Throng

J.J. Abrams is developing a new drama series which will center on the infamous island prison of Alcatraz.

The former Lost producer will re-team with another Lost alum in executive producer Elizabeth Sarnoff to develop the project.

Sarnoff will write the pilot episode for the unnamed series whose plot is under a cloud of secrecy.

The project is understood to be based on an original idea sold to Abrams’ Bad Robot production company.

Andy's father, Tommy, has confessed that he may have committed a serious crime during one of his alcohol-induced blackouts. As she and Swarek try to piece together what happened, Andy is faced with the possibility of sending her father to prison.

Thursday, September 2 - 9pm ET/PT on Global

CBC News is rolling out an extensive series of reports and insights from across Canada to help parents as they prepare to send their children back to class.

BACK TO SCHOOL STUDY GUIDE (cbcnews.ca/backtoschool) is a week-long series of stories beginning Monday, Sept. 6 on all CBC News platforms—The National, CBC News Network, CBC Radio, CBCNews.ca and local news programs across the country.

This can be one of the most daunting, stressful times of the entire year for parents. But CBC News has the answers they need. From putting together a healthy lunch to finding eco-friendly school supplies to understanding curriculum changes to the latest digital learning aids, this series of stories gives parents everything they need to know to get through the sometimes confusing, sometimes exhausting process of getting their kids ready to go back to school.

The 2010 Film and Television Charity Challenge continues to showcase the creativity and generosity of those working in the industry with the latest contributions coming from two new productions.

Returning YTV series How to Be Indie took the idea of creative fundraising seriously, holding a bake sale on its Toronto set. Led by cast member Sarena Parmar, cast and crew members participated by contributing sale items or buying each other’s goods. The event raised over $500 for the Fund and was an enjoyable break in the day, proving that taking part in the Charity Challenge can be fun and easy.

Have you ever wanted to travel through time like Marty McFly in Back to the Future? Use an invisibility cloak like Harry Potter in The Prisoner of Azkaban? Or fight with Luke Skywalker’s light saber from Star Wars?

Exploring the world of the seemingly impossible, Discovery Science’s new 12-part series, SCI FI SCIENCE WITH MICHIO KAKU premieres Tuesday, September 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Time travel, invisibility, teleportation, force fields, parallel universes and other wild concepts are some of science fiction’s most popular ideas.

And though none of these have become reality, world-renowned physicist and co-founder of string field theory, Dr. Michio Kaku, explains that what is impossible today could become matter-of-fact tomorrow. 

This week marks the launch of HGTV’s hotly-anticipated Fall schedule and eye-catching advertising campaign. This season HGTV is highlighting two entertaining series - the exciting brand-new U.S. acquisition Selling New York and Canadian viewer-favourite Income Property - with clever creative executions that promote the breadth of home related content available on HGTV.

Selling New York will seduce viewers with tales of New York City’s extravagant residential properties and the colourful characters who buy and sell them. It’s a rare glimpse into the lives and homes of the rich and famous - all of which stands out in the print, radio spots and on-air creative.  

Dr. Oz finds himself in the unfamiliar role of patient when THE DR. OZ SHOW returns for its second season on Tuesday, September 7 at 5 p.m. ET on CTV (visit CTV.ca to confirm local broadcast times).

As part of the second season premiere, the EMMY® AWARD-winning host, who turned 50 in June, undergoes a colonoscopy to emphasize the critical role they can play in detecting and preventing colon cancer.

But there are some surprising results: Dr. Jon LaPook, gastroenterologist and chief medical correspondent for CBS News, administers the screening and reveals some news that will have a profound impact on Dr. Oz’s life, family and viewers.

THE DR. OZ SHOW airs Monday – Friday at 5 p.m. ET on CTV. New episodes of THE DR. OZ SHOW are available on demand the day following their television broadcast on the CTV Video Player at CTV.ca. THE DR. OZ SHOW also airs Monday – Friday at 9 p.m. ET on Star!.

Eliminated So You Think You Can Dance Canada contestants Yonni Fournier and Bree Wasylenko chat about their time on the hit CTV dance show.

Global’s Entertainment Tonight Canada revealed this evening the details surrounding their exclusive red carpet Festival Central gala events in celebration of the 35th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). As the only entertainment show to officially sponsor the Festival, ET Canada will feature wall-to-wall coverage of all things TIFF every night for 11 days beginning Thursday, September 9th.

