Five New Series and Six Returning Hits Bolster CTV's 2015 Mid-Season Schedule as Hit Original Series MASTERCHEF CANADA, SPUN OUT, and MOTIVE all Return with New Seasons

– TV event MARVEL'S AGENT CARTER kicks off CTV's mid-season schedule Jan. 6 –
– New dramatic thrillers AMERICAN CRIME, SECRETS AND LIES, and CSI: CYBER, plus new comedy THE ODD COUPLE, make their series debuts on CTV –
– Ryan Phillippe, Matthew Perry, Juliette Lewis, Patricia Arquette, Felicity Huffman, and Timothy Hutton headline star-studded new mid-season shows –
– SPUN OUT, MOTIVE, and SAVING HOPE mid-season debuts will also be made available as CraveTV^TM First Looks –
– #1 Canadian drama SAVING HOPE returns with new back-to-back episodes, beginning Jan. 7 –
– CTV remains the destination for TV's most-watched live events this winter with the THE GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS^®, SUPER BOWL XLIX, and THE OSCARS^® –

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TORONTO, Dec. 15, 2014 /CNW/ - CTV is set to deliver TV's top series week-after-week in the new year, as the network announced its 2015 mid-season schedule today. Kicking off the season is the new, big-buzz, Captain America-inspired, seven-part television event MARVEL'S AGENT CARTER (Jan. 6), which joins a heroic line-up of the fall's returning 'super' hits, including new breakout series GOTHAM and THE FLASH, as well as Top 10 hits ARROW and MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.  

The new year also features a delicious trio of some of the best in Canadian reality, comedy, and drama as brand new seasons of three CTV Original Series return: Season 2 of hit culinary competition series MASTERCHEF CANADA (Feb. 8); Season 2 of workplace sitcom SPUN OUT (March 5); and Season 3 of crime drama MOTIVE (March 8). Viewers can also look forward to the return of new Season 3 episodes of the #1 Canadian drama SAVING HOPE, beginning with a special two-hour event Jan. 7. SPUN OUT,MOTIVE, and SAVING HOPE mid-season debuts will also be made available as CraveTV^TM First Looks, one day prior to their television broadcast premieres.   

Also headlining CTV's mid-season schedule, and loaded with star power, is new murder-thriller SECRETS AND LIES (March 1) starring Ryan Phillippe (DAMAGES); cyber-crime procedural CSI: CYBER (March 4), starring Emmy^® Award winner and Golden Globe^® nominee Patricia Arquette (MEDIUM); Oscar^® winner John Ridley's new TV drama AMERICAN CRIME (March 5), starring Oscar nominee and Golden Globe Award winner Felicity Huffman (DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES) and Oscar and Golden Globe Award winner Timothy Hutton (LEVERAGE); and new comedy THE ODD COUPLE (Feb. 19), starring Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Matthew Perry (GO ON).  

Also returning to the CTV line-up with new seasons are culinary competition series MASTERCHEF JUNIOR (Jan. 6 on CTV Two), Emmy Award-winning singing competition THE VOICE (Feb. 23 on CTV Two), and the 26^th installment of THE AMAZING RACE (Feb. 25).

Following last week's Golden Globe nominations, THE 72^ND ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS (Jan. 11) kicks off a long list of big ticket events on CTV this winter, including SUPER BOWL XLIX (Feb. 1), THE 87^TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS (Feb. 22), and THE 2015 JUNO AWARDS (March 15).

Viewers can catch up on full episodes of CTV series live and on demand on the CTV GO app and at CTV.ca (visit CTV.ca to confirm local broadcast times).

** Media Note ** Download photos at BellMediaPR.ca

"On the heels of our best fall season in a decade, CTV heads into its mid-season schedule packed with the winter's heaviest-hitters," said Phil King, President - CTV, Sports, and Entertainment Programming. "Loaded with returning fan favourites that consistently deliver huge audiences, and now bolstered with the seasons most-anticipated new and returning series including some of the best in Canadian television, CTV is set to deliver yet another line-up of not-to-be-missed television all season long."

Highlights of CTV's mid-season schedule:

New to the Schedule:

• MARVEL'S AGENT CARTER (Special two-hour premiere airs Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CTV; moves to regular Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT timeslot beginning Jan. 13 on CTV)
  Starring Captain America's Hayley Atwell, MARVEL'S AGENT CARTER is a seven-part television event following the story of Peggy Carter. It's 1946, and peace has dealt secret agent Peggy Carter a serious blow as she finds herself marginalized when the men return home from fighting abroad. Working for the covert SSR (Strategic Scientific Reserve), Peggy must balance doing administrative work and going on secret missions for Howard Stark, all while trying to navigate life as a single woman in America in the wake of losing the love of her life – Steve Rogers. The series is inspired by the feature films Captain America: The First Avenger and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, along with the short Marvel One-Shot: Agent Carter. Written by Captain America: The Winter Soldier's Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, executive producers are Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas (LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT), Christopher Markus, Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, and Stephen McFeely (Captain America: The Winter Soldier), Chris Dingess (CHAOS), and Alan Fine, Joe Quesada, Stan Lee, and Jeph Loeb (MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.).

