Everything about Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary, eh?

Canada’s Worst Driver returns October 29 to Discovery

From a media release:

Brake Lights, Big City. CANADA’S WORST DRIVER Tackles Big City Driving When Season 8 Premieres Oct. 29 on Discovery Channel

From running the gridlock gauntlet to braking for bike couriers, the challenges of manoeuvring through the urban jungle requires a certain skill set behind the wheel. And these drivers don’t have it. At all! Back for a bumper-crushing eighth season, specialty television’s #1 series CANADA’S WORST DRIVER returns to Discovery Channel on Monday, October 29 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. With a weekly reach of more than 3.1 million viewers last fall, CANADA’S WORST DRIVER was the #1 non-sports series on specialty television for the key A18-49 and A25-54 demos, and has claimed this rank for the last five consecutive seasons*! Taking to the city streets – inducing panic in pedestrians everywhere – the smash hit series returns with writer and host Andrew Younghusband, featuring eight new drivers, new urban driving challenges, and countless cringe-inducing and water cooler-worthy moments. The experience continues online with exclusive content and LIVE chats every Monday night at @CanWorstDriver (#CWD)

CANADA’S WORST DRIVER 8 follows eight drivers, each nominated by a friend or family member, as they are put through their paces in a controlled driving environment and evaluated by a panel of driving experts. Each episode features tried-and-tested challenges with an urban driving-themed twist, designed to push the drivers to their limits and teach them crucial safe driving skills. Each driver must master basic training and more advanced techniques for dealing with Canada’s trickiest city driving situations before graduating from rehab. Can their bad behind-the-wheel behaviours be curbed?

More than 1,000 drivers were nominated during a cross-Canada search and CANADA’S WORST DRIVER 8 hauled eight of the country’s worst offenders off the road for its own unique brand of intensive rehabilitation. Buckled in and ready to go, CANADA’S WORST DRIVER Season 8 participants are:

  • Klyne, from Kelowna, BC, was nominated by his mother Maureen. Is Klyne the most dangerous driver this season? While the other seven nominees are hoping that Rehab will teach them safer driving skills, Klyne enters Rehab to validate and vindicate his driving habits, despite having written off two cars already.
  • Kevin, from McBride, BC, was nominated by his boyfriend Kevin. Fully blind in his right eye, Kevin’s lack of spatial awareness has contributed to five accidents.
  • Dallas, from Vancouver, BC, was nominated by her sister, Gene. Tough on the outside but a quivering mass of nerves on the inside, Dallas relies on guidance from her passenger for every single driving decision.
  • Flora, from Edmonton AB, was nominated by her husband Frank, who controls her every movement behind the wheel. Flora lacks the experience and confidence to make her a safe driver.
  • Margherita, from Edmonton, AB, was nominated by her friend and business partner Cheryl. She spends most of her time behind the wheel concentrating on anything BUT driving – doing her hair, touching up her makeup, or chatting on her cell phone. She is one ticket away from losing her licence.
  • Azim, from Edmonton, AB, was nominated by his friend Ray. After failing his learners permit six times, Azim finally passed – but it’s been downhill ever since. With astronomical tickets and accidents, he’s so stressed behind the wheel that his hair is actually falling out.
  • Robert, from Toronto, ON, was nominated by his friend Socrates. Robert’s mantra is “safer is slower,” but driving only 50 kph on the highway is just an accident waiting to happen.
  • Diane, from Saint Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC, was nominated by her husband Stephane. Diane is easily overwhelmed and panics behind the wheel – but now that her family has moved to the suburbs with little public transportation, she must overcome her resistance to driving.

Putting on the brakes, these eight disastrous drivers head to the Driver Rehabilitation Centre in Dunnville, Ontario. There, they meet the team of driving experts, including: CP24’s Cam Woolley, traffic expert and former OPP sergeant, returning for a seventh season; Philippe Létourneau, a professional high-performance driving instructor, back for a sixth season; and new this year, expert driving instructor, Tim Danter. Also, back for a second season, relationship therapist Shyamala Kiru reveals how these unsafe driving practices are threatening these drivers’ personal relationships. These experts have their work cut out for them as they put the drivers through their paces. Each week, one driver will earn the right to merge back onto Canada’s roadways, until there is only one unlucky driver left at the side of the road, owning the dubious title of Canada’s Worst Driver.

Viewers can get revved up online where they can cruise through exclusive web extras, including on-set interviews with host Andrew Younghusband and high-performance driving instructor, Philippe Létourneau; audition reels of the nominees; and behind-the-scenes photos. The #CWD conversation starts up again with driving instructor Tim Danter, driver recruitment officer Meredith Veats, and post production supervisor Dean Hennings tweeting from @CanWorstDriver.

