 includes a soon-to-be announced star-studded line up of guest stars. (335 Productions and Vérité Films) DR. KERI PRAIRIE VET (Season 4) – Animal Planet From massive bulls to tiny kittens, wild foxes to beloved portly pups, the series follows the action-packed life of veterinarian Dr. Keri Hudson Reykdal, whose single-handed practice has her finding animal adventures throughout the northern prairie. Driven by her curiosity and deep dedication to the welfare of animals, she always has something surprising to share in her mobile vet clinic. Season 3 of DR. KERI PRAIRIE VET was a Top 5 series on Animal Planet for Adults 25-54. (Merit Motion Pictures) GUILD GARAGE (Season 6) – Discovery Velocity GUILD GARAGE is all about shop floor drama, gas fueled egos, and millions of dollars at stake in an oil drenched, history soaked, paint splattered garage where the dreams of lofty aficionados, and grease monkey gear-heads meet. Car restoration and customization is a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide and everybody who brings their car to the Guild has the same dream. Whether it’s a million dollar 1948 Delahaye 135M Cabriolet shipped in from Spain or a 1930 Dodge Pickup dragged in from a farm, the Guild of Automotive Restorers are ready to resuscitate or restore. As David Grainger combs the country for the next big project, the Guild face a rough road as they restore, resto-mod, and hotrod – turning rust into gold. (Pixcom Inc.) HEAVY RESCUE: 401 (Season 6) – Discovery Featuring compelling extreme winter wrecks and roadside rescues on Ontario’s notorious 400-series highways, HEAVY RESCUE: 401 tells the stories of heavy recovery operators who fight to clear wrecks, flip trucks, and keep drivers moving. Close to half-a-million vehicles travel these highways every day, requiring government and police forces to depend on the experienced men and women of Canada’s towing industry – ready to work just inches from open lanes and speeding traffic – when disaster strikes. Season 5 of HEAVY RESCUE: 401 was amongst the Top 10 series on Discovery for A25-54 this broadcast year. (Great Pacific Media) HIGHWAY THRU HELL (Season 10) – Discovery Featuring stories of remarkable strength and fearless dedication, the series chronicles the lives of heroic rescue teams who often put their own lives at risk to help keep vital transport highways open and communities safe. Dropping everything to respond, it is their duty to remove the often-dangerous cargo, clean up the twisted metal, clear the road, and get traffic rolling again for thousands of drivers. The latest season of HIGHWAY THRU HELL is a Top 3 Canadian series across all Entertainment Specialty networks this broadcast year to date in the key A25-54 demo. (Great Pacific Media) JANN (Season 3) – CTV Starring multi-platinum award-winning Canadian singer, songwriter, broadcaster, and author Jann Arden as a fictionalized version of herself, Season 3 of JANN is a period of new beginnings as Jann takes her life, career, and relationships into her own hands. She hires a personal assistant, commits to making a new album from the heart, and, after her girlfriend refused her marriage proposal, starts dating someone new…a younger man. Joining the cast in leading roles this season are Canadian actors Tenaj Williams (BIG SKY, WYNONNA EARP) and Charlie Kerr (SUPERNATURAL, THE MAGICIANS). GRAMMY^® Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter Michael Bublé guest stars as himself. Nominated for three Canadian Screen Awards in 2020 including Best Comedy Series, JANN continues to be led in Season 3 by EMMY^® Award-winning producer Andrew Barnsley (SCHITT’S CREEK); President of Project 10, Ben Murray; and Playback’s “Production Company of the Year”, Tom Cox and Jordy Randall of SEVEN24 Films (HEARTLAND, WYNONNA EARP). Season 3 is directed by Ron Murphy. JANN Co-creators are Jann Arden, Jennica Harper and Leah Gauthier. Jann Arden and showrunner Jennica Harper are the recipients of a Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Award for Best Comedy Series. (Project 10 Productions and SEVEN24 Films) LETTERKENNY (Season 10 & 11) – Crave Production is currently under way on back-to-back seasons of the multiple award-winning international sensation, LETTERKENNY. Starring Jared Keeso and produced by New Metric Media, the critically acclaimed half-hour, small-town comedy revolves around the dustups Wayne (Keeso) and his buds get into with their small-town rivals. The Hicks, The Skids, and The Hockey Players get at each other about the most mundane things, often ending with someone getting their ass kicked. (New Metric Media) MADAME LEBRUN (Season 5) – Crave MADAME LEBRUN returns for a fifth season. Surrounded by her family and friends, Germaine (Benoît Brière) once again serves up laughs and surprises with the help of some guest stars. Coming up in the fifth season: a fresh twist on some travel destinations, a camping trip, and a challenging drawing class. (1R2D) MUD MOUNTAIN HAULERS (Season 2) – Discovery This docu-series follows Craig LeBeau and his three-generation LeBeau Bros. family logging business through the steepest, muddiest