The increasingly consolidated specialty marketplace can be a good news story for marketers – if they see the glass as half-full rather than half-empty. Sure, there’s less competition, which means higher rates and a supplier’s market, but bulk buys and multi-platform, multi-channel cross-promotions can also mean a better return on investment and some heavy-duty brand exposure, not to mention the convenience of one-stop shopping.
With ownership narrowed down to three main players (Canwest, CTV and Corus) after Canwest gobbled up Alliance Atlantis and CTV absorbed CHUM, it’s anyone’s bet what next year’s upfront will look like. But for now, the specialty buy remains key, accessible and exciting, with the three amigos offering the now-expected stable of basic advertising opportunities – branded entertainment, sponsored events and programming blocks, billboards, campaign integration, contests, promotions, brand sell ads, etc. Here’s a listing of the nets and what they can offer.
(AMA source: BBM/NMR Mon-Sun 6a-6a 07-08)
WOMEN
W NETWORK
(Corus Entertainment)
AMA: 49,000 (2+), 8,000 (W18-34), 20,000 (W18-49), 21,000 (W25-54)
Watched by over 10 million viewers in an average month, W Network is designed to meet the entertainment needs of women with programming that’s smart, modern, informative and lighthearted. Known for seamlessly blending products with content, W Network has been able to connect with its audience in unprecedented ways. Through such research tools as The Her Report, W Network keeps in tune with the changing priorities of women as consumers and TV viewers and provides advertisers with unique insights and opportunities.
Viewer profile: With a primary target of women 18 to 34, followed by W18 to 49 and W25 to 54, the channel reflects the interests of female viewers who want to kick back, laugh and learn. Some of their interests are lofty, but for this group TV is firstly an entertainment outlet.
Programming with buzz Gok’s Clothes Show
A battle of the high- and low-priced clothing budgets, this one-hour U.K.-imported series pits fashionista Gok Wan against a guest designer to come up with a winning outfit.
Supersize vs Superskinny
In this U.K. import, dieters from both ends of the spectrum are put in an environment where they prepare meals for each other for five days. They then go on a three-month eating plan before returning for a final weigh in.
SHOWCASE
(Canwest Broadcasting)
AMA: 38,900 (2+), 22,100 (A25-54)
Reaching viewers in seven million homes, Showcase is the destination for boundary-pushing series and movies from Canada and around the world. Integrated sponsorships, display ad media, video
pre-roll, contests and creative marketing opps are available at showcase.ca, which reflects the same no-apologies-necessary attitude. Digital media plans for showcase.ca include an emphasis on full-episode streaming of popular drama and comedy programs, engaging original video content, show sites supporting major programming and the Sideshow blog, an irreverent daily take on the worlds of TV, film, gaming and all things pop culture.
Profile: Discerning, educated, creative individuals who like to stand out from the crowd, have the latest high-tech gadgets, are computer- and Internet-savvy and keep up on the latest trends. With a weekly reach of more than 3.4 million adult 25-54 viewers, Showcase ranks in the top 10 Canadian analog specialty channels for women 25 to 54.
Buzz:
The Starter Wife
Molly Kagan (Debra Messing) has it all in the Canadian premiere of this 10-part, one-hour series. That is, until she is demoted in the Hollywood pecking order when after years of marriage to a film mogul, she is left for a younger woman.
Trailer Park Boys Special
In this world-premiere one-hour special, the Boys are ambushed and lose their new-found riches while Lahey hatches a plan involving ‘dirty dancing’ to drive them out of Sunnyvale for good.
TVTROPOLIS
(Canwest)
AMA: 49,500 (2+), 27,100 (A25-54)
A mecca for iconic TV series, TVtropolis (the reincarnation of Prime) delivers shows to viewers who appreciate pop culture. Its mix of hit and original exclusive programming provides advertisers with many sponsorship opportunities, as well as the ability to integrate their products within the TVtropolis environment.
