From a media release:

WILD THINGS WITH DOMINIC MONAGHAN

• New original travel series follows actor Dominic Monaghan (Lord of the Rings, Lost) as he hunts for the most dangerous and elusive critters known to man
• Co-production features eight, one-hour episodes to air on OLN and in the U.K. on BBC America and Channel 5 later this broadcast year

OLN, BBC America and Channel 5 in the U.K. announced today that production is underway for their newest original travel-adventure series, Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan. Exploring some of the most remote corners of the globe, the series follows actor Dominic Monaghan (Lost, Lord of the Rings) as he searches for the biggest, baddest and weirdest insects on the planet. A co-production commissioned by OLN, BBC America and Channel 5, the series is produced by Cream Productions and Wildfire Television and is distributed internationally by ITV Studios Global Entertainment. It is scheduled to film in Ecuador, Venezuela, Cameroon, Namibia, Thailand and Borneo. Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan will premiere later this year on OLN.

In each episode, Monaghan takes the viewer along on an intimate, action-packed quest as he struggles to track down and get up-close-and-personal with some of the planet’s most rare and life-threatening insects. Whether he’s on the hunt for a few million flesh-slicing army ants in the steamy rainforests of Ecuador, searching for a giant venomous centipede in the caves of Venezuela, or facing off with a deadly scorpion in the arid deserts of Namibia, each episode of Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan takes viewers on a heart-pumping adventure.

“I have been obsessed and interested in nature all my life,” said Dominic Monaghan. “This show brings together years of excited preparation by finally creating a series that demonstrates my love for travel, animals, adventure and people.”

Dominic Monaghan is best known for his role in the movie adaptations of Lord of the Rings and as Charlie Pace in Lost. A true nature lover, Monaghan’s knowledge and love for insects and reptiles developed during his childhood and remains to this day.

Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan is an OLN original production and produced by Cream Productions and Wildfire Television, in association with BBC America and Channel Five. Executive Producers are Dave Brady and Co- Executive Producer Jenn Kuzmyk Ruch for Cream Productions and Philip Clarke and Simon Raikes for Wildfire Television. Paul Kilback is the Series Producer. Claire Freeland is Director of Original Programming, Rogers Media Television and Marni Goldman is Production Executive for Rogers Original Programming. Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan will be distributed internationally by ITV Studios Global Entertainment.

From a media release:

DAVID SUZUKI MAKES A PERSONAL JOURNEY TO JAPAN’S TSUNAMI DISASTER ZONE, ONE YEAR LATER

• CBC-TV’S THE NATURE OF THINGS PRESENTS JOURNEY TO THE DISASTER ZONE: JAPAN 3/11, THURSDAY, FEB. 23 AT 8 P.M. (8:30 NT)

One year later, as Japan grapples with the aftermath of the triple disaster—earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown—David Suzuki travels to the country to learn how the people most affected are responding. Featuring dramatic footage of the tsunami never seen outside Japan, Journey to the Disaster Zone: Japan 3/11 airs on CBC-TV’s THE NATURE OF THINGS WITH DAVID SUZUKI, Thursday, Feb. 23 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT).

For David Suzuki, it’s a very personal journey, as he explores the impact of the earthquake and tsunami and sees whether the Japanese people are re-thinking their nation’s approach to nuclear energy—and the entire idea of a high-consumption lifestyle.

“I found lots of ideas bubbling to the surface, focused on sustainable communities, food and energy,” Suzuki says. “The challenge for the Japanese is that the great strength of the people—orderliness, discipline and stoicism—demonstrated during the terrible time after 3/11, also presents a hurdle. That is, there is a great reluctance to rise up and demand change. Where will Japan go in the years to follow?” 

Suzuki presents his quest for answers and finds that innovative technology and the re-assessment of conventional thinking might turn a cataclysm into a blueprint for the future.

Journey to the Disaster Zone: Japan 3/11 was produced and directed by Michael Allder. Executive producer is Gordon Henderson. This 90th Parallel Production for The Nature of Things is produced in association with Japan’s NHK. The documentary will be broadcast in Japan in March.

