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Preview: Cottage Life revisits extreme storms with The Weather Files: Total Impact

January 2020 marked a historic day in Newfoundland weather history. A blizzard event with 140km/hr winds was quickly dubbed “Snowmaggendon,” when it dropped 76 inches of snow on the province. That, and more, are revisited in Season 2 of The Weather Files: Total Impact.

Returning Monday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Cottage Life, the events highlighted in The Weather Files: Total Impact are truly fascinating and terrifying. Told through the eyes of survivors, scientific experts and first responders, it brings harrowing true human stories to wild weather.

Monday’s first instalment of eight episodes digs deep into the blizzard that pummeled Newfoundland early last year. What began as a southern winter storm tracking northward from the U.S. slammed into the colder North Atlantic air, triggering a true monster. Original footage shot on cellphones shows the devastation, as wind and snow paralyzed the region with feet of the white stuff. Though snow is a way of life in this part of the country, they weren’t prepared for this much.

Not just a recap accented by shaky cell footage, The Weather Files: Total Impact focuses on the human stories on Monday, like a young mother-to-be who went into labour as the blizzard was kicking in, and the Wall family, whose son, Josh, ventured out into the gloom. Pair that with experts describing the hows and whys of blizzards—and an analysis of snow, its benefits as well as dangers—and this Saloon Media project is compelling stuff.

The Weather Files: Total Impact, airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Cottage Life.

Image courtesy of Blue Ant Media.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

CTV original series Holmes Family Effect to premiere following Super Bowl LV, Feb. 7

From a media release:

The Holmes family is set to help local heroes continue to make a difference in their communities in the new CTV Original series HOLMES FAMILY EFFECT, premiering directly following SUPER BOWL LV on Sunday, Feb. 7 at approximately 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on CTV, and the all-new CTV.ca and CTV app. Following the premiere, HOLMES FAMILY EFFECT moves to its regular Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT timeslot beginning Feb. 14 on CTV, and begins streaming Friday, March 12 on Crave.

Starring TV personality and professional contractor Mike Holmes, along with his daughter Sherry and son Michael, the new inspirational series shows the heart, grit, and determination of the Holmes family as they tackle their most important projects to date. Working with people who are making positive impacts in their communities, each episode follows the Holmes family as they surprise these deserving individuals. From a neglected school building to a rundown youth centre, Mike, Sherry, and Michael transform the spaces and help these community heroes so they can continue to make a difference.

As previously announced, Bell Media expanded its partnership with FOX Entertainment completing a deal with the network for their acquisition of HOLMES FAMILY EFFECT, with the series airing on FOX as part of the network’s 2020/21 midseason schedule.

The organizations featured on HOLMES FAMILY EFFECT include Judith Nyman Secondary School (Feb. 7), Solid State (Feb. 14), Working Gear (Feb. 21), and The FORT (March 7).

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: The Nature of Things goes “Searching for Cleopatra”

Shocking but true: Cleopatra was nothing like the person Liz Taylor played in the big-budget 1963 film. That’s one of the first facts I gleaned from The Nature of Things‘ newest episode.

“Searching for Cleopatra,” broadcast as part of The Nature of Things, debuts Friday at 9 p.m. on CBC, pulls back the curtain on the most famous of the Pharaohs. Did she really fall in love with two men—Julius Caesar and Marc Antony—and die with a little help from a poisonous snake?

Viewers follow archaeologist Kathleen Martinez (pictured above)—who has been sifting through the ruins of the huge temple complex of Taposiris Magna, or City of the Dead, outside of Alexandria—in search of Cleopatra’s final resting place. Martinez has found tantalizing clues that she is in the right area, but nothing concrete. As cameras capture the digging, we are given the history of Cleopatra. What is true is that, over 2,000 years ago, Cleopatra ruled over 7 million people, wasn’t Egyptian and led an army against her brother. Also true: the Romans are credited with the depiction of Cleopatra that led to Hollywood’s version of the ancient ruler.

In addition to Martinez, Canadian Classical Studies professors Kelly Olson, from the University of Western Ontario, and Sheila Ager of the University of Waterloo, share their knowledge of the Egyptian queen and her times and emphasize she was a ruler whose exceptional skill was her ability to grab and hold onto power.

“Searching for Cleopatra” airs as part of The Nature of Things on Friday at 9 p.m. on CBC.

Image courtesy of CBC.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Marblemedia’s Blown Away returns for Season 2

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From a media release:

Returning for its highly-anticipated second season, marblemedia’s groundbreaking competition series, Blown Away is set to premiere January 22, 2021!

With a twist in season 2, the standout series has gone global!

Ten glass artists from around the world gather in North America’s largest hot shop to push themselves to creative extremes in the quest to be named Best In Glass. In each episode, the glassblowers must impress a panel of art experts or risk being eliminated. At stake is a life changing prize that will send their careers to new heights.

Back as host for the long-awaited second season is YouTube science influencer Nickpedia and former NBC’s America’s Got Talent contestant, Nick Uhas. Glass master, Katherine Gray also returns for season 2 as the show’s resident glass evaluator. 

The Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY, is an esteemed partner of the series, offering the Blown Away winner a grand prize of an artist’s residency at their museum following the competition. The museum is also hosting an exhibit featuring 10 works created on the show, one by each contestant. The exhibit, Blown Away: Season 2, opens on January 22.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Hollywood Suite’s A Year in Film returns for Season 2

Last year, Hollywood Suite debuted its excellent documentary series A Year in Film. The program, divided up into the features that were made during a certain year in history, explores how movies reflect the events, mood, politics, and culture of their time.

Now the curtain has been pulled back on Season 2, digging deep into the films that hit screens in 1975, 1986, 1994 and 2000.

A Year in Film: 1994, debuting Sunday, December 20, at 9 p.m. Eastern on Hollywood Suite 90s Movies—the Hollywood Suite channels are available in a free preview all month—explores the stories behind some real heavy-hitters in the genre.

Set amid cultural touchstones like Nelson Mandela’s presidential election, the 1994 version of Woodstock, the debut of Friends, the OJ Simpson car chase, the attack on Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan and the death of Kurt Cobain were the debut of blockbuster and indie films that resonated with the public. The Lion King, The Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction, Forrest Gump, Natural Born Killers, Clerks, Reality Bites, Speed, True Lies and a trio of Jim Carrey flicks—Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask and Dumb and Dumber—captured eyeballs.

In Canada, Canadian filmmakers gained notoriety with hits like Double Happiness and Exotica.

As with Season 1 of A Year in Film, film critics and experts like Cameron Maitland, Alicia Fletcher, Radheyan Simonpillai and Adam Nayman explain society and cinema from the time.

A Year in Film: 1994 airs Sunday, December 20, at 9 p.m. Eastern on Hollywood Suite 90s Movies. A Year in Film: 2000 debuts Sunday, December 27, at 9 p.m. ET on Hollywood Suite 2000s Movies (HS00).

Image courtesy of Hollywood Suite.

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