From Melissa Hank of Postmedia:
Link: TV makeover show spotlights people with disabilities
“We’ve been fed a false narrative about what it means to live with disability. These are joyful, happy people who want to express themselves through fashion, like so many other people do.” Continue reading.
Last year at around this time, I previewed Season 1 of Rock Solid Builds. I praised the storytelling, setting and projects featured. I wasn’t alone in liking it. Rock Solid Builds was second only to Murdoch Mysteries for the positive comments it received here at TV, Eh?
Season 2—kicking off Thursday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada—sticks with its winning formula of spotlighting Randy Spracklin of Newfound Builders and his team of equally entertaining folks renovating and building homes on The Rock. Supported by a sprightly soundtrack, Randy, Scott, Nikki, Paul and Josh jump between jobs in the spring, juggling projects in St. John’s and their homeport of Brigus, working on old and new homes, with a few quirky projects thrown in. Aside from new additions to the Newfound Builders family in the form of canines, there are new responsibilities too as Nikki wants to add more to her plate.
The first project to visit is in St. John’s, where homeowners Ros and Katie want to make changes to their 100-year-old abode. The plan? To demo the existing kitchen and turn it into a music room while moving the existing music room in favour of a massive kitchen. Also on tap are updating two bathrooms. It’s a big job, but Randy is confident it will all look great in the end.
Meanwhile, across Conception Bay in Carbonear is a 19th-century root cellar that needs attention. The owners want theirs repaired and Randy is happy to oblige, first doing some demolition and then, alongside his father Scott, showing the traditional way of building a rock wall.
And, aside from the work, there is plenty of play … and laughs. Rock Solid Builds showcases the beauty of Newfoundland and its people with episode-ending opportunities to step ‘er down and reinforce that feeling of family Randy has instilled in the company.
Rock Solid Builds airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada.
Image courtesy of Corus Entertainment.
I’m fascinated with stories of people and/or things that disappear without a trace. I think it all started back when I watched Close Encounters of the Third Kind with my dad in the movie theatre. That lead me to UFOs, the Bermuda Triangle and other mysteries. It’s never stopped, which was why I was intrigued by Skymaster Down.
Debuting Sunday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on documentary Channel, filmmaker Andrew Gregg heads north to uncover a headscratcher case that hasn’t been solved in over 70 years.
Here are the facts. U.S. Air Force Douglas Skymaster #2469 departed Anchorage, Alaska, for Great Falls, Nebraska, on January 26, 1950, with 44 passengers—members of the U.S. military, and a pregnant woman and her child—on board. After checking in with Snag Airport over the radio, it suddenly disappeared over the Yukon without a trace. A massive search—where four rescue planes crashed—ensued, with no results.
Did it hurtle into a lake? Why wasn’t an SOS sent? Did it slam into a mountain? Become buried in a glacier? Gregg and others, like the late Gerry Whitley of the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association in Whitehorse, attempt to find out, tracing the route #2469 took—a route still travelled today, it should be noted—and bring closure to the families who were left behind. Gregg is a master storyteller, giving an extensive history of the region at the time, including how and why the route #2469 flew was established in the first place, how an intensive military exercise may have played a part in the disappearance and why reports of an incident by an Indigenous man were ignored.
What sets Skymaster Down apart—aside from buggy visits in the north—from other docs in this vein are the interviews with the families of those lost. These chats paint a picture of the people in the images flashed on-screen, adding another layer of sorrow to an already devastating tale.
Skymaster Down airs Sunday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on documentary Channel.
From a media release:
HISTORY® and Hungry Eyes Media Group announce the groundbreaking four-part docuseries, BLK: An Origin Story, premiering Saturday, February 26 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The limited series, consisting of four 60-minute episodes, reveals the deep historic impact of Black presence in Canada. Executive produced by Jen Holness and Sudz Sutherland, BLK: An Origin Story is helmed by Hungry Eyes’ award-winning production team, who takes viewers on a nationwide journey through time to discover the untold story of Black people in Canada and their legacy, which dates back to 1608.
BLK: An Origin Story is steeped in riveting, enduring, and multi-faceted historical Black Canadian narratives. Each episode transports viewers to a different Canadian location, and provides chronologically significant insights into the consequences of Black presence in the areas. Featured outposts include Nova Scotia, Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec. The series also highlights the legacy of Black contributions to the larger story of Canada itself, dating back to when explorer Mathieu de Costa first set foot on shore, more than 400 years ago. BLK: An Origin Story acts as an immersive and informative chapter of Black Canadian history, elevating remarkable Black Canadians previously unacknowledged in mainstream social, academic, and cultural circles, normalizing their unique stories as a matter of general record.
