Marketplace, CBC – “Money Where Your Mouth Is”
When it’s time to get our teeth checked, most of us trust our dentist to determine the treatment plan and how much it will cost. They are the experts, aren’t they? In this week’s episode, MARKETPLACE’s Erica Johnson puts dentists to the test: how does one know for sure what work needs to be done and how much it should cost? We reveal that dentists themselves can’t even agree. In Money Where Your Mouth Is, MARKETPLACE sends a researcher with hidden cameras to 20 different dentists in Toronto and Vancouver. We want to know: what treatments are recommended for her pearly whites? We discover a wide variation in treatments and costs. It seems dentistry is not that black and white after all—there are various shades of grey. MARKETPLACE wants to know why—to get answers for the millions of Canadians who visit their dentist every year.

The Fifth Estate, CBC – “Whistleblowers: Moment of Truth”
They have the courage to stand up and speak out when no one else dares, yet the popular perception of whistleblowers is they are doomed to be victims of reprisals. But when the fifth estate caught up with some of its more memorable whistleblowers, we found out their lives can take twists and turns no one ever expected. These cases offer an ironic insight into what was supposed to be a new era of transparency and integrity in Canada. To date, not a single case has been prosecuted under Canada’s Public Servant Disclosure Protection Act, and the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner was dismissed in disgrace.

From a media release:

Yellowknife and Beyond! Season Four of Omnifilm Entertainment’s hit series Ice Pilots NWT premieres Wednesday, November 7 at 10pm ET/PT on HISTORY

HISTORY’s fan-favourite series Ice Pilots NWT is back and better than ever. The hugely popular docu-series returns this November for an action packed fourth season, following the adventures of maverick arctic airline Buffalo Airways.

Season four takes Buffalo – and viewers – to places they’ve never gone before. The airline sends water bombers to South Korea, battles it out with Transport Canada and struggles to keep the business going in whatever manner they can. As the drama unfolds, everyone from rock stars to the Prime Minister drops by Buffalo for a visit. The action gets underway Wednesday, November 7 at 10:00PT/ET on HISTORY.

“Although Buffalo has become a famous airline worldwide and attracts everyone from tourists to VIP’s, the work to keep the planes flying all winter goes on,” says Executive and Series Producer David Gullason. “Keeping the planes flying – no matter what – is job number one for Joe and Mikey.”

Gabriela Schonbach, Executive Producer and Partner at Omnifilm Entertainment says, “With Ice Pilots NWT, the world is getting a taste of Canada’s North; its culture, landscape and people. This series has become a part of Canadian history and heritage. Each season just gets better!”

In one of the most compelling episodes to date, the turbo‐prop Lockheed Electra gets in serious trouble when the bitter cold wreaks havoc on the plane’s landing gear. Captain Ray Weber has to put down this beast of a cargo plane without a right wheel as the crew at Buffalo stands helplessly watching the plane get ripped up on landing.

While touring the Canadian North, Prime Minister Stephen Harper stops in to admire Joe’s vintage planes and plays co-pilot to Joe. Later in the season, Joe lends a hand to his old friend “Ice Road Trucker” Alex Debogorski. And rock legend Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden, an avid pilot, gets more than he bargained for when he shows up to fly the big DC-4 and bonds with the Buffalo boys.

Sadly, this season the crew says goodbye to beloved Buffalo chief pilot Arnie Schreder, who succumbed to cancer. The local airlines give their friend and colleague a proper send off as a fleet of planes does a fly-by in Schreder’s honour.

From a media release:

Hockey Night on Discovery! Iconic Broadcaster Jay Ingram Reveals How the NHL is SCORING WITH SCIENCE, Nov. 4

Need your hockey fix, Canada? Iconic broadcaster Jay Ingram fills the void with SCORING WITH SCIENCE, an all-new, action-packed original production looking at how hockey teams are getting a winning edge from scientific research. Premering Sunday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on Discovery, the one-hour special features marquee NHL players including Steve Stamkos, Jake Gardiner, Stephen Weiss, former player Gary Roberts, prominent scientists, and super slow motion video. Together, they explore how the newest advancements in science and technology are aiding the NHL’s top clubs by determining how best to shoot a puck, build a better body and make top-notch skates and sticks.

Highlights from SCORING WITH SCIENCE include:

The Third Team

When fans watch hockey they see two teams on the ice. But there’s a critical third team – scientists. They’re discovering how to improve hockey skills, equipment and bodies. Among their findings: the three keys to the perfect wrist shot, the skate that’s as light as a running shoe, the machine that improves skating, the best way to sharpen blades, the ideal way to train in the off season, and the best time to pull the goalie.

A Team of All-Stars

Ingram hits the ice for a skate and chat with marquee NHL players including former all-star Gary Roberts, Steve Stamkos, Jake Gardiner, and Stephen Weiss. Then, the legendary broadcaster meets up with Alain Hache, a physicist, author, and beer league goalie. He’ll reveal the secrets of the slap shot from the point of view of the shooter and the goalie. Next, award-winning chemist Gabor Somorjai aims his sophisticated equipment at ice to tell us what makes it slippery.

Let’s See That in Slow Mo!

No hockey broadcast is complete without slow-motion replays, so of course, the SLO-MO in SCORING WITH SCIENCE is extraordinary. It’s all thanks to a high-speed camera known as the Phantom Flex. It shoots 1000 frames a second and doesn’t miss anything, ever.

Program Note: SCORING WITH SCIENCE will repeat on Saturday, Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. and 11 p.m on Discovery Science.