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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Green is the new gold in History’s original series Bud Empire, premiering June 5

From a media release:

As Canada rolls towards legalizing marijuana for recreational use, HISTORY® offers an insider’s look into Canada’s estimated multi-billion dollar marijuana industry through the eyes of one grassroots trailblazer in the new original docu-series Bud Empire (7×30). Premiering Tuesday, June 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT with back-to-back new episodes, the series follows Kelowna pot pioneer Bob Kay as he navigates his medical marijuana dispensary through the burgeoning green rush. As big business and politicians threaten to make independent head shops like Bob’s history, he must find a way to weed out the competition and solidify his place in the new frontier. Produced by Canadian Screen Award winner Trish Dolman (Canada In A Day) and Executive Producer Henry Less (Chef in Your Ear), the series is narrated by actor Will Sasso (MADtv).

Holding one of the largest personal medical marijuana grow licenses in Canada, pot-repreneur Bob has made a name for himself in the Canadian cannabis scene as the owner of Be Kind, the Okanagan’s original Compassion Club. With a head for business and a passion for pot, Bob plans to grow Be Kind from a medical marijuana dispensary into a budding empire with the help of his staff and family. With ambitious plans to grow his business, Bob looks to partner with Vancouver-based marijuana maverick and renowned grower Jo Leon a joint “LP” – a federal grow license to produce an unlimited amount of weed for retail sale. Can Bob take his small-town pot shop to the next level? Or will he, and countless other marijuana entrepreneurs just like him, soon be history?

Bud Empire premieres just ahead of the Senate’s final vote on Bill C-45, currently scheduled for June 7. If approved, marijuana will become legal for retail purchase and Canada will become the first advanced industrialized nation to legalize and regulate marijuana from production to consumption. Experts currently estimate that the base retail market of recreational marijuana could reach up to $8.7 billion annually*, with $1 billion per year in tax revenue from all marijuana sales.**

The series is produced by Screen Siren Pictures Inc. and HLP + Partners in association with Corus Entertainment’s HISTORY. Executive producers on the series are Trish Dolman and Henry Less. The series is written by Peter Waal. Series Producer is Dan Jackson. Directors are Trish Dolman, Leia Hutchings and Peter Waal.

 

 

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Masterchef Canada, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Gusto premieres new original series Bonacini’s Italy

From a media release:

Gusto continues to pack its schedule with premium lifestyle programs featuring the most sought-after personalities with the premiere of all-new cooking series NIGELLA: AT MY TABLE and Gusto Worldwide Media’s BONACINI’S ITALY, beginning June 4.

Culinary superstar Nigella Lawson shares the food she cooks for family and friends in her latest, six-part series NIGELLA: AT MY TABLE, airing Mondays at 8 p.m. ET. A companion to her latest best-selling cookbook of the same name, the series celebrates home cooking and the food that makes people feel happy and welcome as they sit around a home cook’s table. Whether offering up her fresh take on familiar classics, or creating new dishes inspired by different cuisines, Nigella ensures that everyday eating is always pleasurable, with a minimum of fuss. Recipes include Parmesan French Toast, Herbed Leg of Lamb, and Beef and Aubergine Fatteh.

Following AT MY TABLE, viewers venture to Italy with MASTERCHEF CANADA’s Michael Bonacini as he showcases the country’s diverse and sumptuous fare in the premiere of Gusto’s latest original series, BONACINI’S ITALY. Airing Mondays at8:30 p.m. ET, the 15-episode, half-hour series features Bonacini preparing unique and sophisticated dishes from specific regions across Italy including Seafood Couscous (Sicily), Mint Fava Bean Soup (Lazio), and Chickpea Flatbread (Liguria).

BONACINI’S ITALY – Premieres Monday, June 4 at 8:30 p.m. ET – Gusto Original Series
BONACINI’S ITALY is a new sophisticated food series featuring celebrity Chef Michael Bonacini as he cooks up diverse Italian cuisine. Set in a contemporary kitchen, Bonacini explores different regions of Italy by preparing dishes unique to each local tradition. In the premiere episode, Bonacini explores the region of Tuscany, creating delectable Tuscan dishes including Panzanella (tomato and bread salad), Gnudi con Ricotta e Spinaci (spinach ricotta gnudi), Peposo con Fagioli all’Ucelletto (peppered beef stew and beans in the style of small birds), and Pesce al Forno con Patate (baked sea bass with potatoes).

