CORNER GAS: THE MOVIE Makes Super-Simulcast Network Premiere Dec. 17 on CTV and CTV Two

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TORONTO (November 17, 2014) – Ten years after the debut of one of Canadian television’s most beloved comedy series, CORNER GAS returns to CTV Dec. 17, it was announced today. CORNER GAS: THE MOVIE makes its super-simulcast network premiere just in time for the holidays on Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV Two, and CTV GO. In the not-to-be-missed two-hour film, the fine folks of Dog River, Saskatchewan return home to the network that made them household names as they face their biggest crisis ever. CORNER GAS returns to CTV following its series finale on April 13, 2009 when more than 3 million viewers said goodbye to the hit comedy – five years later, still the largest audience on record for a Canadian scripted series.

Leading up to the network premiere of the movie is an all-new ETALK preview special, ETALK PRESENTS CORNER GAS: THE MOVIE, premiering Friday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. ET/PT on CTV and CTV GO. And if that isn’t enough to fill the tanks of viewers craving more “Gas”, CORNER GAS: THE MOVIE debuts Monday, Dec. 22 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The Comedy Network, following an all-day marathon of fan favourite episodes, starting at 6 a.m. ET. A special sneak peek of the movie is also airing on The Movie Network Monday, Dec. 8 at 9 p.m. ET.  

** Media Note ** – Download photography for CORNER GAS: THE MOVIE at BellMediaPR.ca and click on the link to view the TRAILER.

The cast of CORNER GAS: THE MOVIE from L to R: Tara Spencer-Nairn, Lorne Cardinal, Brent Butt, Fred Ewanuick, Gabrielle Miller, Nancy Robertson, Eric Peterson, and Janet Wright     

 “CORNER GAS holds a very special place in our hearts, both at CTV and The Comedy Network, and with the loyal and passionate fans who followed the series for six remarkable seasons,” said Phil King, President – CTV, Sports, an?d Entertainment Programming. “Released on multiple screens just before the holidays, CORNER GAS: THE MOVIE is a tremendous thank you to viewers who made the hit comedy one of the most successful Canadian TV series ever.”

“We can’t wait to share this special movie with our fans on our 10^th anniversary,” said Virginia Thompson, Executive Producer. “Our goal was to give Canadians an opportunity to be part of this film. The response has been overwhelming.  It’s been a tremendous experience.”

In anticipation of CORNER GAS: THE MOVIE, a look back at where we left the Dog River gang in the series finale episode and what’s ahead in the new feature film, hitting theatres December 3.

Series Finale, “You’ve Been Great, Goodnight!” (April 13, 2009)

The CORNER GAS series finale will be available on CTV GO before the movie premieres in theatres on Dec. 3.

• Brent (Brent Butt) has the gang wondering where he’s sneaking off to every Wednesday night. Is he a double spy? Does he have a girlfriend? Eventually, they find out he’s pursuing a lifelong dream of doing stand-up comedy and is offered a chance to go on a national tour. Fearing this shot at stardom might lead to a permanent move to Toronto, the gang have mixed emotions. In the end, Brent surprises everyone by announcing he’s not leaving.
• No Laughing Matter: Lacey (Gabrielle Miller) gets caught up in all the rumours. Hank: “It’s like Brent’s got this whole other life. I mean he’s a stand-up comedian. He’s got a girlfriend…” Lacey: “There is no girl!” Hank: “Let it go Lacey – you had your chance.”
• “Jackass” Count: 1. Oscar (Eric Peterson) calls almost everyone a “jackass” at least once. No surprise, Oscar’s still his usual self right to the very end. His series average is just over one “jackass” mention per episode.
• Barry Kennedy guest stars as Kelly, owner of the Chuckle Bar, where Brent would sneak off to every Wednesday night. During the entire six-season run, over 60 guest stars appeared in the series, including actors Kiefer Sutherland and Gordon Pinsent, musicians Michael Bublé, The Tragically Hip, and Jann Arden, and two prime ministers.    
• Quips and Quotes: Hank (Fred Ewanuick; at The Ruby): “Hey… Can I get a skinny frap?” Lacey: “I don’t do skinny fraps.” Hank: “How about a venti mocha-chatti?” Lacey: “I don’t do made up drinks either.” Hank: “Just coffee then…” Wanda (Nancy Robertson): “Brent hasn’t had a date since grade 11. He’s saving himself for Catwoman.”

