The Trauma Queen Is Back. Showtime’s Nurse Jackie Returns Exclusively to Movie Central and The Movie Network

• Edie Falco returns in her Emmy®-winning role as morally flawed ER nurse Jackie Peyton

• Movie Central and The Movie Network to offer free sampling of the season opener

April 4, 2013 – Toronto, Canada – Sharp-witted and flawed New York City nurse Jackie Peyton (Edie Falco) returns to Corus Entertainment’s Movie Central (Western Canada) and Astral’s The Movie Network (Eastern Canada) in an all new season of Showtime’s critically acclaimed, dark comedy Nurse Jackie. The fifth season of Nurse Jackie premieres Monday, April 15 at 8 p.m. PT on Movie Central and 9 p.m. ET on The Movie Network.

Following its debut on April 15, the season premiere episode will be available free-of-charge at www.moviecentral.ca and www.themovienetwork.ca, and via the free On Demand and Online services of participating television providers. The episode will also be available for free on TMN GO.

Starring Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton, a role that has earned Falco three consecutive Emmy® nominations, the new season of Nurse Jackie picks up where Season 4 left off.  After leaving rehab early, Jackie finds sobriety and relative happiness – but that’s the calm before the storm.  With her marriage coming to an end, a careless accident sends Jackie to her own All Saints Hospital for emergency care. While recovering, she meets New York City policeman Frank Verelli (Adam Ferrera), an exemplary cop and all around good guy, who files the police report, but his flirtatious advances may lead Jackie into uncharted territory – dating. Meanwhile, a new trauma doctor enters the mix (Morris Chestnut), a former Army medic who doesn’t adhere to typical protocol, as well as a young female resident (Betty Gilpin) who flirts her way out of her day-to-day responsibilities. With new colleagues and stepping out of her usual comfort zone, Jackie faces her one-year sobriety anniversary. The series also stars: Peter Facinelli as Dr. Fitch Cooper; Eve Best as Dr. Eleanor O’Hara; Merritt Wever as Zoey Barkow; Paul Schulze; and Dominic Fumusa as Kevin Peyton.

Richie Jackson, Clyde Phillips and Caryn Mandabach serve as executive producers on the series, which is a co-production of Showtime and Lionsgate.

In Western Canada, episodes of Nurse Jackie will be available in High Definition on Movie Central HD, and on demand, via mobile and online with Movie Central On Demand with participating service providers.

In Eastern Canada, episodes will be available in High Definition, on demand, on TMN GO, and on The Movie Network OnLine.

Movie Central is a commercial-free premium pay TV service available in western Canada. Movie Central premieres the best in Hollywood, international and Canadian films across nine 24-hour movie channels, including dedicated high-definition feeds, a Movie Central On Demand service and exclusive HBO content on HBO Canada. Movie Central is also the first window for Showtime content and home to cutting-edge Canadian series. A major force in the Canadian independent film and television production industry, Movie Central, through The Corus Made with Pay Fund, supports many critically-acclaimed and award-winning Canadian series and films. Visit the Movie Central website at www.moviecentral.ca.

Movie Central is owned by Corus Entertainment Inc., a Canadian-based media and entertainment company. Corus is a market leader in specialty television and radio with additional assets in pay television, television broadcasting, children’s book publishing and children’s animation. Experience Corus on the web at www.corusent.com.

The Movie Network is a pay television service available in eastern Canada. With premiere access to Hollywood hit movies, new and exclusive HBO content, critically acclaimed Showtime series and first-rate Canadian programming, this pay-television service presents Canadians with some of the best television entertainment available. The Movie Network service includes five 24-hour multiplex channels – The Movie Network, HBO Canada, MExcess, MFun! and MFest – which deliver diverse and entertaining programs in an uncut and commercial-free television environment. All five multiplex channels are also simulcast in High Definition and are joined by The Movie Network OnDemand, a Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) service, available in select areas across eastern Canada; TMN OnLine an Internet-based content streaming service available to Bell TV, Rogers and Videotron subscribers; and TMN GO, a video streaming service currently available to Bell TV, Rogers and Cogeco Cable subscribers. For more information, please visit www.themovienetwork.ca.

The Movie Network is a member of the Astral family. Astral Media Inc. (TSX : ACM.A/ACM.B) is one of Canada’s largest media companies. It operates several of the country’s most popular pay and specialty television, radio, out-of-home advertising and interactive media properties. Astral plays a central role in community life across the country by offering diverse, rich and vibrant programming that meets the tastes and needs of consumers and advertisers. To learn more about Astral, visit astral.com.

For access to The Movie Network’s media room or Movie Central’s press site, please visit http://press.astral.com or http://mediacentre.corusent.com.

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For more information
The Movie Network (Eastern Canada)
Nicolle Balen
(416) 956-8638
nbalen@astral.com

Movie Central (Western Canada)
Owen McCorquodale
(416) 479-6068
owen.mccorquodale@corusent.com