Thursday's Secret Weapon: CTV's Original Undercover Cop Drama PLAYED Premieres Oct. 3

Thursday's Secret Weapon: CTV's Original Undercover Cop Drama PLAYED Premieres Oct. 3


- Digital preview of debut available on network's video player at
CTV.ca, as well as the CTV App and the CTV Mobile Channel beginning
Sept. 27 -



- Suspenseful new drama from Greg Nelson (SAVING HOPE, ROOKIE BLUE)
premieres in coveted Thursday night timeslot -



- CTV invests in massive promotional push for launch of new Canadian
series -



To tweet this release: http://bit.ly/14bTMQA


TORONTO, Sept. 17, 2013 /CNW/ - Money. Guns. Cars. Drugs. Thursday night
gets a dose of suspense this fall with the premiere of CTV's compelling
new original undercover cop drama PLAYED. Launching with CTV's biggest promotional investment of any other network
priority this fall, PLAYED joins CTV's blockbuster Thursday night line-up at 10 p.m. ET/PT beginning Oct. 3 (visit CTV.ca to confirm local broadcast times). And with a goal of driving awareness
of the new series ahead of its debut, CTV announced today it will
sample the emotion and tension-filled premiere with a one-week sneak
peek, exclusively at CTV.ca, on the CTV App, and the CTV Mobile Channel on Bell Mobile TV,
beginning Thursday, Sept. 27 at 9 a.m. ET.


PLAYED follows the Covert Investigations Unit (C.I.U.), an elite,
Toronto-based undercover police unit formed to infiltrate criminal
worlds. In nerve-wracking confidence games or "plays," these
smooth-talking cops flirt with killers, befriend gang members, and
arrange gun shipments - all to collect evidence, coax confessions, and
make arrests.


**Media Note** Download artwork for PLAYED at BellMediaPR.ca


"Closing out Thursday night's powerhouse lineup on CTV, PLAYED is not-to-be missed. It will keep Canadians at the edge of their seats
and have them counting down the days until the next episode," said Phil
King, President, CTV Programming and Sports. "Launching in the prime
Thursday at 10 p.m. timeslot and with our most significant promotional
push of the fall, as well as a week-long digital preview, PLAYED is well positioned for a successful run on CTV."



With all elements created by the Bell Media Agency, the far-reaching
promotion and marketing campaign in support of PLAYED leverages Bell Media's extensive English-language radio, television,
and digital networks. A one-month on-air launch campaign is currently
underway, featuring more than a dozen different executions. The
campaign is also supported through outdoor executions in key
metropolitan markets, including bus kings, transit shelters, and
posters, as well as digital assets including banner and mobile ads, and
pre-roll promos. In all, the seven-figure promotional value of the PLAYED campaign results in the largest marketing investment by CTV of any of
its series this fall.



In PLAYED, the C.I.U. team faces the risks of going undercover to infiltrate, and
bring down, criminal organizations. With the new style of short-term,
high-intensity undercover work, each covert "play" is crafted quickly
and executed at an even faster pace. Placed into various worlds of
crime without a safety net, the cops are in constant danger. Wearing
wires, coaxing confessions, and setting up stings, the cops of the
C.I.U. must think quickly, talk smoothly, and rely on pure instinct. If
these cops aren't convincing, if they aren't real, if they miss one cue
- their lives are over in an instant. They slip in and out of
characters so often, they sometimes lose track of who they really are.
The bonds within the team are close, and the conflicts are intense. The
team is everything.



The talented and instinct-driven Detective John Moreland (Gemini
Award-nominee Vincent Walsh, DECEPTION, LOST GIRL) is used to being in
charge, but when consummate strategist Rebecca Ellis (Chandra West,
NYPD BLUE, JOHN FROM CINCINNATI) is suddenly given the reins, conflict
ensues. Balancing her keen intellect against his from-the-hip
instincts, Rebecca and John need each other to pull off their risky
plays - and they know it.



In the heart-pounding premiere, entitled "Drugs" (Thursday, Oct. 3 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, and in a digital preview beginning Thursday, Sept. 27 at 9 a.m.
ET across CTV digital platforms), undercover detective John Moreland
(Walsh) faces suspension after assaulting a Drug Squad officer. He gets
a second chance when Detective Sergeant Rebecca Ellis (West) recruits
Moreland and his team into her newly formed Covert Investigations Unit.
The C.I.U.'s first case is to take down David Thorpe (Serge Houde, 50/50), an elusive drug kingpin Moreland has been hunting for years.
Rebecca's leadership and her fragile relationship with Moreland are
severely tested when Thorpe suspects that Moreland is a cop.



Set and shot in Toronto, the high-risk dramaalso stars Lisa Marcos (THE LISTENER, FLASHPOINT) as Maria Cortez, a cop
who has an exceptional ability to read a mark and transform herself to
adapt to any situation; Dwain Murphy (COMBAT HOSPITAL, NIKITA) as
Daniel Price, whose confidence and magnetic warmth easily dispel
suspicion; Agam Darshi (SANCTUARY, RING OF FIRE) as Khali Bhatt, whose
effortless skill with technology is a real asset for the team; and Adam
Butcher (REPUBLIC OF DOYLE, BOMB GIRLS) as Jesse Calvert, the
undercover unit's explosive rookie.



