2011 in Canadian television

The following is a list of events affecting Canadian television in 2011. Events listed include television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and channel launches, closures and rebrandings.

Events

January

Date Event
6 Almost 7 million people watch the 2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships final on TSN and RDS.[1]
11 YTV and Family each launch high-definition simulcasts of their east coast video feeds, effectively becoming the first children's networks in Canada to air in HD.

February

Date Event
7 Niagara News TV, a Category B regional news channel serving the Niagara Region, begins broadcasting in Niagara Falls on Cogeco Cable digital channel 556. The channel would later indefinitely suspend operations on April 18, 2011, because of "technical difficulties" cited by owner Peninsula Broadcasting Corporation's president Frank Thibault, with plans to resume operations by fall 2011.[2]

March

Date Event
1 Corus Entertainment relaunches Viva as the Canadian version of the Oprah Winfrey Network.

April

Date Event
12 A combined 3.2 million people watch the 2011 federal leaders debate on the three main networks.[3]
18 Category B channel Sun News Network debuts, with Toronto independent station CKXT-DT and its Hamilton, Ottawa and London translators being effectively turned into a full-power broadcast relay of the network in Southern Ontario.

May

Date Event
2 Mlle, a French-language Category B service aimed at women owned by Groupe TVA, launches.

June

Date Event
1 Disney XD debuts; the Astral Media-owned Category B channel (licensed separately from premium channel Family, which carries programming from the U.S. Disney XD's sister network Disney Channel) is aimed at boys between 7 and 15 years old.
15 8.7 million people watch Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals on CBC.[4]

August

Date Event
27 The state funeral for opposition leader Jack Layton airs live on all the main television networks.[5]
29 The A television system, as well as Alberta-based educational/entertainment service Access rebrand as CTV Two. At the same time, CJAL-TV (channel 9) in Edmonton and CIAN-TV (channel 13) in Calgary, which both relayed Access' programming over-the-air sign off the air as Access is licensed as a satellite-to-cable undertaking.

September

Date Event
7 The 2011 Gemini Awards air on CBC Television.

October

Date Event
3 Rogers Communications launches CityNews Channel, a Category B 24-hour regional cable news channel available in Ontario, based out of the studios of Citytv flagship station CITY-DT.
31 FX Canada launches, the Rogers Communications-owned Category B channel primarily carries original programming from the U.S. cable network FX.

November

Date Event
1 Toronto station CKXT-DT (channel 52) and its Hamilton and London, Ontario transmitters shut down. CKXT's Ottawa transmitter shut down more than two months earlier on August 31. The move by owner Quebecor Media was due to a CRTC inquiry in early July on the company's usage of the CKXT signal to simulcast Sun News.

Television programs

Programs debuting in 2011

Series currently listed here have been announced by their respective networks as scheduled to premiere in 2011. Note that shows may be delayed or cancelled by the network between now and their scheduled air dates.

Show Station Premiere Date
InSecurity CBC January 4
The Marilyn Denis Show CTV January 10
Being Human Space January 17
Skins The Movie Network/Movie Central
Blackstone APTN January 25
Mr. Young YTV March 1
My Babysitter's a Vampire: The Series Teletoon March 14 (English)
February 28 (French)
Endgame Showcase March 14
Splatalot! YTV
Scaredy Squirrel April 3
Wipeout Canada TVtropolis
Til Debt Do Us Part: Home Edition HGTV April 7
Decked Out
Top Chef Canada Food Network April 11
King Showcase April 17
XIII: The Series April 20
Combat Hospital Global April 21
Really Me Family April 22
Picnicface The Comedy Network August 31
Intervention Canada Slice September 9
Michael, Tuesdays and Thursdays CBC September 14
Cover Me Canada September 18
Recipe to Riches Food Network Canada, Global October 19
The West Block Global November 6

Programs ending in 2011

Show Station End date
Météo+ TFO April 28
Kid vs Kat YTV June 4
Dan for Mayor CTV September 13
Hiccups
So You Think You Can Dance Canada
How to Be Indie YTV October 24
Being Erica CBC December 12

Made for TV movies & miniseries

Show Station Premiere Date
The Kennedys History Television April 10
John A.: Birth of a Country CBC Television September

Deaths

Date Name Age Notability Source
January 8 Peter Donaldson 57 Known best for his stage work, he had recurring guest spots on Road to Avonlea, Street Legal, and Emily of New Moon, starring as John Adams in Liberty! The American Revolution. [6]
March 26 Roger Abbott 64 British-born Canadian sketch comedian, best known for his years on radio and television program Royal Canadian Air Farce (1975–2010). Also co-executive produced XPM (2003). [7]
April 4 Wayne Robson Canadian television, film and stage actor best known for playing the part of Mike Hamar, an ex-con on The Red Green Show. He won Gemini Awards for And Then You Die (1987) and The Diviners (1993). [8]
April 17 Michael Sarrazin 70 Canadian film and television. Recurring role on The City. Guest spots on The Virginian, Wojeck, Street Legal, Murder, She Wrote, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. [9]
June 9 Claude Léveillée 78 Singer appearing on French television as an actor. [10]
July 5 Gordon Tootoosis CM 69 Canadian film, television, and theatre actor of Cree and Stoney descent, Order of Canada winner. In 2011, he co-starred in Blackstone, a series for APTN and Showcase. Television roles include Albert Golo on North of 60, for which he was twice nominated for a Gemini Award, and the voice of Mushom in Wapos Bay: The Series, for which he shared a Gemini Award. Guest spots include MacGyver, Northern Exposure, Lonesome Dove: The Series, and Smallville. [11]
September 15 Frances Bay 92 Canadian-born American actress (Seinfeld, Happy Days, The Middle) [12]

References

  1. ↑ "Heart-Breaking Gold Medal Game Delivers Record Audience of 6.9 Million Viewers on TSN and RDS". Canada Newswire. January 6, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  2. ↑ Niagara News TV signs off after three months The Standard 2011-02-19
  3. ↑ Bill Brioux (April 20, 2011). "Canucks and Canadiens skate past Idol and Dancing with the Stars to top Canadian ratings". Toronto.com. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  4. ↑ Bill Brioux (June 21, 2011). "8.7 Mil see Bruins win while MuchMusic fans go Gaga for MMVAs". Toronto.com. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  5. ↑ Doyle, John (August 27, 2011). "All three major networks to carry Layton funeral". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Peter Donaldson was 'finest actor's actor'". CBC News. January 10, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Air Farce actor Roger Abbott dies". CBC News. March 27, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  8. ↑ Cudworth, Laura (April 6, 2011). "Actor Wayne Robson's death mirrors character". London Free Press. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  9. ↑ Howell, Peter (April 18, 2011). "Michael Sarrazin, 70, was Canada’s Hollywood rebel". Toronto Star. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  10. ↑ "Quebec mourns singer-songwriter Claude Léveillée". CBC News. June 9, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  11. ↑ Chung, Amy (July 5, 2011). "Canadian actor Gordon Tootoosis dies at age 69". The StarPhoenix. Postmedia Network. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  12. ↑ "Frances Bay dies: Remembering comedian, classic 'Seinfeld' scene" From Los Angeles Times (September 19, 2011)