• THE ODD COUPLE (Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT, beginning Feb. 19 on CTV)
  THE ODD COUPLE stars Matthew Perry (GO ON) as endearing slob Oscar Madison, and Thomas Lennon (We're The Millers) as uptight neat freak Felix Unger, two former college buddies who become unlikely roommates after the demise of their marriages. It's not long after Oscar lets Felix move in that Oscar fears he's made a monumental mistake. However, despite how exasperated they make each other, these mismatched friends agree they can help each other move on from their divorces and somehow make this crazy living arrangement work. Wendell Pierce (TREME), Lindsay Sloane (WEEDS), and Yvette Nicole Brown (COMMUNITY) also star. Perry, along with Bob Daily (DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES), Sarah Timberman (UNFORGETTABLE), Carl Beverly (UNFORGETTABLE), Eric Tannenbaum (TWO AND A HALF MEN), and Kim Tannenbaum (TWO AND A HALF MEN) are executive producers. THE ODD COUPLE is a reboot of Neil Simon's series of the same name.

• SECRETS AND LIES (Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT, beginning March 1 with a special two-hour premiere on CTV)
  Ben Garner (Ryan Phillippe, DAMAGES) is about to go from Good Samaritan to murder suspect, after he discovers the body of his neighbour's young son in the woods. As Detective Andrea Cornell (Juliette Lewis, THE FIRM) digs for the truth, the secrets and lies of this town come to the surface and no one is above suspicion. Ben's family's life will be turned upside down as he sets out on a complicated journey to prove his innocence in this thriller mystery from writer Barbie Kligman (THE VAMPIRE DIARIES) based on the original Australian series of the same name. Executive producers are Kligman, Aaron Kaplan (THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA), Tracey Robertson (THE STRANGE CALLS), and Nathan Mayfield (THE STRANGE CALLS).

• CSI: CYBER (Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT, beginning March 4 on CTV)
  CSI: CYBER stars Emmy Award winner and Golden Globe nominee Patricia Arquette (MEDIUM) in a drama inspired by the advanced technological work of real-life Cyber psychologist Mary Aiken. Special Agent Avery Ryan (Arquette) heads the Cyber Crime Division of the FBI, a unit at the forefront of solving illegal activities that start in the mind, live online, and play out in the real world. She also knows firsthand how today's technology allows people to hide in the shadows of the Internet and commit serious crimes of global proportion. While other agents search for criminals in dark homes and alleys, Ryan searches the "dark net," a place deep in the bowels of the Web where criminals are anonymous, money is untraceable, and where everything is for sale with just a keystroke.CSI: CYBER also stars James Van Der Beek (FRIENDS WITH BETTER LIVES), Peter MacNicol (GREY'S ANATOMY), Shad Moss (ENTOURAGE), Charley Koontz and Hayley Kiyoko. Emmy Award winner Ann Donahue (CSI), Carol Mendelsohn (CSI), Anthony Zuiker (CSI), Pam Veasey, and Emmy Award winners Jerry Bruckheimer (THE AMAZING RACE), and Jonathan Littman (THE AMAZING RACE) are executive producers. CSI: CYBER is the third CSI spin-off joining CSI: MIAMI and CSI: NY. 

• AMERICAN CRIME (Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT, Beginning March 5 on CTV)
  Written, directed, and produced by John Ridley, the producer and writer of the Oscar and Golden Globe Award-winning film 12 Years A Slave, and starring Oscar nominee and Golden Globe Award winner Felicity Huffman (DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES) and Oscar and Golden Globe Award winner Timothy Hutton (LEVERAGE), AMERICAN CRIME follows a young couple in Modesto, California, who were attacked in their home. Matt Skokie, a war vet, was killed, and his wife, Lily, is unconscious, barely hanging on. Both sets of parents are at her bedside hoping for a miracle while four suspects are about to be arrested. The case sends shock waves into the community stirring up tensions across racial lines – from the point of view of the victims.

