 |
TORONTO - Can Rachel Ray help Chum scramble back into the Toronto TV ratings game?
The home of CITY-TV, A-Channel, MuchMusic and several specialty and digital stations needs a breakout hit. They thought they had one last year after outbidding CTV and Global for the Chris Rock comedy Everybody Hates Chris, but while that show is a critical darling, it gets crushed in T.O.
Chum announces its 2006-07 pickups today with a "client appreciation" party in Toronto. (CTV and Global have splashy "upfronts" planned for next week.) Here are some of the shows they bought last week while shopping for U.S. shows in Los Angeles.
* Rachel Ray, featuring Oprah's favourite TV chef, premieres Sept. 18. The ever-smilin' Ray promises more talk, less dish.
* Duets is being hyped as the latest "next big reality show" from Simon Cowell. The Fox series pairs real singers like Patti LaBelle with no-talent celebrities (choose from among thousands). Think Singing With The Stars.
* Always in the market for the next sci-fi hit, the former "Federation Station" also picked up the apocalyptic CBS drama Jericho. Gerald McRaney stars as a small-town mayor in the middle of an apparent nuclear crisis; Skeet Ulrich plays the prodigal son with a secret.
* Betty The Ugly is a smart pickup from the home of FashionTelevision and Canada's Next Top Model. The ABC comedy is about a square peg in the skinny round hole of the fashion industry. Executive-produced by Salma Hayek.
* Men In Trees is a Sex And The City-style ABC drama about a relationship coach (Anne Heche) who can't find a man.
Mid-season pickups include 3lbs, a CBS medical drama starring Stanley Tucci plus the coming of age CW drama Hidden Palms.
Kaput are the Canadian-produced series Godivas and The Collector.