CORNER GAS: THE MOVIE (Dec. 17 on CTV, CTV Two, and CTV GO)

• An Even Bigger No Laughing Matter: Brent and the gang discover that the town’s been badly mismanaged, leaving residents with little choice but to pack up and leave.
• “Jackass” Count: 1. Same old Oscar that fans know and love.
• Guest Stars: Graham Greene (The Green Mile, Dances with Wolves), Don Lake (LIFE WITH BONNIE, Waiting for Guffman), Jon Montgomery (Host of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, Olympic gold medal champion), Reagan Pasternak (BEING ERICA, Welcome to Mooseport), Will Sasso (MADtv, Best in Show), Darren “Dutchy” Dutchyshen (TSN SPORTSCENTRE), Jay Onrait (FOX SPORTS LIVE), and Dan O’Toole (FOX SPORTS LIVE).
• Quips and Quotes: Karen (Tara Spencer-Nairn; shoots a sponge arrow at Davis): “Okay, three, two fire!” Davis (Lorne Cardinal): “You were too low. You didn’t allow for droppage”. Karen: “Droppage?” Davis: “Droppage. Gravity. Whatever.” Karen: “Yeah, I think gravity was the one that caught on.” Brent and Lacy at a town hall meeting: Brent: “Okay, let’s just all pipe down alright. Don’t draw attention. No questions, no comments, everyone just zip up and lay low so this thing can wrap up A-SAP.” Lacey: “A-SAP? What, are you from the 80s?” Brent: “My formative years, yes.”
• Fun Facts:
  • Many of the background players in CORNER GAS: THE MOVIE are actually avid fans of the TV series. They got the opportunity to be in the movie thanks to the CORNER GAS Kickstarter campaign. The full list of Kickstarter Backers appears in the special end credits in movie theatres, Dec. 3 to 7.
  • The interior of the Foo Mart is never revealed in the TV series. In the movie, viewers will finally get a glimpse inside the Foo Mart and meet the owner for the first time.
  • Since the series went off the air in 2009, the CORNER GAS sign has been residing inside CTV’s Queen St. head offices in Toronto. It was specially packaged and travelled 5,346 km (round trip) to be seen again in the movie.
  • The words “Dog River” were painted on the side of the grain elevator in Rouleau, SK, years ago during shooting of the TV show and they remain there to this day. The grain elevator can be seen in the background of scenes shot at the gas station in both the movie and the series.
  • If you make a special request, the Post Office in Rouleau, SK, will stamp your postcard with a Dog River cancellation stamp.

Before CORNER GAS returns to its familiar home on CTV, CORNER GAS: THE MOVIE is set to open Dec. 3 to 7, 2014 at select Cineplex and Landmark theatres across the country with a new, exclusive, in-theatre experience for moviegoers. Tickets for the Cineplex Front Row Centre Event go on sale Nov. 14 at 5 p.m. ET. Fans can visit cornergasthemovie.com to purchase tickets or check local theatre listings.

Headlined by creator and comedian Brent Butt, CORNER GAS THE MOVIE stars the original award-winning ensemble cast including Gabrielle Miller, Eric Peterson, Fred Ewanuick, Janet Wright, Lorne Cardinal, Tara Spencer-Nairn, and Nancy Robertson. Written by Brent Butt, Andrew Carr, and Andrew Wreggitt, and directed by David Storey, who served as key director on the series, the movie was shot in Saskatchewan from June 22 to July 22, 2014.

