Tag Archives: Discovery

Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Canada’s Worst Driver buckles up and hits the road for Season 14, Oct. 29

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From a media release:

The country’s most dreadful drivers buckle up for a ride on the road to redemption in Season 14 of Discovery’s longest-running series CANADA’S WORST DRIVER, airing Mondays at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT, beginning Oct. 29. Led by returning host and Discovery mainstay Andrew Younghusband, the hit series features seven drivers – each nominated by a friend or family member – as they attempt to prove they possess the necessary skills to graduate from rehab and escape the unfortunate title of “Canada’s Worst Driver.” The all-new season premieres during the network’s nationwide free preview, available Oct. 4 – Nov. 1 through participating TV service providers across Canada.

Hauled off Canada’s highways from Victoria to Saint John, N.B., these reckless drivers head to the Driver Rehabilitation Centre in Dunnville, Ont. where they are stripped of their car keys and driver’s license. Each episode features the tried-and-tested challenges viewers have come to love, each designed to push the drivers to their limits and teach them crucial safe driving skills – all with an eye to eliminate driver distraction.

With the introduction of smartphones, online navigation, and self-driving vehicles, driving schools have refreshed their teaching methods, and the Driver Rehabilitation Centre is no exception. In a first for CANADA’S WORST DRIVER, Season 14 sees Younghusband examine driving’s technological revolution and its influence on automotive trends and safety, focusing on everything from back-up cameras to cell phone usage behind the wheel.

Joining Younghusband once again this season are the show’s merciless team of driving experts including CP24’s Cam Woolley, traffic expert and former OPP sergeant; professional high-performance driving instructor Philippe Létourneau; expert driving instructor Tim Danter; and registered psychotherapist Shyamala Kiru.

Last season, CANADA’S WORST DRIVER drove major audiences across Canada to Discovery. Final data from Numeris for the 2017/18 broadcast year confirms that CANADA’S WORST DRIVER continues to be the most-watched entertainment specialty program during its 10 p.m. ET timeslot among total viewers and the key A25-54 and A18-49 demos. Additionally, the series ranked as a Top 5 series on Discovery among total viewers and A25-54 and A18-49.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Mighty Trains returns for a worldwide journey aboard the world’s most famous railways, Oct. 14

From a media release:

This fall, Discovery invites viewers to climb aboard powerful locomotives barreling across awe-inspiring landscapes, as the network’s original Canadian series MIGHTY TRAINS returns with an all-new picturesque season, airing Sundays at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT beginning Oct. 14 on Discovery and the Discovery GO app. The second season of MIGHTY TRAINS highlights the network’s nationwide free preview, available Oct. 4 – Nov. 1 through TV service providers across Canada.

Each one-hour episode of MIGHTY TRAINS is a journey into the fascinating world of rail travel, as host Teddy Wilson tells the stories of six exceptional trains and their scenic locomotive routes through Canada, Ecuador, India, New Zealand, Sweden, and Spain. Wilson follows the inner workings of these unique rail journeys with immersive and in-depth accounts from train drivers, load-masters, head chefs, track inspectors, rail traffic control officers, and passengers.

Discovery also announced today that production is underway on a third season of MIGHTY TRAINS.

Discovery’s free preview is available for four weeks – Oct. 4 to Nov. 1 – through television service providers across Canada, including Bell, Bell Aliant, Rogers, Telus, Shaw, Shaw Direct, Eastlink, Cogeco, Videotron, BellMTS, SaskTel, and others.

Episode highlights from Season 2 of MIGHTY TRAINS Include:

Rocky Mountaineer
Sunday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Rocky Mountaineer takes viewers on a scenic journey across Western Canada and over the Rocky Mountains from Vancouver to Banff. This spectacular journey through British Columbia and Alberta gives passengers breathtaking views of some of the country’s most stunning landscapes, from glittering oceans to untamed wilderness.

Also, as the only passenger train on a railroad line packed with enormous, fast-moving freight trains, Rocky Mountaineer’s 16-cylinder locomotive uses its 3,000 horsepower to pull the train up the steep grades of the Rocky Mountains. So far, Rocky Mountaineer has travelled more than eight million kilometres – that’s more than 15 times around the world!

Tren Crucero
Sunday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Tren Crucero takes passengers on a four-day trek from the southern coastal plains of Ecuador into the Northern Andes Mountains. Along the way, passengers take in the beautiful landscapes and enjoy daily excursions exploring Ecuadorian culture. It all begins in Eloy Alfaro, the capital of Duran, in the province of Guayas, aboard a restored, hundred-year-old steam locomotive. The train climbs into the clouds en route to its final destination of Quito, one of the highest capital cities in the world, 2,850 metres above sea level.

