Everything about Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary, eh?

From a media release:

Ready, set, showdown! This April, young Canadian chefs showcase extraordinary talent in the new Corus Studios original show, Junior Chef Showdown (8x60min). The series features 14 exceptionally skilled cooks with a passion for culinary creations between the ages of nine and 13. Every week, they are mentored and judged on each challenge and dish by three Food Network Canada celebrity chefs: television personality and best-selling cookbook author Anna Olson; chef and owner of Toronto’s Ruby Watchco, The Hearth, and award-winning cookbook author, Lynn Crawford; and owner of New York City’s Flip Sigi and television personality, Jordan Andino. The contestants are competing for the title of Junior Chef Showdown champion, a $25,000 cash prize and a sunny family vacation courtesy of Air Transat. The competition kicks off on April 19 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Food Network Canada.

The young Canadian cooks set to showcase their culinary skills in the junior chef kitchen are:

Audrey, 11
Cesar, 13
Cristian, 10
Elijah, 10
Imal, 10
Kaitlin, 10
Katie, 11
Kinza, 10
Matthew, 10
Mia-Rose, 10
Noah, 11
Nyasia, 9
Patrick, 10
Sophia, 10

In each fun-filled episode, the junior chefs face a Skills Test and a Cooking Challenge to determine who leaves the kitchen and who continues in the competition. The kids amaze and astound the judge mentors with their ingenuity and technique as they tackle each challenge, all while cheering on and supporting one another. Throughout the season, the fearless cooks are tasked with creating everything from fresh pasta to hand-whipped meringue, and eggs benedict in limited time. In the series premiere “Ready, Set, Showdown!” airing on Sunday, April 19 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, 14 junior chefs enter the kitchen for their first Skills Test, where they hit the griddle to see who can make the highest stack of pancakes. The best stacks may earn them safety from the upcoming Cooking Challenge. The remaining junior chefs are then tasked to create a chicken dish with three different colourful vegetables from the pantry in 40 minutes. Only those with the best dishes will impress the judges, and earn another week in the competition.

The kid-friendly, culinary creativity continues on foodnetwork.ca as viewers can take a closer look at the judge mentors and junior chefs with full biographies, galleries, videos and recipes.

Junior Chef Showdown will also deliver the culinary excitement to Corus Entertainment’s powerhouse kids network YTV, airing Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET starting April 22.

Junior Chef Showdown is produced by Proper Television in association with Corus Studios for Food Network Canada. For Proper Television, Cathie James and Lesia Capone are Executive Producers and Jessica Capobianco is Series Producer.

Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Drew and Jonathan help Hollywood superstars in the new HGTV Canada series Celebrity IOU

March 11, 2020 Greg David

From a media release:

Celebrity IOU is a new blockbuster HGTV Canada series series where Hollywood A-listers express their deep gratitude to the individuals who have had a major impact on their lives by surprising them with big, heartwarming home renovations that bring everyone to tears. The star-studded, uplifting series, premiering Monday, April 13, at 10 p.m. ET/PT, features the network’s immensely popular twin brothers Drew and Jonathan Scott as they help each award-winning celebrity with a special renovation. The season’s celebrity lineup includes: actor, producer and two-time Academy Awards® winner Brad Pitt; multi Academy Award® nominee and Emmy® Award winning actress, producer, fashion designer and flea market enthusiast Melissa McCarthy; OSCAR®, Emmy® Award and Tony Awards® winner Viola Davis; actress, writer, producer and fashion designer, Rebel Wilson, winner of an MTV Movie Award and a Teen Choice Award; and Canadian singer, songwriter and producer Michael Bublé, a four-time GRAMMY Award® winner. Celebrity IOU is produced by Scott Brothers Entertainment.

In each episode, the celebrities share an authentic, inside look into their personal lives and get hands-on with Drew and Jonathan to imagine a design plan and create a beautifully customized space that rewards mentors, friends and family members. Throughout the season, the brothers travel across the country to help create stunning new spaces on tight timelines. The projects include converting a detached garage into a gorgeous yet functional guest retreat, overhauling a lackluster backyard into an entertainer’s dream, and taking a condo from its outdated ‘70s style to a modern, cozy home perfect for family gatherings.

Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Fan-favourite original series Jade Fever returns March 23 on Discovery

March 11, 2020 Greg David 2 Comments

From a media release:

Discovery digs into spring with a new, high-stakes season of the MADE^®-in-Canada original unscripted series, JADE FEVER, with two, back-to-back episodes airing Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT, beginning March 23.

