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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary, The Nature of Things

David Suzuki announces retirement as host of CBC’s The Nature of Things

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From a media release:

World-renowned environmentalist and science broadcaster David Suzuki will retire next spring after 43 years as host of CBC’s THE NATURE OF THINGS, which he has hosted since October 24, 1979. Suzuki announced his decision tonight during an interview with Ian Hanomansing on The National, discussing his legacy, meaningful moments and hopes for the future. TV’s longest-running science series, The Nature of Things’ 62nd season will launch on Friday, January 6, 2023, with Suzuki’s final episode set to air in the spring. New hosting plans for the series after Suzuki’s departure will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

“I have been fortunate to have been endowed with good health which has enabled me to remain the host of the series long after my ‘best before date’,” said Suzuki. “Aging is a natural biological process that creates opportunity for fresher, more imaginative input from younger people and for years, I have warned that to ensure the continuation of The Nature of Things, we must prepare for the transition when I leave. That moment is now.”

“I am so grateful to Canadians who have kept us on air and to the CBC for sticking with me,” added Suzuki. “The Nature of Things is a unique series that stems from an ecocentric rather than anthropocentric perspective, a critical understanding of how we got into the mess we are in and how to move out of it.”

“David has made science more accessible to countless viewers in Canada and around the world, finding new ways to demystify our complex world and illustrate how the future of humanity and the natural world cannot be separated — long before climate change became a hot topic, “ said Barbara Williams, Executive Vice President, CBC. “We thank David for challenging and inspiring so many of us to look at ourselves and our planet in new ways, and look forward to celebrating his indelible legacy and final season next year.”

Before his life as a broadcaster, Suzuki was a distinguished professor and geneticist. He has authored more than 50 books, received several honorary degrees and awards, and has been recognized by the UN for his environmental leadership. Suzuki is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a Companion of the Order of Canada. He also founded the non-profit David Suzuki Foundation.

THE NATURE OF THINGS presents dramatic and insightful stories that are driven by a scientific understanding of the world. THE NATURE OF THINGS continues to inspire and entertain audiences by engaging with the people and personalities behind the science and phenomena that shape our world. From the search for other life in the universe to the psychology of babies, and from the furry animals that invade our backyards to the consequences of human progress, THE NATURE OF THINGS throws open the door to the wonder and accomplishments of science, making it accessible to viewers of all ages.

The 62nd season of THE NATURE OF THINGS will broadcast Friday nights at 9 p.m. (9:30 NT) starting January 6 on CBC TV and CBC Gem. More information about the lineup of documentaries this coming season will be available here closer to the premiere.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Making It Home’s Kenny Brain is feeling at home on HGTV Canada

The COVID-19 pandemic caused chaos in the film and television industry. When productions weren’t completely shut down, contact between cast and crew was deeply restricted. For Kenny Brain, it meant he wasn’t able to really get to know his co-star, Kortney Wilson until cameras were rolling on Season 1 of Making It Home with Kortney and Kenny.

“The first time Kortney and I met face-to-face was about an hour before they yelled, ‘Action!'” he says with a laugh. “We did some online stuff but nothing in-person until we showed up to film.

“My legs were shaking when I walked in,” he recalls. “I’m thinking, ‘How did I end up here? Did I make the right decision?'”

Those worries were for naught. As viewers see when they tune in, there is a connection, chemistry and repartee between the duo. That’s even more pronounced in Season 3 of Making It Home with Kortney and Kenny. Currently airing Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada, each instalment follows Wilson and Brain as they visit properties in dire need of a makeover. With her spunk and design know-how and his consummate contracting skills, it’s a wild, funny and tear-filled ride.

It’s been quite the journey for Brain. The Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland, native first made waves on Canadian TV when he appeared on Season 2 of Global’s Big Brother Canada. Once his stint on reality TV came to an end, Brain didn’t plan on returning to the small screen.

“I thought Big Brother Canada would be a one-off,” Brain says. “A really cool, massive experience, but I never dreamed I would end up where I am today.” Brain was quite comfortable transforming properties across the country, something he fell in love with in his 20s when he helped friends renovate their home and cabin. Putting the time and energy into something with his own hands that provided a tangible result had great allure. It quickly turned into his every day.

Now Brain finds himself standing among some of the biggest names in Canadian DIY, mentioned alongside Bryan Baeumler, Scott McGillivray, Sarah Richardson, Jonathan and Drew Scott, Mike Holmes, Sarah Keenleyside and Sebastian Clovis. It’s not something he takes for granted.

“HGTV Canada is such a staple in people’s homes,” he says. “To be a part of that family and to feel supported, I have to pinch myself because I never imagined my life being where it is right now.”

Making It Home with Kortney and Kenny airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada.

Image courtesy of Corus Media.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

CBC original series Race Against the Tide is renewed for a third season

From a media release:

Leading international award-winning production company, marblemedia, is thrilled to announce that production is underway on an epic third season of the sand sculpture competition series, RACE AGAINST THE TIDE. Filmed on New Brunswick’s breathtaking and iconic New River Beach, on the Bay of Fundy, the summer hit will premiere on CBC in 2023. The stakes are higher than ever for season three, as the show introduces an all-new format, with more world-class competitors and an unforgettable season showcasing the strongest competition yet.

This series has quickly become a must-see, as it has consecutively ranked among the top of the Canadian TV ratings on Sunday nights each week*; and has seen resounding interest in the format from around the world.

