FAMILY CHANNEL GIVES VIEWERS THE ULTIMATE HALLOWEEN EX-FEAR-IENCE WITH SCREAM-IERES AND SCARE-A-THONS ALL THROUGHOUT OCTOBER

Gortimer Gibbons’ Life on Normal Street and Nowhere Boys premiere October 5th

NBA Legend Shaquille O’Neal drops by gaming show (In My Parents’ Garage) October 26th 

October 31 features a full day of Halloween programming 

Toronto, ON – 29 September 2015 – There’s a haunting in the air this October as Family Channel conjures up a month-long programming event in honour of Halloween. The spook-tacular schedule boasts spine-tingling new series, shriek-tastic specials and fright-filled flicks to celebrate the scariest season of the year. With surprises lurking around every corner, this fan-favourite frightfest is sure to be the network’s most delightfully dreadful lineup yet!

The mischievous mayhem officially begins on Monday, October 5 with a nail-biting night of paranormal premieres. The eerie evening features the debut of two suspenseful new series that are sure to keep fans on the edge of their seats. Gortimer Gibbons’ Life on Normal Street sees three young friends who solve paranormal mysteries in their seemingly quiet neighbourhood, while Nowhere Boys follows the gripping journey of four very different high school students who are forced to band together when an unexplained cosmic event seems to change the very fabric of reality in their small town.

Halloween Highlights for Monday, October 5:

    • Gortimer Gibbons’ Life On Normal Street – “Gortimer vs. the Mobile of Misfortune” – Series Premiere – 6:30 p.m. ET/PT: While trying to help the unluckiest kid on Normal Street, Gortimer accidentally jinxes himself with bad luck. Now Gortimer, Mel and Ranger must find a way to set things straight before a wave of misfortune threatens Normal Street’s annual Road Rocket Race.
    • Nowhere Boys Series Premiere – 7 p.m. ET/PT: After surviving a terrifying night lost in a forest, four mismatched teenage boys return home to find that things aren’t quite as they left them.
    • Nowhere Boys – New Episode – 7:30 p.m. ET/PT: The boys grapple with the discovery that they are now total strangers to their friends and families.
    • Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant – Feature Film  8 p.m. ET/PT: Things get freaky fast for 16-year-old Darren Shan (Chris Massoglia) when his friend (Josh Hutcherson, The Hunger Games) takes him to a circus that’s chockfull of sideshow oddities. There, he meets vampire Larten Crepsley (John C. Reilly, Guardians of the Galaxy) and receives a life-changing bite on the neck.

A second night of heart-pounding programming debuts on Friday, October 9, beginning with a horrifyingly hilarious new episode of Hank Zipzer at 5 p.m.

Premieres for Friday, October 9:

    • Hank Zipzer Haunted Hank” – 5 p.m. ET/PT: Hank and the gang decide to teach McKelty a spooky lesson. Despite Rosa’s enthusiasm for Halloween, Stan refuses to get into the Halloween spirit.
    • AwesomenessTV – “Zay Zay and Jo Jo’s Halloween Tips” – 5:30 p.m. ET/PT: Cody Simpson hosts this hauntingly hilarious Halloween episode featuring sketches with Zay Zay and Jo Jo, Swag Master J, the Worst Babysitter Ever, Violet the Vampire and many more!
    • Make Me Over – “Halloween” – 6 p.m. ET/PT: Bethany and the Glam Squad give three girls a great makeover: Sally gets a spooky alien look for Halloween; Natalie tries out a new look for Homecoming; and Karlee receives an awesome look for the holidays.
    • Casper – Feature Film – 7:30 p.m. ET/PT: A paranormal expert and his daughter (Christina Ricci, Penelope) move into an abandoned house populated by three mischievous ghosts and one friendly one.

The thrills and chills continue on Friday, October 16 at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT with the premiere of R.L. Stine’s Mostly Ghostly: Have You Met My Ghoulfriend starring Ryan Ochoa (Pair of Kings), Bella Thorne (The DUFF), Calum Worthy (Austin & Ally), Eric Allan Kramer (Good Luck Charlie) and Joan Rivers. The freakishly funny film follows Max (Ochoa) and Cammy (Thorne) who, on their first date on Halloween night, are tormented by an evil ghost with plans on taking over the world. Then, on Saturday, October 24 at 12 p.m. ET/PT, the Monster High ghouls travel to Boo York to help musician Catty Noir find her scarespiration in the musical Monster High: Boo York, Boo York

Sports and spooks collide when NBA star Shaquille O’Neal makes a special appearance on Gaming Show (In My Parents’ Garage) on Monday, October 26 at 6 p.m. ET/PT. In the hilarious new episode titled “Shaq-o-ween,” Julia finally gets the garage to herself so she can do the truly spooky Halloween Let’s Play of her dreams – that is, until she manages to scare herself. Meanwhile, Jesse heads off to England to become a video game voice actor and Ian is summoned to Shaq’s mansion in Orlando after he insults Shaq-Fu.

As part of the month-long scare-fest, Family will also air themed movies all throughout October. The lively line-up includes the popular Halloweentown franchise, Twitches and Twitches Too, Phantom of the Megaplex, Mom’s Got a Date With a Vampire, Girl Vs. Monster, Descendants and Bunks.

On Saturday, October 31, it’s a marathon of petrifying proportions as Halloween-themed programming takes over the network. Boys and ghouls will be trick-or-treated to episodes from fan-favourite series Good Luck Charlie, Jessie, Dog With A Blog, Wizards of Waverly Place, Phineas and Ferb, Hank Zipzer, I Didn’t Do It, A.N.T. Farm, Gaming Show (In My Parents Garage), Make Me Over and AwesomenessTV.

Family OnDemand also gets into the spirit, offering various Halloween-themed episodes as they become available weekly beginning Friday, October 9.

Family Channel offers the best in family television entertainment in a premium, commercial-free environment. Dedicated to celebrating family life and providing a daily vacation for children and their families, Family airs a unique mix of top-rated Canadian and acquired series, movies and specials. Family Channel subscribers also have access to Family OnDemand and Family Online at no additional cost, to see hit movies and series when they want them, where they want them. Visit us at Family.ca.

About DHX Television
DHX Television is comprised of Family Channel, CHRGD, Family Jr. and Télémagino, and is part of DHX Media Ltd., a leading creator, producer, marketer and broadcaster of family entertainment. Dedicated to celebrating family fun, DHX Television delivers best-in-class programming through premium subscriptions and its original production mandate, and creates and produces captivating in-market events that appeal to Canadian families. DHX Television is home to world-renowned series including The Next Step, Degrassi: Next Class and Teletubbies. DHX Media Ltd. has offices globally, and is traded on the NASDAQ and Toronto Stock Exchange.

For additional information please contact:

Joanna Landsberg
Publicist – DHX Television
joanna.landsberg@dhxmedia.com
416.977.7458