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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: Discovery’s Fool’s Gold takes time striking it rich

I enjoy watching shows about guys who are more manly than me. Dudes who go into the woods and put life and limb on the line trying to eke a living out of the earth. Real men like the fellows on Discovery’s Fool’s Gold, returning Tuesday with two back-to-back episodes at 8 and 8:30 p.m. ET.

I only wish the guys would spend more time working to find gold than talking about it. Back for the sophomore season is boss Todd Ryznar, head of Shotgun Exploration, and his crew of men—foreman Roj, builder extraordinaire Jimmy and workers Grizz, Matt and Mike—who meet up nine months after the last mining season in Atikokan, Ont., northwest of Thunder Bay.

The bills have piled up and Todd is desperate to find gold to pay them. His solution? Spend $16,000 on a hammer mill that will extract gold flecks from rocks more quickly and efficiently on Straw Lake. But to reach the 100 ounces of gold Todd aims to mine by the end of the season—enough to pay everyone and those pesky bills—he needs all of the equipment to work flawlessly. That, of course, doesn’t happen … leading to plenty of frustration for both team members and viewers. There’s a lot of bleeped expletives, befuddled expressions and thrown shovels as the hand-made trommel and newly-purchased hammer mill both crap out.

By the end of Episode 2, everything is back up and running smoothly, but a lot of time was wasted on a needless competition pitting Roj and Jimmy against Matt and Mike to see which pair pulled the most gold out of the earth.

The boys of Shotgun Exploration manage to score gold, but I wish they’d stop fooling around so much.

Fool’s Gold airs Tuesdays at 8 and 8:30 p.m. ET on Discovery.

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Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Blue Ant International announces U.S. sales ahead of MIPCOM

From a media release:

Blue Ant International, a division of Blue Ant Media and the producers and distributors of one of the world’s leading native 4K nature libraries, announced today its latest U.S. sales ahead of MIPCOM. More than 75 hours of content from its diverse catalogue of factual, lifestyle, reality and documentary series and formats will land on channels across the U.S.

Scripps Networks (U.S.) has purchased an array of series from Blue Ant International, including Rebel Without A Kitchen (26 x 30’ HD) for Cooking Channel which follows Matt Basile who takes his roving food truck on the road, popping up in the most unlikely spots to deliver his culinary take on the Cuban sandwich. For GAC, Scripps has also purchased a season of Lake Guys (original title: Brojects; 26 x 30’ HD), produced by Farmhouse Productions. The series follows quirky brothers Kevin and Andrew as they brainstorm extreme build ideas for their family cottage. Lake Docks & Decks (original title: Decks, Docks & Gazebos; 26 x 30’ HD), focuses on a one-of-a-kind builds by the lake, was acquired for both GAC and DIY Network.

A+E Networks® (U.S.), for FYI™ Network, has opted for Cabin Truckers (13 x 30’ HD), produced by Remedy Productions, a factual series following the incredible exploits of hauling colossal cabins to remote, picturesque locations. Watch as an expert team navigates through extremely rocky, mountainous terrain, delivering precious cargo to thrilled homeowners.

Earlier this year, two series were picked up by Discovery Communications’ stable of U.S. networks including Our House Media’s Paranormal Survivor, Season 1 (10 x 60’ HD), a series that shares terrifying real-life encounters with the supernatural for Destination America and; Summerhill International’s My Dog’s Crazy Animal Friends (original title: Dog’s Best Friend; 13 x 30’ HD) which follows the cutest of these uncanny canine acquaintances, for Discovery Family Channel.

Blue Ant International is a leading global content distribution company and a leader in native 4K nature and wildlife programming. Its diverse catalogue of over 1,700 hours includes award winning factual, lifestyle, reality and documentary series and formats. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, the company’s catalogue includes The Weapon Hunter (Cream Productions; 6×60’ HD), Wild Ride (Nomadic Nation; 16×30’ HD) and Live Here, Buy This (JV Productions; 52×30’ HD). Blue Ant International is a division of Blue Ant Media.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: Alan Thicke’s Unusually Thicke renovates for Season 2

Listen, as long as you realize every scene in Season 2 of Unusually Thicke: Under Construction is a set-up, you’ll enjoy the heck out of it. Yes, Alan Thicke, wife Tanya and son Carter are back for another go-round—this time on HGTV because, well, they’re renovating their house—Unusually Thicke once again explores the exploits of the Kirkland Lake, Ont., native many know as Mike Seaver on Growing Pains.

