CTV plugs in U.S. fare

Canuck web looks Stateside for skeins

By TAMSEN TILLSON

TORONTO -- Canuck commercial web CTV unveiled a fall lineup Monday in which high-profile offerings from south of the border round out entrenched hits like the "CSI" and "Law & Order" franchises, which have won the web the No. 1 spot.

WB's Matthew Perry/Bradley Whitford starrer "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," from Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme, follows "The Amazing Race" and "Desperate Housewives" on Sunday night.

On Monday, Canadian hit comedy "Corner Gas" will be followed by "The Class," a comedy from David Crane about a group of twentysomething former classmates. It's followed by Ray Liotta starrer "Smith," from WB, and powerhouse "CSI: Miami."

Jerry Bruckheimer's "Justice" is a midseason drop-in taking over from "Lost" before "CSI: NY" on Wednesday night.

On Saturday, laffers "Let's Rob..." and NBC's "30 Rock" will be followed by serial thriller "The Nine," from the creators of "Without a Trace."

"A No. 1 schedule is only possible when Canadian programs stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their American counterparts," said Susanne Boyce, CTV prexy of programming and chair of the CTV media group.

In addition to "Corner Gas," CTV's strongest-performing Canuck fare includes "Degrassi: The Next Generation" and "Canadian Idol."

The web confirmed Monday that its homegrown fare will include season three of "Instant Star," season two of "Robson Arms," a second season of "Whistler" and "Jeff Ltd.," as well as the fourth season of "Comedy Inc." and the 10th anniversary of "Comedy Now."

It also announced 10 made-for-TV movies, including "Elijah," "The Clark Todd Story," "A Friend of the Family," "In God's Country" and "Shades of Black: The Conrad Black Story."