Okay, by now the fans of Blood Ties know that Lifetime has cold feet. Seriously cold feet. KEI, the production company, and Canadian networks are interested in a real second season of this series but they need a partner to help foot the costs of production.
This isn’t new or specific to Blood Ties. Canadian productions companies are used to working with foreign partners to create quality television. Canadian shows have been co-produced with French, British, American, German and Australian networks just to name a few. A good example of this is Murdoch Mysteries, a mystery series set in 1895 Toronto. This series, which just happens to have been broadcast on CityTV the same network that broadcast Blood Ties, is co-produced with Granada out of Britain.
Canadian Blood Ties fans need to contact the Canadian networks to let them know that they still want Blood Ties on the air. Well, not just that but also the fact that the fan base is growing even though new episodes have not been broadcast for months. If the Canadian networks are ready and willing to buy in to a second season it will make it much easier for the production company to sell the series to a foreign investor network.
Here is the hitch. In 2007, there was a big merger in the Canadian TV indudstry. Long (and complicated communications regulations and ruling from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission [CRTC]) story made short, come August CityTV and its parent company CHUM media will no longer hold the rights to broadcast Blood Ties in Canada. CTV will have the rights to broadcast Blood Ties. CTV also holds the rights to broadcast Moonlight in Canada.
Personally, I don’t see that as a major impediment to the renewal of Blood Ties. Both shows, while featuring vampires (obviously, otherwise why would you be reading this post? lol), are very different and there is more than enough room on TV for both. If CTV opted not to broadcast a second season of Blood Ties on the main network, the show could be broadcast on one of the cable networks owned by CTV, for example Space: The Imagination Station (try saying that in your best Darth Vader voice just for fun!). Space already rebroadcasts Blood Ties in Canada … so, yes that means that CTV already has its hands on some broadcasting rights even though CityTV owns the original rights … see, Canadian broadcasting is a complex business. lol
What can the Canadian fans do? Contact CTV. They are the only ones who can opt for more episodes. They hold the purse strings. Here is how you contact them:
Mailing Address: CTV Globe Media P.O. Box 9, Station ‘O’ Scarborough, ON M4A 2M9 Canada Courier Address: 9 Channel Nine Court Scarborough, ON M1S 4B5 Canada Telephone: (416) 332-5000 TTY/TDD: 1-800-461-1542 (within Canada) E-mail: programming@ctv.ca ctvglobemediacommunications@ctvglobemedia.com
Let’s convince CTV that we really want a second season of Blood Ties … and that it would be a great and easy financial investment for them! Remind them that as Canadians we deserve more quality television programming telling Canadian stories … and Blood Ties is a perfect example of that.
If you want to continue to contact Space, you certainly can. However, considering that CTV is the parent company they should be the target of any future fan campaigns.
May 6, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Thanks for posting this information Freyja. Since Lifetime has been unwilling to provide any information on the American side, I think it’s time that we all focus our attentions on CTV and our Canadian broadcaster. I’ve sent them numerous emails already, but I’m ready to start another round! Thanks again for getting this information out there.
L.J. – A Saskatchewan Blood Ties Fan
May 7, 2008 at 5:32 pm
[...] check out all the details here to see how you can get [...]
May 8, 2008 at 11:45 am
Thank you so much for posting this, along with the addresses to write. I’ve sent off emails to CTV this morning and will keep doing so as long as is necessary. I love this show and am honored to be a part of this fan base as well. Once again, thanks!!!
May 8, 2008 at 11:51 am
You’re very welcome! And thanks for sending off e-mails to CTV. I’m hoping that by targeting the network that will have all broadcast rights in Canada as of August will do something to get their attention.
May 18, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Just a note to everyone: as a huge Blood Ties fan myself, I completely support the endevours to try and get a second season out there, however, due to the split of CHUM, and the fact that they made some very poor choices in the way the networks were divided (albeit for good reasons, ie avoiding a network monopoly) there are some serious problems, namely the loss of funding for Blood Ties. Coming straight from the lips of Tanya Huff herself at Keycon Winnipeg. And believe me guys, she’s just as irked as we are about it >.<
May 18, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Thanks for the comment RW. I too believe that monopolies should be avoided but the way the regulators divided things makes it difficutl to move forward with a second season. CTV is a huge network and likes to buy the big ticket American shows to simulcast. Not really big supporters of home grown drama. Comedy, yes but drama? No.
May 18, 2008 at 7:43 pm
Yeah, Tanya was mentioning that Space *really* wants a second season, but unfortunately due to all of the changes, they are far from able to provide any funding. The network is a real mess right now, not to mention the issues regarding CRTC Bill C-10. If that bill gets passed, there are going to be a lot of additional hardships for Canadian programming.
May 18, 2008 at 7:53 pm
Yes, with C-10 we’ll all be watching Sesame Street for adults, I guess. LOL Okay, not so funny where BT is concerned. I think someone would prevent BT from getting any public funding because it has a vampire and there is magic in the show from time to time. Oh my! Fiction people, fiction.
I’m not surprised Space wants a second season but with CTV as parent they’re going to have to pony up some cash or find a nice big backer from another country. I’m thinking our best bet right now is a British partner.
May 25, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Thanks for the info, I’ve fired off a polite e-mail.
One thing to remember is that networks are in this to make money. If you fall into a desirable demographic for advertisers (ie. age range, high disposable income), you should mention that in your e-mail as those factors affect advertisers for the show. Networks are in it for the money, so make the money that they can make from you talk.