conditions in North America. They face blizzards, machine breakdowns, mountain-side roll-overs, all while in a race to beat the hellacious mud of spring breakup. The crew must work steeper, higher, and more treacherous terrain than others dare. The debut season of MUD MOUNTAIN HAULERS is the #3 Canadian program on Discovery for Adults 25-54 this broadcast year. (Great Pacific Media) THE STAND-UP SHOW WITH JON DORE (Season 2) – CTV Comedy Channel Premieres Monday, July 19 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT Filmed last fall in Toronto at the Crow’s Nest Theatre, in front of a socially distant audience, Jon Dore returns for a second season of THE STAND-UP SHOW WITH JON DORE, featuring a lineup of the hottest up-and-coming talents in Canadian comedy alongside tried-and-true vets of the craft. (Just For Laughs and Counterfeit Pictures) TRANSPLANT (Season 2) – CTV The most-watched Canadian series in 2019-20, and winner of the Canadian Screen Award for Best Drama Series and Best Lead Actor, Drama Series (Hamza Haq), TRANSPLANT continues the story of Dr. Bashir “Bash” Hamed (Hamza Haq, My Salinger Year), a talented doctor and Syrian refugee who fled to Canada with his younger sister, and earned a second chance to practice Emergency Medicine at York Memorial Hospital in Toronto. This season picks up almost immediately where Season 1 left off, with Bash and his fellow residents reeling after the hospital’s Chief of Emergency Medicine, Dr. Jed Bishop (John Hannah, MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.), suffered a possible stroke. With life at the hospital destabilized, the place Bash was starting to consider home suddenly feels precarious. As the team at York Memorial welcomes new colleagues while managing the challenges of family life, unexpected faces from the past leave Bash seriously doubting whether or not his ‘transplant’ into this new world was successful. Bash’s hard work, compassion, and hopefulness tell a universal story about the human ability to not only survive, but ultimately thrive, within new circumstances. TRANSPLANT also stars Laurence Leboeuf (19-2), Ayisha Issa (Polar), and Jim Watson (DESIGNATED SURVIVOR). (Sphere Media in association with CTV and NBCUniversal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group)   French-Language Returning Series: CLASH (Season 3) – VRAK Fabienne Larouche and Michel Trudeau’s slice-of-life drama is back for its third and final season. Everyone has been impacted by the shooting, and what happened to Robin has not put anyone at ease. David has shut himself off. Christophe is struggling to deal with Arielle’s reaction. Sophie and Vincent are a constant reminder to Jasmine about what’s left of her relationship with Robin. (Aetios Productions) CONTRE-OFFRE (Season 2) – Noovo The real estate-themed comedy is back. Quebecers have truly taken a shine to Team Lévesque, and this time around the real estate agents confront issues that throw their personal lives into upheaval. (PIXCOM) CORDE RAIDE (Season 2) – Z Christine Morency is back to host the series which topped the rankings of the most-watched productions on Z in Fall 2020. Three comedians present a routine on a provocative issue while bearing in mind the potentially sensitive nature of the topic for the audience. Each performance is followed by a discussion between the comedian and a panel of people affected by the chosen subject matter. Featuring Olivier Martineau, Sylvain Larocque, Korine Côté, Katherine Levac, Mélanie Couture, and the duo Dominic et Martin, among others. (Juste pour rire TV) ENTRE DEUX DRAPS (Season 2) – Noovo Back for its second season, this comedy obtained an audience of 511,000 viewers (P2+) last winter—a performance that earned its fourth spot among Noovo’s most-watched shows of the season. This raw, captivating production explores every aspect of relationships in the intimacy of the bedroom, one of the only places where you can truly be yourself. (KOTV) L’AMOUR EST DANS LE PRÉ (Season 10) – Noovo The reality TV show featuring the most beautiful love stories is back with Katherine Levac hosting. Last winter, in its ninth season, the show ranked Top 3 on the channel. The original concept by Fremantle, THE FARMER WANTS A WIFE, has proven to be a huge success in 32 markets around the world. (Attraction Images) LA FAMILLE EST DANS LE PRÉ (Season 2) – Canal Vie This fly-on-the-wall documentary series catches up with couples from L’AMOUR EST DANS LE PRÉ, whose stories, sincerity and, in some cases, candour made a strong impression on viewers. Last fall, it was the third-most watched show on the channel (P2+). (Attraction Images) LA FAMILLE GROULX (Season 5) – Canal Vie The most popular show on Canal Vie, with an average audience of 219,000 viewers (P2+) in fall 2020, is returning for its fifth season. Tara and Pascal are over the moon as they expect their 12th child. Meanwhile, Pascal is thinking of going into business and the family undertakes major home renovations. There’s never a dull moment in the Groulx household! (Sphère Média) LE PROCHAIN STAND-UP (Season 2) – Noovo Following its first season, which saw Simon