CBC has unveiled a summer schedule that includes the reality/contest The Second City’s Next Comedy Legend, user-generated content and an array of sports programming.
The hour-long Comedy Legend will be hosted by former model and WWE wrestler Trish Stratus and premieres July 10 at 9 p.m. ET, the slot previously held by Intelligence. The eight-parter will follow sketch comedy performers from across the country as they compete in front of judges including Joe Flaherty, Elvira Kurt and Nick Napier. Second City CEO Andrew Alexander exec produces with Morgan Elliott of Suddenly SeeMore Productions (Strip Search).
Digital filmmakers, meanwhile, will vie for a chance to have their work air on Exposure– a showcase of user-generated content set for Sunday nights starting in July (see previous MiC story).
On the music front, CBC will air shows by indie acts including The Stills, The Constantines and Ron Sexsmith on The Phoenix Sessions, Fridays at 9 p.m ET starting June 1, taking over the slot from Jozi-H.
The Ceeb has also picked up new seasons of the BBC’s Doctor Who, starring David Tennant, and the comic drama Hustle, both on Monday nights, and a selection of Hollywood movies including Troy and Mystic River.
In sports, the network will devote a lot of air time to soccer this summer, broadcasting 52 games of the FIFA U-20 World Cup beginning June 20, in addition to 14 games of the inaugural season of Toronto FC. The CFL gets underway on CBC on June 30 with the Calgary Stampeders taking on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the first of a 27-game schedule that will also include the traditional Labor Day Classic.
The Ceeb will kick off its summer this Sunday with the 1983 comedy The Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie: Strange Brew, followed by a one-hour celebratory special on stars Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas.
A version of this story first appeared in Playback Daily.