Global picks up FBI, New Amsterdam

Corus Entertainment-owned Canadian terrestrial Global has picked up CBS procedural FBI and NBC medical drama New Amsterdam for its fall schedule.

NBC’s New Amsterdam is set in a struggling hospital

FBI (13×42’) comes from Law & Order creator Dick Wolf and looks at the inner workings of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York office, while hour-long New Amsterdam is helmed by David Schulner (Do No Harm) and stars Ryan Eggold (The Blacklist).

Set in an understaffed and underfunded hospital, the show was inspired by Bellevue, the oldest public hospital in America.

On the comedy front, Global has picked up four shows. The Neighborhood and Happy Together will play on the net’s Monday night comedy block, while new series I Feel Bad and the rebooted Will & Grace will air on Thursdays.

The broadcaster has also acquired US reality show spin-off Dancing with the Stars: Juniors, which it will air on Sundays.

In addition, Global has renewed Canadian-made shows Mary Kills People and Big Brother Canada for new seasons, and has slated Abby’s, a comedy from the producers of The Good Place, for midseason. The new US dramas join existing acquisitions 9-1-1, Bull, SWAT and the NCIS franchise.

The news comes as parent company Corus Entertainment has unveiled a line-up of more than 37 commissioned series across its digital and specialty channels for 2018/19.

At Food Network Canada, Proper Television has been commissioned to make two seasons of Iron Chef Canada (10×60’ for this fall and the same again for fall 2019), bringing the popular format north of the border for the first time.

It has also ordered two 10 x 60’ seasons of Fire Masters – a culinary show that promises to put “teams of open-flame fanatics in a battle for fire supremacy” – from its own Corus Studios. The first season will air in spring 2019.

Meanwhile, comedian John Catucci returns to the network as host of the tentatively titled food adventure series Ultimate Food Bucket List, while Top Chef Canada returns for a seventh season.

At HGTV Canada, returning shows include Sarah Off the Grid, Holmes + Holmes, Backyard Builds, Property Brothers and Love It or List It Vancouver, while new show Island of Bryan (13 x 60’), from Corus Studios, sees contractor Bryan Baeumler and his family heading to the Bahamas to overhaul a rundown beachfront resort.

History will play host to four new commissions, with the Corus Studios-produced Rust Valley Restorers (8×60’), Big Rig Warriors (10×30’) and History Erased (8×60’) all joining the fall line-up.

Also on the slate is 100 Days to Victory (2×60’), a special focusing on Canada’s role in the First World War, from Bristow Global Media and Electric Pictures, as well as a fifth season of Take 5 Productions’ Vikings.

Finally, Slice will host original fashion competition show Stitched (12×60’), a Forté Entertainment series hosted by model Kim Cloutier, while family-focused net YTV welcomes two new series.

Star Falls (20×30’) is a single-camera family comedy set in an idyllic small town and comes from Breakthrough Entertainment in association with Nickelodeon. Go Away Unicorn (52×11’) follows the adventures of a little girl as she tries to avoid an unwanted unicorn. The latter is made by Nelvana for Sonar Entertainment in association with Disney.