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Backyard Builds returns to HGTV with more impressive and attainable renovations

When I last spoke to Sarah Keenleyside and Brian McCourt, their fledgling series, Backyard Builds, was set to debut. They had joined their fellow HGTV Canada designers and builders on Home to Win but that hadn’t been broadcast yet either. They were nervous, and excited, for both projects. Now the duo is back for the sophomore go-around on their renovation series.

“To call this a family is an understatement,” Keenleyside says over the phone alongside McCourt. “The whole HGTV crew takes you under their wing. Brian and I still pinch ourselves sometimes. We’re like, ‘Dude, we’re working with Scott McGillivray and Sarah Richardson!’ These are the people we used to watch and now we’re their peers.”

Backyard Builds returns Thursday with back-to-back episodes at 10 and 10:30 p.m. ET/PT with Keenleyside and McCourt once again blowing up bad-looking backyards and turning them into something amazing. And while the transformations are truly impressive—a family full of energetic boys sees their yard turned into a basketball court—the projects add value to the home and aren’t outrageously expensive for the homeowners. Last year, I wrote that the pair are almost criminally good-looking but know their stuff, are articulate, don’t talk down to viewers and have fun. That continues in Season 2, but McCourt says the projects have changed this time around.

“The projects were fun and whimsical [in Season 1] but didn’t relate to the viewer on a practical sense,” McCourt says. “This season we’ve done a lot more practical backyards and really dove into low-maintenance ideas for homeowners.” That’s a tall order when your episode clients vary from big and small families to single guys, but they relished the challenge. In Thursday’s second episode, the pair and their renovation team descend on a small bungalow owned by a dude looking to have space in the yard to entertain. The desert-like landscape and stubborn tree stump provided a challenge for McCourt but he triumphed and, with Keenleyside’s keen design flair, the homeowner ended up with a sweet outdoor pub-themed oasis.

“We have some really strong backyards this season,” McCourt says. “We did an outdoor kitchen with an outdoor pizza oven with two structures—one is a lounge and one is a secondary prep space—and in between we actually suspended a pergola. It’s really something special.”

Backyard Builds airs Thursdays at 10 and 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada.

Image courtesy of Corus Entertainment.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Danielle Bryk renovates her family’s getaway in The Bryk Cottage

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When Danielle Bryk agreed to renovate her family cottage, she had no clue that—partway through the project—cameras would arrive on the scene to capture everything for a television show. She’d been consulting on the renovation of sister Terry and brother-in-law Norman’s dilapidated, outdated Georgian Bay property but Norman had been running the project. Then a television producing job came calling and Norman had to leave.

“He said, ‘Oh god, you need to take over. You need to help Terry out,” Bryk (Home to Win) says over the phone. “I’m the resident renovator in the family, so I couldn’t really refuse.” Then, totally by coincidence, Cottage Life came calling and asked if Bryk had any projects on the go. She mentioned the cottage reno and they jumped on board.

The Bryk Cottage, debuting Thursday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Cottage Life, isn’t your typical renovation series. This is a true documentary that, over the course of six episodes, shows Bryk organizing and executing the project under the watchful eye of Terry. Episode 1 introduces the folks involved and expectations; Terry and Norman bought the property years ago and it’s served as a homey getaway for the burgeoning family. Now it’s time for an upgrade. Terry has high-end plans for the home and it’s up to Bryk to keep costs down and the project on schedule.

“My sister is such a great sport,” Bryk says. “She has no filter. We finished filming one bit and she said, ‘Great, I’m probably going to come off as a total b-word!’ I said, ‘Dude, you knew they were rolling!’ She is a great sport and she knows it does make for great TV.” It certainly does.

But aside from the siblings butting heads over materials and budgets, The Bryk Cottage is educational. Constructing a passive building is explored for Terry and Norman. Bryk first heard of the concept about 20 years ago in a book by Sir Terence Conran. The idea of keeping a home heated or cooled passively stuck with her and she jumped at the chance to capture and utilize the sun’s heat to its full advantage through the use of windows and insulation. She recalls filming The Bryk Cottage through the winter and the building being nice and toasty thanks to just a small space heater the drywall guy was using. The Bryk Cottage is educational and entertaining, but it’s also telling a story many can relate to.

“The crux of all this is family and of connection,” Bryk says. “It’s so important these days to carve out spaces and time to do that kind of thing. To me, it’s the only thing that matters.”

The Bryk Cottage airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Cottage Life.

Image courtesy of Blue Ant Media.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: Fire Masters grills up tasty vittles on the road to $10,000

I like to fancy myself a bit of an expert on grilling. Thanks to Ted Reader, I’ve mastered cedar plank salmon, grilled vegetables and to-die-for burgers. But I simply don’t have the skill needed to compete in Food Network Canada’s latest culinary competition.

