January 15, 2007

Cream of Comedy Rises to the Top Jan. 27 on The Comedy Network

-- Hosts Aurora Browne and Gavin Crawford introduce Canada's most promising new comedian in 10th anniversary one-hour special --
-- Tim Sims Encouragement Award presented to Vancouver-native Nathan Fielder --

Toronto, Ontario (January 15, 2006) – The Comedy Network in association with The Tim Sims Encouragement Fund presents the crème de la crème of young, up-and-coming Canadian comedic talent in the tenth annual Cream of Comedy broadcast. A hilarious, one-hour showdown between five of Canada’s most promising comics, Cream of Comedy premieres Saturday, Jan. 27 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, exclusively on The Comedy Network.

** Media Note ** Download photos from www.ctvmedia.ca/comedy.

Hosted by former Tim Sims Encouragement Award-winner Gavin Crawford (This Hour Has 22 Minutes) and TSEF-nominee Aurora Browne (Comedy Inc.), five nominees compete for the prestigious Tim Sims Encouragement Award – a $4,000 cash prize and an opportunity to create a short film for the network’s Canadian Comedy Shorts (an approximate value of $10,000). Last year’s winner, Jeff McEnery, will debut his short, Behind The Funny, in the televised Cream of Comedy special.

After scouting the Canadian comedy scene for the past year, the 2006 Tim Sims Encouragement Fund jury selected the following five, fresh-faced comedians: Rebecca Addelman, The Black Roses (Hayley Gratto and Chelsea P. Manders), Nathan Fielder, Desiree Lavoy and Andrew Johnston.

The recipient of this year’s Tim Sims Encouragement Award is Nathan Fielder. The award was presented by Lindsay Leese at the Cream of Comedy event, held November 18 at CTV’s Masonic Temple in Toronto.

Creative, clever, and very funny, Nathan Fielder draws you in with his off kilter perspective and delivery style. A comedian, writer, and filmmaker, Fielder was born and raised in Vancouver. He moved to Toronto in late 2005 to pursue a career in comedy. At the fresh age of 23, Nathan has been performing comedy for just over a year. He recently graduated from Humber College with a post-graduate degree in Comedy Writing and Performance. Nathan has acted in, written, and directed a number of comedic short films that have been screened at the LA Film Festival; at the National Film Board; and nationwide on Global TV. Many of his movies can also be viewed on his personal website, www.nathanfielder.com.

The Tim Sims Encouragement Fund is dedicated to the memory of comedian Tim Sims, a well-known and loved comedic performer, writer and director. The Tim Sims Encouragement Fund is a charitable foundation founded by Lindsay Leese in 1995. The Comedy Network has been the title sponsor of Cream of Comedy for the past ten years. Visit www.timsims.com for additional information.

All comedy, of all kinds, 24-hours-a-day, is the mandate of The Comedy Network, Canada's first-and-only specialty comedy service. Launched in October 1997, The Comedy Network offers an unrivalled slate of original Canadian productions, with 44 per cent of its revenues being reinvested in Canadian programming. To more than 4.8 million subscribers, The Comedy Network broadcasts, uncut and uncensored, an eclectic mix of stand-up, sketch, improv, and animated comedy as well as topical comedy talk shows, game shows and classic situation comedies. The Comedy Network is a division of CTV Television. Visit The Comedy Network's Web site at www.thecomedynetwork.ca.

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