Returning CTV and CTV Two Series:

• MASTERCHEF JUNIOR (Season 3) (Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT, beginning Jan. 6 on CTV Two)
  A spin-off culinary competition series for talented kids between the ages of 8 and 13 who love to cook, MASTERCHEF JUNIOR is based on the hugely successful U.K. format and extends the MASTERCHEF brand in the U.S. to include a younger group of aspiring masterchefs. Produced by Shine America and One Potato Two Potato, MASTERCHEF JUNIOR gives budding cooks the exciting opportunity to showcase their talent, culinary smarts, and passion for food through a series of delicious challenges and cook-offs. Similar to MASTERCHEF, Ramsay is joined by restaurateur and winemaker Joe Bastianich (Del Posto, Eataly) and acclaimed Chef Graham Elliot (Graham Elliot, Graham Elliot Bistro) on the MASTERCHEF JUNIOR judging panel. Together, the celebrated food experts coach and encourage the promising hopefuls to cook like a pro, and teach them the tricks of the trade along the way.

• MASTERCHEF CANADA  (Season 2) (Sundays at 7 p.m. ET/PT, beginning Feb. 8 on CTV)
  One year after its smash-hit debut on CTV, MASTERCHEF CANADA is back to dish out a second helping of food-driven drama and excitement. The ultimate culinary competition offers home cooks a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to demonstrate their skill and passion, as they compete for $100,000 and the title of Canada's next MasterChef. Esteemed judges Michael Bonacini (O&B restaurant empire), Alvin Leung (Bo Innovation in Hong Kong), and Claudio Aprile (Origin Restaurants) return to the kitchen to take home cooks on a culinary journey through a series of Mystery Box, Pressure Test, and team challenges. Averaging 1.8 million viewers in its inaugural season, MASTERCHEF CANADA became the most-watched Canadian series in the country for the 2013/14 broadcast season, and is the first and only homegrown series in more than a decade to land in the Top 10 list for A25-54 and A18-49*.

• THE AMAZING RACE (Season 26) (Special 90-minute premiere airs Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT on CTV; moves to regular Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT timeslot, beginning Feb. 27 on CTV) 
  The 26^th installment of THE AMAZING RACE makes its winter premiere in February, with a special 90-minute episode. THE AMAZING RACE is an eight-time Emmy Award-winning adventure reality series hosted by Emmy-nominated host Phil Keoghan, which pits teams, each comprised of two members, against each other on a trek around the world. At every destination, each team competes in a series of challenges, some mental and some physical, and only when the tasks are completed do they learn of their next location. Teams who are the farthest behind are gradually eliminated as the competition progresses, with the first team to arrive at the final destination winning $1 million.

• THE VOICE (Season 8) (Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT, beginning Feb. 23 on CTV Two)
  The Emmy Award-winning singing competition THE VOICE returns with a special two-hour premiere on CTV Two, featuring the strongest vocalists invited to compete on the blockbuster vocal competition show's eighth season. Internationally acclaimed artist Christina Aguilera makes her return in the red chair, alongside returning mega-stars Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, and Pharrell Williams as celebrity musician coaches, while Carson Daly continues to serve as host. The show's innovative format features five stages of competition: the blind auditions, the battle rounds, the knockouts, the live playoffs and, finally, the live performance shows.

• SPUN OUT (Season 2) (Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT, beginning March 5 on CTV)
  One of the most-watched new comedies last season, original workplace sitcom SPUN OUT centres on Dave Lyons (Dave Foley, KIDS IN THE HALL), the head of an established PR firm, staffed with people who can spin everyone's problems but their own. Season 2 of SPUN OUT brings a whole new set of adventures for the DLPR gang. Beckett (Paul Campbell, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA) tries to execute the perfect casual relationship with a documentary filmmaker, Nelson (Al Mukadam, RADIO FREE ROSCOE) questions his ability to keep up on trends, and Dave goes head to head with his ex-wife from a rival PR firm. Also in store this season, Gordon (Darcy Michael) gets trapped in an elevator, Bryce (J.P. Manoux, COMMUNITY) develops an internet addiction, Stephanie (Rebecca Dalton, THE L.A. COMPLEX) realizes Abby (Holly Deveaux, LESS THAN KIND) is a conversation ninja and exploits it by making her a brand influencer, and the team tries to piece together the details after a night of debauchery.  

