Showcase (Canadian TV channel)
| Showcase | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Launched | January 1, 1995 |
| Owned by |
Corus Entertainment (Showcase Television Inc.) |
| Picture format |
1080i (HDTV) (2006-present) 480i (SDTV) (1995-present) |
| Slogan | Beyond Ordinary |
| Country | Canada |
| Broadcast area | National |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario |
| Sister channel(s) | Action |
| Website | Showcase |
|
Availability
|
|
| Satellite | |
| Bell TV | Channel 616 (SD) Channel 1716 (HD) |
| Shaw Direct | Channel 521 (SD) Channel 277 (HD) |
| Cable | |
| Available on most Canadian cable systems | Check local listings, channels may vary |
| IPTV | |
| Bell Aliant | Channel 201 (SD) Channel 416 (HD) |
| Bell Fibe TV | Channel 616 (SD) Channel 1616 (HD) |
| MTS | Channel 111 (SD) Channel 1111 (HD) |
| Optik TV | Channel 9301 (SD) Channel 301 (HD) |
| SaskTel | Channel 75 (SD) Channel 375 (HD) |
| HuronTel Digital TV | Channel 308 (HD) |
| VMedia | Channel 39 (HD) |
| Zazeen | Channel 122 (HD) |
Showcase is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel deals primarily in scripted television series and films and was well known in its early years for featuring unconventional and often risqué programming.
Licensed in 1994, Showcase was a venture between Alliance Communications (prior to its merger with Atlantis), the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and a number of smaller independent Canadian producers, and was intended to be a showcase for "the best of independently-produced movies, drama, comedy and mini-series from Canada and around the world", with limited content from the United States. It launched at midnight on January 1, 1995, with a short introductory montage and its first program, "Monty Python's Life of Brian", shown as part of its program "The Showcase Revue".
When the network launched, it garnered some negative publicity due to a disclaimer that it would broadcast prior to reruns of older series. The disclaimer, which advised viewers to remember that "attitudes were not always the same as they are now" was applied to relatively recent programs such as Seeing Things. Following media scorn and accusations of political correctness and being condescending to viewers, Showcase abandoned this form of disclaimer.
Showcase later spawned two digital television services, the male-oriented Action (formerly Showcase Action) and the more female-oriented Showcase Diva (which was relaunched as a Canadian version of Lifetime in 2012). On December 19, 2006 Alliance Atlantis launched a high definition simulcast of Showcase. Only one HD feed, simulcasting the East feed, launched prior to the shutdown of the West feed. It is carried on all major Canadian television service providers.
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