TORONTO, ON (November 13, 2015) – CTV announced today that it has ordered the serialized, six-part, one-hour drama series CARDINAL (working title) from Toronto-based Sienna Films and Entertainment One (eOne). The cinematic murder mystery is based on the John Cardinal Mysteries, a series of six bestselling crime novels written by Ontario native and award-winning author Giles Blunt. The exclusive venture marks CTV’s first-ever series adaption from a novel. This gripping, character driven drama will premiere as part of CTV’s 2016/17 schedule, with production set to begin in February 2016. Casting for CARDINAL will be announced soon.

CARDINAL was first put into development by CTV in 2011. The series adaptation is developed for television and written by Canadian Screen Award-winner Aubrey Nealon (ORPHAN BLACK, SAVING HOPE), who also serves as an Executive Producer and Showrunner, directed by the award-winning Montréal native Daniel Grou (19-2, TU M’AIMES-TU?), and is executive produced by Sienna Films duo Julia Sereny and Jennifer Kawaja (COMBAT HOSPITAL).

“We have been searching for an engaging serialized drama that would create a weekly must-see appointment for a mass audience,” said Mike Cosentino, Senior Vice-President, Programming, CTV Networks and CraveTV. “We believe CARDINAL will deliver on all fronts for CTV and become a must-watch title for CraveTV.”

“We are thrilled to be producing CTV’s first original serialized drama in partnership with eOne,” said Jennifer Kawaja, Co-President, Sienna Films. “We have a great team coming together to bring the Northern Ontario setting and this story with universal appeal to television.”

CARDINAL is adapted from the award-winning novel Forty Words for Sorrow, the first of the John Cardinal Mysteries series. The series begins with the discovery of Katie Pine, a missing 13-year-old whose body is discovered in the shaft-head of an abandoned mine. The series follows detective John Cardinal as he attempts to uncover the mystery of what happened to the young girl. At the same time, unbeknownst to Cardinal, he comes under investigation by his new partner, Lise Delorme, a tough investigator in her own right.

CARDINAL is produced by Sienna Films and eOne in association with Bell Media, with the financial participation of the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, the Canada Media Fund and the Cogeco Production Program, and with the assistance of the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit. Super Écran has commissioned the series for French-language Canadian broadcast. eOne will distribute the series worldwide.

Executive producers are Julia Sereny and Jennifer Kawaja, and Aubrey Nealon, who also serves as Showrunner. For Bell Media, Carrie Paupst Shaughnessy is Production Executive; Tom Hastings is Director, Drama, Independent Production; and Corrie Coe is Senior Vice-President, Independent Production. Mike Cosentino is Senior Vice-President, Programming, CTV Networks and CraveTV. Randy Lennox is President, Entertainment Production and Broadcasting, Bell Media.