The 240-ton Tren Crucero follows a narrow-gauge line, traversing the Guayas River, traveling across rice fields and through plantations of bananas and sugar cane. The train traverses deep tropical jungles, stretches of mountains, dry forests, and the banks of the Chanchán River, hugging the Andes.

Maharajas’ Express
Sunday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Voted “The World’s Leading Luxury Train” in 2012, 2013, and 2014, the Maharajas’ Express is made up of 23 carriages, including 14 sleeper carriages (each named after precious stones) for up to 88 guests, as well as dining cars, bars, lounges, generators, and a presidential suite that extends across an entire carriage. The train is outfitted with hydraulic brakes, a unique ballooning system to cushion the ride, and an onboard water filtration plant. Passengers are greeted with a red carpet, and attended to by private butlers and an around-the-clock concierge service.

Running through the night, the crew works tirelessly to ensure the entire experience is seamless. The Maharajas’ Express is not only the most luxurious train in India, it is also one of the longest (one kilometre from end-to-end), making it all the more demanding for the staff on board to keep up.

Subscribers can access live streaming of MIGHTY TRAINS through the Discovery GO app, and stream Season 1 on demand on the Discovery GO app and Discovery.ca.

MIGHTY TRAINS is produced by Exploration Production Inc. (EPI) in association with Discovery Canada. Series Producer is Joey Case. Bruce Glawson is Executive Producer. Kelly McKeown is Director of Production. Nanci MacLean is Vice-President, Bell Media Studios and President Pinewood Studios.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: Highway Thru Hell returns bigger than ever

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Highway Thru Hell boasts big weather, big rigs, big egos and big crashes. And, for the first time ever, the series has gotten bigger too.

Season 7, returning Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Discovery, has grown in episode size; 17 instalments jam-packed with drama, thrills and heroism. Discovery’s highest-rated TV show—which has spawned its own successful spinoff, Heavy Rescue: 401—jumps into the latest season with a preview episode as several of the show’s cast sit down to reflect and look forward to the coming adventures. It’s something the Deadliest Catch folks have done in the past and it’s very effective. I like the natural interaction that comes from these sit-downs; there is no dramatic music playing and those chats aren’t edited for drama like a regular episode.

In particular, it’s great fun to have longtime competitors Jamie Davis and Al Quiring next to each other, poking fun and recalling some of the biggest wrecks and successes of their careers. Al warning of the dangers of the Spuzzum Creek bridge—showcased in Season 5—with its confines and height is a cool little nugget. These may be veterans of clearing up crashes but they have fears too. Also, we get some backstory into Al and Jamie’s relationship that I’ve never known before.

Jamie serves as a bit of a master of ceremonies, welcoming other Highway Thru Hell drivers, like Ken Duperon and Jason Davis, over to the spotlight to talk about white knuckle experiences of their own.

But Tuesday’s return isn’t all about waxing poetic on past jobs. Viewers get a peek at what’s to come, from a truck caught in a record-breaking mudslide, a loaded lumber rig in a precarious position and all manner of snapped cables, torn steel and tow trucks pulled into odd angles.

It’s going to be a heck of a ride.

Highway Thru Hell airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Discovery.

Images courtesy of Bell Media.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Wicked weather and wild wrecks: Highway Thru Hell returns to Discovery for Season 7, Sept. 4

From a media release:

Battling massive mudslides, whiteout snowstorms, torrential rain, or dangerous rockslides, the highway heroes of Discovery’s most-watched original Canadian series HIGHWAY THRU HELL are set to return for Season 7 with an unprecedented 17 action-packed episodes, more than ever before! Airing Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT, beginning Sept. 4 on Discovery, Season 7 kicks off with an exclusive behind-the-scenes episode featuring heavy rescuer Jamie Davis alongside friendly competitors Al Quiring, Ken Duperon, and Jason Davis reflecting on epic recoveries and discussing the various ups and downs they face in one of Canada’s toughest industries.

Following the premiere episode at 11 p.m. ET, viewers are invited to pose their questions to HIGHWAY THRU HELL star Jamie Davis in Discovery’s first-ever Facebook Live aftershow at Facebook.com/DiscoveryCanada.

Featuring stories of remarkable strength and fearless dedication, HIGHWAY THRU HELL chronicles the lives of these heroic rescue teams who often put their own lives at risk to help keep vital transport highways open and communities safe. Dropping everything to respond, it is their duty to remove the often-dangerous cargo, clean up the twisted metal, clear the road, and get traffic rolling again for thousands of drivers.