Following the success of its last season, where back-to-back episodes made Discovery the top English entertainment specialty channel in the timeslot, JADE FEVER returns with 14 new, half-hour episodes. Season 6 continues to follow the Bunce family, as they gamble in search of million-dollar boulders of jade, in Northern B.C.’s Cassiar Mountains. After years of struggling to survive in the tough business, the Bunce’s luck may finally take a turn for the better when they get an unexpected early season call from a Vietnamese buyer. While the big sale could be a game changer, harsh weather, devastating breakdowns, and family turmoil make it tough to keep their eyes on the prize.

The new season kicks off with a bang on Monday, March 23 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT with “The Big Deal,” when Claudia receives a $250,000 jade order. But things quickly turn sour when her crew questions if they have a big enough boulder to complete the sale. Then, at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT, after years of getting the raw end of the deal with Scrappy Larry, Robin pulls a prank on his old buddy, but the fun and games abruptly end when Claudia’s buyer makes an unexpected request.

Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

New documentary series, DirtFarmers, highlights farm life in unique and hilarious ways

March 6, 2020 Greg David 3 Comments

From a media release:

Farming is hard work and working with family can make it even harder. And for the Simpson brothers, that’s especially true. Working together to run the family farm in Ruthilda, Saskatchewan, Trevor, a chainsmoking, coffee swilling oil rigger and his younger brother Jason, a good farmer who procrastinates on everything, the two find themselves in some interesting scenarios.

Produced by Angel Entertainment of Saskatoon, DirtFarmers aims to give viewers a peek into the life of a farmer in an entertaining and relatable way. Known for biting off more than they can chew, the two brothers and their team of friends and family, work to keep the farm running. From dealing with rising costs to struggling with falling crop prices, the brothers highlight all sides of what farming means.

Viewers can expect to see a few shenanigans, learn new unique farming-related catchphrases and watch a family come together through thick and thin, all in the name of a successful harvest. The premiere episode will be aired on CityTV Saskatchewan at 10:00 p.m. CST on March 10, 2020. Miss an episode? Don’t worry, you can stream them online.

Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Season three of Mind Set Go returns April 1 to AMI-tv

March 3, 2020 Greg David

From a media release:

New participants. New Paralympians. New mindset. AMI is proud to announce Season three of Mind Set Go returns Wednesday, April 1, at 8 p.m. Eastern to AMI-tv.

An Anaïd and AMI production in partnership with the Canadian Paralympic Committee, Mind Set Go‘s newest eight episodes feature Integrated Described Video ensuring they are accessible to viewers who are blind or partially sighted.

The third season of Mind Set Go follows eight Canadians living with a disability, debilitating injury or chronic pain as they transform their physical, mental and emotional health over a 90-day journey of body, mind and soul. As previously announced, lead expert Stephanie Dixon—a 19-time Paralympic medalist—and fellow Paralympians provide encouragement, insight and advice to help the participants face their biggest physical and emotional obstacles heads-on.

From legal blindness, obesity and high blood pressure to neurological disease, Season three of Mind Set Go delves deep into understanding how negative sociological and psychological coping behaviours impact the participants’ health.

Each one-hour episode begins with a participant’s backstory and their struggles to adopt fitness activities while also working on their spiritual well-being. Each participant is there for a reason—whether it’s a need to build strength, gain independence or overcome feelings of low self-worth, they are all uniquely positioned to make a positive change to achieve optimal health. To bookend their journey, each sets a physically demanding goal to illustrate how their lives and attitudes have progressed after three months.

The Paralympians and athletes joining Stephanie Dixon include:

Michael Frogley
Michelle Stilwell
Jessica Tuomela
Adam Purdy
Michelle Salt
Richard Peter
Pamela LeJean
Shira Stanfield

Season three of Mind Set Go premieres Wednesday, April 1, at 8 p.m. Eastern on AMI-tv. The complete first two seasons of Mind Set Go are available to stream online at AMI.ca or on the AMI-tv App.

The series is developed and produced by Anaïd Productions in association with Accessible Media Inc., with the participation of the Canadian Paralympic Committee, Canada Media Fund, Rogers Telefund, CHEK-TV and the Province of British Columbia Film Incentive BC. Assistance was also provided by the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit.