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William Shatner probes brilliant and creative minds in documentary The Truth is in the Stars

From a media release:

William Shatner, Star Trek’s original captain, examines the impact of the iconic television series on science and space exploration in the new original feature documentary THE TRUTH IS IN THE STARS. Commissioned by Bell Media’s The Movie Network, the documentary debuts Sunday, March 19 at 8:30 p.m. ET, featuring Shatner as he embarks on a journey to interview famous innovators, celebrities, and thought-leaders. Following its television premiere on The Movie Network, the documentary will be available on TMN GO and The Movie Network OnDemand.

THE TRUTH IS IN THE STARS features interviews in incredible locations, including: NASA mission control rooms, Ivy League Campuses, the USS Space Shuttle Enterprise, and Shatner’s own horse ranch. Insights from Whoopi Goldberg, Ben Stiller, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Seth Macfarlane, and Michio Kaku prepare Shatner for his intimate conversation with Professor Stephen Hawking in Cambridge, England.

In association with Bell Media, THE TRUTH IS IN THE STARS is produced by Ballinran Entertainment and White Pine Pictures. Peter Raymont, William Shatner, and Craig Thompson are Executive Producers. The documentary is written, directed, and produced by Craig Thompson.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Slice’s First Dates Canada searches for a love connection in Season 2

Yes, First Dates Canada is back. Vancouver’s Gastown neighbourhood is once again the setting for Slice’s reality series as over 600 single folks auditioned to find love in a restaurant environment … and with reality cameras capturing every moment.

Returning on Tuesday with back-to-back instalments, Episode 1 begins with exotic dancer Madelaine. Rather than attracting men, her job repels them; Madelaine is hoping to find an Agent Mulder a.k.a. David Duchovny, a strong man in a nice suit. Producers were paying attention when reading Madelaine’s wish list because they throw, tall masculine stuntman Jason her way. The pair share laughs over ill-advised tattoos until she reveals her profession … and Jason doesn’t flinch. Will they find love by the end of the night?

Masseuse Megan, meanwhile is—as the narrator intones—”looking to get her hands on Mr. Right.” (Subtle, First Dates Canada is not.) Megan is looking for a manly man who will build a fire and shelter for her if the need arose. She gets Rob, who has been referred to as a Renaissance Man by folks. At first glance, it appears Megan and Rob have absolutely nothing in common and their night will end early. (Her, “Please don’t let that be my date,” under her breath as he approached is a major hint.) You’ll have to stay tuned through the awkward conversation and borderline offensive dinner discussion to see if things pan out.

I was unabashedly cheering for were Landon and Tyler. The former, who is deaf, was hoping to find someone who cared deeply enough for him to learn sign language. The latter had his fingers crossed a husband was in his future. The fact Tyler knows some sign language gains him instant points with Landon.

Adding to the First Dates fun are off-hand comments in Episode 1 made by maître d’ Michel (second from the right in the above image), who comments on one participants’ shoes and opines on the stresses of a first date. In fact, producers have included select staff to talk about their own dating experiences.

First Dates is highly enjoyable if you’re looking for pure guilty pleasure entertainment. It’s the perfect program to sit and watch with friends so that you can laugh, poke fun at—and perhaps commiserate—along with for an hour.

First Dates Canada airs Tuesdays at 8 and 8:30 p.m. ET on Slice.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Simcha Jacobovici and James Cameron seek a lost city in Atlantis Rising

I’ve been fascinated with things like Bigfoot, UFOs and the pyramids of Egypt from a young age. The same goes for Atlantis, thanks to an episode of Leonard Nimoy’s In Search Of and a little series called Man from Atlantis, starring a pre-Dallas Patrick Duffy.

So I was excited to check out Atlantis Rising, as Simcha Jacobovici and James Cameron join forces to find out if the city of myths really existed. I’ve watched Jacobovici in other series like The Naked Archaeologist and The Lost Tomb of Jesus; the latter being pretty controversial. As for Cameron, well, when he’s not directing, he’s exploring the deep sea, most notably the Marianas Trench. The dude knows where and how to explore ocean depths.

The one-hour special Atlantis Rising—broadcast Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Discovery Canada—is an adventure combining ancient texts and cutting-edge technology to tell an entertaining search for a frustratingly elusive target. Jacobovici provides the backdrop to what we know about Atlantis: the Greek philosopher Plato wrote about it in 4th century AD; he and Cameron get to work on where in the world to dive for the Atlanteans’ port city of land and sea set in three rings.

The quest begins in Santorini, a Greek island that seems to fit the description; the island looked very different during the Classical Age but was ravaged by a volcanic eruption, not the earthquake and tsunami Plato says destroyed Atlantis. Jacobovici speaks to experts in the archaeological field, relating information and discussing the chances of different locations being the lost city. He delivers everything in a calm, measured tone that makes it easy for viewers to understand and come to their own conclusions. And, after winnowing his list of spots down, he presents his findings to Cameron and the diving begins.

I won’t ruin the conclusion for you, but I can say the journey to get there is a lot of fun.

Atlantis Rising airs Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Discovery Canada.

