CTV announced eleven new American imports for its 2014-15 schedule on May 23, 2014. Three of these new, high-profile imports are based on comic book properties. This is due to Hollywood’s increased interest in comic book properties (e.g., the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Man of Steel, the Batman films, the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film reboot)…and some cable zombie obscurity called The Walking Dead; you may have heard of it. Licensing and intellectual property exploitation play their parts, but that’s like saying Jack Kirby was a dynamic artist.

Five comic book properties – four of them from DC Entertainment – make will the transition to mainstream American network television, for the 2014-15 season. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. performs decently for CTV, while Arrow has a healthy Canadian fanbase. Two of CTV’s six new shows for its 2014-15 fall campaign feature DC Entertainment properties.

This list will be updated as I find out more information. If I miss any shows, and/or screw up on my information, please e-mail Gloryosky, comment on this article, and/or tweet Gloryosky.

As an aside, if you’re looking for Teen Titans Go!, Avengers Assemble or Beware the Batman, those are children’s shows. While Beware the Batman is more maturely written than something like Reckless, BtB doesn’t belong on this list. Earlier in May 2014, I said time will tell if Beware the Batman is more maturely written than Gotham; it is.

Update (May 24, 2014): Stupid me, I forgot Preacher is a thing.

Update (October 18, 2014): Updated to reflect fall 2014-15 season starts, and to add Dark Matter to the list. I don’t mention Marvel’s Netflix shows, or PlayStation Network’s Powers; those are online properties, and deserve their own Gloryosky article. Properties in the development/pilot stages are off-limits until they are announced as full series.

Update (December 3, 2014): AMC’s Preacher pilot shoots summer 2015, so it’s now off the list. Marvel’s Agent Carter is updated to reflect its January 2015 debut.

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Dark Horse
Dark Matter (debuts 2015 TBD)
American network/program service: Syfy
Canadian network/program service: to be decided
Notable USPs: Showrunners Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie are veterans of the Stargate television franchise. Dark Matter started life as a television concept before it became a four-issue limited series in 2012, with intent to shop the Dark Matter concept to interested parties. Prodigy Pictures (Lost Girl) produces Dark Matter, while Endemol Worldwide Distribution distributes.

DC (mainstream)
Arrow (third season premiered October 8, 2014)
American network/program service: The CW
Canadian network/program service: CTV

The Flash (debuted October 7, 2014)
American network/program service: The CW
Canadian network/program service: CTV
Notable USP: Spinoff from/companion show to Arrow.

Gotham (debuted September 22, 2014)
American network/program service: Fox
Canadian network/program service: CTV
Notable USP: It’s a Batman property focusing on Commissioner James Gordon. That’s all the USP Gotham needs.

DC (Vertigo)
Constantine (debuted October 24, 2014)
American network/program service: NBC
Canadian network/program service: Global
Notable USP: DC/Vertigo’s Hellblazer, of which John Constantine was the main character, ran from 1988-2013; Hellblazer was replaced by The New 52’s Constantine series. Constantine plans to be truer to the character’s roots than the 2005 Keanu Reeves film.

iZOMBIE (debuts 2014-15 midseason)
American network/program service: The CW
Canadian network/program service: to be decided
Notable USPs: Based on Chris Roberson and Mike Allred’s 2010-12 Vertigo series. One of the executive producers is Rob Thomas, creator of Veronica Mars.

Marvel
Marvel’s Agent Carter (debuts January 6, 2015)
American network/program service: ABC
Canadian network/program service: CTV
Notable USP: Set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (second season premiered September 23, 2014)
American network/program service: ABC
Canadian network/program service: CTV
Notable USP: Set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Image (Skybound)
The Walking Dead (fifth season premiered October 12, 2014)
American specialty channel: AMC
Canadian network/program service: none; Canada carries the American AMC feed
Notable USP: The Walking Dead’s fourth season premiere earned 16.1 million same-day viewers in America. Simply put, it’s a cable juggernaut.