Fire Masters—bowing Thursday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on the specialty network—pits three chefs against one another in a sweaty, hot and smoky test to see who can tame the fire and walk away with $10,000.

At the helm of this spark-filled challenge is professional chef, writer, restaurateur, world traveller and—currently running a private chef service and consulting company in the Cayman Islands—Barrie, Ont., native Dylan Benoit. The bearded, pony-tailed chef introduces the three chefs ready to do battle in three rounds and, as done on Chopped, one is eliminated until a sole chef is left standing. Unlike Chopped, however, the final competitor goes head-to-head with one of the episode’s judges. In the case of Thursday’s debut, that means Connie DeSousa, Ray Lampe or Hugh Mangum.

The first challenge tasks the trio with creating a dish that reflects who they are. This is a tactic used to great effect on Top Chef Canada because it not only shows off a chef’s skills but their influences as well. With just 30 minutes on the clock, Fire Masters becomes an orgy of flashing stainless steel, glowing embers and egos. After a visit and taste by the judges, one chef is cut from the competition.

In the second challenge, the remaining two are asked to prepare fish, with the Round 1 winner getting an advantage. If this all sounds a little of Top Chef Canada, I wholeheartedly agree. In fact, I zipped to the end of the screener to see if it was made by the same production company. It’s from Architect Films (Home to Win, Great Canadian Cottages), but Fire Masters sure has a lot of Top Chef Canada‘s DNA. And, since it’s a proven formula, why not go for it?

The departure of that formula is, of course, having the Round 2 winner face off against one of the judges. And, in Thursday’s first episode, the battle is fun as heck to watch. I won’t give away the results, but you like cooking over flames and the competition of Top Chef Canada, you’re going to like these budding Fire Masters.

Fire Masters airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Food Network Canada.

Image courtesy of Food Network Canada.

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Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Discovery investigates the greatest marine mysteries with Disasters at Sea, premiering April 16

From a media release:

When tragedy strikes on the high seas causing ships to sink, the truth of what happened is often lost to the depths of the ocean. In Discovery’s latest original Canadian series, DISASTERS AT SEA, experienced and dedicated marine investigators track down new evidence to solve the mysteries behind some of the most devastating and unexpected real-life marine disasters in recent history. The six-episode, one-hour docudrama premieres in the network’s coveted timeslot, Tuesday, April 16 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, exclusively on Discovery, following the Season 15 premiere of the Emmy®-winning fan-favourite series DEADLIEST CATCH. The series joins the slate of spring premieres announced by the network this morning.

Each episode of DISASTERS AT SEA tells the unimaginable true story of a maritime disaster, combining harrowing re-enactments with expert analysis from marine investigators. Whether it’s survivor testimony about a sudden sound, GPS data about the ship’s speed, or the scatter pattern of wreckage at the bottom of the ocean, each piece of evidence helps investigators build a dramatic picture of the deadly chain of events.

Armed with the newly-discovered facts uncovered by investigators, archival footage is combined with evocative re-enactments, CGI, and special effects to immerse viewers in each story and dramatically convey the catastrophic events. Each episode delivers a suspenseful journey into one of the deadliest jobs on the planet, the working men and women who choose this dangerous life, and the marine investigators who work tirelessly to help make the high seas a safer place.

DISASTERS AT SEA was commissioned by Discovery, in conjunction with Smithsonian Channel in the U.S. and Seven Network in Australia. The series was produced by Discovery’s Exploration Production Inc. (EPI) in a purpose-built studio in Hamilton, Ontario and on-location throughout Canada and the U.S. The production is the biggest and most comprehensive partnership of its kind for EPI.

Through international rights manager Exploration Distribution Inc. (EDI), the series has been sold in more than 110 markets, including the U.K. and Germany. DISASTERS AT SEA is currently in production on a second season in Hamilton, Ontario, and will debut on Discovery next year.

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Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

New seasons of Mighty Cruise Ships, Last Stop Garage, and Jade Fever crop up on Discovery this spring

From a media release:

Discovery sails into spring with the return of several of the network’s fan-favourite original Canadian series, including LAST STOP GARAGE (Season 2), MIGHTY CRUISE SHIPS (Season 3), and JADE FEVER (Season 5). Also on deck for March is a special presentation of the conservation documentary TIGERLAND, an official selection of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.

Jam-packed with homegrown programming, the spring schedule kicks into gear when the Discovery original LAST STOP GARAGE returns for Season 2 Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT beginning March 21. With two new half-hour episodes airing weekly, Season 2 follows the rag-tag team of mechanics from CRB Automotive in North West River, Labrador, the sole auto repair shop in their remote town of 553 people. Each half-hour episode follows the staff of CRB as they use backwoods ingenuity and mechanical wizardry to fix and build just about anything for anyone.