From a media release:

COMEDIAN GERRY DEE TO HOST CANADA’S SMARTEST PERSON SUNDAY, MARCH 18 AT 8 P.M. ON CBC-TV

• CFL player, scientist, poet and teacher vie for title; viewers can play along in real time with CANADA’S SMARTEST PERSON app

Gerry Dee, the award-winning comedian and star of CBC Television’s MR. D, will host CANADA’S SMARTEST PERSON, the groundbreaking two-hour television special that will reveal that there is more to intelligence than having a high IQ score or being a whiz at math or trivia. CANADA’S SMARTEST PERSON airs on CBC Television on Sunday, March 18 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT).

In 2011, Canadians had the opportunity to nominate themselves, or someone they know, as CANADA’S SMARTEST PERSON. Drawing on the Theory of Multiple Intelligences, show producers used interviews and tests to narrow the field to four participants with well-rounded intelligence profiles.

Airing on Sunday, March 18 at 8 p.m., CANADA’S SMARTEST PERSON will feature Hamilton Tiger Cats offensive linesman, Peter Dyskowski; high school science teacher, Dr. Marshall Carroll; 23-year-old student and gamer, Laura Suen; and spoken word poet, Greg Frankson participating in a series of fun and spectacular challenges aimed at testing six areas of the Theory of Multiple Intelligences. The person who proves that they have the most versatile smarts will earn the title of CANADA’S SMARTEST PERSON.

CANADA’S SMARTEST PERSON will also feature a lineup of special guest appearances by Arlene Dickinson (DRAGONS’ DEN), comedians Naomi Sniekus, Matt Baram and Sean Cullen.

Play along during the broadcast

On the night of the broadcast, CANADA’S SMARTEST PERSON viewers can put their own wits to the test and play along simultaneously with the challenges online at cbc.ca/smartestperson or with an innovative app (for Apple iOS) created for the show. Available in early March, the play along app will help audiences discover more about their own intelligence and see how they compare to the four TV participants.

Participant info

• Vancouver-born Peter Dyskowski is a 27-year-old offensive linesman for the Hamilton Tiger Cats. The first Canadian-born athlete to sign a scholarship with Louisiana State University, Dykowski balances his athleticism with his Mensa qualified intelligence.
• At just 23 years old, Laura Suen from Mississauga already has a double major Honours BSc in physics and cellular and molecular biology as well as a minor in mathematics. In her free time, Suen plays video games competitively and has won over $30,000 in gaming competitions.
• Dr. Marshall Carroll is a high school science teacher from Winnipeg who is educated as a theoretical quantum chemist. Also a singer-songwriter and a stand-up comedian, Carroll has been inspiring students for over 20 years.
• With an ability to create poetry at the drop of a noun, Toronto’s Greg Frankson is a spoken word artist. Following a career in education in Montreal, Frankson moved to Ottawa where he became a policy analyst for the Federal Government before pursuing a full-time career as a performance artist, emcee, mental health advocate and arts educator.

From a media release:

Sext up KIDS

The powder keg that is porn culture has exploded in the lives of North American children. The often-devastating consequences are explored in the new film Sext up KIDS, premiering Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 9 pm on CBC’s main network documentary showcase, “Doc Zone”. Directed by award winning documentary filmmaker, Maureen Palmer (Leaving Bountiful, How to Divorce & Not Wreck the Kids), Sext up KIDS is produced by Rick LeGuerrier and Timothy M. Hogan of Dream Street Pictures (Canada Russia ’72, Sticks and Stones).

From tiny tots strutting bikini-clad bodies in beauty pageants to companies marketing itty-bitty thongs and padded bras to 9-year olds, images of ever-younger sexualized girls have become commonplace. Add to that: ever-younger boys with 24-7 access to hard-core internet porn. It saturates their lives – from skate parks to the school bus – by the time they turn eighteen, 80 percent of boys have watched on-line porn. Toss social media into the mix and kids can not only consume X-rated images, but can also now produce them. ‘Sexting’ has become a Grade 7 right of passage.

Sext up KIDS exposes how growing up in a hyper-sexualized culture hurts our kids. Teens and pre-teens show, and tell what they are doing and why they are doing it. Experts reveal startling new research, tracking how the pressure to be sexy is changing teen and sexual behavior in alarming ways, as “anal becomes the new oral.” Parents and educators struggle to help kids navigate puberty in a world where the line between pop culture and porn culture is increasingly blurred. For every parent who thinks, “that’s not my son or daughter,” Sext up KIDS is your wake up call.