Image courtesy of Bell Media.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Paranormal Survivor gets spookier in Season 3

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Oh, lucky day! Specialty network T+E (formerly known as Travel & Escape) is available in a free preview in March, meaning potential customers have access to one of the creepiest series on television: Paranormal Survivors.

Returning on Friday at 9 p.m. ET/PT, Paranormal Survivor takes a different approach from the usual supernatural series. This isn’t just about turning out the lights and waving technology around in the air, asking questions into thin air. Nope, this project—from Our House Media—interviews people who have been assaulted and abused by entities. As they tell their tale, re-enactments bring it to life, injecting disturbing details and driving home the fact they believe something awful happened to them.

In the first part of the debut, “Dream Home Nightmares,” Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., resident Kirk Wilson and his mother, Colleen, recount their 1987 experience. Moved items, strangely stacked CDs and a feeling of being watched plagued Kirk for months until one night when several “things” came out of his closet. Kirk was determined to ignore the occurrences … but then it got physical. There is no doubt Kirk his mother believe otherworldly stuff happened, and that’s what makes Paranormal Survivor so darned dramatic and, at times, disturbing.

In addition to the episodes on television, T+E has also released a series of one-minute digital shorts called Paranormal Survivor: Evil Surrounds You, available on the channel’s YouTube and Facebook pages. Each video features a one-minute scary scene based on true story. It’s very well done; I was suitably freaked out tracking my way around a darkened bedroom as something came out of the closet in the first clip. (A technical heads-up: the videos don’t work in Safari, so use another browser to witness the creepiness below.)

 

 

 

Paranormal Survivor airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on T+E.

Image courtesy of Blue Ant Media.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

CBC’s Canada: The Story of Us brings nation’s history to life starting March 26

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From a media release:

CANADA: THE STORY OF US, an epic 10 x one-hour docu-drama series highlighting many of the extraordinary moments and people that helped forge a nation from early Indigenous history to the 20th century, will premiere with back-to-back episodes on

Connected by themes that underscore how Canada came to be a nation including conflict, exploration, industry, ingenuity, growth and expansion, each of the 10 episodes will present five remarkable first-person stories that bring to life key moments in the country’s history. The series also features commentary from more than 80 prominent Canadians including Susan Aglukark, Lorne Cardinal, Paul Gross, Eugene Levy, Duncan McCue, Peter Mansbridge, Tatiana Maslany, Rick Mercer, Candy Palmater, Christopher Plummer, Lilly Singh, Georges St-Pierre, Clement Virgo, David Suzuki and more. From historians to homegrown stars and iconic national figures, these storytellers recount the sacrifices, battles and harrowing adventures that helped define the fabric of Canada.

CANADA: THE STORY OF US highlights key moments spanning centuries of history beginning with Indigenous nations in the pre-contact era to 1608 with the arrival of explorer Samuel de Champlain in “Worlds Collide,” to the introduction of the sea otter trade by Mowachaht leader and statesman Chief Maquinna in “Hunting Treasure” (1778-1802), to “Boom Bust” (1911-1937) with populations exploding in urban centres, concluding with the creation of Nunavut in “Canadian Experiment” (1970-1999).

The series was produced under the guidance of historians and academic consultants, including renowned Canadian historian and acclaimed author John English and Indigenous Arts Scholar Gerald McMaster, who serve as primary consultants on the series. Additional notable Canadian scholars and experts also provided historical expertise including Eldon Yellowhorn, Chair of First Nations Studies, Simon Fraser University; Margaret MacMillan; historian and professor at the University of Oxford; Charlotte Gray, author and historian; Hayden King, Assistant Professor, Carleton University; and Tim Cook, author and Canadian War Museum historian.

Related: Canada: The Story of Us set visit

Each week during the run of the series in partnership with Ancestry.ca, the world’s largest online family history resource and an integrated sponsor of CANADA: THE STORY OF US, CBC will air a short vignette featuring a Canadian celebrity from the series, including Susan Aglukark, Wendy Crewson, Sarah Gadon, Mike Holmes, Missy Peregrym, Jennifer Podemski and Mary Walsh, who will discover something new and surprising about their own family histories.

CANADA: THE STORY OF US will also be brought to life online through a trio of immersive, 360-degree videos that will put viewers inside key moments in Canadian history. Through these interactive vignettes, viewers will be transported into the lives of Chief Maquinna; Laura Secord; and Richard Rettie and W.C. Wilkinson – two Canadian scientists who led a team to decode the Nazi Smart Bomb. Produced by Secret Location, all three 360 videos feature ambisonic sound to further immerse viewers in the scene. The videos will be available at cbc.ca/canadathestoryofus and on Facebook for viewing on desktop, mobile and tablet devices.

Based on the internationally successful format created by Nutopia and produced in association with Bristow Global Media Inc., CANADA: THE STORY OF US is executive produced by Julie Bristow, Marlo Miazga and Janice Tufford as co-executive producers for Bristow Global Media Inc. as well as Jane Root, Ben Goold and Phil Craig for Nutopia. The STORY OF US format has aired in Australia, the UK and the U.S.

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