More Content, More Fun, More Choice - City Unveils the 2015/16 Prime-Time Schedule

– A Canadian exclusive, The Mindy Project makes a triumphant return to City, Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT –
– Most talked about new series of the year Scream Queens, The Muppets, and Life in Pieces join proven performers in City's strongest and most dynamic schedule to date –
– Sundays get a refresh with a block of back-to-back comedy hits, including Family Guy, Bob's Burgers and Last Man on Earth –

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TORONTO, June 2, 2015 /CNW/ - City's momentum continues today as it unveils its strongest and most dynamic schedule to date, announced this morning as part of the annual Rogers Upfront.  Up six per cent year-over-year, * the City fall/mid-season schedule builds upon a successful foundation of 11 returning series with the addition of 12 new series.

"City is the home of unconventional conventional programming," said Colette Watson, Vice President of Television & Broadcast Operations, Rogers. "Our schedule this year has the best mix of proven performers, avant-garde series, sports blockbusters, and the next big hits. It's our most diverse programming lineup ever, and features a perfect blend of premium comedies and dramas, live event programming, and sports. The City schedule has something for everyone."

Newly acquired content for the 2015/16 season includes the most sought-after comedies of the year, including the highly anticipated remake of The Muppets and all-star new comedy series, Life in Pieces. Weekends remain the home of must-see programming with Hockey Night in Canada heading back to City every Saturday night, joined by a refreshed Sunday night comedy lineup, featuring all-new seasons of proven fan favourites Family Guy, Bob's Burgers, and The Last Man on Earth.  And hailed by critics as one of the most exciting new series of the year, the star-studded cast of Scream Queens anchors an all-new Tuesday night programming block on City that also includes Grandfathered, marking the television comeback of John Stamos, and The Grinder, starring Rob Lowe and Fred Savage.

"This year, we set out to strengthen City across the board, and our 2015/16 schedule reflects a powerhouse of competitive content every night of the week," said Hayden Mindell, Vice President, Television Programming & Content. "With a blend of original and distinct voices that includes Mindy Kaling, The Muppets, Seth MacFarlane, and Ryan Murphy – this year's schedule exemplifies the types of bold choices we're making at City to entertain and engage Canadians."

Adding to the lineup of premium scripted content, City continues to build strength in established marquee live-event programming. The 58^th Annual GRAMMY Awards^® returns to the City mid-season schedule in 2016, along with GRAMMY^® Nominations Concert Live!. Last year's GRAMMY Awards was the most-watched program in network history with an average of 2.9 million viewers.**  Additionally, this year City has the new must-see family musical event, The Wiz Live!, and joining the sports roster mid-week is Thursday Night NFL.

Anchoring the lineup of soon-to-be hits, City is staying true to established audiences through the 2015/16 season by continuing to deliver the comedies that resonate most with viewers, including returning hits 2 Broke Girls, Modern Family, Black-ish, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and New Girl. Attracting an average audience of 1.3 million P2+ viewers,* Scorpion – City's highest rated new series of last year – returns to the fall schedule alongside the breakout hit drama of 2015, Empire.

And rounding out the stable of TV's most memorable mix of new and returning shows, beloved comedy The Mindy Project will make a triumphant return this fall to screens across the country. City is the only television network in North America that will air this fan favourite.

Other series returning for the 2015/16 fall and mid-season schedule are The Bachelor, Mike & Molly, Hell's Kitchen, The Middle, World's Funniest Fails, and original series Sunnyside.

Joining the City mid-season schedule are new titles Rush Hour, Bordertown, Little Big Shots, and The Guide to Surviving Life.

All programming is available on Citytv.com, and on mobile through the City Video app for iOS and Android. Fall premiere dates will be announced in the coming months; shows acquired but not yet listed on the schedule will premiere at a later date in the 2015/16 season.

City Fall Schedule
All times ET/PT; s = simulcast

**NOTE: 58th Annual GRAMMY Awards® and The Wiz Live! (*NEW*) will join City's fall schedule – Date and time TBC

New Series Descriptions
s = simulcast

FALL – NEW COMEDIES

THE MUPPETS
30-minute scripted comedy series
Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT (s)
National broadcast

The Muppets return to prime time with a contemporary, documentary-style show. For the first time ever, audiences will explore the Muppets' personal lives and relationships, both at home and at work, as well as romances, breakups, achievements, disappointments, wants and desires; a more adult Muppet show, for kids of all ages.

