Bravo Builds on Banner Year with Powerful New Dramas For 2013 MONDAY MORNINGS, HOMELAND, and GRACELAND

- From Emmy^® Award-winning producer David E. Kelley and CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, MONDAY MORNINGS premieres Feb. 4 -
- Starring Emmy Award-winners Claire Danes, Damian Lewis, and Mandy Patinkin, HOMELAND makes its specialty television debut March 6 -
- Edgy drama GRACELAND from creator and executive producer of WHITE COLLAR comes to Bravo next summer -
- Fan favourites DALLAS, SUITS, WHITE COLLAR and THE BORGIAS return with new episodes in 2013 -
- The 2011/12 broadcast year was Bravo's most-watched of all-time -

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TORONTO, Dec. 5, 2012 /CNW/ - Bravo - Canada's fastest-growing specialty channel - builds on its most successful year ever with a bold new 2013 lineup after acquiring the exclusive Canadian rights to three intriguing dramas packed with star power and esteemed writers and creators. From acclaimed producer David E. Kelley (ALLY MCBEAL), CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and starring Montreal-native Jennifer Finnigan (BETTER WITH YOU), new medical series MONDAY MORNINGS premieres Monday, Feb. 4 at 10 p.m. ET, following the lives of doctors pushed to their limits as they confront their personal and professional mistakes. Then, fresh from its Golden Globe^® and Emmy Award wins and starring Golden Globe-winners Claire Danes (TEMPLE GRANDIN), Mandy Patinkin (CRIMINAL MINDS), and Damian Lewis (BAND OF BROTHERS), the psychological thriller HOMELAND makes its Canadian specialty television premiere on Wednesday, March 6 at 10 p.m. ET. Finally, joining the Bravo lineup in summer 2013 is the new one-hour drama from WHITE COLLAR creator Jeff Eastin, GRACELAND. The new series follows a diverse group of undercover agents whose worlds collide while forced to live together in a seized beachfront mansion in Southern California called "Graceland" (visit bravo.ca for local broadcast times).

The new series join established Bravo hits as they return with new episodes in early 2013. Sleek and sexy drama WHITE COLLAR returns with its Season 4 premiere on Wednesday, Jan. 23 at 9 p.m. ET, followed by the fast-paced, high-stakes world of a top Manhattan corporate law firm in SUITS on Wednesday, Jan. 23 at 10 p.m. ET. Season 2 of Bravo's most-watched series ever, DALLAS returns on Monday, Jan. 28 at 9 p.m. ET with a whole new wave of back-stabbing, plot-scheming, and black-mailing fun - and with the final episodes from DALLAS patriarch Larry Hagman. Additionally, Season 3 of the hit Canadian drama THE BORGIAS starring Academy Award-winner Jeremy Irons and Montreal's François Arnaud returns this April on Bravo.

After a stellar broadcast year for Bravo in 2011/12, Bravo is Canada's fastest-growing specialty channel for total viewers and the key A25-54 and W25-54 demos. Audiences grew 22% for total viewers, 20% for A25-54, and 25% for W25-54, to make the year the most-watched in Bravo's history.

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"Building on the momentum of Bravo's most successful year ever, the acquisitions of MONDAY MORNINGS, HOMELAND, and GRACELAND are the perfect additions to Bravo's lineup of bold, engaging series," said Catherine MacLeod, Vice-President, Specialty Channels, Bell Media. "With an impressive roster of talented actors, writers, and producers, these superb series will without a doubt deliver unique and riveting drama alongside established hits DALLAS, SUITS, WHITE COLLAR, and THE BORGIAS." 

MONDAY MORNINGS (Monday, Feb. 4 at 10 p.m. ET - Series Premiere)
MONDAY MORNINGS is a powerful new one-hour series from multiple Emmy Award-winning producer David E. Kelley (ALLY MCBEAL, CHICAGO HOPE) and practicing neurosurgeon and CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, whose book of the same title is the inspiration for the series. Set at the fictional Chelsea General Hospital in Portland, Oregon, the series follows the lives of doctors as they push the limits of their abilities and confront their personal and professional failings. The title refers to the hospital's weekly morbidity and mortality conference, when doctors gather with their peers for a confidential review of complications and errors in patient care. The series stars Montreal-native Jennifer Finnigan, Ving Rhames (Pulp Fiction), Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2), Jamie Bamber (BATTLESTAR GALACTICA), Bill Irwin (CSI), Keong Sim (GLEE), Sarayu Rao (OUTSOURCED), and Emily Swallow (SOUTHLAND).

HOMELAND (Wednesday, March 6 at 10 p.m. ET - Series Premiere)
HOMELAND is a multi-award-winning one-hour psychological thriller starring Claire Danes as a CIA officer who becomes convinced that the intelligence that led to the rescue of a U.S. soldier (Damian Lewis) who had been missing in Iraq and presumed dead for eight years was a set-up and may be connected to an Al Qaeda plot to be carried out on American soil. Award winner Mandy Patinkin plays a veteran CIA Division Chief who is her boss and mentor. HOMELAND also stars Morena Baccarin (V), David Harewood (ROBIN HOOD), Diego Klattenhoff (WHISTLER), Morgan Saylor (The Greening of Whitney Brown) and Jackson Pace (CSI).

GRACELAND (Summer 2013 - Series Premiere)
GRACELAND is an edgy new one-hour drama from Jeff Eastin, the acclaimed creator and executive producer of WHITE COLLAR, which follows a diverse group of undercover agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and U.S. Customs whose worlds collide while forced to live together in a seized beachfront mansion in Southern California called "Graceland." The series begins with Mike Warren (Aaron Tveit, GOSSIP GIRL), a by-the-books rookie who graduates at the top of his FBI class and is thrown into an unconventional assignment at Graceland. He soon encounters the legendary Paul Briggs (Daniel Sunjata, GREY'S ANATOMY) the house's senior FBI agent whose calm approach to life doesn't match his credentials as the Bureau's top agent.

Below is a chronological list of 2013 premieres on Bravo. For complete series descriptions visit bellmediapr.ca schedules are subject to change; visit bravo.ca to confirm local broadcast times):

Wednesday, Jan. 23 at 9 p.m. ET: WHITE COLLAR - Season 4 Premiere
Wednesday, Jan. 23 at 10 p.m. ET: SUITS - Season 2B Premiere 
Monday, Jan. 28 at 9 p.m. ET: DALLAS - Season 2 Premiere
Monday, Feb. 4 at 10 p.m. ET: MONDAY MORNINGS - Series Premiere
Wednesday, March 6 at 10 p.m. ET: HOMELAND - Series Premiere
April: THE BORGIAS - Season 3 Premiere
Summer: GRACELAND - Series Premiere

About Bravo
Bravo delivers compelling stories through clever and immersive programming to viewers across Canada. From high-profile dramas to blockbuster feature films, Bravo is home to award-winning entertainment including the Gemini and Emmy®-winning hit drama, THE BORGIAS. Bravo is a division of Bell Media, which is owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company. More information about Bravo is available at www.bravo.ca.

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Laura Catania, Entertainment Specialties, Bell Media, 416.384.3173 or [email protected]
Amanda Rinaldo, Entertainment Specialties, Bell Media, 416.384.5325 or [email protected]