BLK: An Origin Story elevates the unsung heroes who substantially contributed to Canada’s nation-building and to Black Canadian history. The series shines a spotlight on the origins of diverse and deeply entrenched Black Canadian experiences, which range from being transported, escaped, or freely traveled within Canada. Part history book, part geography lesson, each of the four episodes leverages compelling footage, art, locations, archival materials, and interviews from some of the country’s best known and under known experts of Black Canadian lore, facts, and pedagogy. The list of authors, academics, musicians, historians, community leaders, activists and elders include George Elliot Clarke, Lawrence Hill, Charmaine Nelson, El Jones, May Q Wong, and Stephanie Allen, among others.
Episode Synopsis:
Episode 1: Three Epic Migrations, One People (NS)
Descendants of The Black Loyalists, Jamaican Maroons and The Black Refugees represent Canada’s largest Black population today. Their incredible story begins in Nova Scotia in the 1700s and challenges our understanding of what should be considered a distinct society.
Episode 2: John “Daddy” Hall (Owen Sound, ON)
Born free of an Ojibwe father and an escaped-slave mother in Upper Canada, John “Daddy” Hall fought in the war of 1812, was captured and sold into slavery. Thirteen years later he makes a daring escape and finds his way back to Canada.
Episode 3: Hogan’s Alley (Vancouver, BC)
Before Urban Renewal, before displacement, and before dispersal, there was life. For many years Hogan’s Alley was the heart of Vancouver’s Black community. But that community began in the 1850s, when James Douglas, (the father of British Columbia) invited Blacks to settle Vancouver Island in an effort to stave off American annexation.
Episode 4: Little Burgundy (Montreal, QC)
Tucked between Griffintown and St. Henri in Montreal’s Sud Ouest is Little Burgundy, home to a Black population led by Black men who worked in Canada’s railway industry as sleeping car porters. They were the first Black trade union to organize in North America and were among the leaders in the struggle for civil rights.
BLK: An Origin Story is produced by Hungry Eyes Media in association with Corus Studios for HISTORY. Executive Producers are Jen Holness and Sudz Sutherland. For Corus Studios and HISTORY, Kathleen Meek is the Executive in Charge of Production, Rachel Nelson is Vice President of Original Scripted, Factual and Kids Content, and Lisa Godfrey is Senior Vice President of Original Content and Corus Studios.
From a media release:
Corus Studios kicks off the new year with its latest greenlight, Renovation Resort (7×60), bringing together two of HGTV Canada’s biggest names in real estate and construction, Scott McGillivray and Bryan Baeumler, for the first time in one show. The seven-part competition series, produced by McGillivray Entertainment, is slated for production this summer and set to premiere on HGTV Canada in Spring 2023. Corus Studios will distribute the series internationally.
In Renovation Resort, Scott McGillivray enlists builder and longtime “frenemy” Bryan Baeumler to help get his recently purchased, total wreck of a lakeside resort into shape. Although they won’t be getting their hands dirty this time, instead, they’re calling in four expert contractor/design duos who will battle it out against each other as they bring this forgotten fishing resort back to life in a frenzied, fun, action-packed competition series. Each of these super-skilled teams will design and renovate one of four waterfront cabins in just six weeks, attempting to transform them into gorgeous one-of-a-kind vacation rentals ready to receive flocks of guests. Armed with good advice, and a few quick jokes, Scott and Bryan will oversee the full process, guiding these four teams through the renovation, setting up tricky challenges and, alongside their guest judges, critiquing the results with a critical eye. As the clock ticks down to the big launch for the high season, these teams will go all out to turn their cabin into a complete show-stopper. Only one cabin will be crowned the best and that team will go home with a game-changing reward.
For Corus Studios, Colin Bohm is Executive Vice President of Content and Corporate Strategy, Lisa Godfrey is Senior Vice President of Original Content and Corus Studios, Krista Look is Vice President of Original Lifestyle Content and Debbie Brown is Executive in Charge of Production. For McGillivray Entertainment, Scott McGillivray is CEO, Angela Jennings is President, Jeff Baker is Head of Production and Kelly Wray is Executive Producer.
Renovation Resort is currently looking for experienced contractors and designer duos to participate in the series. For casting details, visit https://renomem.castingcrane.com/.