PRODUCTION COMPANY: ABC/Disney
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS/CO-WRITERS: Bill Prady (The Big Bang Theory) and Bob Kushell (Anger Management)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Randall Einhorn (Wilfred), Bill Barretta, Debbie McClellan and Kyle Laughlin
CAST: Steve Whitmire as Kermit the Frog, Eric Jacobson as Miss Piggy, Dave Goelz as Gonzo, Peter Linz as Walter, Matt Vogel as Sweetums, Bill Barretta as Pepe

LIFE IN PIECES
30-minute scripted comedy series
Mondays at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT (s), moves to Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT (s) beginning Nov. 5
National broadcast

Life in Pieces is a single-camera comedy about one big happy family and their sometimes awkward, often hilarious, and ultimately beautiful milestone moments as told by its various members. Of the three siblings, middle child Matt may have just found his true love, his co-worker, Colleen; his coddled youngest brother, Greg, and his wife, Jen, are overwhelmed by the birth of their first child; and the eldest, Heather, and her husband, Tim, are dreading their impending empty nest so much, they're considering having another baby. Their parents, Joan and John, would do anything for their kids, and are constantly searching for ways to soften the blow of getting older. As the family's lives unfold in four short stories each week, they try to savour these little pieces of time that flash by but stay with you forever, because these moments add up to what life's all about. 

PRODUCTION COMPANY: 20th Century Fox
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Justin Adler (Better Off Ted), Aaron Kaplan (Secrets and Lies), Jason Winer (The Crazy Ones)
CAST: James Brolin (Catch Me If You Can), Thomas Sadoski (The Newroom), Angelique Cabral (Enlisted), Colin Hanks (Fargo), Zoe Lister Jones (Friends with Better Lives), Betsy Brandt (Breaking Bad), Dan Bakkedahl (Veep), Dianne Wiest (I Am Sam)

GRANDFATHERED
30-minute scripted comedy series
Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT (s)
National broadcast

Grandfathered is a single-camera comedy about the ultimate bachelor who discovers he's not only a father, but a grandfather. Successful restaurateur and man-about-town Jimmy Martino is used to being the most suave, most handsome and most single person in the room. All that changes when Jimmy is surprised by his adult son, Gerald, and his baby daughter, Edie. Now Jimmy has to unlearn a lifetime of blissful selfishness and grapple with the fact that he went from single to grandfather in six seconds. Keeping tabs on Jimmy is Gerald's mother and Jimmy's former girlfriend, rocker-chick turned mother, Sara. Equally concerned about how Jimmy will manage these new developments is Jimmy's restaurant family, especially assistant manager Annalise, and Chef Ken. Can Jimmy teach Gerald his ways in order to win the affection of Edie's hot mess of a mom, Vanessa? Will Jimmy and Sara fall for each other all over again, even though she's the one thing he never dates – a woman his own age? And who's higher maintenance, Jimmy or the baby? Grandfathered is an unconventional, sophisticated comedy about coming of age – at any age. 

PRODUCTION COMPANY: ABC/Disney
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: John Stamos (Losing It with John Stamos), Daniel Chun (Happy Endings), Dan Fogelman (Galavant)
CAST: John Stamos (Full House), Josh Peck (Drake and Josh), Paget Brewster (Criminal Minds), Christina Milian (Family Guy), Kelly Jenrette (Audrey), Ravi Patel (Super Fun Night),

THE GRINDER
30-minute scripted comedy series
Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT (s)
National broadcast

The Grinder is a single-camera comedy about a famous TV lawyer at a crossroads. When Dean Sanderson's legal TV series ends, he decides to move back home and join his family's real law firm – despite having no formal education, no bar certification, no license to practice, and no experience in an actual courtroom. Dean spent eight seasons playing the title role on the hit legal drama "The Grinder." Now he's moving back to his hometown of Boise, Idaho, where his brother, Stewart, is a real-life attorney who is poised to take over the family law firm. It doesn't take long for Dean to start injecting his TV drama into every aspect of Stewart's life, both in the courtroom and at home. All of this starts to impact Stewart's wife – and Dean's high school sweetheart – Debbie; their two kids, 15-year-old Lizzie and 13-year-old Ethan; and Dean and Stewart's father, Dean Sr. The Grinder is the story of two brothers who took different paths, but meet again in the middle – for justice…sort of.

