What happened to Sundays? Zombies stole our shows!
Instead of juicy network dramas like Desperate Housewives, the night is now mostly comprised of reality shows and cartoons. The Amazing Race is still dominant at 8 on CTV, and The Simpsons still draws in the demos on Global after nearly a quarter of a century, but it seems as if all of the old school broadcasters are wary of airing their watered down dramas against the best scripted fare on cable. Even The Good Wife seems to get lost against red hot social media favourites such Breaking Bad, Dexter, Mad Men and The Walking Dead–and don’t forget Downton Abbey later on PBS.
Walter White and Don Draper have nothing to fear from the three news shows being added to Sunday schedules. The question in Canada will be can Battle of the Blades battle back after a year on the bench? Casting will be key, as it is for all these competitive reality shows.
Here’s a look at Sunday’s new additions:
SUNDAYS
Storage Wars Canada (7:30 p.m., City. Premieres Sept. 29).
Based on the American show where they put things in storage lockers and then crack them open in a fake attempt to build drama.
Battle of the Blades (8 p.m., CBC. Premieres Sept. 22).
Not a new show, but one that was benched for a year after CBC’s appropriation was cut. Another reason it was “rested”–it’s hard to find retired pro hockey players willing to risk what’s left of their knees landing double axle’s. Ex-Oiler and King Mike Krushelnyski and one-time Shark winger Scott Thorton will give it a go. Former champ Jamie Sale, Kurt Browning and P.J. Stock are the judges.
Meet the Family (8:30 p.m., City. Premieres Sept. 29).
Here’s how this show works in The U.K.: a boyfriend/girlfriend is brought home to meet the folks for the first time, but then gets gooned by a group of actors posing as the partner’s creepy parents and siblings. If he/she can take the heat, the couple could win a fabulous trip. City thinks so much of this one they have exactly zero photos on their media site to promote it–or are we being punked?
Betrayal (10 p.m., ABC/City. Premieres Sept. 29).
Revenge, Betrayal–I’m already getting these shows mixed up. This limited run series finds a frustrated wife (Hannah Ware, above) getting involved with a lawyer who is going up against her husband in a high profile murder case. In other words, she dropped her briefs before her husband did! Stuart Townsend, James Cromwell and Henry Thomas (the kid from E.T.!) round out the cast.
advertisement
