CTV announced today five new high profile titles have landed and are now streaming on CTV EXTEND, the network’s ad-supported short-form video portal that launched last year on CTV.ca.Each series features high-profile Hollywood leading ladies in poignant and powerful roles. Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe® award-winner Jennifer Garner (The Dallas Buyers Club, ALIAS)stars in SERENA as the title character, a woman who makes a series of startling confessions to her priest. SERENA is from Emmy-nominated director and screenwriter Rodrigo García, who also wrote and directed CTV EXTEND’s hit series BLUE. The four other titles are: DAKOTA starring Jena Malone (The Hunger Games); LAUREN starring Troian Bellisario (PRETTY LITTLE LIARS) and Jennifer Beals (THE L WORD, Flashdance); SUSANNA starring Anna Paquin (TRUE BLOOD); and RUTH & ERICA starring Maura Tierney (THE AFFAIR, ER). All five new titles are streaming now on CTV EXTEND at CTV.ca and on the CTV GO app.
“These five series have been hand-picked to deliver compelling short form content to our viewers on CTV EXTEND,” said Mike Cosentino, Senior Vice-President, Programming, CTV Networks. “Each title features strong female characters in complex roles, building on the existing set of titles currently streaming on CTV EXTEND.”
“CTV EXTEND offers digital exclusives to complement our robust slate of programming across Bell Media’s digital assets,” said Nancy McConnell, Vice-President, Digital Sales, Bell Media. “It’s a place where we can test and learn with our advertising partners against innovative content.”
CTV.ca currently ranks as the #1 network destination for online video streams in Canada, and with increased viewer interest in new and exclusive digital content, CTV EXTEND will premiere even more content later this year*.
The titles complement the ever-growing list of existing short form exclusive content already on CTV EXTEND, including the recently-launched SAVING HOPE: PSYCHIC HEALING which furthers the SAVING HOPE universe for fans of the series.
New Series on CTV EXTEND:
SERENA
Jennifer Garner (The Dallas Buyers Club, ALIAS) stars as Serena, a woman struggling with lust, temptation, and forbidden love for her priest (Alfred Molina, THE NORMAL HEART, Spider-Man 2), a truth she reveals to him during confession. SERENA is written and directed by Rodrigo García (BLUE, IN TREATMENT).
DAKOTA
A poker player (Jena Malone), on a short losing streak is invited to a high stakes home game, but the stakes for her son are what matter most. DAKOTA is written and directed by Ami Canaan Mann (Friday Night Lights).
LAUREN
In this critically acclaimed series, Troian Bellisario plays Lauren, a soldier who reports a sexual assault to her superior Major Stone (Jennifer Beals). Lauren is forced to choose between what she loves, fighting for her country, and what is right, telling the truth about the assault. LAUREN is written by Jon Avent (Black Swan, Fried Green Tomatoes) and Jay Rodan (Foxglove), and is directed by Lesli Linka Glatter (HOMELAND, MAD MEN) and Avent.
SUSANNA
SUSANNA is the story of two sisters, Katie, played by Anna Paquin, the mother of a newborn and her younger sister, Susanna (Maggie Grace, CALIFORNICATION, LOST), an investment banker on the rise, who has no interest in becoming a mother. But when Katie develops acute postpartum depression and is hospitalized, Susanna must take care of her sister and her sister’s child.SUSANNA is written and directed by Jon Avent.
RUTH & ERICA
Maura Tierney stars as Erica (THE AFFAIR, ER), a woman who struggles with her mother’s reluctance to make the life changes necessary in light of her increasing frailty. RUTH & ERICA also stars Lois Smith (TRUE BLOOD), Philip Baker Hall (Magnolia), Michael C. Hall (DEXTER, SIX FEET UNDER) and Steven Weber (HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER, DALLAS). RUTH & ERICA is written and directed by Amy Lippman (MASTERS OF SEX, IN TREATMENT).
