After two years of quality television coverage begging, pleading and bribing, this TV Addict’s persistence finally paid off. CTV invited theTVaddict.com to their 2008 UpFront Presentation.

So if the site lacks its usual flurry of updates today, please know I have a good excuse. I’ll be ’stuck’ in beautiful and sunny downtown Toronto hobnobbing with FLASHPOINT stars Enrico Colantoni [VERONICA MARS] and Amy Jo Johnson [FELICITY]. For live updates direct to your cell or online, check out theTVaddict on Twitter by clicking here.

The TV Addict is showing off his photo with GOSSIP GIRL’S Leighton Meester from the recent CW UpFront because…

a) He likes to perpetuate the idea that he’s best friends with Blair Waldorf! [Umm.. what do you mean she's not real?]

b) To remind my fellow Canadians that GOSSIP GIRL returns to CTV at 9PM tonight.

c) To shamelessly thank CTV for inviting this TV Addict to their 2008 UpFront event on Monday. And remind readers of theTVaddict.com to be sure to check back all next week for the great photos, news and interviews from both the CTV [Monday] and GLOBAL [Wednesday] UpFronts.

d) All of the above.

Photo Credit: Casey Fatchett

Q: Love the blog.  Love the podcast.  Glad you are back. As a man with an ear to the ground, do you hear anything on where/when CTV will be showing GOSSIP GIRL?  Still not showing up on my TiVo and nothing on their website. 

Marisa
Toronto, Canada

For the TV Addict’s answer,

Dear Marisa,

Thanks for the kind words, I think it goes without saying that, ‘the cheque is in the mail.’ But to answer your question, after emailing back-and-forth with the friendly folks in CTV’s PR department, all I have for you is this statement, “As soon as we have some news on GG… will be sure to let you know!”

For what it’s worth, here are my two cents on the situation. As a result of CTV’s commitment to the immensely popular DANCING WITH THE STARS, Canada’s Television Network will most likely get around to airing the five remaining episodes of GOSSIP GIRL paired with CANADIAN IDOL sometime this summer. Of course by then, resourceful Canadian fans of will undoubtedly discover a plethora of other ways to get their GOSSIP fix. Not the least of which includes watching it on the CW, which is available as part of both the Rogers and Bell cable packages.

If CTV were smart, they’d take the initiative by airing tonight’s episode on their CTV Broadband Network. Thus ensuring they keep their young web savvy GOSSIP GIRL demographic happy. That said, CTV’s never gone out of their way to keep their core audience of TV-obsessed fans particularly happy, so why start now.

Now that the American Networks have started to cheap out branch out and look to Canada for affordable quality content, the TV Addict finds himself in a prime position to offer up first looks at some of your future favorite shows. Translation: Watch your back Ausiello!

Courtesy of my CTV sources, here’s a first look at Enrico Colantoni in the new series FLASHPOINT.

Good News: CBS has teamed up with Canada’s CTV to shoot 13 episodes of a cop show titled FLASHPOINT starring Enrico Colantoni. Bad News: The TV Addict may or may not have a mild restraining order placed on him when it comes to VERONICA MARS alumni! Ugly News: When the writer’s finally return to work, will their be any jobs left in Hollywood? [see link]

Good News: Conan O’brien shaves his beard. Bad News: This is what passes for big news these days. Ugly News: What’s next? Craig Ferguson becomes an American citizen? Too late! [see link]

THE WINNER
FOX’s latest attempt to replicate their animated SIMPSONS success premieres tonight with the first two episodes of the Seth MacFarlane (FAMILY GUY) produced half hour laugher called THE WINNER. THE WINNER, stars everybody’s (or at least our) favourite DAILY SHOW correspondent Rob Corrdry as Glen Abbott, a 32-year-old man-child still living at home with his parents in early 1990s Buffalo.
CANADIAN CONNECTION
THE WINNER has not one, but two Canadian connections. Glen Abbott’s life is based on the life of Native Montrealer Ricky Blitt. Who not only wrote the pilot, but conceded in a recent interview with the Toronto Star that the show is “very autobiographical.”

The show’s second Canadian connection belongs to young Keir Gilchrist. The local Torontonian, who at 14, must hold his own against funny-man Rob Corrdry. Gilchrist plays the teenage neighbor who Corrdry befriends in order to get closer to his mom, who coincidentally happens to be his childhood crush. “He’s like a 35-year-old and I’m like a 14-year-old,” says co-star Rob Corrddry of Gilchrist. “So we sort of meet in the middle”

BROTHERS & SISTERS
theTVaddict’s new favourite drama (alongside FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS) returns tonight after an Oscar hiatus. On tonight’s episode, entitled “The Other Walker”, the family discovers what the audience has known for quite a while — William and Holly had a child together named Rebecca.
CANADIAN CONNECTION
‘The Other’ that the episode’s title is referring to is none other then fellow Canadian (Port Perry native) and EVERWOOD alum Emily VanCamp. Emily plays Rebecca, who as you can see from this clip, made quite an impression on a shocked Tommy Walker at the end of BROTHERS & SISTERS last episode. We at theTVaddict.com cannot wait for sparks to fly tonight when the entire family discovers The Other Walker.’ And knowing the modus operandi of the Walker clan, we predict that the episode will end with one very memorable and akward tear-soaked family dinner. Seriously, can someone tell us why the Walker Family even bothers to sit down for dinner? It never ends well!

NIP/TUCK: Season 4
Tonight at 10PM, CTV will finally start broadcasting the fourth season of NIP/TUCK. This TV Addict has a message for CTV (the self-proclaimed Canadian Television Network). To little too late!
CANADIAN CONNECTION
Canadians (like myself) who love NIP/TUCK already took it upon themselves to watch the fourth season in its entirety. In case you didn’t receive the memo CTV — we’re living in the golden age of internet video. It’s no longer acceptable practice for you to hold off on airing our favourite American shows until it fits into YOUR schedule. It’s time for you to start respecting your audience and start taking into account OUR schedule.

Thanks to theTVaddict.com Reader Christine for the Tip!

Yet again, CTV has ruined the television viewing experience for its audience. It’s bad enough that the network can’t air shows concurrently with our US friends (see: NIP/TUCK, VERONICA MARS the list goes on…). With it’s latest blunder, the network can’t even manage to broadcast episodes in order (they do realize they’re a TV network right?). Remember last season when they aired the ending of a DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES episode in the middle of the episode?

Who is running this operation that they can’t manage to accomplish even the most obvious things correctly. With last night’s ‘mix-up’, it’s more then apparent that executives at CTV aren’t actually fans of television. For if any of them were, they would have been watching their own network last night to see what was happening on GREY’S ANATOMY (one of television’s hottest shows), realized there was a problem, and fixed it within minutes. Clearly someone at CTV has to get a clue. Vote theTVaddict as CTV’s next president! I’ll enssure Canadian viewers actually get what they want! (Campaign coming soon, check back!)