Canadian TV Upfronts - Fall 2025

[Sal]

This week, the Canadian TV networks have their annual upfront presentations where they preview their new fall schedules for Sept. 2025. For some reason, the order of presentations is different this year, either because they wanted a change or because they were unimpressed with the US upfronts and found the acquisitions to be slim at best. This is the order that they will follow this week:

IndieNET - May 29 (see below)

Corus/Global TV - Today (see below)

Rogers/CITY TV - Tomorrow

CBC - Wednesday

Bell Media/CTV - Thursday



IndieNET

The first group to present their shows were the IndieNET networks: CHCH TV (Hamilton, Ont.). CHEK (Vancouver), YES TV (Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton), and NTV (Newfoundland). Both NTV and CHEK have a strong emphasis on local content while CHCH and YES TV have both local shows and syndicated US imports like "Wheel Of Fortune" and "Jeopardy".

YES TV will have popular drama series like "Blue Bloods", "Rookie Blue", and "CSI", sitcoms like "King Of Queens", "Mike & Molly", and "The Middle", and they've even found a spot for the classic series "Mork & Mindy". It will be on at 4:30 pm just before "The Middle" and "Mike & Molly". It will be the only pure retro show that YES TV will have, which is unfortunate because it will certainly be better than what CHCH will have planned for the fall.

CHCH won't officially release their fall retro lineup until, as they are saying, they get closer to September. Here's what I can tell you in the meantime. They are bringing back the soap opera "Beyond The Gates" for the afternoons, since CBS stupidly renewed it for a second season and CHCH agreed to simulcast it. That will allow for less retro content than normal but they will add the following shows after September arrives:

- The A-Team
- The Six Million Dollar Man
- The Rockford Files

That's all that's been confirmed for now. I will keep you posted with further updates when I get them.

YES TV - FALL 2025 SCHEDULE

CHCH Sneak Peek 2025



CORUS/GLOBAL

The first major Canadian network to announce their fall plans is the Corus Entertainment network, home to Global TV and several lifestyle specialty channels, including Flavor and Home. which launched in December, replacing The Food Network and HGTV, which are now owned by Rogers as the new Canadian providers for the popular US channels. Global is the network's flagship channel which serves as the home for several US imports. Making their Canadian primetime debuts this fall will be the new drama series "Sheriff Country", a sequel to the hit series "Fire Country", which will follow it on Friday nights; "CIA" about a no-nonsense CIA official; "The Road", a new reality singing competition series hosted by country music star Keith Urban; and its lone new sitcom "DMV". about the staff at a Department of Motor Vehicles office, starring former Saturday Night Live regular Tim Meadows. Returning series include: the NCIS franchise, FBI, Matlock, Survivor, The Neighborhood, and Abbott Elementary.

Tomorrow: Rogers Media and Sports

CORUS Press Release

GLOBAL TV Press Release

GLOBAL TV - Fall 2025 Schedule

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ROGERS/CITY TV

Today's upfronts came from Rogers Media and Sports, Canada's home for NHL Hockey and Major League Baseball. Earlier this month, Rogers extended their partnership with the National Hockey League and announced that they will be the Canadian home for national hockey coverage for the next 12 years. Saturday's long-standing traditional show "Hockey Night In Canada" will continue to be carried by Sportsnet and its flagship station CITY-TV.

The big news from CITY-TV concerns a popular series which won't premiere until mid-season. Howie Mandel of "Deal Or No Deal" (and for a brief time, "Deal Or No Deal Canada") will be hosting a Canadian version of "The Price Is Right" in primetime which will be called "The Price Is Right Tonight". It will begin in Spring 2026. Before it begins, the fall primetime schedule will include "Law & Order" and "Law & Order:SVU" as well as the "One Chicago" group on Wednesday night, FOX TV's "Animation Domination" group on Sundays, led as usual by "The Simpsons" and another season of "Dancing With The Stars". Surprisingly, there were no new fall series added to the lineup, preferring to stand pat with their current lineup and saving their new content for their specialty networks, that will now include The Food Network and HGTV, transferred from Corus.

Press Release

List Of Premieres For 2025-26

CITY TV - Fall 2025 Schedule

Tomorrow: CBC

Spoiler Alert - Don't expect much.

[Sal]

CBC

Today was the CBC's turn to present their fall lineup for 2025-26. Just like Rogers and CITY-TV did yesterday, they are using Howie Mandel to headline their biggest new acquisition. The show is called "The Assembly". It is based on an Australian reality series of the same name where famous people are interviewed by a group of 30 people at the same time. Canadian pop singer and actress Jann Arden will also be one of the people that will be interviewed by the same group. Another new reality series to watch for is called "Must Love Dogs" where former CFL football player Brady Oliviera works with a group of volunteers to find homes for stray dogs.

CBC's biggest strength lies in its group of returning series since they continue to remain popular and the need for new shows at this point is limited at best. Most of the new shows will be featured on their free streaming channel CBC Gem. Returning to CBC this fall will be the following: Family Feud Canada, Dragons Den, Son Of A Critch, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Just For Laughs, Murdoch Mysteries, and Season 19 of Heartland.

Press Release

CBC Fall 2025 Schedule

[Sal]

BELL MEDIA/CTV

Today was the last day for the Canadian TV upfronts and it featured Canada's largest and most-watched TV network, the Bell Media group headed by CTV and TSN. The Sports Network (TSN) is Canada's home for both the NFL and CFL plus regional coverage of the NHL's Eastern teams (Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal, with Toronto's games split with Sportsnet) and major international events in sports such as soccer, golf, and tennis.

CTV is Bell's main programming network and it will have a few new series ready for the fall along with several returning, high-rated favorites. The majority of these series will be seen on their many cable, digital, and streaming channels. The main CTV network will include the following premieres: "9-1-1" spinoff "9-1-1 Nashville", "Blue Bloods" spinoff "Boston Blue", the new FOX comedy "The Rise And Fall Of Reggie Dinkins" starring Tracy Morgan and new seasons for game shows "The Floor" and "The Weakest Link" making their CTV debuts along with "Celebrity Weakest Link". Their powerful group of returning series will include "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage", the #1 new comedy from last season, "High Potential", last year's top new drama series, as well as proven hits "Grey's Anatomy", "The Voice", "The Amazing Race" and "Celebrity Wheel Of Fortune". CTV did not include a formal schedule grid with their presentation but I can give you a partial breakdown of what to expect courtesy of Wikipedia:

SUNDAY

7:00 pm Football Night In America
8:15 Sunday Night Football

MONDAY

8:00 Monday Night Football (CTV 2)

TUESDAY

8:00 Master Chef Canada
9:00 The Traitors Canada

WEDNESDAY

8:00 The Floor
9:00 Shifting Gears
9:30 The Amazing Race

THURSDAY

8:00 Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage
8:30 TBA - To Be Announced
9:00 9-1-1 Nashville
10:00 Grey's Anatomy

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY

TBA

Press Release

Canadian TV Fall Schedules 2025-26 - Wikipedia