BONACINI’S ITALY is created by Chris Knight, President and CEO, Gusto Worldwide Media. Bell Media Production Executive is Danielle Pearson. Corrie Coe is Senior Vice-President, Original Programming, Bell Media. Pat DiVittorio is Vice-President, Programming, Bell Media. Mike Cosentino is Senior Vice-President, Content and Programming, Bell Media. Randy Lennox is President, Bell Media.

 

 

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: Scott McGillivray puts his money on the line in HGTV’s Buyers Bootcamp

Scott McGillivray has made a career out of buying houses, renovating and then reselling them. Through his longrunning Income Property, McGillivray has renovated properties for homeowners so they could bring in money to help them offset their mortgages and other bills.

Now McGillivray puts his own money into properties alongside first-time house flippers in hopes their combined sweat equity pays off bigtime.

That certainly adds an amount of personal drama to the 10-episode run of Buyers Bootcamp with Scott McGillivray, debuting this Sunday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada. The affable investment property specialist is at his TV best when he’s swinging a sledgehammer at walls, having bugs rain down into his perfect hair and dispensing quips with potential homeowners. There is certainly a lot of that in Buyers Bootcamp, along with a treasure trove of information for viewers who might be interested in taking some notes from the man.

There is a whiff of reality show to Buyers Bootcamp, as McGillivray—in each episode—meets with two property owners and assesses the viability of each before choosing just one to throw his knowledge, team and money into. First up are Craig and Lindsay, a young couple hoping to turn their 1878 Victorian home purchase into a big bag of cash. Stunning tin ceilings and original wood floors are definitely selling points but evidence of water damage and a specialty market for the size of the house are worries. Next are brothers Kenson and Charles, and their multi-level duplex. A beaten-up main floor and moss growing in the bathroom have McGillivray worried, but the second floor shows more promise as does the siblings’ expansion plans in the backyard.

What really sets Buyers Bootcamp apart from other McGillivray projects are his homeowner co-stars. It’s up to them to not only pitch their properties to the veteran flipper but themselves too. This is going to be a partnership, so they have to sell their enthusiasm and vision in hopes he jumps on board.

After ruminating on the risks and payoffs to both properties, McGillivray makes his decision and the real work begins. Gutting rooms, taking down walls and peeling up floors always reveals unwanted or exciting surprises and Sunday’s debut is no different. But thanks to some generous friends and luck no major costs throw off the budget. The final reveal is simply stunning.

If you’re already a fan of McGillivray you’re going to love Buyers Bootcamp. If you’re not, but are thinking that house flipping might be in your future, tune in. The man has made a living doing this and you can learn a lot from watching him work both on and off the work site.

Buyers Bootcamp with Scott McGillivray airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada.

Image courtesy of HGTV Canada.

 

 

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: Catwalk: Tales from the Cat Show Circuit frolics in the lives of cat fanciers

I’m a cat person, and I’ve noticed a dearth of programs devoted to the celebration of our feline friends on television and film. There are copious hours devoted to canines via Best in Show, the Puppy Bowl and—of course—the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Heck, there have been documentaries screened at Hot Docs spotlighting donkeys and chickens. But nary a moment really spent on cats aside from the excellent episode of The Nature of Things, “The Lion in Your Living Room,” which was more about the science of cats than the animals and those who love them.

Until now.

Cats and their owners are celebrated to great—and often comic—effect in “Catwalk: Tales from the Cat Show Circuit.” Broadcast on Sunday at 9 p.m. as part of CBC Docs POV, the hour-long episode from the folks at Markham Street Films (Celtic Soul, Fight for Justice: David & Me) is a riot of fur and the colourful characters who lug their cats around Canada to determine which is “Best Cat.” It’s a cutthroat business in the Canadian Cat Association, as evidenced by Kim Langille who sums it up thusly: “If you’re not No. 1, you’re the first loser.” Wow. Over 12 years ago Kim was bitten by the competitive bug when she adopted Clancy and he became champion. Now she hopes to do the same with Bobby, her white Turkish Angora.

Standing in Kim and Bobby’s path to fame are Shirley McCollow and Oh La La, a fluffy Red Persian who made a splash at the Canadian National Exhibition. The claws are out and the fur flies as … OK, not really. There are no literal catfights in “Catwalk,” but there is plenty of side-eye and glimpses into the truly, um, unique, world of the  Canadian Cat Association. After an introduction as to how cat competitions work from Kim, Bob and Elaine Gleason—a husband and wife cat show judging team—detail how purebred felines are led through multiple rings where each is judged on whether they tick the boxes of what a purebred should look like.

