New CTV Original Comedy MARK MCKINNEY NEEDS A HOBBY Premieres October 2

– Actor, comedian, and writer Mark McKinney (THE KIDS IN THE HALL, SUPERSTORE) ventures across North America as he explores various pastimes to find the one true hobby that he can claim as his own –
– From birding and fly fishing to puppetry and hockey-playing robots, the inaugural season follows McKinney across North America as he tries new hobbies and discovers amazing new communities along the way –

TORONTO (September 16, 2024) – Good laughs and great adventures are in store, as the previously announced inaugural season of CTV Original comedy docuseries MARK MCKINNEY NEEDS A HOBBY airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT, beginning Oct. 2 on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app. Filmed across Canada and the United States, Season 1 consists of 10, half-hour, episodes. The series follows actor, comedian, and writer Mark McKinney (SUPERSTORE, THE KIDS IN THE HALL) as he embarks on an epic quest to answer one of the most pressing questions of the 2020’s – who are we when we are not working? MARK MCKINNEY NEEDS A HOBBY is produced by Sphere Media in association with CTV, and created by Kim Bondi, Mark McKinney, Rob Sheridan (2 BROKE GIRLS, CORNER GAS), and directed by Nick McKinney (INSOMNIAC, THE DAILY SHOW). This season, McKinney travels throughout North America meeting the most impassioned everyday hobbyists and the communities of like-minded obsessives who nurture them, all in a quest to find the one true hobby he can claim for himself. The inaugural season also features special guests, including comedians Margaret Cho and Deb DiGiovanni, Canadian singing legend Billy Newton-Davis, SUPERSTORE’s Ben Feldman, Maria Vacratsis of the My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Mama Mia! franchises, CANADA’S DRAG RACE regular and choreographer Hollywood Jade, noted columnist and food critic James Chatto, and professional Muppet puppeteer Trish Leeper (FRAGGLE ROCK, SESAME STREET). On the series premiere of MARK MCKINNEY NEEDS A HOBBY, “Birding” (Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app), McKinney travels to the Canadian shores of Lake Erie to learn everything there is to know about birding and birdwatching. Over the course of his visit, he embarks on a journey to the Long Point Nature Preserve, tags and releases birds at a Birds Canada outpost, and accompanies his host to a tattoo parlor where birding memories aren’t just made, but painfully memorialized. Each episode of MARK MCKINNEY NEEDS A HOBBY is also available to stream on Crave every Thursday, beginning Oct. 3. This season, viewers follow McKinney as he explores hobbies such as historical re-enactment, barbershop quartet singing, puppetry, watersports, robots, collecting memorabilia, fly fishing, dancing, and cooking. About Mark McKinney Mark McKinney has performed in, written, and produced some of the most beloved comedy television in North America. As co-creator, writer, and ensemble cast member of THE KIDS IN THE HALL, he was nominated for three Emmy^® Awards and multiple Gemini Awards, including Best Writing and Best Performance. McKinney followed the success of his series with three seasons as both a principal cast member and staff writer on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, and, most recently, starred, and directed on the hit sitcom, SUPERSTORE. MARK MCKINNEY NEEDS A HOBBY is produced by Sphere Media in association with CTV. Mark McKinney, Bruno Dubé, Marlo Miazga, Kim Bondi, Rob Sheridan, and Corinna Lehr are Executive Producers. Kim Creelman is Series Producer, and Nick McKinney is Creative Producer. For Bell Media, Heather Williamson as Sr. Development Executive, Original Programming; Rachel Goldstein-Couto is Head of Development, Original Programming; Rachel Ferguson is Production Executive, Original Programming; Sarah Fowlie is Head of Production, Original Programming; Carlyn Klebuc is General Manager, Original Programming; Justin Stockman is Vice-President, Content Development & Programming, Bell Media. Stewart Johnston is Senior Vice-President, Content & Sales, Bell Media. Bell Media Distribution is the international rights holder for MARK MCKINNEY NEEDS A HOBBY.

About Bell Media Original Programming
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 series commissioned by CTV include #1 Canadian drama TRANSPLANT; record-breaking Canadian format THE AMAZING RACE CANADA; comedy series CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING; dramas SULLIVAN’S CROSSING and SIGHT UNSEEN; competition series THE TRAITORS CANADA; and the unscripted dating series FARMING FOR LOVE. Among the original series on Bell Media specialty and streaming platforms are CTV Life Channel’s culinary series MARY MAKES IT EASY with Mary Berg, and food, travel, and adventure series EVOLVING VEGAN; CTV Comedy Channel’s ROAST BATTLE CANADA and the scripted series ACTING GOOD. Crave Originals include hit series LETTERKENNY and its official spinoff series SHORESY, CANADA’S DRAG RACE, and WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE (EVEN JAY BARUCHEL), and LITTLE BIRD; docuseries DARK SIDE OF THE RING; and acclaimed documentaries including KINGS OF COKE. Bell Media is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada’s largest communications company. Learn more at www.BellMedia.ca.

About Sphere Media
Sphere Media captivates viewers with its drama series and comedies, which reach diverse audiences through major broadcasters in Canada and around the world. It creates and produces this content and also distributes its television products. Its strength resides in the talent of the artists who place their trust in Sphere Media to tell their stories. That is why it has garnered many successes and honours, including numerous Canadian Screen Awards and Gémeaux awards for best series. Among its most acclaimed productions are series like Sort Of (winner of 3 CSAs and numerous international awards – including a Peabody award), Transplant (named best drama series at the CSAs in 2021 and 2022), The Porter, Trickster, Cardinal, 19-2 (nominated at the International Emmys for best drama) and, in French, Les Honorables, Aller simple, Cerebrum and Épidémie. The Sphere Media brand belongs to Sphere, a Canadian film and television industry leader with offices in Montréal, Toronto and Ottawa.

About CTV
CTV is Canada’s #1 television brand. CTV provides unparalleled entertainment programming across two broadcast television networks; a powerful suite of specialty channels including CTV Comedy Channel, CTV Drama Channel, CTV Life Channel, and CTV Sci-Fi Channel; and digital channels CTV Throwback and CTV Movies, streaming on demand from CTV.ca and the CTV app. CTV has been Canada’s most-watched conventional television network for the past 23 years in a row and features a wide range of sports and information programming, including CTV News, Canada’s highest-rated national and local newscasts. CTV’s parent company is Bell Media, Canada’s premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, digital, and out-of-home advertising.