Delisle crowned as champion, this comedy competition is back with Marie-Lyne Joncas hosting. Mariana Mazza, Louis Morissette and PA Méthot continue to serve as the judges. Facing off against each other, 36 aspiring comics try to make their mark and convince the judges they deserve to be there. The winner’s prize includes the opportunity to perform their first show during the 2022 edition of the Festival Juste pour rire (Just For Laughs Festival / Juste pour rire TV) LA SEMAINE DES 4 JULIE (Season 3) – Noovo On this talk show, anything goes! Returning for a third season, Julie Snyder serves up interviews, performances, reports, surprises, games, and contests, with the help of 20 or so contributors. She gets up close and personal with celebrities from cultural, sports, and political worlds, always in an entertaining way. OCCUPATION DOUBLE DANS L’OUEST (Season 15) – Noovo Quebec’s reality TV phenomenon is back for its 15th season, with Jay Du Temple hosting the show for the fifth year in a row. This season, 18 to 35-year-old Quebecers in search of love pack their bags for Western Canada. Last fall, the Sunday gala obtained an average audience of 672,000 viewers, while the regular weekday show was watched by an average audience of 541,000 viewers. (Productions ToRoS) POUR TOUJOURS, PLUS UN JOUR (Season 2) – Crave Crave’s first original production in French is back for a second season. After setting out to travel around the world, Chuck and Delphine return home suddenly due to an unexpected recurrence of his illness. The couple cope with various setbacks while demonstrating their resilience and above all, their ability to enjoy life no matter what. The series earned seven nominations at the 2020 Gémeaux Awards gala. Starring Pier-Luc Funk, who won an award in the Youth Program Artist category at the most recent Artis gala, and Catherine Brunet. (Passez Go) SUR LES TRACES D’UN TUEUR EN SÉRIE (Season 2) – Canal D After analyzing 20 new cases, the team goes back into action in the second season, doggedly asking questions and following up on the most promising leads, still working on the theory that a serial killer may have been behind some of the murders. (Attraction Images) TOUS POUR UN CHALET (Season 4) – Canal Vie Quebec’s biggest construction competition is back in business with host Mathieu Baron and two expert judges Félix Ménard and Emilie Cerretti. In the fourth season, participating pairs set about building the biggest chalet in the show’s history. At the end, one pair will become the owner of a chalet worth $500,000. Since it made its debut, the series has always been among the Top 5 most-watched shows on Canal Vie. (Zone3) UN SOUPER PRESQUE PARFAIT (Season 12) – Noovo There is a big change for Season 12: André Ducharme is handing over the narration duties to Antoine Vézina. The concept remains the same: five strangers take turns hosting each other for a friendly meal and an evening of entertainment. The one who proves to be the best host takes home top honours. (Zone3)   Bell Media Studios ETALK (Season 20) – CTV ETALK hits major milestones this September celebrating 20 seasons and 11 years as Canada’s #1 entertainment news show. The team pulls out all the stops to mark this special season. ETALK airs weekdays at 7 p.m. ET. THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW (Season 12) – CTV The Canadian Screen Award-winning talk show THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW continues to deliver entertaining and engaging lifestyle content with the help of dynamic experts in fashion, food, finance, home and health, with major Canadian and international star power. THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW airs weekdays at 10 a.m. ET. THE SOCIAL (Season 9) – CTV Canadian Screen Award-winning, and #1 Canadian daily lifestyle series, THE SOCIAL continues to bring a fresh, daily perspective on the up-to-the-minute news, pop culture, and lifestyle topics that matter most to Canadians in a socially interactive format. Viewers join in on the conversation every weekday at 1 p.m. ET. YOUR MORNING (Season 6) – CTV YOUR MORNING, the #1 Canadian national morning show covers a wide variety of topics and all the information needed to start the day. YOUR MORNING airs weekdays from 6-9 a.m. ET, delivering the latest news and weather from coast to coast to coast and around the world, and for fascinating conversations with the people shaping daily conversations.   *Source: Adobe Analytics, Rank as of 12/3/2020; based on first seven-day streams season average. **Source: Adobe Analytics, Canada’s Drag Race 10-week run (7/2/2020-9/9/2020), Subscribers Watched on Crave Website & Apps. ***Source: Numeris, QC Franco, BYTD 20-21 (Aug. 31, 2020, to April 11, 2021), Fall 2020 (Sept. 14 to Dec. 13), Winter 2021 (Jan. 11 to April 11), comparison vs. equivalent weeks in preceding years, 3 broadcasts or more for conventional channels, all broadcasts for specialty entertainment channels, Reach among P2+, Average viewing minutes among A25-54, Market shares based on all commercial stations to date, A25-54, Mon-Sun 2 a.m. – 2 a.m. / Peak: Mon-Sun 6 p.m. – 11 p.m.