Fresh off an impressive five 2004 Gemini nominations including Best Comedy Series, The Comedy Network and producers John Pattison and Shawn Alex Thompson are pleased to announce the start of production on season three of the award-winning comedy Puppets Who Kill.

Having previously won the prestigious Bronze Rose for Best Sitcom at the 2003 Rose d’Or Festival, a 2003 Gemini Award for Best Writing for a Comedy Series and a 2003 Canadian Comedy Award for Best Director for a Comedy Series, The Comedy Network’s highly-rated original series continues to attract more and more fans to the dark side. The psychopathic third season, scheduled to premiere in January 2005 exclusively on The Comedy Network, guarantees to obliterate the boundaries of good taste and decency.

Back shooting another 13 episodes of mischievous hilarity is Dan Redican as Dan Barlow, the well meaning but small-minded social worker who runs a halfway house for paroled convicts. Still in rehabilitation are Bill (a.k.a. Gord Robertson), a 50s style sadistic ventriloquist dummy; Buttons (a.k.a. Jim Rankin), a narcissistic sex-addicted bear; Cuddles (a.k.a. Bob Martin), an over-wrought comfort doll; and Rocko (a.k.a. Bruce Hunter), a cruel, foul-mouthed, chain-smoking dog. The bawdy puppets prove once again there is no humiliation too great, no crime too petty, no sex too sinful and no deed too devious that they won’t take on.

This season, writers John Pattison and Dan Redican take the puppets where they have never gone before – tackling such important issues as health care, cultural differences, politics, misuse of the legal system, arts in the reform of criminals as well as the usual arson, cannibalism, lying, murder and mayhem. In one episode, the CBC attempts a last-ditch effort to increase ratings by “knocking-off” the stars on other networks.

The award-winning first season of Puppets Who Kill is currently available on DVD in stores across Canada and the U.S.

Puppets Who Kill is a P.W.K Production, based on John Pattison’s theatre production, directed by Shawn Alex Thompson and produced by John Pattison and Shawn Alex Thompson in association with The Comedy Network. John Leitch and Marianne Culbert of Radical Sheep Productions executive produce.

Rounding off the production team is Director of Photography Rick McVicar, Production Designer Brendan Smith, Costume Designer Rebekah Vandermolen and Editor Caroline Christie.

Shooting takes place from October 25, 2003 to January 9, 2005 in Toronto, Canada. Visit the Puppets Who Kill Web site at www.puppetswhokill.com.

All comedy, of all kinds, 24-hours-a-day, is the mandate of The Comedy Network, Canada’s first-and-only specialty comedy service. Launched in October 1997, The Comedy Network offers an unrivalled slate of original Canadian productions, with 41 per cent of its revenues being reinvested in Canadian programming. To more than 4.5 million subscribers, The Comedy Network broadcasts, uncut and uncensored, an eclectic mix of stand-up, sketch, improv, and animated comedy as well as topical comedy talk shows, game shows and classic situation comedies. CTV Inc. owns The Comedy Network.

CTV Inc. is a division of Bell Globemedia, which also owns The Globe and Mail. Visit The Comedy Network’s Web site at www.thecomedynetwork.ca.