PRODUCTION COMPANY: 20th Century Fox
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Rob Lowe (30 for 30), Jake Kasdan (New Girl), Andrew Mogel (Allen Gregory), Jarrad Paul (Allen Gregory), Nicholas Stoller (Muppets Most Wanted)
CAST: Rob Lowe (Parks and Recreation), Fred Savage (The Wonder Years), Mary Elizabeth Ellis (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Hana Hayes (Bucket and Skinner's Epic Adventures), Connor Kalopsis (Days of Our Lives), William Devane (24: Live Another Day)

SCREAM QUEENS
60-minute scripted comedy series
Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT (s)
National broadcast

Scream Queens is a new killer comedy-horror series about a string of murders in a sorority house at Wallace University. Kappa House, the most sought-after sorority for pledges, is ruled with an iron fist (in a pink glove) by its Queen B, Chanel Oberlin. But when anti-Kappa Dean Munsch decrees that sorority pledging must be open to all students, and not just the school's silver-spooned elite, all hell breaks loose, as a devil-clad killer begins wreaking havoc, claiming one victim, one episode at a time. Part dark comedy, part slasher flick, Scream Queens is a modern take on the classic whodunit, in which every character has a motive for murder or could easily be the next blood-soaked casualty.

PRODUCTION COMPANY: 20th Century Fox
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story), Brad Falchuk (American Horror Story) and Ian Brennan (American Horror Story)
CAST: Emma Roberts (American Horror Story), Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween), Lea Michele (Glee), Abigail Breslin (August: Osage County) Nasim Pedrad (Saturday Night Live), Oliver Hudson (Nashville), Skyler Samuels (American Horror Story: Coven), Niecy Nash (Getting On), Nick Jonas (Kingdom), Ariana Grande (Sam and Cat), Keke Palmer (Masters of Sex), Diego Bonita (Rock of Ages), Glen Powell (The Expendables 3), Lucien Laviscount (Episodes)

FALL – NEW TO CITY COMEDIES

UNDATEABLE
30-minute Live scripted comedy series
Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT (s)
National broadcast
Season 2

Undateable is a multi-camera comedy series inspired by the book "Undateable: 311 Things Guys Do That Guarantee They Won't be Dating or Having Sex" written by Ellen Rakieten and Anne Coyle. Undateable centres around mismatched roommates Danny Burton and Justin Kearney and their group of oddball friends who hang out at Justin's unsuccessful bar, solving each other's problems over beers. Even though they love to give each other a hard time, they always have each other's back. Now on its third season, Undateable will broadcast live-to-air every Friday.

PRODUCTION COMPANY: Warner Brothers
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Bill Lawrence (Cougar Town), Adam Sztykiel (Due Date), Jeff Ingold (Ground Floor)
CAST: Chris D'Elia (Whitney), Brent Morin (Ground Floor), Bianca Kajlich (Rules of Engagement), Ron Funches (Krol Show), Rick Glassman (The Comedians), David Fynn (Game of Thrones), Bridgit Mendler (Good Luck Charlie)

BOB'S BURGERS
30-minute animated scripted comedy series
Sundays at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT (s)
National broadcast
Season 6

Bob's Burgers is an animated series about a man, his family, and a burger joint. A third-generation restaurateur, Bob Belcher has big ideas about burgers, condiments and sides, but only a few thoughts on customer service and business management. Despite his greasy counters, lousy location and occasionally spotty service, Bob is convinced his burgers speak for themselves. Even though business is slow, Bob gets to work with his family. His wife, Linda, supports Bob's dream through thick and thin. Their eldest daughter, Tina, is a 13-year-old hopeless romantic with minimal social skills. Middle child Gene is an aspiring musician and a prankster who serves up more jokes than burgers. Their youngest, Louise, is the most enthusiastic about her dad's business, but an off-balance sense of humour and her elevated energy level make her somewhat of a liability in the kitchen.

