2020 in Canadian television

Last updated

The following is a list of events affecting Canadian television in 2020. Events listed include television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and channel launches, closures and rebrandings.

Contents

Events

March

DateEventSource
11The NBA has suspended the remainder of its 2019–2020 season "until further notice" after Rudy Gobert, a player for the Utah Jazz, tested positive for the coronavirus, resulting in a game in which the Jazz were facing the host city Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena to be cancelled just as they were about to start (all personnel associated with the Jazz organization are quarantined until they are cleared), effectively leaving a large hole in the schedules of NBA TV, Sportsnet, Citytv, TSN, CTV/CTV 2, French-language RDS, and the league's regional sports network partners, as it pertains to the Toronto Raptors broadcasts. [1]
12Following the NBA's lead of the day prior, several other sports leagues across Canada the United States announce a temporary suspension of play in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Major League Soccer suspends all games for 30 days due to the coronavirus pandemic, while the NHL announces an indefinite suspension of league activity, which was later followed in the day by Major League Baseball's announcement that it has suspended its spring training games and delayed the start of their 2020 regular season (originally scheduled to begin March 26) by at least two weeks. The suspension of the three leagues adds another large schedule void for CBC/SRC, Sportsnet, Citytv, TSN CTV/CTV 2, RDS, and TVA, as well as the leagues' regional sports network partners. [2] [3]
Both the Juno Awards of 2020, which would have been broadcast on March 15, and the 8th Canadian Screen Awards, which would have been broadcast on March 29, also have their ceremonies cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. Both awards eventually announce their winners via livestreaming. [4] [5]
18CBC Television temporarily suspends production of local newscasts on nearly all of its owned-and-operated stations, replacing them with a simulcast of the national CBC News Network in order to "temporarily pool our resources into one core news offering"; the sole exception is the CBC North service in the territories, due to the need to serve indigenous-language communities. However, this move faces criticism in some regions, with politicians and media figures arguing that locally focused news and information is especially critical in a time of emergency. The move is partially reversed by the end of March, with local newscasts resuming in most markets. [6] [7]

April

DateEventSource
20The Canadian Film Festival and Super Channel announce a partnership which will see television broadcasts in May of the feature and short films that had been slated to premiere at the CFF prior to its cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [8]
26 CTV, Global, Citytv, CBC, V, Family, and other Canadian local and specialty channels partner on Stronger Together, Tous Ensemble , a special broadcast to raise money for Food Banks Canada due to increased demand for food bank services during the pandemic. The special featured musical performances by Céline Dion, Shania Twain, Alessia Cara, Michael Bublé, Bryan Adams, Jann Arden, Sarah McLachlan, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Barenaked Ladies, Arkells and William Prince, as well as spoken word appearances by Margaret Atwood, Tessa Virtue, Eric McCormack, Jason Priestley, Howie Mandel, Rick Mercer, Russell Peters, Will Arnett, Chris Hadfield, David Suzuki, Rick Hansen, Hayley Wickenheiser, Connor McDavid, Bianca Andreescu, Mike Myers, Geddy Lee, and Penny Oleksiak. It ranks as the most-viewed non-sports broadcast in Canadian television history, with 11.5 million viewers. [9] [10]

July

DateEventSource
16Launch of the Water Television Network.

Programs

Programs debuting in 2020

Start dateShowChannelSource
January 2 Restaurants on the Edge Cottage Life [11]
January 5 Endlings CBC Television [12]
January 5 High Arctic Haulers
January 6 Nurses Global [13]
January 8 Fortunate Son CBC Television [12]
January 22 Making it Home with Kortney and Dave HGTV [14]
February 3 Wall of Chefs Food Network [15]
February 4 Great Chocolate Showdown [16]
February 11 La Maison-Bleue Ici TOU.TV [17]
February 16 Landscape Artist of the Year Canada Makeful [18]
February 20 Tribal APTN [19]
February 26 Transplant CTV [20]
February 27 Fridge Wars CBC Television [21]
February 27 The Wedding Planners Citytv [22]
March 4 The Oland Murder CBC Television [23]
March 6 Happily Married (C'est comme ça que je t'aime) Ici Radio-Canada Télé [24]
March 8 David Rocco's Dolce Italia Telelatino
March 14 Movie Night in Canada CBC Television [25]
March 22 I Do, Redo CTV [26]
March 25 All-Round Champion TVOntario [27]
April 5 What're You At? with Tom Power CBC Television [28]
April 16 Hot Docs at Home [29]
April 22 Junior Chef Showdown Food Network Canada [30]
May 8 Good People CBC Gem [31]
May 15 Dead Still Citytv [32]
May 30 Budweiser Stage at Home Citytv [33]
June 19 Queens CBC Gem [34]
July Slo Pitch OutTVGo [35]
July 2 Canada's Drag Race Crave [36]
July 21 My Stay-at-Home Diary TVOntario [37]
September 17 Escouade 99 Club Illico
September 27 Family Home Overhaul HGTV [38]
October 7 Trickster CBC Television
October 8 Departure Global [39]
October 18 Because News CBC Television [40]
Enslaved [41]
November 1 Rosemary Barton Live CBC News Network [42]
Unknown date Backyard Beats TVOntario [43]
Broad Appeal: Living with E's CBC Gem [44]
Group Sext OutTV [45]
The New Reality Global
Striking Balance TVOntario [46]

Programs ending in 2020

End dateShowChannelFirst airedStatusSource
March 30 Lâcher prise Ici Radio-Canada Télé 2017Ended [47]
April 7 Schitt's Creek CBC Television 2015 [48]
May 11 Cardinal CTV 2017 [49]
June 7 The Weekly with Wendy Mesley CBC Television, CBC News Network Canceled [50]
June 10 I Do, Redo CTV2020 [51]
November 11 Trickster CBC Television [52]

Changes of network affiliation

ShowMoved fromMoved to
Being Ian BBC Kids Knowledge Network

Television films and specials

AirdateShowChannelSource
January 8 Rule of 3 Crave
March 13 No Good Deed Crave [53]
April 26 Stronger Together, Tous Ensemble CTV, Global, Citytv, CBC, V, Family, and more [9]
May 28 Glass Houses Crave [54]
June 24 Queer Pride Inside CBC Gem [55]
June 26 We're Funny That Way: The Virtual Pride Special CBC Gem [56]
June 27 Pride Toronto Drag Ball Crave [57]
July 27 Being Black in Canada CBC Television, CBC Gem [58]
August 1 FreeUp! The Emancipation Day Special CBC Gem
August 14 Fierté Montréal Drag Superstars YouTube [59]
September 15 2020 TIFF Tribute Awards CTV [60]
October 11 Every Child Matters CBC Television, APTN [61]
December 15 Borealis TVOntario [62]
Mass Hysterical: A Comedic Cantata Webcast [63]
December 18 The Christmas Setup CTV Drama Channel [64]
Unknown date Inendi CBC Gem [65]
The Lead Crave [66]
Within These Walls Crave [67]

Networks and services

Network conversions and rebrandings

Old network nameNew network nameTypeConversion dateNotes
V Noovo August 31

Network closures

NetworkTypeClosure dateNotes
BBC Canada December 31

Deaths

The year also saw the death of wrestlers Rocky Johnson, Bobby Kay, Steve Gillespie, all of whom performed in televised leagues.

Related Research Articles

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