CANADA’S WORST DRIVER 8 is produced for Discovery Channel by Proper Television.

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The War of 1812: Been There, Won That premieres October 4 on CBC

From a media release:

THE WAR OF 1812: BEEN THERE, WON THAT on October 4 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC-TV

CBC tells the story of this “forgotten” war with a quirky, modern take in a two-hour documentary special. Accomplished Canadian comedic actor Peter Keleghan, brings his unique perspective to this colourful and unconventional look at a turning point in Canadian history, revisiting key moments with his band of modern day redcoats.. And finally, a show that sets the record straight – who really won the War of 1812? (Spoiler Alert: We Did! But someone forgot to tell the Americans…)

Explore the myths and mysteries of the War of 1812.

  • What were Sir Isaac Brock’s dying words?
  • Where is the final resting place of First Nations leader Tecumseh?
  • Peek into Washington, DC’s hallowed halls and see what the British torched in 1814
  • Scuba dive to the long lost site of the battle that saved Canada

THE WAR OF 1812: BEEN THERE, WON THAT airs Thursday, October 4 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC-TV.

Join THE WAR OF 1812: BEEN THERE, WON THAT team at an exclusive, première screening at the Fort York National Historic Site, on Wednesday, October 3 at 7 p.m., with host Peter Keleghan, the star of Canadian comedy classics like The Newsroom, the Red Green Show, 18 to Life and Made in Canada.

THE WAR OF 1812: BEEN THERE, WON THAT is part of CBC’s Canada Celebrates program. Canada Celebrates is a series of unique programming initiatives that honour the historically significant events and people that have shaped the Canadian experience.

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Panic Button begins production for Space

From a media release:

SPACE Begins Production on Groundbreaking Original Reality Series, PANIC BUTTON

  • From Canadian-based 11 Television, PANIC BUTTON is set to premiere on SPACE in 2013

SPACE and 11 Television Canada announced today that production is underway on the new groundbreaking original reality series, PANIC BUTTON. The innovative new format developed by Kevin Healey (DESTINATION FEAR, BETTY WHITE’S OFF THEIR ROCKERS, SCARE TACTICS) and Jonathan Dueck (DESTINATION FEAR, PAWNATHON) follows real people as they face their innermost fears. Filming runs until Oct. 19 in Toronto, with 10 episodes of the one-hour reality series set to air in 2013 on SPACE.

PANIC BUTTON is a high-impact, bone-chilling, reality series where a group of select participants become brave subjects in an elaborate and daunting maze. Each week, six people are confronted by the thing that terrifies them most, including: confinement, fear of the unknown, germs, snakes, spiders, or swarming. The Panic Button maze presents them with four ever-escalating and ever-changing levels of fear. Only the most courageous will get to the end without hitting their panic button.

“The PANIC BUTTON arena is a multi-phased, ever-changing labyrinth of fear that is customized for each person,” said series Co-Creator and Executive Producer Kevin Healey. “PANIC BUTTON is different from every other reality show because it’s not a contest against other people – subjects are playing only against themselves.”

“PANIC BUTTON is both gripping and frightening,” said Corrie Coe, Senior Vice-President, Independent Production, Bell Media. “As the participants work their way through increasingly scary and eerie situations, the audience experiences the fear and bravery of the participants through their eyes.”

PANIC BUTTON is produced by 11 Television Canada in association with Bell Media. Entertainment One (eOne) is selling the series in all media as well as format rights. Directed by Leo Scherman (SCREWED OVER), editing by Aren Hansen (CANADA’S GOT TALENT, SCARE TACTICS), and production design by Andy Barry, Joel Klein (FEAR FACTOR) serves as a creative consultant, and Dr. Steven J. Stein, Ph.D, provides consultation. Jonathan Dueck is Producer. Kevin Healey and Jesse Fawcett are Executive Producers. Robin Johnston is Director, Independent Production, Factual and Reality, Bell Media. Corrie Coe is Senior Vice-President, Independent Production, Bell Media. Catherine MacLeod is Vice-President, Specialty Channels, Bell Media. Rick Brace is President, Specialty Channels and CTV Production. Phil King is President, CTV Programming and Sports.

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New tonight: Over The Rainbow, Who Do You Think You Are, Murdoch Mysteries

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Over the Rainbow, CBC – “Results #3”
The bottom two competitors are announced and will face off to determine who will be eliminated from the show by the judges.

Who Do You Think You Are?, CBC – “Measha Brueggergosman”
Opera star Measha Brueggergosman takes a huge leap back in time to uncover her African origins by using DNA testing.

Murdoch Mysteries, CBC – “Evil Eye of Egypt”
When Detective Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) investigates a series of deaths linked to an exhibition of Egyptian antiquities, Constable Crabtree (Jonny Harris) is convinced a mummy’s curse is to blame.

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