Profile: TV lovers aged 25 to 54, with an emphasis on women 25 to 49 who are married with teenage or grown children. For this group, TV is the primary source of entertainment. The channel’s secondary target is adults 18 to 49, for whom TV is an auxiliary form of entertainment, but who turn viewing into a special event. The channel ranks in the top five Canadian analog specialty channels for women 25 to 54 and in the top 10 Canadian analog specialty channels for adults 25 to 54, reaching over 3.4 million adult 18-49 viewers and over 3.1 million adult 25-54 viewers weekly.
Buzz:
Planet Soap
Celebrating the world of soap operas, this new half-hour series features the best and worst of the genre, including the most vicious cat fights in soap history and stars sharing their best and worst moments.
Reality Obsessed
Making its world premiere in the fall, this show follows the adventures of Murtz Jaffer – Canada’s biggest fan of reality TV – as he tracks down celebrities, producers, agents, studio executives and fellow reality-obsessed viewers across North America.
HISTORY TELEVISION
(Canwest)
AMA: 60,200 (2+), 29,100 (A25-54)
History Television airs dramas, movies and documentaries about the people and events that have shaped our world. The channel offers sponsorship and marketing opportunities through its programs and stunt weeks.
Profile: History Television’s audience and reach have grown rapidly over the past couple of years, with a 15% increase in adults 25 to 54, a 28% jump in adults 18 to 49 and a 46% leap in women 25 to 54. Viewers are well-educated and affluent. They are computer-savvy, physically active, up on their current events and live primarily in urban communities.
Buzz:
Blowdown
This five-part, one-hour series follows a family of demolition experts travelling the world and blowing down structures.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL
(Canwest)
AMA: 12,400 (2+), 7,400 (A25-54)
With a subscriber base of 3.2 million in Canada, National Geographic Channel offers compelling storytelling and breathtaking visuals to satisfy TV viewers’ quest for knowledge, taste for the exotic and experience of ‘being there.’
Profile: Adults 25 to 54, with a 60% female skew. Viewers strive to live a healthy lifestyle, engaging in sports, physical fitness and healthy eating. Highly educated and affluent, they use TV as their primary source of entertainment and enjoy travel, the outdoors and spending time at the cottage. The station skews a bit younger (over 25% are A18 to 34), yet still delivers in key buying demos, with 60% of viewers in the A25-54 group.
Buzz:
Long Way Down
Three years after Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman journeyed across the globe on their motorcycles, the long-time friends are hitting the road again, travelling from the top of Scotland to the bottom of Africa in this 10-part, hour-long travel/adventure series.
FOOD NETWORK
(Canwest)
AMA: 39,100 (2+), 24,200 (A25-54)
Series and specials, passionate chefs, creative hosts, culinary competitions and behind-the-scenes access to all things related to food are the ingredients for the channel’s schedule of programs from Canada and abroad. Advertising partners can capitalize on the iconic popularity of the network’s shows and personalities, like Canadian chefs Michael Smith and Anthony Sedlak.
Profile: Viewers, skewing 60% female, come to Food Network primarily seeking entertainment but also to get ideas for everyday cooking. They are well-educated and have a household income of 75K+. They lead convenience-oriented busy lifestyles, and are mostly couples with children living at home in urban and suburban communities. Over 50% have kids under 18 in the household – 8% higher than overall TV. Foodtv.ca supports new shows and new episodes of returning series with recipes, videos and related tips. Full episodes of select shows are streamed with behind-the-scenes interviews and recipes. The site has a 58% female and 42% male viewership. Visitors are primarily from Ontario and British Columbia with college/university education, an average household income under $60K and 3+ family members.
Buzz:
The F Word
Hosted by legendary chef Gordon Ramsay, this nine-part one-hour series, which makes its Canadian premiere in the fall, combines mischievous stunts and recipe-based challenges set in the fast-paced world of a bustling downtown eatery.