Taking the series concept to a whole new level, season three will see 12 world-class sand sculpting teams of two tap into their artistic creativity more than ever before in the world’s toughest sand sculpting competition yet. Divided into two groups of six, the teams will dig, pound, carve and sculpt through four qualifying rounds. The top two teams from each round will face off in a sand-flying semi-final. In the end, only one team will reign supreme and walk away with the grand prize of $10,000…and the beach bragging rights of being crowned Race Against the Tide champions.

Returning as host this season is New Brunswick’s own, award-winning godfather of Canadian Hip Hop, Maestro Fresh Wes. Wes will be joined by returning judges, Karen Fralich, who herself has competed in over 120 master-level contests around the globe, and is a five-time World Champion; and Rusty Croft, a seasoned sand sculptor who holds the Guinness Book of World Records for the “tallest sand castle” as a member of the Sand Guys. He has also appeared on every episode of Discovery Channel’s Sand Wars and Sand Blasters.

Race Against the Tide is executive produced by Matt Hornburg and Mark Bishop of marblemedia; series producer and writer is Carly Spencer, and Donna Luke of marblemedia serves as co-executive producer. Co-produced with Hemmings House Films, for which Greg Hemmings serves as Co-Executive Producer and Stephen Foster as Producer. For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual and Sports; Jennifer Dettman is Executive Director, Unscripted Content; Alexandra Lane is Senior Director of Production; and Ann-Marie Redmond is Executive in Charge of Production.

*Source: Numeris PPM TV, Total Canada, Ind2+ AMA, CBC Total, Sundays, July 10-September 11, 2022.

Image courtesy of Riley Smith.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: HGTV’s Sarah’s Mountain Escape heads West for stress and adventure

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Happy anniversary HGTV Canada! Launching back in October of 1997, the Canadian specialty channel is celebrating 25 years on the air with some of its most iconic hosts featured in new series or new seasons of series.

One of those is Sarah Richardson. The OG of HGTV Canada has spent over two decades starring in programming for the network and her latest, Sarah’s Mountain Escape, is a doozy.

Kicking off on Wednesday, October 19, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada, Sarah, her husband Alexander Younger and their two daughters tackle perhaps their biggest project to date: renovating a lodge in Whistler, B.C.

Like her 2017 venture, Sarah Off the Grid, Sarah’s Mountain Escape is part renovation series, part family escapade. Unlike Off the Grid, the building featured in Mountain Escape is going to strictly be an income property (Scott McGillivray would be proud) and has to pull in the biggest per-night amount it can. It’s a daunting task.

Sarah’s business ventures in Ontario mean she has to hire contractors in Whistler and rely on others to make sure the job gets done when they can’t be there. Wednesday’s debut is a tough slog, as Sarah and her family visit the 5,000 square foot 1970s Bavarian-style lodge for the first time since it was purchased. Things that were quaint, like chicken tchotchkes and quirky corners, are downright scary when observed in the sobering light of post-purchase and there were several moments when the family honestly thought they’d made a mistake. But half the fun of a show like this is seeing how projects are completed, and the initial step of a downstairs renovation is simply stunning to see.

Sarah’s Mountain Escape is going to be an adventure, and I’m here for it.

Sarah’s Mountain Escape airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada.

Image courtesy of Corus Media.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: W Network’s Sex with Sue is a stimulating peek at the sex educator’s career

Like countless other teens and young adults in North America, I listened to and watched Sunday Night Sex Show. Debuting in 1996, the live TV show Sunday Night Sex Show (predated by a live call-in radio show on Q107 and TV series on Rogers TV) featured the grandmotherly Sue Johanson offering up no-nonsense advice from callers who had questions about everything to do with sex. Wanted to know how to put a condom on the right way? Sue would grab a banana and roll one onto it. Worried that you could get pregnant through your belly button? Well, Sue had an answer for that as well.

Airing Monday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on W Network, the feature-length documentary Sex with Sue explores the decades-long career of the renowned sex educator. Written and directed by Lisa Rideout and produced by Banger Films (the same folks known for excellent music documentaries), Sex with Sue kicks off with footage of a typical call Johanson received on her program. A young woman is asking about a foot fetish her boyfriend has, and how uncomfortable she feels about a certain request he’s made. Johanson, true to form and with no judgment at all, offers up an interesting solution to the young woman, alleviating her stress. That was Johanson’s MO and why she was beloved by a legion of young adults. Regardless of the question, query or situation, she listened and offered solutions, putting young minds at ease and, often, offering humour along the way.

Johanson graced magazine covers, and appeared on talk shows hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, Conan O’Brien and David Letterman; not bad for a woman who got her start in Don Mills, Ontario, in 1970. It was there that Johanson launched a birth control clinic in Don Mills Collegiate Institute, the first of its kind in Canada. From there, she moved to the stage, speaking to kids and young adults about sexuality before transitioning to radio and TV.

That, and more, are discussed through a series of intimate conversations between Johanson and her daughter, Jane.

Featuring interviews with sex educator Shan Boodram, Dan Savage, Nina Hartley, Russell Peters, George Stroumboulopoulos, Delta Work, Bree Mills, Margaret Cho and past Sunday Night Sex Show crew, the excellent documentary reflects on Sue’s influence while looking forward to what’s next in progressive sexual education.

Sex with Sue airs Monday, October 10, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on W Network.

Image courtesy of Corus Entertainment.

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