Holidays can be real momentum killers when it comes to launching a new show. Fortunately, Rookie Blue did not appear to take too much of a hit this Thursday, which was Canada Day. The Global cop opera (featuring Missy Peregrym, left) drew an overnight, estimated 1.4 million in its second outing, down from its strong 1.8+ opener last week but still good enough to win a quiet night in Canada. Global lead-in Wipeout did 1,152,000 at 8 p.m., with CTV imports The Mentalist (833,000), So You Think You Can Dance (1,023,000) and another Mentalist rerun at 10 (944,000) hovering around the million mark.
The CBC Canada Day flag waver Canada Rocks the Capital drew 322,000 who got to see the Queen wear red and Ron MacLean sing (!).
The news was still encouraging for Rookie Blue south of the border, with ABC arresting 6.84 million with the shot-in-Toronto summer series. That was just a 5% dip from Week One heading into a Fouth of July weekend. See the full Thursday night U.S. ratings report here at the Programming Insider.
There was also word Canada Day that a whack of Cancon is either currently in production or ramping up over the next 12-to-18 months under the Canwest banner. Some, like the Showcase/Syfy mystery drama Haven, start soon (July 12). Others, like the Trailer Park Boys follow-up, Drunk and on Drugs Happy Funtime Hour, arrive at Showcase this fall.
A few others are big budget co-pros, including Combat Hospital, a 13-episode Afghanistan-based medical drama made in partnership with NBC Universal. The series will either shoot in Canada or Morocco (cause…those countries are so alike?). Global’s got it penciled in for Fall 2011. Canwest also has a female cop show in development for Showcase: King hails from Indian Grove productions’ Bernie Zukerman and Greg Spottiswood. Does Jim Shaw know he’s going to be paying for all this?
New comedies include a six-episode order for something called Prize or Punishment from Kenny Hotz (coming to Global in January) and an untitled eight-part comedy from the Belleville boys, Jason and Ryan.
Altogether, there are 16 Canadian productions in all on the Canwest docket, including nine one-hour dramas, four half-hour comedies and three back door pilots. Etan Vlessing has details here at The Hollywood Reporter.
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