PRODUCTION COMPANY: 20^th Century Fox
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Loren Bouchard (The Ricky Gervais Show), Jim Dauterive (King of the Hill)
CAST: H. Jon Benjamin (Family Guy), John Roberts (The Christmas Tree), Dan Mintz (Important Things with Demetri Martin), Eugene Mirman (Flight of the Conchords), Kristen Schaal (Flight of the Conchords)

FAMILY GUY
30-minute animated scripted comedy series
Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT (s)
National broadcast
Season 14

Family Guy chronicles the lives of the Griffin family, a tight-knit but tense nuclear family living in Quahog, Rhode Island. Peter, the loving but not-overly-ambitious patriarch, and Lois, his devoted wife, maintain a comfortable middle class home. Teen queen Meg, slacker Chris and homicidal infant Stewie round out the Griffin brood, but the most sensible and well-spoken member of the clan is the family dog, Brian. 

PRODUCTION COMPANY: 20^th Century Fox
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Seth MacFarlane (American Dad!), David Zuckerman (Wilfred)
CAST: Seth MacFarlane (Ted), Alex Borstein (MADTV), Seth Green (Robot Chicken), Mila Kunis (That 70's Show), Mike Henry (American Dad!), Patrick Warburton (Rules of Engagement)

THE LAST MAN ON EARTH
30-minute scripted comedy series
Sundays at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT (s)
National broadcast
Season 2

The Last Man on Earth is a single-camera comedy about the life and adventures of the last man on earth. The year is 2022, and after an unlikely event, only one man is left on earth: Phil Miller, who used to be just an average guy who loved his family and hated his job at the bank. Now, in his RV, Phil searches the country for other survivors. He has travelled to every city, every town and every outpost in the United States, Mexico and Canada, and has found no one, which leads him to the painful realization that he is almost certainly the last man on earth. Sure, there are some positives that come with being the last person on earth. You can go live in the White House if you want. You can park in handicapped spots without an ounce of guilt. You can decorate your home with priceless works of art. You want to wear a pair of tighty-whiteys and nothing else every single day of the year? Not a problem. The Last Man on Earth is a comedy about a man trying to make lemonade out of the most soul-crushing lemon there is.

PRODUCTION COMPANY: 20^th Century Fox
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Will Forte (Saturday Night Live), Chris Miller and Phil Lord (The Lego Movie, 21 Jump Street), Seth Cohen
CAST: Will Forte (Saturday Night Live), Kristen Schaal (Bob's Burgers)

FALL – NEW UNSCRIPTED SERIES AND SPECIALS

LITTLE BIG SHOTS
60-minute variety series
Date and Time TBC
National broadcast

Little Big Shots is a comedy/variety series featuring the world's most talented and extraordinary kids from two of the biggest names in comedy, Ellen DeGeneres and Steve Harvey. Hosted by Steve Harvey, Little Big Shots will showcase young musicians, singers, and dancers in America, and go toe-to-toe with them in conversations and interviews, with hilarious results. From pint-size break-dancers to five-year-old piano virtuosos, these gifted performers will awe audiences with their talents, slay us with their cuteness and wow us with their accomplishments. These phenomenal kids show us once and for all that talent is born, not made.

PRODUCTION COMPANY: Warner Brothers
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Ellen DeGeneres (One Big Happy), Steve Harvey (The Steve Harvey Show), Jeff Kleeman (The Judge), Gerald Washington
HOST: Steve Harvey (Family Feud)

THE WIZ LIVE!
3-hour live performance special
Date and time TBC
National broadcast

Following in the footsteps of the successful live specials The Sound of Music Live! and Peter Pan Live! comes a brand-new live television production of the ground-breaking Broadway show that brought the vivid world of Oz to the streets of New York in a fresh, funky sing-along journey down the yellow brick road. The original show was a massive hit on Broadway and even spawned a feature film starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. Now, a Tony-winning creative team, the hugely imaginative Cirque du Soleil Theatrical, and a diverse cast of show-stopping performers will come together to create an eye-popping new take unlike anything seen before.

PRODUCTION COMPANY: NBC Universal
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (The Sound of Music Live!, Peter Pan Live!)
CAST: Stephanie Mills (The Wiz)

MID-SEASON – NEW COMEDIES

RUSH HOUR
60-minute scripted comedy series
Date and Time TBC
National broadcast

Rush Hour, a reimagining of the hit feature film franchise, is a buddy-cop drama about a maverick LAPD detective and a by-the-book detective from Hong Kong who knock heads when they are forced to partner together. Detective Lee is a reserved, honourable master martial artist with lightning-fast moves who comes to L.A. to avenge his sister's alleged death and learn more about her connection to a Chinese organized crime ring. Detective Carter, on the other hand, is a wisecracking cop who plays by his own rules and has never wanted a partner. Carter's boss, Captain Cole, knows he's a brilliant detective who gets results. Attempting to help the two get along is Sergeant Didi Diaz, Carter's friend and former partner who doesn't hesitate to call him out on his antics. But even as cultures clash and tempers flare, Carter and Lee can't deny they make a formidable team, and grudgingly admit that sometimes an unlikely pairing makes for a great partnership. 