Jamie’s Kitchen Australia
Join Jamie Oliver and Tobie Puttock as they open the first Fifteen restaurant in Australia, for which they train 16- to 24-year-old disadvantaged Australians to work as chefs. These 10 behind-the-scenes hours will make their North American debut in the fall.
HGTV
(Canwest)
AMA: 58,600 (2+), 29,400 (A25-54)
From renovations and décor to real estate and flipping houses, HGTV aims to be the source for all the house-related tips and tricks viewers need.
Profile: The channel attracts two types of viewers: ‘owners’ and ‘dreamers.’ The former are middle- to upper-class adults aged 30 to 54 who enjoy the latest trends and tips to make their home the most stylish on the block. They are well-educated and may enjoy playing the real estate market, designing and/or renovating. The latter are men and women 30 to 54 who are single, budget-conscious and dreaming of the time when they can put all their knowledge to use. The overall audience skews 62% female and almost 50% of viewers have kids under 18.
HGTV.ca provides expert advice and helpful tips from popular show hosts such as Sarah Richardson, as well as from original sources. In addition to streaming full episodes, the site also provides ‘how to’ clips, popular with busy users who have limited time. Visitors are 32% male and 68% female. Most have a post-secondary degree and a household size of 3+.
Buzz:
Home to Flip
These 13 half-hours will follow host Peter Fallico as he buys fixer-upper houses and flips them for profit, teaching the viewer how to renovate on a budget and style for less in order to resell for a larger profit.
Pure Design
In this 13-part, half-hour series, host Samantha Pynn, design editor for Style At Home magazine, transforms everyday rooms into sustainable living spaces using accessible ideas and a practical hands-on approach.
SLICE
(Canwest)
AMA: 25,600(2+), 17,100 (A25-54), 17,800 (A18-49)
Through its robust schedule of lifestyle programming, Slice (known as Life Channel until 2007) brings an unapologetic attitude to topics that matter to women – family, fashion, relationships, diet, celebrity, finances and gossip – to viewers in six million homes.
Profile: Slice targets viewers 18 to 49, with a sweet spot on the thirtysomething woman. The network skews strongly female (77%). She balances family, work and a social life, and values fashion, beauty and fitness. She is educated and financially secure. Slice delivers elusive younger female viewers (30% of the audience is A18 to 34), as well as key buying demos (over 60% is A18 to 49). Over half of the viewing audience has children under 18 and 34% of viewers have a HHI over $80K.
Slice.ca boasts the latest in fashion, beauty, relationship advice, health, career and family content. Along with lifestyle articles and blogs, the site also streams full episodes and original, exclusive video content. Top visits come from Ontario and the Prairies. With 3+ family members on average, most visitors have a high school degree and 63% are women with a HHI of $60K+.
Buzz:
Beautiful People
Based on the website beautifulpeople.net, where members of the superior-looking class build an online community for dating and networking, this new 13-part, half-hour series starring Euro playboys Robert Hintze and Greg Hodge is set to invade Canada with its world premiere this fall.
Real Housewives of New York
Look out for the Canadian premiere of this nine-part, one-hour reality series this fall and find out how an elite set of New York socialites balances motherhood, careers and a fast-paced social calendar.
YOUTH
YTV
(Corus)
AMA: 64,000 (2+); 27,000 (2-11)
As a leading network for Canadian kids, YTV connects with 2.2 million children per month. With high-quality programming and hosted dayparts such as the after-school block The Zone, the Saturday morning cartoon block Crunch, the Sunday night movie block ZAPX and the weekend Three Hairy Thumbs Up movie block, there is a broad range of sponsorship opportunities.
Between its Annual Tween Report, Kids Advisory Panel and YTV.com polls and surveys, the channel conducts in-depth research on kids and tweens in Canada. In addition to regular advertising opps, the channel offers
in-store marketing and live music projects.
Profile: The primary target is kids 6 to 11, with their families as a secondary group (adults 18 to 49 with kids 2 to 11).
