CTV takes its pick of new US drama

LA SCREENINGS: Canadian commercial broadcaster CTV is adding a host of new US shows to its line-up, including what it believes are the two hottest dramas.

Blindspot

Acquisition executives from CTV and CTV Two have been here in LA this week screening new series from the US major studios’ slates for its 2015/16 primetime schedules, which will be revealed on June 4 in Toronto.

Among the new US dramas that have been confirmed to be airing on CTV this fall are ABC’s Quantico, which follows a group of young FBI recruits, and NBC mystery drama Blindspot, about a beautiful woman covered in tattoos who is found naked in Times Square.

CTV said the two shows, acquired from Disney Media Distribution (DMD) and Warner Bros International TV Distribution (WBITD) respectively, were the “most sought-after new dramas” from this year’s LA Screenings.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow

Other series acquired by CTV from DMD are Code Black, a CBS drama about the daily lives of staff working in Los Angeles’ busiest hospital; Oil, an ABC drama about a couple who move to North Dakota to profit from the state’s oil boom; and The Catch, from ABC and Shonda Rhimes, about a marriage between two con artists.

Meanwhile, CTV is also adding two WBITD series based on properties from DC Comics to its schedule. Lucifer imagines if the devil returned to earth to open a bar and help the LAPD, while Legends of Tomorrow is a spin-off from The CW hits The Flash and Arrow, which CTV also airs.

Lucifer

Elsewhere, Best Time Ever With Neil Patrick Harris, an NBC variety series based on the UK entertainment format Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, and the third season of Sleepy Hollow are set to air on CTV Two this fall.

“It’s another strong year for dramas, and there’s no question for our team that we’ve brought home with us the very best of this year’s LA Screenings offerings,” said Phil King, president of sports and entertainment programming at CTV.