Tag Archives: Teddy Wilson

Aliya Jasmine and Teddy Wilson celebrate the world’s mega machines in Discovery’s The Mightiest

First, there was Mighty Ships. Then, Mighty Planes, followed by Mighty Cruise Ships and Mighty Trains. Now, there is simply The Mightiest.

Debuting on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery, the latest in the Mighty franchise takes viewers on a six-episode adventure into some of the mega-ist of mega machines around the planet. Hosted by Teddy Wilson (Mighty Trains) and environmental journalist Aliya Jasmine, each installment focuses on one main machine surrounded by smaller stories. Each segment is tied together by Aliya Jasmine and Wilson, who converse while standing in Hanger 1 at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.

“It’s the latest and the greatest in the Mighty franchise,” Wilson says, on the line during a recent media day with his co-host. “They wanted to take this amazing franchise and really kick it up a notch. This series focuses on planes, trains and ships. We’re going to take viewers on some amazing and epic adventures.”

For environmental journalist Aliya Jasmine, The Mightiest offered her many tales to tell.

“So many of these stories deal with nature and some of the world’s most destructive natural forces,” Aliya Jasmine says. “We were able to fly into the eye of a hurricane and over wildfires. [We’re] not only looking at these mighty machines and the innovation in science and engineering but also the actual humans behind them. There are incredible people who put their lives at stake to operate these machines.”

The adventure begins on Wednesday with “Launch Day,” where Wilson is aboard the U.S. Navy’s newest and largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford. Updated with the latest in technology—including a switch from steam to electricity to launch and land aircraft—the Gerald R. Ford is a small town on the sea, to which The Mightiest crew were given unprecedented access.

“It was a mind-blowing experience,” Wilson recalls. “It was incredibly loud, incredibly dangerous… the deck of an aircraft carrier is one of the most dangerous places on earth. And, we had to arrive and leave the carrier via a military transport plane landing and taking off, which was one of the coolest experiences of my life.”

In addition to highlighting the USS Gerald R. Ford, Wednesday’s debut looks at the massive Airbus A-380’s first landing into a major North American hub, the re-launch of a flying telescope after being grounded for months, and final touches on a cruise ship three times bigger than the Titanic. And while Wilson says as cool as the aircraft carrier assignment was, he believes his co-star got a plum Season 1 assignment seated inside an F-18 as a member of the Blue Angels.

“The Blue Angels are the only F-18 pilots in the world that don’t wear G-suits and don’t have oxygen masks,” Aliya Jasmine says. “When you see Tom Cruise in Top Gun, he has a G-suit on that helps him stay conscious, keep his eyesight, help him breathe and not be nauseous.

“It takes them years to train, and they trained me in two minutes,” she continues with a laugh. “They did warn me that it’s not uncommon for people to pass out, momentarily go blind, pee or defecate themselves, or puke. My body has never gone through anything like that before.”

So, how did she do?

“We pulled 6Gs, broke the sound barrier, did a couple of loops and I did puke four times on camera.”

The Mightiest airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery.

Images courtesy of Bell Media.

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Captivating Canadian original series reign supreme on Discovery this fall including debut of The Mightiest

From a media release:

This fall, Discovery delivers series with astounding stories of human strength, savvy, and adventurous spirit including the debut of the all-new Discovery Original THE MIGHTIEST. Premiering Wednesday, Nov. 23 at 8 p.m. ET, the six-episode, one-hour docu-series follows veteran adventure hosts Aliya Jasmine and Teddy Wilson as they take to the field to witness the mightiest of machines take on new missions. From re-engineered Chinook helitankers fighting wildfires 24/7 in Southern California, to a train that helps sustain life and connect communities, the series reveals the innovation and science that enable these machines to conquer nearly impossible challenges. Shot across Canada, Europe, and the U.S. in 2022, THE MIGHTIEST is produced in partnership with Bell Media Studios and Exploration Productions.

Leading up to the launch of THE MIGHTIEST is the highly anticipated Season 2 premiere of Discovery Original docu-series MUD MOUNTAIN HAULERS, Monday, Oct. 31 at 10 p.m. ET. Then, Season 2 of extreme adventure series LAST OF THE GIANTS kicks off on Thursday, Nov. 24 at 9 p.m. ET, and the two-part special event AFTER THE STORM, which features stories of last year’s widespread flooding in the Pacific Northwest, premieres on Thursday, Dec. 15 at 10 p.m. ET. Meanwhile, new episodes of beloved Discovery Original series HIGHWAY THRU HELL air Mondays at 9 p.m. ET throughout the year.