Buzz:
Family Biz
This Canadian-produced half-hour, live-action
series for tweens and their families, premiering in early 2009, follows three latchkey kids who have the run of the house until their Dad gets downsized and decides to work from home.
The Mighty B
Created by and starring SNL’s Amy Poehler, this Nickelodeon animated comedy is about 10-year-old Bessie, who is the world’s most ambitious Honeybee scout and won’t rest until she’s earned every single badge.
FAMILY CHANNEL
(Astral Media)
AMA: 49,700 (K8-14), T12-17, 25,200 (T12-17), 102,100 (2+)
Family Channel reaches 5.7 million homes across Canada, offering integrated ad opps that engage kids on multiple platforms with on-air, interactive and grassroots campaigns. Opportunities include online interactive content (SMS, games, contests, mini-sites), retail licensing and merchandising. The channel also offers Family OnDemand in select areas, a Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) service that provides Family Channel and Playhouse Disney programming which can be leveraged for sponsorships.
Profile: The channel’s primary target is the difficult-to-reach tween audience K8 to 14. The service also leads the pack in other demos, including teens 12 to 17.
The Suite Life on Deck
In this Disney Channel original half-hour comedy series, twins Zack and Cody enroll in a semester-at-sea program aboard a cruise liner whose compass points toward mischief.
J.O.N.A.S
This half-hour Disney Channel comedy series stars teen sensations the Jonas Brothers as government operatives who thwart evil while working undercover as a teen rock band.
MTV2
(CTVglobemedia)
The newest destination for Canada’s 12-24 demo, MTV2 launches in August and will feature edgy programming, including MTV’s TRL – Total Request Live and cult-favourite stunt shows Jackass, Homewrecker and Viva La Human Giant, as well as the antic-driven series Boiling Point and Kids in the Hall. MTV2 will also air movies and extreme sports. Daytime programming features 60% Canadian content and primetime includes 50% Cancon.
Profile: MTV2’s key demo is P12 to 24, with 1 million subscribers across Canada.
Buzz:
The Andy Milonakis Show
Inspired by a series of original short skits, this half-hour series will explore what it’s like to live inside the messed-up head of comedian Andy Milonakis when he’s left alone in his mother’s apartment in New York City.
TELETOON
(Astral/Corus)
AMA: 68,000 (2+), 35,000 (2-11)
Available in both English and French in over 7.4 million Canadian homes, Teletoon brings kids, youth and adults animated entertainment all day every day. It’s also available On Demand and on Mobile TV.
Advertisers can choose from customized promotions, innovative product placements and branded web games. The network’s interactive/gaming website, teletoon.com, attracts more than 1.5 million visitor sessions each month.
Profile: With a primary target of kids 2 to11 and a secondary target of teens 12 to 17, the channel regularly receives feedback from the Teletoon Online Youth Advisory Panel, its 1,000-member consumer panel, located across Canada. Just over 60% of the daytime audience for Teletoon is boys.
Buzz:
Ben 10: Alien Force
It was the most-watched original series premiere in the history of the Cartoon Network, and now the latest instalment in the phenomenally popular Ben 10 saga premieres in Canada this fall.
Chowder
This new original series from C.H. Greenblatt (SpongeBob SquarePants) is a food-filled comedy that follows a young apprentice to a magical chef as he learns to turn some of the weirdest ingredients into fantastical dishes.
THE COMEDY NETWORK
(CTVglobemedia)
AMA: 39,000 (P2+), 23,200 (A18-49), 13,200 (A18-34)
The Comedy Network broadcasts an uncensored, eclectic mix of scripted, stand-up, sketch, improv and animated comedy, as well as comedy talk shows, game shows and classic sitcoms across multiple platforms, including thecomedynetwork.ca.
Profile: Viewers A18 to 49, skewing younger, who like to be entertained and enjoy going to nightclubs, bars and movies.
