New titles from Jared Keeso, Jacob Tierney, Elliot Page find place on Bell Media’s slate
Bell Media has revealed a slate of 116 new and returning titles for 2025/26, including a new project from Letterkenny creator Jared Keeso, a co-commission with USA Network, a reboot of gameshow Match Game, a scripted series with Elliot Page’s production company and a host of LA Screenings pick-ups.
The Canadian broadcast group announced its upcoming slate, spanning English- and French-language titles, on Thursday morning ahead of its upfront presentation later today.
Streamer Crave commissioned a slew of scripted titles, among them a six-part romance based on Rachel Reid’s novel Heated Rivalry, written and directed by Jacob Tierney (Letterkenny); Sigil, an eight-part fantasy-horror drama from executive producers Devery Jacobs, Lilly Wachowski and filmmaker Chris Lavis; Seoul Palace (Banger Films), a 1970s-set drama about the founding of the iconic Toronto music venue Lee’s Palace; procedural drama YAGA (Front Street Pictures, Blink 49 Studios) and a New Metric Media-produced comedy from Keeso. Details of the latter are being held tightly under wraps but filming is set to begin in the fall.
Unscripted titles ordered by Crave include interview series Tom Green’s Funny Farm, the first project announced under a co-development deal between Bell Media and the comedian; reality competition series Make Yourself Over from Scott Brothers Entertainment; Blue Collar (Blink49 Studios), delving inside the world of under-appreciated blue-collar jobs; Hockey Fanatics (Shadow Pine Studios and Scrimmy Media), which explores ice hockey fandoms across North America; and Temptation Under the Sun (Productions J), an English-language spin-off from the Quebec series OD: Temptations Under the Sun.
Crave’s docuseries commissions include Above Suspicion (Peacock Alley Entertainment), about a former Canadian airbase commander and pilot who was convicted of first-degree murder; The Christine Jessop Story (Alibi Entertainment), following the high-profile case of a nine-year-old who was murdered in 1984; Narco Mennonites (McGillivray Entertainment Media, Last Word Entertainment), about a group of Canadian mennonites who got into bed with the Mexican cartels; and Luc le Milliardaire? (Sphere Media) about candy entrepreneur Luc Poirier.
Crave and Bell Media’s broadcast network CTV jointly ordered Slo Pitch, based on a shortform digital comedy about a queer underdog baseball team with dreams of making it to the beer league championships. The 10×30’ project is produced by Shaftesbury and Canadian actor Page’s prodco Pageboy, which recently inked a co-development deal with Bell Media.
Bell was also revealed to be a co-commissioner, alongside Versant’s USA Network, of Anna Pigeon, a procedural drama based on Nevada Barr’s crime novels set in America’s national parks. Unveiled by Versant last month, the project is produced by Cineflix Studios, December Films and Seven24 Films, with Morwyn Brebner (Rookie Blue, Saving Hope, Coroner) showrunning.
The Canadian company commissioned six TV movies through a deal with Harlequin Studios, all of which will air on its CTV Life specialty cable channel. Titles include Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell, Montana Mavericks, Ordinary Girl in a Tiara and Paws in the City. All of the TV movies are made in association with Centinel Media, Harlequin Studios and Fremantle, with Neshama Entertainment producing.
Renewals for Crave (some of them previously announced) include Late Bloomer (S3), Super Team Canada (S2), The Trade (S3), Shoresy (S5), Sisters (S2), Canada’s Drag Race (S6), Slaycation (S2) and The Rebuild: Inside the Montreal Canadiens (S2), while CTV’s renewals include Sullivan’s Crossing (S4), The Traitors Canada (S3), MasterChef Canada (S8) and The Amazing Race Canada (S11). CTV Comedy Channel renewed Acting Good (S4) and Roast Battle Canada (S5).
Other new shows for CTV include a new version of classic gameshow Match Game (10×60’), with Fremantle and Attraction producing and Martin Short hosting. CTV Sci-Fi channel greenlit the drama series Revival (Blue Ice Pictures and Hemmings Films), set in the rural town of Wausau, Wisconsin, where fear and tension run high amongst the locals when the recently deceased suddenly return.
On the documentary front, Crave ordered Hoser: The Movie (Yap Films), Skinnamarink Forever (Wildling Pictures), Relax, Open Your Eyes (Grand Scheme), Saints & Warriors (InnoNative, Grand Scheme, Uninterrupted Canada), Turtle Island Rap (Scenario Media), Wonderland of Chaos (Jen Markowitz & Jacob Ulrich) and What Moves You?: The Art of Dance (Hip Hop Films, Karma Film). Bell Media’s Oxygen True Crime channel greenlit My Nightmare Stalker (Forte Entertainment).
On the French-language side, Crave ordered drama Dérive (Zone 3) and unscripted show Àpres OD Mexique (Productions J), while cable channel Canal D ordered docuseries Convoi du Nord (Sphere Media), Toujours Canadiens (RDS) and Monster Trucks en Tournee (Urbania). Meanwhile, Big Brother Célébrités (S5), Ça c’est drôle (S5), Chaque Seconde Compte (S2), Les Justiciers (S4), Les Testeurs (S7) and Les Traitres (S3) are among the renewed shows for French-language network Noovo.
Following its annual trip to the LA Screenings in May, Bell Media revealed that it had picked up 9-1-1: Nashville (ABC), Blue Bloods spin-off Boston Blue (CBS), Celebrity Weakest Link (NBC), The Floor (Fox) and The Fall & Rise of Reggie Dinkins (NBC) for its CTV fall schedule, with Doc Martin adaptation Best Medicine (Fox) and Memory of a Killer (Fox) set to air in midseason.
Crave’s list of acquisitions included The Hunting Wives (Lionsgate), The Miniature Wife (distributed by Sony), The Seduction (HBO France) and Project Runway (Freeform/Disney).
Elsewhere, Crave announced that its catalogue of content will expand by more than 10,000 hours as new titles from CTV, Noovo and its portfolio of other networks join the streamer, taking the total to more than 40,000 hours.
Bell is also moving further into the bundling game, announcing a deal with Disney that will see the companies offering a streaming bundle that brings together Disney+, Crave and Bell’s sports streamer TSN.
“Bell Media’s 2025/26 programming slate demonstrates our ongoing investment in Canadian content, as well as our commitment to collaborating with the country’s most creative minds,” said Bell Media president Sean Cohan.
“We strive to push the boundaries and deliver compelling stories that transcend borders and platforms. Alongside our world-class production partners, we are solidifying Bell Media’s place as a digital media and content powerhouse.”
