GLOBAL IS GOLDEN! 2024 MARKS 50 YEARS OF GLOBAL TELEVISION ENTERTAINING CANADIANS
February 12, 2024
GLOBAL IS GOLDEN! 2024 MARKS 50 YEARS OF GLOBAL TELEVISION ENTERTAINING CANADIANS
As premiere week kicks off this season on Global, there is tons to celebrate! Not only is Global back with an all-new primetime offering, but the network is also celebrating a very special milestone – its golden 50th anniversary! On January 6, 1974 at 6 p.m., Global Television Network launched, and with that launch a new creative endeavour was born, “so that Canadians may increasingly communicate their ideas … their aspirations … their points of view to one another and to the entire world.”***
Since then, Global has stayed true to this mission statement, remaining an iconic brand for Canadians who have welcomed the network into their homes for 50 years and counting… As audiences look forward to another memorable year of hit programming, Global is taking a look back at some of the shows and moments that have made Global one of Canada’s most important legacy networks today.
Running the gamut of genres, from drama to comedy and everything in between, here are some notable Global shows Canadians think of when they hear “Global’s Got It!”:
Drama
Global has a rich history of bringing the most trendsetting dramas from across the border to Canadian audiences, and oftentimes these shows are filled with everlasting fashion styles. Whether it was Farrah Fawcett’s feathered hair in the 1970s on Charlie’s Angels, the shoulder pads and jewels sported by Joan Collins in Dynasty in the 1980s, or the Walsh family’s currently-in-fashion-style from the 1990s on Beverly Hills, 90210, Global has brought all of these looks to Canadians.
Global viewers will also remember being taken to the most memorable fictional locales. From the high seas of The Love Boat, mystery writer Jessica Fletcher’s cozy hometown Cabot Cove on Murder, She Wrote, Joey and Pacey’s will-they-or-won’t-they romance haunts in Dawson’s Creek, Stars Hollow, where the Gilmore Girls called home, and the halls of William Mckinley High School where the kids of Glee belted out all of the hits.
Today, and first premiering on Global back in 2003, NCIS is one of the longest-running shows currently airing in primetime and it is back for an astounding 21st season starting Monday, February 12 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Global and STACKTV. Global’s winter lineup also welcomes new drama Elsbeth, a spinoff of The Good Wife, starring EMMY® award winner Carrie Preston in the fan favourite titular role premiering Thursday, February 29 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. This coming season also sees the return of Top 10* hit CSI: Vegas on a new night Sunday, February 18 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. More returning fan favourites back this winter include Top 20* blockbuster Fire Country on Friday, February 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT and Top 5* ranked 9-1-1 on Thursday, March 14 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Comedy
Comedy has always been at the core of Global’s programming and many renowned, homegrown comedic stars got their start on Global dating back to Second City TV in 1976. Originally produced by the network, the iconic sketch comedy series launched the careers of screen legends including John Candy, Eugene Levy, Rick Moranis, Catherine O’Hara and Andrea Martin to name a few.
Over the years, Global has aired so many laugh-out-loud moments that Canadians remember where they were when they watched. Whether it was the finale of Cheers, which at the time in May 1993 was the second highest-rated series finale of all time in the U.S., to the premiere of the 37-time Emmy® award-winning series (and a Cheers spin-off), Frasier in September 1993. Global was the Canadian home to “Must See TV” Thursday nights with Seinfeld premiering in 1989 and followed five years later by Friends in 1994. With unforgettable moments like Elaine’s dance “The Little Kicks” or Rachel and Ross’ first kiss, Canadians were tuned into Global on Thursday nights for these history-making moments.
Never shy of controversy, family life was turned upside down when Bart Simpson first said “eat my shorts” on Global, the original home of the popular animated series The Simpsons which premiered in 1989. Additionally, Global was home to one of the LGBTQIA+ communities most beloved shows, Will and Grace, which broke barriers with primetime TV’s first male-to-male kissing scene in 1998.
Carrying the torch for acclaimed and mold-breaking comedy on Global today is the award-winning Abbott Elementary, which airs all-new episodes Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT. One of the few network television shows ever to be written by and star a young Black female, Quinta Brunson was this year’s recipient of the Best Actress in a Comedy Series EMMY® Award.
Reality
Global was the original home to the reality boom that started in the early 2000s and many will remember gathering around the TV to watch the scantily clad Richard Hatch win the $1 million prize on Season 1 of Survivor in 2000. Today, as Canada’s #1** show, viewers can still watch host Jeff Probst extinguish torches and dreams when Season 46 of Survivor premieres Wednesday, February 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Global and STACKTV.
Global has also been home to where viewers get their voyeuristic fix, spying on the Big Brother house. In 2000, host Julie Chen first introduced millions of Canadians to the heavily addictive reality series. Past seasons of Big Brother are available to stream anytime on STACKTV.
Then, in 2013, the concept was brought north of the border. Since then, Big Brother Canada has been synonymous with the network and one of its biggest success stories. Hosted by Arisa Cox, the fandom of this series is undeniable considering it’s longevity, now entering its 12th season which premieres Tuesday, March 5 at 7 p.m. ET/PT on Global and STACKTV.
Canadian Originals
Many viewers of a certain era can remember waking up and tuning into Global to watch Canadian children’s classics like Care Bears and The Smoggies back in the 1980s before they headed off to school. Then, who can forget clapping their hands above their heads as they competed with their siblings watching Kidstreet or learning many coming-of-age life lessons with Busy and Amanda on Ready or Not through the 1990s. Today, as Ontarian commuters ride the GO train, they might recall the innovative improvised show Train 48, which filmed on the public transit system from 2003 to 2005.
Today, Global remains proud of the original Canadian content and stories it tells, as the recently announced greenlight of Season 4 of Family Law shows. Viewers can currently watch the hit series on STACKTV as they await the premiere of Season 3 later this year. If you don’t know whether or not infamous screen detectives Shade and Angie ended up together in the final season of Private Eyes, it’s never too late to binge-watch the series on STACKTV. Another beloved and long-running Canadian Original was Rookie Blue, which premiered in 2010 and ran for an impressive six seasons. Set on the streets of Toronto, the police procedural starred Canadian actress Missy Peregrym who still calls Global home. Viewers can still watch her on FBI, which returns with all new episodes starting Tuesday, February 13 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Daytime and Late Night
Dating back to the very early days of The Young and The Restless, which has aired on Global since its inception in 1974, and the premiere of Saturday Night Live in 1975 to The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, which ended its historic 30-year run in 1992, Global has a rich history entrenched in the best of daytime entertainment and late night laughs. This tradition continues today on Global with The Morning Show airing daily at 9 a.m. ET/PT, The Young and the Restless daily at 4:30 p.m. ET/PT, SNL on Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airing weeknights at 12 a.m. ET/PT.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Nick Seliwoniuk
Senior Publicist, Global Television
647.461.1178
nick.seliwoniuk@corusent.com
Cassandra Chambers
Associate Publicist, Global Television
416.479.6945
cassandra.chambers@corusent.com
Jacqui VanSickle
Publicity Manager, Global Television
416.860.4224
jacqui.vansickle@corusent.com
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Sources:
*Numeris PPM Data, Total Canada, SP’23 (Jan 2 – May 28/23), 3+ airings, A25-54, AMA(000), CDN CONV COM ENG National Networks excluding NHL/NFL playoffs; CTV Com, all other networks based on ‘Total’
**Numeris PPM Data, Total Canada, FL’23 (Sep 18 – Dec 24/23), 3+ airings, A25-54, AMA(000), CDN CONV COM ENG National Networks; CTV Com, all other networks based on ‘Total’
