New E! series tops list of programming newsbytes

Canwest's E! Network is launching a new weekend round-up of the-week-that-was in entertainment, while CTV looks forward to more dancing stars. Star!, Space and CosmoTV are sexing up the spring skeds. And the Ceeb's painting a picture of political thrills with Paul Gross.
By Jesse Kohl
March 5, 2008

Canwest’s E! Network is set to debut its new half-hour weekly entertainment news round-up, E! News Weekend, on Friday in the 7:30 pm ET/PT time slot, with repeats on Saturdays at 12:30 am and Sundays at 7 pm.

The show, hosted by (pictured) Arisa Cos (ET Canada, The A-List, The Gill Deacon Show) and Jason Ruta (YTV and CMT), will broadcast from the net’s new studio location at the Hard Rock Café – with Toronto’s Yonge-Dundas Square as a backdrop. E! News Weekend will debut with profiles of Canada’s Ellen Page (Juno) and winners of the Genie Awards and an interview with k.d. lang.

If that sounds a little too tame, there’s always Star!’s upcoming two-part special. Hollywood’s Sexiest Body Parts. The show will look at who has the best bits in the biz – with women as a focus on Saturday, March 22 at 11 pm ET/8 pm PT and men taking the spotlight on Saturday, March 29 in the same time slots. Star! is also airing encores of CTV’s Oprah’s Big Give Mondays at 9 pm ET/6 pm PT, and TMZ Weekend Saturdays at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT,

CTVglobemedia’s Space has the fourth and final season of Battlestar Gallactica returning Friday, April 4 at 10 pm ET/7 pm PT, and the net will air exclusive series-related content each week in March on HypaSpace, along with two half-hour specials, Battlestar Gallactica: Revealed and Battlestar Galactica: The Phenomenon, at 10 pm ET/7 pm PT on March 28. The show’s third season was Space’s highest-rated program in the 2006-07 broadcast year.

CTV is set to bring back Dancing with the Stars on Monday, March 17 at 8 pm ET. Season six kicks off with six teams competing in a special 90-minute episode on Monday night, while the remaining six move to the music on Tuesday, March 18 at 9 pm ET in another 90-minute special, broadcast on A-Channel and ASN.

The CBC is set to unveil its two-part political thriller, The Trojan Horse, on March 30 and April 6 in the Sunday 8 pm time slot. The miniseries stars Paul Gross (Men with Brooms, Due South) as a former prime minister who watches Canada relinquish its sovereignty to join the US. Tom Skerritt (Picket Fences) and Greta Scaachi (Emma) also star.

Corus Entertainment is introducing two new reality shows on its CosmoTV sked. Manhunt, hosted by Carmen Electra, is a search for America’s newest and hottest male model – with 15 guys competing for a $100,000 prize. It premieres Wednesday, April 16 at 8 pm. Charlotte and Jordan: Runway to LA is a five-part series following Australia’s Next Top Model judge Charlotte Dawson as she helps model Jordan Loukas transition from Australian celebrity to international stardom. It premieres Monday, March 31 at 8 pm.