Two Canadians Receive Their Second Chance in New CTV Original Special THE TAKE BACK, November 24

– Hosted by ETALK’s Tyrone Edwards, the new one-hour special turns cancelled events into extraordinary celebrations for two deserving heroes –

– Guest appearances include Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Robbie Amell, Trish Stratus, TOBi, Sheryl Swoopes, Tamara Tatham, Cheyenne Parker, Mike Morreale, and more –

Key Tags: @CTV_PR, @TheLede_ca, @CTV, #TheTakeBack

TORONTO (Nov. 14, 2023) – Celebrations are everything. But sometimes, life throws a curveball and those big moments are impacted. In the new heartwarming CTV Original one-hour special THE TAKE BACK, two deserving Canadians are given a second chance at their milestone celebration, featuring surprise twists, reveals, and celebrity drop-ins that turn their former letdowns into legendary moments. Hosted by ETALK Anchor Tyrone Edwards, THE TAKE BACK airs Friday, Nov. 24 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app. In the inspirational special, a team of experts create a surprise event for two worthy Canadians, giving them an experience that changes their ordinary day into an extraordinary lifetime memory.

Nominated for their remarkable stories of resilience and hope, THE TAKE BACK shines a spotlight on 14-year-old Hartley, a dedicated fundraiser and ambassador for SickKids Hospital and budding voice actor (Rex on PAW PATROL), providing him with a celebrity-filled Dungeons & Dragons themed birthday bash at Canada’s Wonderland – marking the first time Hartley, who is immunocompromised, and his family enjoy a large social gathering with all of their family and friends. The surprise celebration includes special guest appearances by award-winning actress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (NEVER HAVE I EVER), actor Robbie Amell (THE FLASH), and Forbes 30 Under 30 actor/writer Anthony Burch.

Then, HoopQueens founder Keesa K. is given a second chance after a pivotal fundraising and launch event was lost due to the pandemic. Giving HoopQueens the spotlight it deserves, special guests at the fundraising event include supporters and basketball luminaries such as four-time WNBA champion, three-time league MVP, and three-time Olympic gold medallist Sheryl Swoopes, Canadian Women’s National Basketball alum and two-time Olympian Tamara Tatham, Commissioner and CEO of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) Mike Morreale, WNBA All-star Cheyenne Parker, TSN anchor Kayla Grey (THE SHIFT), The Toronto Raptors’ official mascot The Raptor, along with a surprise performance by Juno Award-winning rapper TOBi, and special video messages from professional wrestler and actress Trish Stratus, and former NBA player and coach of the Canadian men’s national basketball team, and Raptors announcer, Leo Rautins.

Based on a format created by Fremantle in association with Bell Media, THE TAKE BACK is produced by MEM in association with Fremantle and CTV. Executive Producers for MEM are Scott McGillivray, Angela Jennings, Nanci MacLean, and Chris Perez. For Fremantle, Michela Di Mondo is Executive Vice President and Executive Producer, Danny Rowlands is Senior Vice President, Global Development, and Nadia Paulos is Senior Director Distribution Operations. For Bell Media, Rachel Goldstein-Couto is Head of Development, Original Programming; Heather Williamson is Senior Development Executive, Original Programming; Alexis McLaren is Production Executive, Original Programming; Sarah Fowlie is Head of Production, Original Programming; Carlyn Klebuc is General Manager, Original Programming; Pat DiVittorio is Vice-President, CTV and Specialty Programming. Justin Stockman is Vice-President, Content Development & Programming, Bell Media. Karine Moses is Senior Vice-President, Content Development & News, Bell Media and Vice Chair, Québec, Bell.

About Bell Media Original Programming
Bell Media has commissioned some of Canada’s most-watched and most-acclaimed original programming, working with the best Canadian independent producers in the country. Hit series commissioned by CTV include the most-watched Canadian dramas TRANSPLANT and SULLIVAN’S CROSSING; record-breaking Canadian format THE AMAZING RACE CANADA; comedy CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING; unscripted series THE TRAITORS CANADA and FARMING FOR LOVE; and quiz series BATTLE OF THE GENERATIONS. Among the original series on Bell Media specialty and streaming platforms are CTV Life Channel’s culinary series MARY MAKES IT EASY with Mary Berg, and food, travel, and adventure series EVOLVING VEGAN; CTV Comedy Channel’s ROAST BATTLE CANADA and the scripted series ACTING GOOD. Crave Originals include hit series LETTERKENNY and its official spinoff series SHORESY, CANADA’S DRAG RACE, WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE (EVEN JAY BARUCHEL), and LITTLE BIRD; docuseries DARK SIDE OF THE RING; and acclaimed documentaries including KINGS OF COKE. Discovery is home to Bell Media’s hit factual series and franchises HIGHWAY THRU HELL, EAST HARBOUR HEROES, and Animal Planet’s PETS & PICKERS. Bell Media is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada’s largest communications company. Learn more at www.BellMedia.ca.

About Fremantle
Fremantle is a leading global distributor, creator and producer of some of the world’s most successful content across Entertainment, Drama & Film, and Documentaries. Amplifying local stories on a global scale, Fremantle produces and delivers premium, multi-genre IP across the 27 territories it operates in. Fremantle is a proudly independent group of content creators, and home to some of the biggest entertainment formats, compelling international dramas, award-winning films and high-quality documentaries. From Got Talent to Neighbours, Password to Poor Things, Alice & Jack to America the Beautiful, The Lost Ones to Big Mood and Priscilla to House of Kardashian our focus is simple – Fremantle creates and delivers irresistible entertainment. Fremantle is part of RTL Group, a global leader across broadcast, streaming, content and digital, itself a division of the international media, services, and education company Bertelsmann.

About CTV
CTV is Canada’s #1 television brand. CTV provides unparalleled entertainment programming across two broadcast television networks; a powerful suite of specialty channels including CTV Comedy Channel, CTV Drama Channel, CTV Life Channel, and CTV Sci-Fi Channel; and digital channels CTV Throwback and CTV Movies, streaming on demand from CTV.ca and the CTV app. CTV has been Canada’s most-watched television network for the past 22 years in a row and features a wide range of sports and information programming, including CTV News, Canada’s highest-rated national and local newscasts. CTV’s parent company is Bell Media, Canada’s premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, digital, and out-of-home advertising.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

#TheTakeBack

TikTok:
@CTV

X (formerly Twitter):
@CTV_PR 
@CTV
@TheLede_ca
@Mr1LOVETO (Tyrone Edwards)

Facebook:
Facebook.com/CTV

Instagram:
@CTV_PR
@CTV
@TheLede_ca
@Mr1LOVETO (Tyrone Edwards)
@ChefsWithHart (Hartley Bernier)
@HoopQueensTO (HoopQueens)

Contact

Matthew Almeida
Publicist, CTV Networks
CTV – CTV2 – CTV Life Channel – CTV Comedy Channel – CTV Drama Channel – CTV Sci-Fi Channel
matthew.almeida@bellmedia.ca

Natalie Cole
Manager, CTV Networks
CTV – CTV2 – CTV Life Channel – CTV Comedy Channel – CTV Drama Channel – CTV Sci-Fi Channel
natalie.cole@bellmedia.ca