CTV Greenlights Two More Seasons of CARDINAL, Canada’s Most-Watched Canadian Drama, In Advance of Season 1 Finale Tomorrow, March 1

“CARDINAL is a gripping, superbly made crime drama. At times breathtaking, it is so good it is landmark Canadian TV.” – John Doyle, The Globe and Mail TORONTO (February 28, 2017) – After a breakthrough inaugural season, CTV announced today it has greenlit unprecedented second and third cycles of its hit new dramatic thriller, CARDINAL for broadcast in 2017/18. The order marks the first time CTV has ordered two consecutive seasons of a drama. Produced by Sienna Films and Entertainment One (eOne) in association with CTV, and commissioned for French-language Canadian broadcast by Super Écran, an additional two self-contained cycles, each consisting of six, one-hour episodes, have been ordered. Both series stars, Billy Campbell (THE KILLING) and Karine Vanasse (REVENGE), return for Seasons 2 and 3. Cycles 2 and 3 will be filmed once again in Sudbury and North Bay and will be based on books in the John Cardinal Mysteries series written by Ontario native and award-winning author Giles Blunt. Season 2 will be shot this coming summer and is inspired by the third novel in the series, Black Fly Season. Set to shoot in Fall 2017, Season 3 is inspired by the 4^th and 5^th novels in the series, By the Time You Read This and Crime Machine. As with the first cycle, each additional season will be a self-contained original adaptation inspired by the stories of each novel. Season 1 has been licensed to BBC in the U.K., C More in Scandinavia and Calle 13 in Spain by eOne, and has several active negotiations underway. “In just six episodes CARDINAL has grabbed the attention of viewers and critics alike, cementing its position as the event series of the season and landmark Canadian television,” said Mike Cosentino, Senior Vice-President, CTV and Specialty. “In simultaneously ordering two additional cycles, we are showcasing our high confidence in the creative team, and look forward to launching the next iteration of this intelligent character-driven drama.” “We are really excited by this opportunity to bring additional cycles of CARDINAL to audiences with our amazing partners at CTV, COGECO, and eOne,” said CARDINAL executive producers Julia Sereny and Jennifer Kawaja. “Our outstanding cast, led by the superb talents of Billy Campbell and Karine Vanasse, and fantastic crew and writers are set to delve further into the world of Northern Ontario to bring Giles Blunt’s novels to life.” Since its premiere in January, CARDINAL, a critical and ratings success, has averaged 1.2 million viewers, making it the most-watched new Canadian program of the 2016/17 broadcast season and the country’s most-watched original drama. Across all airings and on CTV and Super Écran, more than 3.6 million unique viewers watch episodes of CARDINAL weekly. Viewers looking to catch all of Season 1 thrills and chills can catch full episodes of CARDINAL on CTV.ca, CTV GO, CraveTV^TM, and on CTV-branded VOD channels. * Media Note ** – Download photos of CARDINAL at BellMedia.ca/PR. Cycle 1 of CARDINAL is adapted from the award-winning novel Forty Words for Sorrow, the first of Giles Blunt’s John Cardinal Mysteries, a series of six, best-selling Canadian crime novels. Starring Billy Campbell as Detective John Cardinal and Karine Vanasse as Detective Lise Delorme, Season 1 of the murder mystery was shot in Sudbury, Ont., North Bay, Ont., Atikameksheng Anishnawbek in Northern Ontario, and Toronto. Cast and crew are set to live tweet throughout tomorrow’s broadcast of CARDINAL, responding to viewer questions live across the country as Season 1 comes to its conclusion. Fans can follow along on Twitter with the handle @Cardinal and hashtag #Cardinal. In the climatic Season 1 finale of CARDINAL entitled “Catherine”, (available tonight as a CraveTV^TM FIRST LOOK, and airing tomorrow at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV and CTV GO), Cardinal realizes that Eric wasn’t working alone. Meanwhile, Delorme must decide what to do when she finally finds the answers she was looking for about Cardinal’s dark past. CARDINAL is produced by Sienna Films and eOne in association with CTV, and commissioned for French-language Canadian broadcast by Super Écran with the financial participation of the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, the Canada Media Fund and the Cogeco Production Program, and with the assistance of the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit. CARDINAL is distributed worldwide by eOne. Executive Producers are Julia Sereny and Jennifer Kawaja (COMBAT HOSPITAL) for Sienna Films. Cycle one is also executive produced by Showrunner Aubrey Nealon, who adapted the series for television, and Director Daniel Grou, aka Podz. For Bell Media, Tom Hastings is Director, Drama, Independent Production; and Corrie Coe is Senior Vice-President, Independent Production. Pat DiVittorio is Vice-President, CTV and Specialty Programming. Mike Cosentino is Senior Vice-President, CTV and Specialty. Randy Lennox is President, Bell Media.