Cardinal Renewed For Seasons 2 & 3 By CTV!

CTV Greenlights Two More Seasons of CARDINAL, Canada’s Most-Watched Canadian Drama, In Advance of Season 1 Finale Tomorrow, March 1

– Stars Billy Campbell (THE KILLING) and Karine Vanasse (REVENGE) return for each cycle based on self-contained original adaptations inspired by the stories in Giles Blunt’s award-winning John Cardinal Mysteries series –
– Canada’s most-watched original drama averages 1.2 million viewers –
– Gripping Season 1 finale airs tomorrow at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV and CTV GO, and tonight as a CraveTVTM FIRST LOOK –
– Cast and crew of CARDINAL to tweet live at 10 p.m. ET throughout the finale –
– CARDINAL is also available on demand on CTV GO and on CTV-branded VOD channels –

“CARDINAL is a gripping, superbly made crime drama. At times breathtaking, it is so good it is landmark Canadian TV.” – John Doyle, The Globe and Mail

TORONTO (February 28, 2017) – After a breakthrough inaugural season, CTV announced today it has greenlit unprecedented second and third cycles of its hit new dramatic thriller, CARDINAL for broadcast in 2017/18. The order marks the first time CTV has ordered two consecutive seasons of a drama. Produced by Sienna Films and Entertainment One (eOne) in association with CTV, and commissioned for French-language Canadian broadcast by Super Écran, an additional two self-contained cycles, each consisting of six, one-hour episodes, have been ordered. Both series stars, Billy Campbell (THE KILLING) and Karine Vanasse (REVENGE), return for Seasons 2 and 3.

Cycles 2 and 3 will be filmed once again in Sudbury and North Bay and will be based on books in the John Cardinal Mysteries series written by Ontario native and award-winning author Giles Blunt. Season 2 will be shot this coming summer and is inspired by the third novel in the series, Black Fly Season. Set to shoot in Fall 2017, Season 3 is inspired by the 4th and 5th novels in the series, By the Time You Read This and Crime Machine. As with the first cycle, each additional season will be a self-contained original adaptation inspired by the stories of each novel.

Season 1 has been licensed to BBC in the U.K., C More in Scandinavia and Calle 13 in Spain by eOne, and has several active negotiations underway.

“In just six episodes CARDINAL has grabbed the attention of viewers and critics alike, cementing its position as the event series of the season and landmark Canadian television,” said Mike Cosentino, Senior Vice-President, CTV and Specialty. “In simultaneously ordering two additional cycles, we are showcasing our high confidence in the creative team, and look forward to launching the next iteration of this intelligent character-driven drama.”

“We are really excited by this opportunity to bring additional cycles of CARDINAL to audiences with our amazing partners at CTV, COGECO, and eOne,” said CARDINAL executive producers Julia Sereny and Jennifer Kawaja. “Our outstanding cast, led by the superb talents of Billy Campbell and Karine Vanasse, and fantastic crew and writers are set to delve further into the world of Northern Ontario to bring Giles Blunt’s novels to life.”

Since its premiere in January, CARDINAL, a critical and ratings success, has averaged 1.2 million viewers, making it the most-watched new Canadian program of the 2016/17 broadcast season and the country’s most-watched original drama. Across all airings and on CTV and Super Écran, more than 3.6 million unique viewers watch episodes of CARDINAL weekly. Viewers looking to catch all of Season 1 thrills and chills can catch full episodes of CARDINAL on CTV.ca, CTV GO, CraveTVTM, and on CTV-branded VOD channels. (CTV)