GOLDEN GLOBE® AWARD WINNER JONATHAN
RHYS MEYERS JOINS THE CAST
NETWORK ORDERS 20 EPISODES TO AIR IN
2017
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NEW YORK and TORONTO, March 17,
2016 /CNW/ - HISTORY announced today that it has
renewed a 20-episode fifth season of Canada's #1 specialty entertainment series
Vikings[1]. Golden
Globe® Award winner Jonathan Rhys Meyers (The Tudors, Roots)
joins the cast for season five.
"We're tremendously proud of this Canadian-Irish original
production that continues to raise the bar with talented
storytelling," said Christine
Shipton, Senior Vice President and Chief Creative Officer,
Shaw Media. "Today we are thrilled to promise our fans another
incredible, super-sized season of Vikings."
Since its inaugural premiere in 2013, Vikings has
maintained its reign as the #1 specialty entertainment program
across multiple demos[1]. With three weeks of confirmed
data for season four, the blockbuster series is currently averaging
437.1 AMA (A25-54) and 859.2 AMA (Ind2+)[2]. In its
three years on air, Vikings has earned six Canadian Screen
Awards including Best International Drama two years in a row and
Best Visual Effects for three consecutive years.
Season five of Vikings will begin production this summer
to air in 2017.
From creator and sole writer Michael
Hirst (Academy Award® winning film Elizabeth and the
Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominated series The Tudors),
Vikings is a family saga that tells the remarkable tales of
the lives and epic adventures of the raiders and explorers of the
Dark Ages.
New episodes of season four of Vikings currently air
every Thursday at 10pm ET/PT, with an
additional ten episodes scheduled to air later this year. In
Thursday's upcoming episode, Ragnar confides in Yidu his darkest
secret. In Wessex, Ecbert agrees to support Kwenthrith in Mercia,
but is Ecbert a true ally? Pregnancy brings happiness to Lagertha
and Kalf and a marriage is arranged. Watch a sneak peek of the
episode here: bit.ly/1Va1mFu.
Fans can catch up on the exciting first three seasons of
Vikings on shomi and iTunes, and the third season is
available on HISTORY on Demand, history.ca, and the HISTORY Go
app. The first four episodes of season four are available on
history.ca and the HISTORY Go app, where new episodes will be
available the day after
broadcast.
Hirst serves as executive producer along with Morgan O'Sullivan of World 2000 (The Count of
Monte Cristo, The Tudors),
Sheila Hockin (Penny
Dreadful, The Tudors, The Borgias), John Weber of Take 5 Productions (The
Tudors, The Borgias), Sherry
Marsh, Alan Gasmer and
James Flynn (The Tudors,
The Borgias).
Vikings is an international Irish/Canadian co-production
by World 2000 and Take 5 Productions. HISTORY broadcasts both
domestically in Canada and in the
U.S. MGM Television is the worldwide distributor outside of
Ireland and Canada. Vikings is produced in
association with Shaw Media.
[1] Source: Numeris PPM Confirmed Data. 3+
airings.
(2/25/13-3/6/16).
Total Canada.*
Adults 18-49 & 25-54, Males 18-49 & 25-54 (excluding
sports).
[2] Source: Numeris PPM Confirmed Data.
(2/18/16-3/6/16). Thurs 10p-11p.
Total Canada
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
Website:
history.ca/vikings/
Twitter: @HistoryTVCanada | #Vikings
Facebook: facebook.com/HistoryCanada
HISTORY is a Shaw Media Network.
About Shaw Communications
Shaw is a leading pure-play
connectivity provider focused on delivering superior consumer and
business broadband communications over its wireline, WiFi and
wireless infrastructure. Shaw serves consumers with broadband
Internet, WiFi, video and digital phone. Shaw Business Network
Services provides business customers with Internet, data, WiFi,
telephony, video and fleet tracking services. WIND provides
wireless services in Ontario,
British Columbia and
Alberta. Shaw Business Infrastructure Services provides
enterprises colocation, cloud and managed services through ViaWest.
Shaw Media provides Canadians with engaging programming content
through one of Canada's largest
conventional television networks and 19 specialty networks. Shaw is
traded on the Toronto and
New York stock exchanges and is
included in the S&P/TSX 60 Index (Symbol: TSX - SJR.B, NYSE -
SJR). For more information, please visit www.shaw.ca.
SOURCE Shaw Media