Discovery Canadian Original Series Premieres:

MUD MOUNTAIN HAULERS – Season 2

Mondays at 10 p.m. ET, beginning Oct. 31

In the new season of MUD MOUNTAIN HAULERS, brothers Craig and Brent Lebeau, third-generation loggers hoping for a successful logging season, and brothers Shane and Chad Glover, second-generation loggers based in the Kootenay region of B.C., along with their father Gary Glover, battle treacherous terrain, unpredictable weather, and complex machinery to get their logs to the mill.

In the season premiere “Let’s Get This Party Started,” Craig LeBeau and his crew set up camp in a remote part of the Shuswap Highlands, on the steepest, baddest block any of them has ever seen: Gollen. Things start out well, until bad weather and a stuck truck derail the entire operation. Meanwhile, Brent’s clearing a snowmobile trail for a local ski resort but, with so many jobs on the go, a mechanical oversight and impending snowfall may cost him the entire job.

MUD MOUNTAIN HAULERS is produced by Great Pacific Media.

THE MIGHTIESTSeries Premiere

Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET, beginning Nov. 23

THE MIGHTIEST takes to the field to witness mega machines take on all-new mighty missions, giving viewers an all-access pass to every aspect of the vessel and the people around it as it embarks on a new and dangerous journey.

In the series premiere “Launch Day,” host Teddy Wilson is aboard the U.S. Navy’s newest and largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to document final training and tensions rising as the crew prepares for its long awaited first mission. The episode also looks at the massive Airbus A-380’s first landing into a major North American hub, the re-launch of a flying telescope after being grounded for months, and final touches on a cruise ship three times bigger than the Titanic.

LAST OF THE GIANTS – Season 2

Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET, beginning Nov. 24

After their action-packed adventures in North America and the Amazon, Cyril and the team are back with more high-adrenaline missions in Argentina, Nicaragua and the Marquesas Islands in the South Pacific.

In Argentina, searching for swamp-dwelling, deadly stingray, Cyril and the team venture into dangerous, uncharted rivers. Trekking through Nicaragua, the team skillfully evade deadly predators as they seek out the prehistoric giant Tarpon and the Goliath Grouper. Finally, journeying to the most remote islands in the South Pacific, Cyril leads a scuba dive through swarms of sharks and moray eels to find a giant trevally, an ocean predator capable of explosive attacks and even snatching birds from the sky.

LAST OF THE GIANTS is produced by Untamed Productions.

AFTER THE STORMTwo-Part Special Event

Thursday, Dec. 15 and 22 at 10 p.m. ET

In November 2021 an unprecedented storm slams into the Pacific Northwest, pummeling the region with a month’s worth of rain in just 48 hours. As rivers break their banks and landslides erupt from the coastal mountains,15,000 people flee their homes via crumbling highways and collapsing bridges. Many of those homes – and the land they sit on – are soon swept away.

AFTER THE STORM follows the events firsthand with the people who fought through this historic flood – from the first signs of trouble brewing over the ocean through the days of impact, with experts explaining the forces behind the disaster. In the aftermath engineers and towns race to rebuild vital infrastructure and roads connecting the coast to the rest of the country. Even when the trucks and trains are rolling again, the ongoing question is about the future: how to build back better in the face of more unpredictable weather – and more unforgiving storms to come.

Part 1 – “A River In The Sky” – Thursday, Dec. 15 at 10 p.m. ET

When the storm of the century hits the west coast, smashing rainfall records, no one is fully prepared. As the storm takes hold, landslides batter highways, trapping hundreds of drivers. Chelsey Hughes is heading home from a weekend getaway when a wall of debris slams into her car, throwing her into a river of mud and into a fight for survival. In the nearby Sumas region, community heroes like Gary Baars jump into action when rising water overwhelms the system of dikes and pumps that protects their land. Local farmers mount daring rescues of stranded workers and drowning livestock. As defenses collapse, one group of locals works through the night to save the pump station – their community’s last safeguard. In the storm’s aftermath workers race to rebuild dikes and reconnect important roads. Beyond the rush to fix what’s broken, experts explore new ways to manage life in vulnerable flood plains and adapt to the intensifying forces of nature.