Returning Thursday with two back-to-back episodes, Alan, Tanya, Carter and guest star Wayne Brady strap on tool belts, pick up hammers and start renovations on Thicke’s sprawling home. Oh, wait a minute, no they don’t. Instead, Episode 1 follows Alan and Carter as they trade $100 for Alan’s stolen cell phone and Wayne swings by to drop off a redneck golf tournament gift bag (containing press-on nails, double-A batteries and baby oil) to Tanya. Anyone expecting to see the key cast doing any kind of manual labour will be disappointed; they merely pick up the phone and order others to do the work.

And you know what? I’m fine with that because Alan, Tanya and Carter are a hoot going through their scripted everyday lives. How scripted? Well, what are the chances Alan’s cell phone is stolen and the Find My iPhone app used to locate it minutes after Alan tells Carter he is going to use that app to track his son while he’s away at college? And yet that’s exactly what happens, complete with a dimly-lit meet in a parking lot where the “thief”—whose face, unlike Cops, is shown the whole time—gets $100 from Alan for returning the phone. I’m using quotes around the word thief because no other criminal would stick around with camera crews milling around Alan’s car. Carter in particular puts in a strong performance in Thursday’s debut, rolling is eyes and delivering playfully snide remarks at his father’s expense.

As for home renovations in the return? Tanya orders crews to fix the cracks in the tennis court, replace the hot tub’s heater and empty out the septic tank. Mike Holmes this trio ain’t, but that’s OK because they’re fun to watch.

Unusually Thicke: Under Construction airs Thursdays at 10 and 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV.

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Canada's Smartest Person, Continuum, Dragons' Den, Featured, Heartland, Lost Girl, Murdoch Mysteries, Polls, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary, Rick Mercer Report, Saving Hope, Sunnyside, This Hour Has 22 Minutes

Poll: Which returning Canadian TV shows are you most excited about watching this fall?

34 Comments

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Evenings grow crisp, trees explode into vibrant colour and the new fall Canadian television season launches. We here at TV, Eh? are as excited as you, with all of our returning favourites hitting the small screen between now and the end of November.

So, to have a little fun—and celebrate the coming season—we’ve put together a poll where you pick the three returning Canadian-made shows you’re most looking forward to seeing this fall. Wondering exactly when those projects will be back? Check out our handy calendars and mark yours! The poll closes next week, so have fun!

Instructions: Click on the boxes next to your three choices and then register your votes by clicking the Vote box (on some browsers it’s greyed out) just to the right of Unusually Thicke.

Which three returning Canadian TV shows are you most excited about watching this fall?

  • Murdoch Mysteries (37%, 1,876 Votes)
  • Lost Girl (9%, 485 Votes)
  • Rick Mercer Report (9%, 449 Votes)
  • Heartland (6%, 318 Votes)
  • Canada's Worst Driver (4%, 218 Votes)
  • Property Brothers (4%, 198 Votes)
  • Saving Hope (4%, 196 Votes)
  • The Nature of Things (4%, 185 Votes)
  • 22 Minutes (3%, 169 Votes)
  • Love It or List It (3%, 157 Votes)
  • Dragons' Den (3%, 147 Votes)
  • Continuum (3%, 140 Votes)
  • The Fifth Estate (3%, 138 Votes)
  • House of Bryan (2%, 102 Votes)
  • Marketplace (2%, 100 Votes)
  • Highway Thru Hell (2%, 87 Votes)
  • Canada's Smartest Person (1%, 42 Votes)
  • Fugget About It (0%, 19 Votes)
  • Sunnyside (0%, 18 Votes)
  • Hockey Wives (0%, 15 Votes)
  • The Next Step (0%, 14 Votes)
  • Custom Built (0%, 14 Votes)
  • Fool's Gold (0%, 8 Votes)
  • Unusually Thicke (0%, 7 Votes)
  • Gaming Show (0%, 6 Votes)

Total Voters: 2,663

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