As the season rolls on, it appears to be a two cat race between Oh La La and Bobby until some young upstarts begin clawing their way into the standings. Who will take home the title of “Best Cat”? Tune in to the highly entertaining “Catwalk: Tales from the Cat Show Circuit” for the final showdown.

“Catwalk: Tales from the Cat Show Circuit” airs Sunday at 9 p.m. as part of CBC Docs POV.

Images courtesy of Markham Street Films.

 

 

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Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Corus Studios announces three new docu-series ahead of MIPTV

Today, Corus Studios, a division of Corus Entertainment, introduces three new docu-series for international sale at MIPTV in Cannes. The company continues to grow its slate of distinct original series developed for its portfolio of Lifestyle channels, which feature an array of genres including travel and escape, fashion, automotive, cultural and factual content. New original series available at the international market this year include, Big Rig Warriors (10×30), Rust Valley Restorers (8×60), World Without (9×60) as well as previously announced new original shows Island of Bryan (13×60) and STITCHED (12×60). Additional broadcast details will be announced at a later date.

Newly greenlit original series available at MIPTV are as follows:

Big Rig Warriors (10×30) – Automotive/Docu-series
During the week they earn a living travelling North America’s highways behind the wheels of their big rig trucks. But in their downtime, they meet on tracks where they drive on their own terms – and usually at dangerously fast speeds. Follow five dynamic truckers and the families and friends who support them during the exciting racing season, amid exhaust, roaring engines and burning tires, on their quest to cross the finish line and be crowned the “fastest.” Whether they’re drag racing on the streets of cities or country towns, competing on traditional racing tracks, or going head to head in oval races in Las Vegas, they all share a common obsession: They race big trucks. And they race them fast. Produced by Attraction Images in association with Corus Studios for HISTORY®.

Rust Valley Restorers (8×60) – Automotive/Docu-series
Nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains is one of the most unique car communities in the world, also known as “Rust Valley.” It can’t be missed: acres upon acres of old and abandoned cars; a junkyard as far as the eye can see. And at its heart is a remarkable restoration shop run by a team of colourful and charismatic characters who use their impressive skills and experience to restore, trade and sell classic cars – transforming piles of rust into collectible car treasures. Produced by Mayhem Entertainment in association with Corus Studios for HISTORY®.

World Without (9×60) – Pop History/Docu-series
This mind-bending and innovative series examines the butterfly effect of removing key individuals, ideas, inventions and influences from a given nation’s history in order to highlight what that country has contributed to global culture and human history. In each episode, the series imagines the world without a specific country – the United Kingdom, U.S.A., Italy, China, Germany, France –as their game-changing leaders, innovations and social-political achievements are erased from our shared timeline. What transpires? Global catastrophe, societal upheaval and chaos. Produced by Cream Productions in association with Corus Studios for HISTORY®.

Previously announced greenlit original series starting production this spring include:

Island of Bryan (13×60) – Travel/Renovation/Docu-series
Can two parents with four school-age kids drop out of their busy lives, move to a tropical island paradise for eight months and rebuild and restore a rundown beachfront resort? Contractor Bryan Baeumler and his wife Sarah are about to find out. It’s a huge personal and financial gamble, but they’re ready to take the renovation ride of their lives. After more than 10 years of building a construction empire, Bryan and Sarah are about to embark on an unforgettable family adventure thousands of miles from home. Will they turn a ramshackle resort in the Bahamas into a luxurious boutique retreat and make it a buoyant business venture? Is paradise really all it’s cracked up to be? Produced by Si Entertainment in association with Corus Studios for HGTV Canada.

STITCHED (12×60) – Fashion Competition Series
The deadlines are tight, the expectations are high and the judges are hard to please. STITCHED is a fierce original fashion competition series where a new wave of fashion designers match wits and stitches in an epic fashion throw-down in three rounds. In every high-style-meets-high-stakes episode, four competitors face off in dramatic themed challenges with one designer eliminated each round. Facing the oh-so-sharp resident judges and a new guest judge per episode, designers create ambitious outfits inspired by unique materials and concepts under tight timelines. In the end, one designer rises to the top with a couture-level creation that earns them the $10,000 prize. Fashion model Kim Cloutier hosts alongside style expert Joe Zee and ELLE Canada’s Editor-in-Chief Vanessa Craft. Produced by FORTÉ Entertainment in association with Corus Studios for SLICE™.

At MIPTV, Corus Studios will be represented by Rita Carbone Fleury, who will be overseeing the global sales of Corus’ original content slate.

 

 

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