About CORNER GAS

CORNER GAS the television series was originally developed by Brent Butt, Mark Farrell, David Storey, and Virginia Thompson for CTV and The Comedy Network. It premiered January 22, 2004 on CTV with 1.15 million viewers and was a runaway hit. Dog River soon became a favourite Canadian television destination. During its entire six-season run, CORNER GAS was the #1 Canadian sitcom in Canada, maintaining an impressive average audience of 1.4 million viewers over its 107-episode run. The series finale made television history when a record-breaking 3.02 million viewers tuned into the series finale on April 13, 2009. It was a new audience high for CORNER GAS and is still the largest audience on record for a Canadian scripted television series.

The series received over 80 nominations for numerous awards, including an International Emmy nomination. It won seven Gemini Awards including Best Comedy and Best Comedy Ensemble, as well as nine Canadian Comedy Awards, four Writers Guild of Canada Awards, three Directors Guild of Canada Awards and 12 Leos.

It aired in over two dozen countries worldwide and became a Canadian cultural phenomenon, spawning two chart-topping books, sold-out comedy tours, a successful line of clothing and merchandise, a top-selling series of DVDs, a Christmas special and song, dozens of notable guest stars, including two Prime Ministers and a thriving tourist industry in Rouleau, Saskatchewan, where CORNER GAS was filmed on location.

CORNER GAS THE MOVIE is an inter-provincial co-production produced by Corner Gas The Movie (ON) Inc. and Corner Gas The Movie (SK) Inc. in association with Bell Media, Telefilm Canada, Cineplex Entertainment, Tourism Saskatchewan, Creative Saskatchewan, the Canada Media Fund, the Bell Fund, Cogeco and Prairie Pants Distribution Inc. CORNER GAS is distributed worldwide by Prairie Pants Distribution Inc. The Collectors DVD will be distributed across Canada by Video Services Corp. (VSC)

WEBSITE:
cornergasthemovie.com

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Twitter:

@CTV_Television

@CTV_PR
@CornerGas

#CornerGasMovie

@VirginiaTV – Virginia Thompson

@BrentButt – Brent Butt
@MillerGabrielle – Gabrielle Miller

@FredEwanuick – Fred Ewanuick

@janetwstorm – Janet Wright

@LorneCardinal – Lorne Cardinal

@TSpencerNairn – Tara Spencer Nairn

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ctv
Facebook.com/cornergasthemovie

Instagram:

Brent Butt

About Bell Media Independent Production

Bell Media has commissioned some of Canada’s most-watched and most-acclaimed original programming, working with the best Canadian independent producers in the country. Hit CTV series include ratings success stories SAVING HOPE, THE LISTENER, MOTIVE, and THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, the record-breaking, Canadian-produced complementary version of the hit international series. New to CTV in 2014 are hit international format MASTERCHEF CANADA and multi-cam office comedy SPUN OUT, one of the most-watched new comedies of the season. Among the scripted series on Bell Media pay and specialty channels are the three-time Emmy®-nominated hit DEGRASSI, the internationally acclaimed ORPHAN BLACK, the most-watched original series in Space history BITTEN, Bravo’s most-watched new drama 19-2, TRANSPORTER – THE SERIES, dramedy SENSITIVE SKIN, and the upcoming KILLJOYS. Bell Media specialty channels are also home to hit factual series HIGHWAY THRU HELL and CANADA’S WORST DRIVER, among others.

About CTV
CTV is Canada’s #1 private broadcaster. Featuring a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming, CTV has been Canada’s most-watched television network for the past 13 years in a row. CTV is a division of Bell Media, Canada’s premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, digital, and Out-of-Home. Bell Media is owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada’s largest communications company. More information about CTV can be found on the network’s website at CTV.ca.

– CTV –

Source: Numeris (formerly BBM Canada)

CTV electronic audience databases incorporate data beginning in 1994.

Audience prior to August 31, 2009 based on BBM Nielsen Media Research Mark II meters.

For more information, please contact:
Jim Quan, CTV Networks, 416.384.5311 or jim.quan@bellmedia.ca

Jacqui VanSickle, CTV Networks, 416.384.5091 or jacqui.vansickle@bellmedia.ca 

Juli Strader, Touchwood PR, 416-823-7233 or juli@touchwoodpr.com 
Margaret Sirotich, Unit Publicity, 647.466.1746 or msirotich@sympatico.ca