Escape or Die!, OLN – “Viking Funeral Escape”
Dean Gunnarson is reclaiming his Icelandic roots by attempting to escape from a burning Viking ship in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. He must break free of chains, reach the Viking sword, cut himself free, and swim to shore before the ship explodes.
Illusions of Grandeur, OLN – “New York”
Magician Zack Mirza brings his most shocking tricks to his favourite place: New York City.
From a media release:
Casting details announced as producction begins on Food Network Canada’s original new series Chef in your Ear
Food Network Canada and HLP+Partners announced today that production has begun in Toronto on the Canadian original series Chef In Your Ear. Canadian culinary powerhouses Jordan Andino (Harlow Sag Harbor), Devin Connell (Delica Kitchen), Craig Harding (Campagnolo), Rob Rossi (Bestellen) and Cory Vitiello (The Harbord Room) have been cast as the chefs with comedian Greg Komorowski hosting the 26-episode, 30-minute competition series. In each episode, two of the country’s hottest chefs will go head-to-head to see who can create the best restaurant quality dish without ever stepping foot into the kitchen. The chefs are putting their kitchen and coaching skills to the ultimate test as two kitchen rookies are tasked with cooking dishes under the guidance of each chef via earpiece.
In Chef In Your Ear, two of the country’s hottest chefs swap their tools for an earpiece as they go head-to-head to see who can create the best restaurant quality dish without ever stepping foot into the kitchen. The catch? Two absolute kitchen rookies, with a long list of culinary disasters, will be doing all the cooking for them. Tensions run high as all participants are taken out of their comfort zones. With reputations on the line in this edge-of-your-seat culinary series, the winning chef decides the loser’s fate and the loser must oblige.
Chef In Your Ear is an original concept conceived by Justin Scroggie, developed by Ricardo Larrivee, Justin Scroggie, Daniel Gelfant, Henry Less, Lee Herberman, and Food Network Canada. The series is produced by HLP+Partners in association with Food Network Canada. Series Producer is Daniel Gelfant. Co-Series Producer is LeAnne Armano. Supervising Producer is Angela Donald. Executive Producers are Henry Less, Lee Herberman and Daniel Gelfant. International Distributor is The Format People.
From Elianna Lev of Vice:
An Oral History of The Littlest Hobo, Canada’s Greatest TV Show
The show’s roots date back to 1958, when ol’ timey Hollywood producers Stuart and Dorrell McGowan made a low-budget film about a wandering German Shepherd dog, which went on to be a big success. Since the character of Lil’ Ho was so endearing, it was eventually turned into a TV series. Shot in British Columbia between 1963 and 1965, the original series had to halt production because of legal disputes concerning ownership between the McGowans and funders Stoner Broadcasting. When the case came to conclusion seven years later, in favour of the brothers, they’d long tired of the idea to keep the show alive. However, a young Canadian named Christopher Dew, who’d worked on the series as a “wet behind the ears” editor, knew the nomadic canine still had more rides to take on that train. Continue reading.
From Mark Dillon of TBI Vision:
State of the industry: Canadian kids TV
Digital disruption and an end to regulatory protection has some in the Canadian kids business worried, but while content providers have one less broadcaster to pitch following the sell-off of Astral Media’s assets, they are optimistic that the same new platforms threatening traditional TV will provide them with greater global reach. Mark Dillon reports. Continue reading.
Escape or Die!, OLN – “Burning, Bound and Upside Down (Bogota, Colombia)”
Escape artist Dean Gunnarson is bound in a straitjacket, hanging upside down 45 meters over the deadly cobblestone square of Zipaquira, Colombia. The crowd watches in awe as the two ropes holding Dean up are consumed rapidly by fiery flames. The clock is ticking while Dean struggles to break free before the ropes burn through and he crashes to his death below.
Illusions of Grandeur, OLN – “Niagara Falls”
Zack heads to the site of one of the great wonders of the natural world, Niagara Falls, to do his first-ever stage performance, as part of internationally-renowned magician Greg Frewin’s stage act. Zack pulls out all the stops preparing for the show, but can he overcome his fears and prove he belongs on the same stage as one of the best magicians in the business?