• MOTIVE (Season 3) (Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT, beginning March 8 on CTV)
  The dramatic Season 2 finale of original Canadian crime dramaMOTIVE saw Detective Angie Flynn's (Kristin Lehman, THE KILLING) past and present fatally collide when her involvement in a new trial about an old case called everything she stood for as a detective into question. With Sergeant Cross (Warren Christie, ALPHAS) at the centre of it all, and the personal toll he paid as the price in the end, viewers were left wondering if Angie was calling it quits as a member of the homicide team. The third season picks up six months later – with a burnt-out Angie having left the homicide team. But a case with direct personal implications for her beloved partner Detective Oscar Vega (Louis Ferreira, SGU STARGATE UNIVERSE) draws her back into the fold. MOTIVE also stars Brendan Penny (THE ASSISTANTS) as the team's ambitious Detective Brian Lucas and Lauren Holly (NCIS) as the team's lead medical examiner, Dr. Betty Rogers.

In addition to exciting series debuts and the return of fan favourites hits, viewers can also look forward to all-new episodes of the fall's biggest hits on CTV, including; THE MENTALIST (Jan. 1), before the series bows out with a two-hour series finale Feb. 18,RESURRECTION (Jan. 4), GOTHAM (Jan. 5), FOREVER (Jan. 5), PERSON OF INTEREST (Jan. 6), HOT IN CLEVELAND (Jan. 6 on CTV Two), ANGER MANAGEMENT (Jan. 6 on CTV Two), THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA (Jan. 7 on CTV Two), THE BIG BANG THEORY (Jan. 8), andSHARK TANK (Jan. 9). Following their winter hiatus GREY'S ANATOMY (Jan. 29) is back Thursdays nights in its new 7 p.m. ET/PT timeslot; plus HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER (Jan. 29), ONCE UPON A TIME (March 1), andMARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (March 3) all return. Family sitcom, THE GOLDBERGS (Feb 25), moves from Thursday nights to its new Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT timeslot on CTV.

CTV officially kicks off awards season in January with THE 72^ND ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS (Sunday, Jan. 11 live across the country at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CTV). Hosted by Golden Globe Award winners Tina Fey and Amy Poehler for the third year in a row, the ceremony celebrates the best in television and film and is broadcast live from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. CTV is also home to the biggest night in Hollywood as award-winning star of the stage and screen Neil Patrick Harris hosts THE 87^TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS (Sunday, Feb. 22 live across the country at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT on CTV) for the first time. The star-studded ceremony will be held at the Dolby Theatre^® at Hollywood & Highland Center^® in Hollywood. Meanwhile, THE 2015 JUNO AWARDS (Sunday, March 15 on CTV) will broadcast from Hamilton's FirstOntario Centre, featuring performances by Hedley, Kiesza, MAGIC!, Shawn Mendes, and more.

High profile and big-buzz events continue on CTV with SUPER BOWL XLIX (Sunday, Feb. 1 at 6 p.m. ET on CTV), featuring a performance by global superstar Katy Perry, who headlines the PEPSI SUPER BOWL XLIX HALFTIME SHOW from University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona. The big ticket event determines the NFL champion for the 2014 season.

CTV's 2015 KEY MID-SEASON DATES:

All dates are subject to change: CLICK HERE for the most current list of mid-season premiere dates. All times in ET/PT. Visit CTV.ca to confirm local broadcast times.

Thursday, Jan. 1
10 p.m. – THE MENTALIST (CTV) –*NEW EPISODE / FINAL SEASON*

Friday, Jan. 2
10 p.m. – BLUE BLOODS (CTV) – *NEW EPISODE*

Saturday, Jan. 3
4 p.m. – NFL PLAYOFFS (CTV) – *BIG EVENT SPECIAL*

Sunday, Jan. 4
12 p.m. – NFL PLAYOFFS (CTV) –*BIG EVENT SPECIAL*
9 p.m. – RESURRECTION (CTV) – *NEW EPISODE*

Monday, Jan. 5
8 p.m. – GOTHAM (CTV) – *NEW EPISODE*
9 p.m. – FOREVER (CTV) – *NEW EPISODE*

Tuesday, Jan. 6
8 p.m. – MARVEL'S AGENT CARTER (CTV) – *TWO-HOUR SERIES PREMIERE*
8 p.m. – MASTERCHEF JUNIOR (CTV Two) – *NEW SEASON*
9 p.m. – HOT IN CLEVELAND (CTV Two) – *NEW EPISODE*
9:30 p.m. – ANGER MANAGEMENT (CTV Two) – *NEW EPISODE*
10 p.m. – PERSON OF INTEREST (CTV) – *NEW EPISODE*

Wednesday, Jan. 7
8 p.m. – THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA (CTV Two) – *NEW EPISODE*
9 p.m. – SAVING HOPE (CTV) – *TWO-HOUR MID-SEASON PREMIERE*
9 p.m. – LAW AND ORDER: SVU (CTV Two) – *NEW EPISODE*

