CBC Revenue Group

CBC SCORES MASSIVE MONDAY WITH BLOCKBUSTER AUDIENCES FOR WINTER PREMIERES

Jan 11, 2012

New comedy Mr. D wins timeslot, scoring more than 1 million viewers for premiere episode

Massive audiences tuned into CBC's Monday night line-up January 9, delivering blockbuster ratings.

Kicking off at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT), CBC's funny and fresh new comedy MR. D, attracted 1.23 million viewers (national, 2+ / 489,000 25-54).  Based on the stand-up comedy act of Gerry Dee, a former private school teacher, MR. D tells the story of an under-qualified teacher trying to fake his way in a teaching job, just as he fakes his way through life. The show received extensive critical acclaim in the lead-up to the premiere, and Canadians responded - making MR. D the most-watched show on a Canadian network in the timeslot.

MR. D is the third winter premiere for CBC - after Marketplace and the fifth estate - to win its timeslot against a competitive line-up of almost entirely US shows.

Canadians also came together to kick-off the final season of CBC's internationally acclaimed comedy about Muslims and Christians attempting to live in harmony with one another in the small town of Mercy, Saskatchewan. At 8:30 p.m. (9 NT), the season premiere of LITTLE MOSQUE ON THE PRAIRIE earned an audience of 622,000 viewers (national, 2+ / 192,000 25-54).

Then, at 9 p.m. (9:30 NT), Kevin O'Leary introduced Canada to 10 ex-cons being given the opportunity of a lifetime: a chance to set up their own business under O'Leary's guidance. And Canada responded - 789,000 (national, 2+ / 280,000, 25-54) tuned into the premiere episode of REDEMPTION INC.

These premieres are only the beginning of exciting winter programming on CBC. Every week, viewers can tune in for the stories, the stars and the shows that matter to Canadians.
For a full list of CBC's winter programs, visit www.cbc.ca/seasonpreview

About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada's national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, Internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages, plus seven languages for international audiences. In 2011, CBC/Radio-Canada celebrated 75 years of serving Canadians and being at the centre of the democratic, social and cultural life of Canada.


Mr. D is...
On the web:  www.cbc.ca/mrd
On Facebook:  www.facebook.com/CBCMrD
On Twitter:  @mrd_on_cbc

Little Mosque on the Prairie is...
On the web:   www.cbc.ca/littlemosque
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/littlemosque
On Twitter:   @LittleMosque

Redemption Inc. is...
On the web:  www.cbc.ca/redemptioninc
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/redemptioninc?sk=wall
On Twitter:   @redemptioninc

For more information, please contact:
Jessica Leach, Veritas Communications
leach@veritascanada.com
(416) 955-4595 (office)
(416) 704-2166 (cell)