Then, the world’s most luxurious and cutting-edge cruise ships are highlighted when the Discovery original series MIGHTY CRUISE SHIPS sets sail for Season 3, airing Sundays at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT beginning March 31. The six-episode season takes viewers to the tropical refuges of the Caribbean and French Polynesia, the classic waterways of the Mediterranean, and the remote coastlines of Norway and the high Arctic, highlighting the best vessel on which to set course for each tantalizing destination. Every episode delivers a see-all, hear-all journey through every moment above and below deck, from the mechanics of modern sea-going to the human dramas of the seafarers and guest service staff. Produced by Discovery’s in-house production unit, Exploration Production Inc. (EPI), MIGHTY CRUISE SHIPS is distributed to 110 countries worldwide by EPI’s distribution arm, Exploration Distribution Inc. – the international distributor for all of EPI and Bell Media programs.

With demand for jade skyrcocketing in China, the Bunce family continues their hunt for Grade A jade in Season 5 of Discovery’s unscripted original series JADE FEVER, airing Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT beginning April 8. With two half-hour episodes airing back-to-back each week, the Bunces are in desperate need of success after failing to find Grade A jade in the previous mining season. With their life savings on the line, Claudia hopes her father Steve, a jade mining veteran, will be her lucky ticket, but fireworks ensue when three generations of her family attempt to work together. Adding to the complications, treacherous roads, freak spring snowstorms, and raging wildfires threaten to derail their mining season.

From Academy® Award-winning filmmakers Ross Kauffman (Born into Brothels) and Fisher Stevens (The Cove), Discovery presents the feature-length documentary TIGERLAND on Saturday, March 30 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The film illustrates how shifting political realities in Russia and India created a lucrative poaching underworld that decimated the tiger population. Inspired by the documentary, Discovery Canada’s parent company Discovery Networks International (DNI) and World Wildlife Fund US have partnered to help preserve Russia’s Bikin National Park, which is featured in TIGERLAND, as part of its Project C.A.T. initiative. DNI has committed to fully funding the site through 2022, bringing the total amount of preserved land through Project C.A.T. to more than 5.6 million acres since its launch in 2016.

Subscribers can access live streaming of Discovery programming through the Discovery app, and catch up on full seasons of Discovery series on demand through the Discovery app and at Discovery.ca.

Below is a closer look at Discovery’s new and returning programming highlights for March and April. All programming is subject to change (all times ET; visit discovery.ca to confirm local broadcast times; programming subject to change).

Thursday, March 21
9 p.m. – LAST STOP GARAGE – “Medi-Sled” – *Season 2 Premiere*
The CRB crew reboots a ski club’s snowmobile and builds a custom rescue sled with a detachable stretcher for the trails.

9:30 p.m. – LAST STOP GARAGE – “Dog Sled Van”
Collin and Corey help the owners of an adventure trekking business transport their huskies and sled across the rough roads of Labrador.

Saturday, March 30
9 p.m. – TIGERLAND – *Special Premiere*
In the span of only a handful of generations, the tiger has been transformed from a venerated creature into a major source of revenue, and the population of wild tigers in Asia has dropped from more than 100,000 to less than 4,000 as a result. In the face of corruption and cultural apathy, Russian scientist Pavel Fomenko and the conservationist family of Kailash Sankhala of India lead inspirational tiger-preservation movements to keep the legendary animal from disappearing entirely.

Sunday, March 31
7 p.m. – MIGHTY CRUISE SHIPS – “Koningsdam” – *Season 3 Premiere*
Sail through the Norwegian fjords on Holland America’s Koningsdam, the newest, largest, and most technologically advanced ship in the Holland America fleet. Sailing the narrow Norwegian fjords presents numerous challenges for the bridge team, whether it’s snaking through the winding channels carved by the glaciers, searching for suitable anchor sites, or ferrying guests ashore with the ship’s tender boats. But it’s well worth the effort, leading to one of the steepest train rides in the world, waterfalls that cascade into verdant valleys, and hikes that climax with picnics on sheer cliff tops.

Monday, April 8
10 p.m. – JADE FEVER – “The Long and Grinding Road” – *Season 5 Premiere*
With no jade to show for last season, Claudia is desperate to start digging out the huge jade lens they found late last year. The crew set out on the first trek of the season to their mine, but deep mud and high waters turn the trip into a major disaster. For Claudia, it’s an ominous start to a critical season.

10:30 p.m. – JADE FEVER – “Nose for Jade”
With the road into their camp unpassable, Claudia puts mining on hold and sends Guy and Gary out to repair the torn-up road. Meanwhile, the newest member of the crew arrives – Claudia’s father, Steve. He placer mined the Two Mile claim 40 years ago and with everything on the line this year, Claudia’s desperately hoping he’s the lucky ticket she needs to turn this make-or-break season into a success.

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