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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

John Catucci shares his Big Food Bucket List beginning May 24 on Food Network Canada

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From a media release:

This spring, Food Network Canada takes viewers on a one-of-a-kind food adventure across North America in the new Canadian original series from Corus Studios, Big Food Bucket List (14x30min). Fan-favourite host and comedian John Catucci (You Gotta Eat Here!) takes viewers along as he checks the most buzz-worthy, crazy, delicious food and must-see culinary stops off his bucket list. Big Food Bucket List premieres Friday, May 24 at 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET/PT on Food Network Canada.

Viewers know John Catucci from his five seasons as host of the Food Network Canada hit series, You Gotta Eat Here!. Now he’s back for another helping of over-the-top, delicious food, but this time around, he’s on mission to find highly-recommended favourites to check off his Big Food Bucket List. Each episode, John visits three restaurants across North America and tries their must-eat meals. Then he hits the kitchen to lend a hand and learn how the chefs make their mind-blowing creations.

In the premiere back-to-back episodes, “Rolling in the Deep Dish” and “More Than Meats the Eye”, airing May 24 at 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET/PT, John dives into the original deep dish pizza in Chicago, Ill. and learns how to make a mile-high pizza pie. In Toronto, Ont., he’s off to feast on a burger with a sweet pineapple bun and jerk lobster fit for a king at a spectacular Jamaican-Chinese joint. Then John visits Louisville, Ky. to try out some truly authentic Kentucky fried chicken at a world-famous historic location before heading to Boston, Mass. to dig into the ultimate surf and turf burger topped with a juicy lobster tail, as well as mind-blowing fried lobster and waffles.

This season, John will try drool-worthy dishes that include an Instagram-famous, ooey-gooey spaghetti grilled cheese from Irvine, Calif., seared scallops straight from the sea in Halifax, N.S., hand-rolled pasta perfection in Vancouver, B.C., and authentic New Orleans, La. fried chicken said to be Beyoncé’s favourite. John also satisfies his sweet tooth with treats like authentic New Orleans Bananas Foster, sinfully delicious hazelnut chocolate French toast from Calgary, Atla., and fluffy blueberry pancakes from a Nova Scotian sugar shack. Along the way, John also takes part in some unforgettable food adventures including a decadent medieval feast where no forks are allowed, learning the tricks of the trade at an apple orchard, getting smoked meat lessons from a pit master, and venturing to an authentic Canadian sugar shack.

Tourism Nova Scotia joins as a sponsor for three episodes, providing John with restaurant recommendations for bucket list-worthy dishes that highlight the province’s rich culture and fresh and local way of life.

Big Food Bucket List is produced by Lone Eagle Entertainment in association with Corus Studios for Food Network Canada.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Dog rescue goes international in Season 2 of Dog Tales Rescue, May 7 on Gusto

From a media release:

Gusto announced today the return of hit original docu-series DOG TALES RESCUE for a second season, airing Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET beginning May 7. The series, co-produced by Bell Media Studios and Motion Content Group, follows the operation of Dog Tales, an animal rescue and sanctuary for sick, elderly, and abused animals. For the first time ever, new episodes of DOG TALES RESCUE will be made available on Gusto’s YouTube channel the day after broadcast. Season 1 of DOG TALES RESCUE is available now on Crave, CTV.ca, and the CTV app.

Season 2 of DOG TALES RESCUE continues to follow the action-packed day-to-day operation of Dog Tales, located just outside of Toronto, Ont. Rob Scheinberg, Danielle Eden-Scheinberg, and their dedicated team stop at nothing to rescue animals and give them a wonderful life safe from harm. From over-crowded shelters in Israel to emergency evacuations in North Carolina, the team goes the distance to find, save, and provide dogs in need with a second chance. Whether it’s a coordinated network of volunteers rescuing paralyzed dogs from Cairo, an international rescue mission, or a 30-hour road trip across Canada, the team always find a way to bring animals that need help to Dog Tales.

Season 2 also sees the farm expanding, as Ilana and her team of horse handlers not only look after 75 horses, but also welcome and care for chickens, pigs, and sheep.

In the Season 2 premiere of DOG TALES RESCUE, rescue efforts are in full swing as Rob and Danielle are in Tel-Aviv, Israel to rescue dogs from a hoarder. Meanwhile back at Dog Tales, a family is interested in adopting Athena, a dog with multiple health issues. First they must bring their own dog Lola in to see if the two dogs can get along. Plus horse handler Meghan takes care of three pigs living at Dog Tales: Matilda, George, and Elliot.

Season 2 of DOG TALES RESCUE will air on Animal Planet later this year. Season 1 of DOG TALES RESCUE previously aired on Gusto, CTV, Animal Planet, Canal Vie, Crave, Fibe VOD, and CTV.ca. Season 1 of DOG TALES RESCUE aired on AB Droit in France.