Buzz:
House Party
Can’t remember what happened at Saturday’s party? This six-part half-hour series unveils the whole story behind those mysterious weekend memory lapses by following a different character’s perspective of the night each episode.
MTV
(CTVglobemedia)
AMA: 20,100 (P2+), 15,400 (P12-34)
Reaching 6.1 million homes, MTV in Canada offers a distinctly Canadian interpretation of the MTV brand across multiple platforms – including MTV.ca – and across an MTV-branded analog specialty service that delivers lifestyle, talk and documentary programming with a commitment to 71% Canadian programming in prime time.
Profile: With a P12-34 demo, viewers are trend-setters who love to shop for clothes, DVDs and CDs. They are multi-taskers who are engaged with content across all platforms.
Buzz:
Exiled!
A new reality series that sends teens previously featured on My Super Sweet 16 to live with the indigenous tribes of faraway countries in an attempt to add some perspective to their world view.
MUCHMUSIC
(CTVglobemedia)
AMA: 63,200 (P2+), 42,600 (P12-34)
MuchMusic has been capturing teen and young adult audiences since 1984, and now reaches 8.2 million homes across Canada. Live performances and superstar guests make its streetfront studio in Toronto Canada’s epicentre of celebrity.
Profile: P12 to 34, avid consumers who are brand-conscious and tend to be early adopters of new products.
Buzz:
Legally Blonde the Musical:
The Search for Elle Woods
A MuchExclusive hosted by Haylie Duff, this one-hour series follows 10 girls with larger-than-life dreams as they compete for the lead role in a Broadway musical based on the movie starring Reese Witherspoon.
MUCHMOREMUSIC
(CTVglobemedia)
AMA: 35,300 (P2+), 23,700 (A18-49)
Geared toward older and wiser siblings of MuchMusic fans, sister station MuchMoreMusic delivers entertainment news, homegrown and international pop culture and celeb/reality programming, exclusive concert specials, classic movies and adult-contemporary music videos.
Profile: MMM’s key demo is A18 to 49, with a bull’s eye of A25 to 34. These viewers, reached in 6.1 million homes across Canada, are in a ‘major life event’ stage, resulting in the need for major acquisitions – they are getting married and buying homes and new cars. They are fashion-conscious and enjoy spending money in their pursuit of style.
Buzz:
Brooke Knows Best
In this half-hour series, Brooke Hogan breaks free from her father, wrestler Hulk Hogan, and moves to Miami to begin a new life full of freedom, temptation and all the responsibility that comes with being on your own.
I Want To Work For Diddy
This one-hour series tracks 13 contestants as they compete to land the job of a lifetime: assistant to hip-hop music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.
MEN
ROGERS SPORTSNET
(Rogers Media)
AMA: 31,500 (A25-54), 22,800 (M18-49)
A prominent broadcaster of NHL
regular-season hockey, Sportsnet continues to be a key destination for sports news, scores, highlights and games from its new high-definition studio. The channel caters to both hard-core and fairweather sports fans.
Profile: The consummate Canadian sports fan, primarily men 18 to 49.
Buzz:
The Hockey That Matters
This series goes deeper into home team programming this year with Connected
pre-game shows for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames. The half-hour pre-game show will be available in high definition on Rogers Sportsnet HD.
TELETOON DETOUR
(Astral Media/Corus)
AMA: 52,000 (12+)
Too hot for daytime, Teletoon Detour, starting at 9:30 pm, is the place where teen and adult fans catch fearless and irreverent cartoons.
Profile: Primary viewers are avid gamers and music lovers, 85% of whom are adult viewers 18 to 49 and 72% of whom are male.
Buzz:
Father of the Pride
A CGI-animated sitcom following the lives of a family of white lions living in Las Vegas. John Goodman stars as the father of the family, who works as a Siegfried & Roy lion and endures daily taunting from his father-in-law (Carl Reiner).
