Broadcaster jumps gun on L.A. Screenings
TORONTO — Not wanting to wait for the Los Angeles Screenings to wrap next week before doing business, Canadian broadcaster CanWest Media on Friday scooped up Disney/ABC’s “Life on Mars,” 20th Century Fox’s “Dollhouse” and the CW’s “Beverly Hills, 90210″ remake before flying home.
Toronto-based CanWest also bought the midseason murder mystery “Harper’s Island” from CBS Paramount and the animated comedy “Sit Down, Shut Up,” from Sony Pictures TV and 20th Century Fox TV.
Other purchases included the CBS comedy “Worst Week,” a portrait of a magazine editor played by Sam Briggs who will do anything to impress his in-laws, from CBS Paramount and NBC Universal.
CanWest programrs will fly home to Toronto to tout their new U.S. network purchases to Canadian advertisers on June 4.
CW’s “90210″ spinoff co-stars Canadian actor Shenae Grimes, who had a lead in the homegrown teen drama “Degrassi: The Next Generation” on CTV and the N network in the U.S. market.
The latest purchases come on top of a package deal that CanWest did earlier with NBC Universal, which included NBC’s “Knight Rider” remake and the comedy “Kath and Kim.”
In all, CanWest Media will go home with seven new dramas and four new comedies from its U.S. suppliers, to be added to returning primetime hits such as Fox’s “House,” the CBS “Survivor” franchise and NBC’s “Heroes.”
That leaves rivals CTV, Rogers Media and smaller Canadian players to finish up their buying in Los Angeles, likely over the weekend.
