Another spin-off of Alliance Atlantis’s Showcase Television, Showcase Diva was originally licensed as a cable specialty channel to be called Showcase Romance TV. By the time it launched in September 2001, it had been renamed Showcase Diva, a channel to be dedicated to “star-studded movies with a bold female attitude”. The schedule was later expanded to include series perceived to have particular appeal to women: among them were CSI Miami, Charmed and Sex, Toys and Chocolate.
CanWest Media Networks acquired Alliance Atlantis in December 2007, and with it ownership of Showcase Diva.
On June 3rd, CanWest announced that, effective August 31st, Showcase Diva would have a new on-air look, and logo. CanWest promised that the new look and feel would “reinforce the channel’s position as women’s favourite destination for hit movies and series in a light-hearted female-friendly environment”.
On July 25th 2012, Shaw Media said that it would launch its new female-focused channel Lifetime on August 27.
Lifetime, which would replace Showcase Diva, would include series like Dance Moms, The Client List, Drop Dead Diva and The Conversation with Amanda de Cadenet, plus original movies featuring A-list stars including Lindsay Lohan and Grant Bowler in Liz & Dick, acclaimed singer, songwriter and actress Jewel in Ring of Fire, and Queen Latifah in Steel Magnolias.
In 2016, Shaw Media was sold to Corus Entertainment.
Ownership: Shaw Media
Start Year: 2001