SPACE
(CTVglobemedia)
AMA: 47,700 (2+), 30,600 (25-54), 27,900 (18-49)
Space is Canada’s science fiction, speculation and fantasy channel, where viewers in 6.7 million homes across the country get their fix of the paranormal, the edgy, the scary and the fun.
Profile: Primarily adults 25 to 54, viewers are likely to have a post-secondary education. They are tech-savvy and likely to have the latest in home entertainment equipment. They are also likely to purchase video games, DVDs and CDs and use cellphone and PDA features.
Buzz:
Torchwood
A hit BBC sci-fi drama that follows a team of investigators who uncover the unknown and fight the impossible.
TSN
(CTVglobemedia/ESPN)
AMA: 92,300 (P2+), 45,800 (A 25-54)
Seen in 8.7 million homes across Canada, TSN is the country’s pre-eminent sports network, boasting a comprehensive schedule of Canadian and international must-watch games, commentary, news and highlights.
Profile: Targeting adults 25 to 54, TSN’s primary demo is male, affluent and educated. They are a premium, progressive and passionate audience with a strong connection to sports. TSN has surpassed audience levels previously reached only on conventional networks.
Buzz:
NHL on TSN
TSN has secured a six-year broadcast and digital rights agreement with the NHL that will air 70 nationally televised regular season games each year, all featuring at least one Canadian team.
TSN will also televise the first three rounds of future Stanley Cup playoffs. As part of the deal, TSN also acquires a suite of digital rights, including broadband, wireless and video-on-demand, as well as continued exclusivity of Wednesday Night Hockey and exclusive Canadian coverage of the NHL Entry Draft and NHL Draft Lottery Special.
BOOMER
BRAVO!
(CTVglobemedia)
AMA: 46,000 (P2+), 17,800 (A18-49), 22,300 (A25-54)
Whether it’s a classic opera, an art documentary, a concert performance in the Bravo! Rehearsal Hall or a cutting-edge film, Bravo! reaches arts lovers in 6.7 million homes across the country.
Profile: Bravo experienced a 20% growth in A25-54 audiences in the 2006/07 broadcast year. The key demo is A25 to 54, with a female skew. Viewers are concerned about their future finances and health, and are likely to have investments and eat healthier foods.
Buzz:
Desperate Housewives
The Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning series starts from the beginning in a strip run Monday to Friday, debuting in September.
Dexter
The HBO original series premieres uncut, in all its blood and gore, in October.
APTN
AMA: 18,600 (2+), 8,200 (25-54)
The first national aboriginal television network in the world, APTN brings programming by, for and about aboriginal people to almost a million homes across Canada in English, French and aboriginal languages.
Profile: Viewers are primarily 35 to 54, with a close-to-even split between men (52%) and women (48%) who like movies, documentaries and news. The secondary group is under 12.
Buzz:
Caution: May Contain Nuts
This new half-hour sketch comedy series uses a racially diverse group of comedians and a unique brand of Canadian aboriginal humour to create a fast-paced, hilarious experience.
By The Rapids
This animated series takes a satirical look at what happens when a thoroughly urban teenager tries to integrate into the native community where his successful lawyer parents were born and raised.
DISCOVERY
(CTVglobemedia/Discovery Communications)
AMA: 68,800 (2+), 36,200 (A25-54), 38,300 (A18-49)
In 7.8 million homes across Canada, Discovery Channel’s adventure, science and technology programming across a wide range of formats provides product placement opps. Its newly redesigned website, discoverychannel.ca, offers extended reach and exclusive original content.
Profile: Educated, white-collar professionals with high household incomes and children at home. They enjoy leading-edge technology and home entertainment equipment.
Buzz:
Cash Cab
An unassuming person enters a cab, only to discover he’s a contestant on this new, Canadianized version of Discovery’s foray into the game show genre. En route to his destination, the contestant will be asked a series of general knowledge questions, earning a cash reward for every correct answer. But if he misses three, he’s back on the sidewalk.