PRODUCTION COMPANY: Warner Brothers
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Arthur Sarkissian (Rush Hour Series), Brett Ratner (Horrible Bosses), Jeff Ingold (Ground Floor) and Jon Turteltaub (Jericho)
CAST: Jon Foo (Bangkok Revenge), Justin Hires (21 Jump Street), Wendie Malick (Hot in Cleveland), Aimee Garcia (Dexter)

THE GUIDE TO SURVIVING LIFE
30-minute scripted comedy series
Date and Time TBC
National broadcast

The Guide to Surviving Life is a single-camera comedy that explores what we all go through on our way to figuring out what life is all about. Cooper Barrett still doesn't have the job he wants, and he's accidently fallen in love with his across-the-hall neighbour, Kelly Bishop. One of his roommates, Neal, just can't seem to dump his bodybuilder girlfriend, while his other roommate, Barry, is a "loveable jackass" who can't stop getting into trouble. Cooper's 40-year-old-brother, Josh, a married father of two, is constantly popping in to come hang with the fellas. The one thing they do have is each other. As Cooper struggles to survive each of life's many challenges, like a night in jail or an inappropriate text, he will guide us through the often-messy, always-hilarious ordeal.

PRODUCTION COMPANY: 20^th Century Fox
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Gail Berman (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Jay Lacopo (The Third Wheel)
CAST: Jack Cutmore-Scott (Kingsman: The Secret Service), Meaghan Rath (Being Human), Charlie Saxton (Betas), James Earl (Glee), Justin Bartha (The New Normal)

BORDERTOWN
30-minute animated scripted comedy series
Date and Time TBC
National broadcast

Bordertown is a new animated comedy about two families living in a Southwest desert town on the U.S./Mexico border that takes a satirical look at the cultural shifts occurring in America, where the U.S. Census forecasts that by 2017, Caucasians will be a minority. Set against this increasingly diverse backdrop, the series explores family, politics, and everything else in between. Bordertown centers on two clans: the Buckwalds and the Gonzalezes. Bud Buckwald is a married father of three and a border patrol agent who is just a tad behind the times and feels threatened by the cultural changes transforming his neighborhood. He lives next door to Ernesto Gonzalez, an ambitious immigrant and family man, who has been in the country less than 10 years, but is already living the American Dream. As Bud and Ernesto's paths begin to cross, their two families soon become bound by romance, conflict and, perhaps most importantly, friendship – a word that means the same, no matter what side of the border you're from.

PRODUCTION COMPANY: 20^th Century Fox
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy), Mark Hentemann (Family Guy) CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Alex Carter (Family Guy) and Dan Vebber (American Dad!)
CAST: Hank Azaria (The Simpsons), Nicholas Gonzalez (Sleepy Hollow), Alex Borstein (Family Guy), Judah Friedlander (30 Rock), Missi Pyle (The Exes), Efren Ramirez (Napoleon Dynamite), Nicholas Gonzalez (The Purge: Anarchy)

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About City 
City™ television stations in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Montreal and Saskatchewan offer viewers intensely-local, urban-oriented, culturally-diverse television programming. A distinct alternative to other conventional television stations, City engages its viewers with dynamic on-air personalities and delivers an entertaining mix of news, local-interactive formats such as: Breakfast Television and Cityline; as well as local Canadian and US acquired prime time entertainment programming. City is a part of Rogers Broadcasting Limited, a division of Rogers Communications Inc. (TSX: RCI and NYSE: RCI) which is a diversified Canadian communications and media company. For more information on City stations and programming, visit Citytv.com.

Source:
* Numeris, Sep/14-Mar 22/15, A25-54 AMA(000), Total Canada
** Numeris, Sep/14-Mar 22/15, P2+ (000), Total Canada

SOURCE City