HIGHWAY THRU HELL Season 7 also sees Davis make a bold move, turning to vintage machinery to tackle modern-day wrecks. Davis’ team is not only tested by unforgiving weather conditions but also faced with the challenge of mastering old iron equipment to combat some of the most spectacular wrecks the crew has ever seen.

Discovery primes viewers for the new season with a full-day marathon of HIGHWAY THRU HELL Season 6 on Saturday, Aug. 25 beginning at 3 p.m. ET. Season 6 is also currently available for streaming on the Discovery GO app, Discovery.ca, and CraveTV.

HIGHWAY THRU HELL has consistently attracted impressive audiences, ranking as a Top 10 series on entertainment specialty television in Canada for total viewers and the A25-54 demographic. The series has made Discovery the most-watched entertainment specialty channel in its timeslot among total viewers as well as the A25-54 and A18-49 demographics.

Toyota returns as the show’s exclusive automotive sponsor, featuring the capable, rugged, full-size Tundra pickup in HIGHWAY THRU HELL’s seventh season.

About HIGHWAY THRU HELL Season 7:
Jamie Davis is shifting gears once again. After years of keeping the highways open with some of the most modern heavy wreckers – the legendary tow man is staking his future on old iron equipment.

At Davis’ yard in Hope, B.C., Classic Holmes tow trucks – some nearly half a century old – are slowly replacing newer, costlier wreckers. For Davis, the vintage trucks are more than just a passion – they represent survival. Under pressure to reduce costs and stay competitive, Davis is confident this winter he and his crew can tackle some of the toughest jobs – on and off the Coquihalla Highway – using an ageing, rebuilt fleet.

This winter season, Davis is counting on one truck more than any other – the “Mighty Mo”. After rolling out of his garage at the end of last winter, the beautifully restored Holmes 850, named after a World War II battleship, is ready for war. Known as the most powerful tow truck of its day, the hulking 40-ton wrecker will need to shoulder the biggest jobs as Davis prepares to sell his last modern truck.

After a challenging first winter working the mountain passes, former prairie operator Colin McLean is back in Hope for more adventures as Davis’ lead driver. But having run some of the best top-of-the-line hydraulic trucks, Davis’ “old iron” is going to take some getting used to.

Each one-hour episode follows the Jamie Davis Motor Truck team as well as their competitors – Quiring Towing, Mission Towing, Aggressive Towing, and Reliable Towing – as they brave the harsh conditions of the Coquihalla Highway. Ready to navigate extreme roads and weather, each team prepares to put themselves on the line in order to keep some of the most economically important and travelled trucking routes in North America open and accessible for all.

HIGHWAY THRU HELL is produced by Great Pacific Media in association with Discovery Canada. Executive Producer is Mark Miller. The series producer is Neil Thomas.

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Comments and queries for the week of June 29

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I grew up loving What Will They Think of Next? Then along came Daily Planet and I looked forward to is so much so it was the only show I had set on the PVR. I thought we were on a summer break or something but I decided to see when it was coming back. Just found out it was canceled. I’m very sad today. It was such an adventure and it was real! Please bring it back. —Carl 

Very disappointed, the only show on television I watched on a regular basis. Poor Bell Media can’t support the only informative series on television. It must be a struggle trying to survive on millions of dollars a day profit. When is the CRTC going to put these guys in check? In Canada we pay more for these services than anyone else on earth. When I pay a good portion of my hard earned money I expect to get something useful in return. —Paul

Just found out about [InnerSpace‘s] cancellation. Sad news indeed. InnerSpace was probably one of my favourite shows to watch after my work day and get caught up on news that are of interest to my geeky heart. While I can empathize with some of the opinions stated above that it was perhaps too focused on Ontario and could have benefited from sourcing stories from across Canada, it still is a slap in the face to crew at InnerSpace and all its dedicated fans both within Canada and abroad to be treated in such a manner. I guess the further dumbing-down and all so essential Bell promotions run ad nauseam are more important. It was an original show, as was Discovery and now with both gone the Space Channel no longer has anything I wish to watch any further. I was going to be revising my channels anyways with with my provider, so this will be an easy decision to make. I have never supported Bell and now, with this lame excuse of a decision, I can safely say I never will. —Cory

I only wish that CBC had not cancelled The Goods. It was an entertaining show. I used to record it every day. —Joanne

 

Got a question or comment about Canadian TV? Email greg.david@tv-eh.com or via Twitter @tv_eh.

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