Part 2 – “Hell or High Water” – Thursday, Dec. 22 at 10 p.m. ET

On the heels of the summer heat dome, which sparked catastrophic wildfires across southern B.C., November’s atmospheric river brings record-breaking rainfall. In the province’s desert-like interior, firefighter Dylan Bullock is still recovering from severe burns that he suffered in the wildfires. When parched mountains can’t absorb the rainfall, it pours into the rivers and into the city of Merritt. As floodwater submerges the nearby wastewater treatment plant, 7000 residents must evacuate – just as collapsing highways and bridges cut off escape routes. In small, isolated communities the raging Nicola River devours land and houses, stranding locals and triggering dramatic rescues. In the weeks that follow the storm, crews work tirelessly to fix the water plant and improvise repairs to let traffic and supplies start flowing, and engineers analyze what other countries are doing to mitigate flood damage and build more resilient infrastructure.

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Teddy Wilson climbs aboard Season 2 of Mighty Trains

You can’t fake enthusiasm. And Teddy Wilson oozes it when he’s talking about Season 2 of Mighty Trains.

Returning this Sunday at 7 p.m ET/4 p.m. PT on Discovery, the world traveller and unabashed train fan once again rides the rails spotlighting the machinery, people who keep them running and those who climb aboard to enjoy them around the world. The journey begins on a train I’ve had on my bucket list for years: the Rocky Mountaineer. This luxury line boasts 16-cylinder locomotives that winds the train through spectacular mountains on the way from Vancouver to Banff or Jasper, Alberta.

“Whether you’re a hardcore train fan or even just a travel fan or a Canadian you’re already familiar with the Rocky Mountaineer,” Wilson says. “It is a train that’s famous the world over. There is the incredible scenery, but the train itself is kind of a feat of engineering and design with these incredible double-decker cars that have panoramic windows and state-of-the-art tinting technology. It’s just awe-inspiring.”

The Rocky Mountaineer

I’d be happy if the Mighty Trains folks just pointed their cameras out the windows to show the scenery this and other trains offer, but they go the extra mile, not only pulling back the curtain on the logistics and tech required to keep the trains rolling but the people who ride and work on them too. It adds a personal feel to each one-hour episode. In particular, Wilson explores how the railway track the Rocky Mountaineer rides on was laid in the area over 100 years ago and the way modern technology and science is being used to ensure animals don’t stray onto the tracks when it or freight trains are on them.

Mighty Trains leaves Canada in the coming weeks. Among the locations is Ecuador to experience the Tren Crucero, a train that takes passengers on a four-day excursion using switchback technology to climb from the coast into the Andes mountains; Sweden to spotlight Hector Rail’s lumber train; two trains in New Zealand in the Northern Explorer and the TranzAlpine; and India’s Maharajas’ Express, voted “The World’s Leading Luxury Train” three years in a row, which traces an eight-day route from Delhi to Mumbai. How did it rank on Wilson’s list?

“It wasn’t just a highlight for me in terms of Mighty Trains but, honestly, a life highlight,” Wilson says. “Getting to go to India and ride this luxurious train. They offer all of these off-train excursions that we go on as well. That was incredible.”

And, there are more Mighty Trains on the way. A third season is currently in production.

“We’re three episodes [into production] so far and have covered three very different corners of the world,” he teases. “It’s taking us all over.”

Mighty Trains airs Sundays at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on Discovery.

Images courtesy of Bell Media.Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

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.Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

InnerSpace cancelled at Space

The in-house house cleaning at Bell Media, sadly, continues. It was announced Thursday afternoon that InnerSpace has not been renewed on Space.

“After 9 phenomenal seasons, last night was InnerSpace‘s final episode,” Space Channel tweeted on Thursday. “Due to increasing production costs and declining revenue, we can no longer continue production. Thank you to our hosts, crew, and incredible fans for all of the unforgettable adventures. LLAP.”

InnerSpace co-hosts Teddy Wilson and Ajay Fry took to Twitter to address the show’s viewers.

Hosted by Wilson, Fry and Morgan Hoffman, InnerSpace has been the go-to Canadian TV series for all of your sci-fi and fantasy news, television and movie reviews and exclusive interviews and set visits.

Nominated for a 2015 Canadian Screen Award for Best Host in a Variety, Lifestyle, Reality/Competition or Talk Program or Series, InnerSpace was, as described by Bell Media, “a daily entertainment talk show that covers film, television, video games, technology, comic books, gadgets and more. Hosted by Ajay Fry, Morgan Hoffman and Teddy Wilson, InnerSpace takes its audience behind the velvet rope by giving them VIP access to the people, places, and things inside the genre they’ve grown to love.”

The news comes a day after Bell Media announced it would not be renewing Daily Planet and on the heels of CBC cancelling its daily talk show, The Goods, after two seasons. Are the Canadian networks pulling the plug on all in-house production? It sure seems that way.

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