DOG TALES RESCUE is a co-production between Bell Media Studios and Motion Content Group. Jennifer Couke and Michelle Crespi are Executive Producers for Bell Media Studios. Melanie Darlaston is Executive Producer for Motion Content Group. Richard Foster is CEO of Motion Content Group and Tony Moulsdale is Motion’s Global Director of Programming.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Season 2 of Worst to First premieres May 16 on HGTV Canada

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From a media release:

Skyrocketing real estate prices and renovation costs make owning a dream home a challenging reality, but best friends and builders Mickey and Sebastian are here to help. In Season 2 of Worst to First, premiering Thursday, May 16 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada, they continue to transform the worst houses in the neighbourhood into the best on the block. While the guys lead the house search and tackle the renovations, designer Catherine Yuen joins the team to find design solutions to enhance each space. Together the trio create forever homes that reflect the needs and personalities of the homeowners.

Making her debut on the network and in Worst to First, B.C. designer Catherine Yuen brings her holistic design approach to the show. Inspired by her mother’s love of design and renovation shows, Catherine became an Interior Designer after earning her Bachelor of Interior Design at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. With a fresh approach and creative flare, Catherine develops beautiful and functional spaces that reflect her clients’ personality and style.

This season kicks off with the Worst to First team creating a fresh start for a blended family. With four kids and two dogs, John and Lyndsay need more space. Their current property has all six of them squished into the upper level because nobody wants to venture into the dark and uninviting lower level. They need an open-concept family room, dedicated office space, and easy access to the pool area that will give their family enough space to spread out. Mickey, Sebastian, and Catherine make every effort to impress to make this family’s reno dreams a reality.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Discovery’s Disasters at Sea explores tales of tragedy on the water

Through series like Deadliest Catch and Wicked Tuna, I’ve learned the world’s oceans are definitely not the safest places to work. Heck, the Great Lakes aren’t either, as the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald details. And yet, they serve as an integral lifeline when it comes to getting products around the world.

Discovery’s latest in-house production—Disasters at Sea, on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT—documents nautical accidents and tragedies and tells the stories, including the safety measures implemented to ensure those things don’t happen again.

“We love looking into real jobs and the expertise and mastery behind them,” executive producer Kelly McKeown says. “With our knowledge of Mighty Ships and Mighty Cruise Ships, understanding the world at sea and the skillset you need for the world at sea—and the vessels are like characters themselves—we found that fascinating and we wanted to dig into that world.”

Each of the six hour-hour episodes tells the tale of a maritime disaster through re-enactments and expert testimony from investigators, witnesses, survivors and family members of those lost. McKeown says the stories selected were recent ones, giving the producers the opportunity to speak to those closest to each case and have their voices heard.

The statistics are sobering: three ships go down around the world every month. McKeown wanted to shine a light on the lesser-known incidents for Disasters at Sea and used documents from such organizations as the National Transportation and Safety Board, Marine Accident Investigation Branch and the Coast Guard to ensure everything was factually correct. That includes appearances from experts like Christopher Hearn. The Director of the Centre for Marine Simulation at the Marine Institute at Memorial University in Newfoundland is just one of many who describe what happened to these ships and their crews and, perhaps more importantly, why.

“I help them understand what the content the investigations mean and how ships are operated and what goes on onboard,” Hearn says. “From an experiential point of view, I can help craft the story they’re trying to represent. It’s very important that the stories are done right and from a factual perspective.”

Episode 2, broadcast this Tuesday, delves into the loss of the fishing vessel Alaska Ranger, which sank on the Bering Sea on March 23, 2008.

“Sometimes it’s the littlest thing,” McKeown says of the Alaska Ranger situation. “It’s not one big thing that happens, it’s a chain of errors that occurs. It’s a domino of events that affects the final toll.”

Disasters at Sea airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Discovery.

Image courtesy of Bell Media.

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Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

History starts production on Canadian original docu-series Breaking Wild

From a media release:

Corus Entertainment’s HISTORY® in association with Breakthrough Entertainment and Bonterra Productions announce the start of production on the new Canadian-original series Breaking Wild (10×60). The doc-series follows the efforts of fearless indigenous cowboys in B.C.’s pristine Nemiah Valley as they fight together for the survival of wild Qayus horses who roam in their midst. Breaking Wild is currently slated to premiere in Winter 2020 on HISTORY.

Set in the sprawling and secluded paradise of the B.C. interior, the Nemiah Valley is part of the Xeni Gwet’in’s 1700 square kilometers of title lands and home to a growing herd of as many as 1,000 Qayus. These wild horses are among the smartest, strongest, and rarest on the planet. Under the direction of current Chief Jimmy Lulua, the Xeni Gwet’in cowboys continue to draw upon centuries of experience managing the Qayus. Elite competitive rodeo riders including Howard Lulua, Amanda Lulua and Emery Phillips work alongside trusted outsiders and legendary horse trainers Roy Mulvahill and Mike Hawkridge, as well as transplanted American Naval Officer Michael Lares. Together they work to protect the herd from over population, scarcity of resources, and natural predators. Through a multi-camera approach, production of the series provides access to the rarely seen, high-octane lives of modern cowboys. Capturing stories about the unbreakable bond between human and horse as they streak across sweeping plains and over snowcapped mountain peaks.

Breaking Wild is produced in accordance with the Xeni Gwet’in First Nations Government Filming Protocol. The Xeni Gwet’in have appointed community advisers who ensure the cultures, practices, and beliefs of the Xeni Gwet’in are accurately portrayed.

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