CBC'S BELOVED DRAMA HEARTLAND REACHES ITS RECORD-BREAKING 125TH EPISODE ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19

CBC’s number-one family drama, HEARTLAND, is set to break a Canadian television record for longevity. On Sunday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. (7:30 NT) the heart-warming series aired its 125th episode, making it the longest-running Canadian one-hour drama in television. The 125th episode was written by Heather Conkie and directed by Bruce McDonald. By season’s end, HEARTLAND will have extended the record to 139 episodes, far surpassing any previous records. Each week, the series draws around a million viewers and has gone on to be an international success, licensed in more than 119 countries.

“Heartland has been a staple of CBC’s broadcast schedule for the past eight seasons and this record is a testament to its popularity with audiences of all ages,” said Helen Asimakis, senior director of drama commissioned and scripted programming for CBC. “On behalf of CBC, congratulations to everyone involved with the creation and production of the show on this truly remarkable and well-deserved accomplishment.”

On Thurs. Oct. 2, it reached another impressive milestone as it entered into its 1000th day of production. HEARTLAND has won the Directors Guild of Canada Award for Best TV Series: Family from 2009-2013, making it the only series to win five consecutive awards from the Guild.

In season eight, Amy returns from the European Equestrian circuit, still riding high on the opulent lifestyle and adrenaline of working with Prince Ahmed’s high-performance horses. But if she thought life at Heartland was going to pick up where it left off, she is sadly mistaken. Amy’s time away has changed her and everyone else back home. And as the family struggles through secrets, rivalries and misunderstandings, Amy and Ty must find solid ground in their relationship.

In the 125th episode, a surprise visitor makes an unwelcome declaration and Amy (Amber Marshall) is forced to deal with the devastating consequences. Meanwhile, a dire animal crisis at the Wildlife Reserve eerily parallels Ty’s (Graham Wardle) personal life when he realizes that some things just can’t be saved. Still stinging from Katie’s pre-school rejection, Lou’s (Michelle Morgan) insistence that a specialist test her daughter brings an unexpected result. And Georgie (Alisha Newton) realizes she needs her own trick riding horse in order to keep up with her nemesis Olivia (Helen Colliander).

Set against the glorious backdrop of the foothills of Alberta and starring Amber Marshall, Graham Wardell and Alisha Newton, season eight of HEARTLAND continues the saga of a Western family as they chase big dreams and manage life’s setbacks while holding on to what matters most - courage, love, family and a home they can always come back to.

Fans of the show can engage via Twitter by following @HeartlandOnCBC using #iloveheartland, as well as on Facebook by liking facebook.com/cbcheartland.

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Heartland is a SEVEN/24 Films and Dynamo Films presentation in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Starring Amber Marshall, Shaun Johnston, Michelle Morgan, Graham Wardle and Chris Potter, the series is executive produced by Heather Conkie, Jordy Randall, Tom Cox and Michael Weinberg and produced by Jamie Paul Rock. The production designer is Rick Roberts, Craig Wrobleski is the director of photography, Ken Filewych and Jane Morrison are the editors, André Ricard is the costume designer and Keith Power is the original music composer. The series is written by Heather Conkie, David Preston, Leila Basen, Mark Haroun, Ken Craw and Pamela Pinch.

Cathleen Saville, entertainment publicist, CBC

cathleen.saville@cbc.ca 416-205-7976