Viewers can catch full episodes of PLAYED live on CTV Mobile (visit CTV.ca to confirm local broadcast times), as well as on demand across CTV's
digital platforms: including CTV.ca, the CTV App, the CTV Mobile channel on Bell Mobile TV, and through video on demand partners such as
Bell Fibe TV following the broadcast. PLAYED can also be seen Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo beginning Oct. 9.


PLAYED is produced by Muse Entertainment Enterprises and Back Alley Film
Productions Ltd.in association with Bell Media. The series was created by Greg Nelson
(SAVING HOPE, ROOKIE BLUE), and developed in association with executive
producers Janis Lundman and Adrienne Mitchell (DURHAM COUNTY, BOMB
GIRLS). Greg Nelson serves as executive producer and is co-showrunner
with Adrienne Mitchell who also directed the pilot episode. Other
episode directors include: Charles Binamé (CYBERBULLY), Kelly Makin
(FLASHPOINT), Bradley Walsh (BEAUTY AND THE BEAST), Andy Mikita
(BITTEN), Rachel Talalay (BOMB GIRLS), and Jerry Ciccoritti (LIVES OF
SAINTS). The director of photography is Thom Best (THE BRIDGE), and the
production designer is Aidan Leroux (BOMB GIRLS).



Tom Hastings is production executive for Bell Media. Trish Williams is
Director, Independent Production, Bell Media. Corrie Coe is Senior
Vice-President, Independent Production, Bell Media. Mike Cosentino is
Senior Vice-President, Programming, CTV Networks. Phil King is
President, CTV Programming and Sports.


About Muse Entertainment

Muse Entertainment is a leading film and television production company
known for its well-crafted and high-quality productions. Since its
founding in 1998, Muse has produced, co-produced or provided production
services on more than 170 TV movies and mini-series, television series
and feature films and has won over 100 awards and garnered over 300
award nominations! Muse Entertainment's most recent television series
are BOMB GIRLS and BEING HUMAN. In 2011, its topical, 8-hour historical
drama, THE KENNEDYS, earned 10 Emmy® Award nominations and won 4. Its
PILLARS OF THE EARTH also won an Emmy® along with several other awards.
Muse's other award-winning programs are DURHAM COUNTY, BEN HUR, THE
LAST TEMPLAR, IMPACT, HUMAN TRAFFICKING, ANSWERED BY FIRE, THIS IS
WONDERLAND and TALES FROM THE NEVERENDING STORY. The company's head
office and its Quebec production centre are in Montreal. Muse also
maintains development and production operations in Toronto and Los
Angeles. For more information please visit www.muse.ca.


About Back Alley Film Productions Ltd.

Back Alley Film Productions Ltd. has been producing entertaining and
provocative film and television in Canada for over 20 years and is
known internationally for its dramatic series. Founded by Janis Lundman
and Adrienne Mitchell, the company most recently co-created and
produced the WWII drama BOMB GIRLS and the critically acclaimed
dramatic crime series DURHAM COUNTY. They also created and produced the
series BLISS and the first interactive dramatic series in Canada, DROP
THE BEAT, set in the world of hip hop music, as well as the Gemini
award-winning STRAIGHT UP. In 2001 Mitchell and Lundman won the
Production Award for Excellence from Women in Film & Television
-Toronto. Back Alley has offices in Toronto and Montreal. http://www.backalleyfilms.ca.


About Bell Media Independent Production

Bell Media has commissioned some of Canada's most-watched and
most-acclaimed original programming, working with the best Canadian
independent producers in the country. Hit CTV series include ratings
success stories SAVING HOPE, THE LISTENER, MOTIVE, the #1 new Canadian
scripted series of the 2012/13 season, and THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, the
record-breaking, Canadian-produced complementary version of the hit
international series. CTV is also home to relationship comedy
SATISFACTION, and premiering in the 2013/14 season are drama series
PLAYED, multi-cam office comedy SPUN OUT, and hit international format
MASTERCHEF CANADA. Among the scripted series on Bell Media pay and
specialty channels are the two-time Emmy(®)-nominated hit DEGRASSI, the recently renewed ORPHAN BLACK, CSA-winning
CALL ME FITZ, and upcoming dramas BITTEN, SENSITIVE SKIN, and 19-2.
Bell Media specialty channels are also home to reality series such as
BRAVE NEW GIRL, game shows MATCH GAME and POP QUIZ, and factual series
HIGHWAY THRU HELL and CANADA'S WORST DRIVER, among others. So far in
2013, Bell Media has ordered 24 original Canadian series and put 67
projects into development.


About CTV

CTV is Canada's #1 private broadcaster. Featuring a wide range of
quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming, CTV
has been Canada's most-watched television network for the past 12 years
in a row. CTV is a division of Bell Media, Canada's premier multimedia
company with leading assets in television, radio, and digital. Bell
Media is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest
communications company. More information about CTV can be found on the
network's website at CTV.ca.


SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Twitter:
@CTV_PR
@CTV_Television
@GetVincent - Vincent Walsh
@lisamarcos -- Lisa Marcos
@AgamDarshi - Agam Darshi
@adambutcherstar -- Adam Butcher
@heartlesstudios -- Dwain Murphy
@gregynels -- Greg Nelson



Facebook:
facebook.com/ctv

SOURCE CTV

CTV

CONTACT: Tonia Addison, CTV and CTV Two, 416.384.2194 or tonia.addison@bellmedia.ca
Christy Sullivan, CTV and CTV Two, 416.384.3624 or christy.sullivan@bellmedia.ca


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