“TIFF is a landmark event for film worldwide and after five years going strong, Festival Central parties have become renowned among the top tier talent that walk our red carpet,” said Tamara Simoneau, Sr. Executive Producer, ET Canada. “ET Canada is pulling out all the stops for our exclusive gala nights and fans can catch the evening’s best moments every night on the show.”

It’s a bit terrifying to think that there are giant rocks flying straight at our planet on a regular basis – but it’s true. Though our atmosphere helps fry the occasional wayward piece of asteroid or comet as it heads our way, once in a while a handful (or more) makes it through.

Now on a hunt to find these incredible lost pieces of the universe comes the new seven-part Discovery Science series METEORITE MEN premiering Monday, September 27 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

After racing through space at speeds of 48,000kph until violently crashing here, lost pieces of the universe have been buried deep below the Earth’s surface for thousands of years. And although they’re among the rarest natural objects on Earth – more uncommon than gold – meteorite hunters Geoff Notkin and Steve Arnold will stop at nothing to track down these ancient alien treasures.

One of the most-watched competition shows in Canada, the multiple EMMY AWARD-winning series THE AMAZING RACE returns to CTV with an extended 90-minutes premiere Sunday, September 26 at 8:30 p.m. ET (visit CTV.ca to confirm local broadcast times).

A Top 10 show in Canada which averaged 2.54 million viewers last season, the 17th cycle of THE AMAZING RACE visits new destinations including Bangladesh, Ghana and the Arctic Circle.

THE AMAZING RACE moves to its regular timeslot on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET beginning October 3. New episodes of THE AMAZING RACE are also available on demand the day following their television broadcast on the CTV Video Player at CTV.ca.

First it was the MMVAs. Then it was the TEEN CHOICE AWARDS. Next up: ETALK.

The Jonas Brothers are coming back to CTV’s Queen St. headquarters tomorrow and they are headed straight to ETALK’s newsroom studio. Just before Friday’s television premiere of CAMP ROCK 2: THE FINAL JAM and three tour stops in Canada, Jonas Brothers are set to exclusively co-host ETALK with anchors Ben Mulroney and Tanya Kim, live in-studio on Thursday, September 2.

Every fan in Canada can watch the world’s most-famous brothers hold it down on Canada’s most-watched entertainment program that night at 7 p.m. ET on CTV (visit CTV.ca for local listings).

Around 8 a.m. on December 10, 2007, police in Mississauga, ON responded to a 911 call from a man who had said he had just killed his daughter. When officers arrived, they found 16-year-old Aqsa Parvez suffering from life-threatening injuries. She later died in hospital.

The fate of this young Muslim woman and three others is explored in depth in the world television premiere of the two-hour Original CTV Documentary IN THE NAME OF THE FAMILY, Tuesday, September 7 at 9 p.m. ET on CTV (visit CTV.ca to confirm local broadcast times). The film will be available on demand on the CTV Video Player at ctv.ca following its broadcast premiere.

Big-time fitness club and gym chains equal big-time business with annual revenues in Canada in excess of $2 billion. Fully five million Canadians currently hold gym or fitness club memberships.

However, lots of clients are reporting problems.

CBC’s award-winning consumer watchdog program MARKETPLACE is calling on Canadians to share their stories through the Big Gym Ripoff Search: you tell us—how bad is it? What horror stories do you have?

Viewers can submit their experiences online beginning Aug. 30 at http://www.cbc.ca/gymripoff

“Instead of getting ripped, people are getting ripped off. Year after year, the exploitative terms of gym memberships rank among the top ten consumer complaints reported to government,” said Erica Johnson, co-host of MARKETPLACE. “For the first time ever, we’re offering Canadians a chance to tell their stories so that we can expose which gym chains most need to snap themselves into shape.” 

The second season of the riveting 6 hr. crime series Durham County received 7 Gemini nominations today. The Gemini Awards are Canada’s “Emmy Awards” and honour outstanding achievement in television.

Durham County - Season 2 received nominations for Best Dramatic Series (Michael Prupas, Janis Lundman, Adrienne Mitchell and Laurie Finstad Knizhnik); Best Direction (Adrienne Mitchell); Best Actress (Hélène Joy) as well as Best Casting, Best Make-up, Best Sound and Best Main Title Design. In 2009, the series brought home 5 Gemini Awards.