Greensburg
On May 4, 2007, a tornado struck Greensburg, Kansas, leaving 90% of the town destroyed. In this 13-part, one-hour series co-produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and Craig Piligian, you’ll meet the people and witness the daily struggle of the community as it fights its way back from the edge of extinction.
FRENCH
CANAL VIE
(Astral)
AMA: 35,000 (2+), 10,000 (W25-54)
For 10 years, Canal Vie has been serving up information and entertainment that matter to women in French Canada.
Profile: Women 25 to 54; more than half earn more that $40,000 per year.
Buzz:
8 femmes à l’aventure
This eight-episode documentary features the heroines of everyday life taking time off to return to nature, which turns out to be not such a simple task.
Maudite bedaine!… Et tout le reste
With emotion and humor, this doc series (6 x 60) illuminates the complex relationship women have with their bodies. Through interviews with women of all ages and walks of life, viewers have an opportunity to question their self-image without guilt.
VRAK
(Astral)
AMA: 35,000 (2+), (A18-49), 18,000 (2-17), 10,000 (T12-17)
Cartoons, sitcoms, original homegrown productions and drama series make up the daily schedule of Quebec’s leading tween/teen market channel, launched in 2001.
Profile: Watched equally by boys and girls, VRAK’s sweet spot is 12 to 17. Almost 70% of viewers (18+) have a household income of over $40,000.
Buzz:
H20
Shot around the Great Barrier Reef, this 12-part, half-hour Australian fiction series follows the adventures of three teenagers who are secretly transformed into mermaids.
SERIES +
(Astral)
AMA: 45,000 (2+), 19,000 (A25-54), 11,000 (W25-54)
Romance, mystery, drama and comedy from around the world are what viewers find at Series +, where pure entertainment and big hits are better than reality every day.
Profile: With the sweet spot on women 25 to 54, more that half of viewers (18+) have household incomes above $40,000.
Buzz:
Le destin de Bruno
The much-awaited sequel to Le Destin de Lisa is an hour-long romance series that follows Lisa’s half-brother (and walking disaster) as he travels to Berlin and commits one blunder after another on his journey to find his biological father.
HISTORIA
(Astral)
AMA: 20,000 (2+), 9,000 (A25-54)
Historia takes a modern-day look at moments from the past through in-depth documentaries, historical films and fiction.
Profile: Equally targeted at men and women, the channel hits its sweet spot in the A25-54 market, with more than 53% of viewers (18+) enjoying a household income of over $40,000.
Buzz:
Les sept péchés capitaux
This seven-episode docu-series, hosted by actress Geneviève Rochette, retraces the history of the seven mortal sins (pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth) through Quebec society over the past 55 years.
CANAL D
(Astral)
AMA: 38,000 (2+), 18,000 (A25-54)
From true crime stories, biographies and sports to science and investigative series, peppered with some comedy and film classics, Canal D is Quebec’s leading broadcaster of hard-hitting documentaries.
Profile: With a primary target of A25 to 54, the channel skews slightly toward men.
Buzz:
Légendes urbaines
Historians and criminologists trace the origins of legends and comment on the morals to be derived from them in this 10 x 60 investigative series produced by Quebec’s Zone 3.
ZTELE
(Astral)
AMA 21,000 (2+), 11,000 (A18-49)
Ztele keeps up with the latest high-tech and sci-fi trends with techno-newsmagazines, documentaries and dramatic series.
Profile: Men 18 to 49; more than 64% of viewers (18+) have a household income over $40,000.
Buzz:
Flash Gordon
This 21st-century version of the science fiction classic was adapted from the cartoon created by Alex Raymond, and stars Eric Johnson (Smallville) and Gina Holden (Final Destination 3).
Moonlight
From the creator of Beauty and The Beast, Ron Koslow, comes a paranormal TV series about a hero vampire, starring Alex O’Loughlin (The Shield).