Thursday, Jan. 8
8 p.m. – THE BIG BANG THEORY (CTV) – *NEW EPISODE*

Friday, Jan. 9
8 p.m. – SHARK TANK (CTV) –*NEW EPISODE*
9 p.m. – GRIMM (CTV) – *NEW EPISODE*

Saturday, Jan. 10
3:30 p.m. – NFL Divisional Playoff Weekend (CTV) – *BIG EVENT SPECIAL*

Sunday, Jan. 11
12 p.m. – NFL Divisional Playoff Weekend (CTV) – *BIG EVENT SPECIAL*
8 p.m. – THE 72^ND ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS (CTV) – *BIG EVENT SPECIAL*

Wednesday, Jan. 14
9 p.m. – CRIMINAL MINDS (CTV) – *NEW EPISODE*

Sunday, Jan. 18
2 p.m. – NFL Conference Championships (CTV) – *BIG EVENT SPECIAL*

Tuesday, Jan. 20
8 p.m. – THE FLASH (CTV) – *NEW EPISODE*

Wednesday, Jan. 21
8 p.m. – ARROW (CTV) – *NEW EPISODE*

Saturday, Jan. 24
7 p.m. – 2015 CANADIAN TIRE NATIONAL SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS (CTV) – *BIG EVENT SPECIAL*

Sunday, Jan, 25
9 p.m. – RESURRECTION (CTV) –*SEASON FINALE*

Wednesday, Jan. 28
7 p.m. – CLARA'S BIG RIDE (CTV) – *NEW SPECIAL*

Thursday, Jan. 29
7 p.m. – GREY'S ANATOMY (CTV) – *NEW TIMESLOT*
10 p.m. – HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER (CTV) – *NEW EPISODE*

Saturday, Jan. 31
8 p.m. – WE ARE MARSHALL (CTV) – *BIG MOVIE EVENT*

Sunday, Feb. 1
6 p.m. – SUPER BOWL XLIX (CTV) – *BIG EVENT SPECIAL*

Sunday, Feb. 8
7 p.m. – MASTERCHEF CANADA (CTV) – *SEASON PREMIERE*

Wednesday, Feb. 18
8 p.m. – THE MENTALIST (CTV) – *TWO-HOUR SERIES FINALE*
10 p.m. – SAVING HOPE (CTV) – *SEASON FINALE*

Thursday, Feb. 19
8:30 p.m. – THE ODD COUPLE (CTV) – *SERIES PREMIERE*
9 p.m. – TWO AND A HALF MEN (CTV) – *ONE-HOUR SERIES FINALE*

Sunday, Feb. 22
8:30 p.m. – THE 87^TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS (CTV) – *BIG EVENT SPECIAL*

Monday, Feb. 23
8 p.m. – THE VOICE (CTV Two) – *NEW SEASON*

Wednesday, Feb. 25
7:30 p.m. – THE GOLDBERGS (CTV) –*NEW TIMESLOT*
9:30 p.m. – THE AMAZING RACE (CTV) – *90-MINUTE SEASON PREMIERE / SPECIAL DAY*

Thursday, Feb. 26
9 p.m. – HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER (CTV) –*TWO-HOUR SEASON FINALE*

Friday, Feb. 27
8 p.m. – THE AMAZING RACE (CTV) – *NEW EPISODE / REGULAR TIMESLOT*

Sunday, March 1
8 p.m. – ONCE UPON A TIME (CTV) –*MID-SEASON PREMIERE*
9 p.m. – SECRETS AND LIES (CTV) –*TWO-HOUR SERIES PREMIERE*

Tuesday, March 3
9 p.m. – MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (CTV) – *MID-SEASON PREMIERE*

Wednesday, March 4
10 p.m. – CSI: CYBER (CTV) – *SERIES PREMIERE*

Thursday, March 5
9:30 p.m. – SPUN OUT (CTV) – *SEASON PREMIERE*
10 p.m. – AMERICAN CRIME (CTV) – *SERIES PREMIERE*

Sunday, March 8
10 p.m. – MOTIVE (CTV) – *SEASON PREMIERE*

Sunday, March 15
7 p.m. – THE 2015 JUNO AWARDS (CTV) – *BIG EVENT SPECIAL*

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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.

Source: Numeris (BBM Canada)

Fall 2014: Sept 22 – Nov 30, 2014, final data.
*Fall 2013: Sept 23, 2013 – May 25, 2014, final data, vs. equivalent weeks in previous years.
CTV electronic audience databases and Top 20 records incorporate data beginning in 1994 and 2004, respectively. 
Audiences prior to August 31, 2009 based on BBM Nielsen Media Research Mark II meters.

– CTV –

SOURCE CTV