Tag Archives: Blue Ant Media

Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Cottage Life TV goes off the grid, braving the cold in all-new Series, Life Below Zero: Canada

From a media release:

Based on the popular BBC Studios format and multi-Emmy® Award-winning reality series, Life Below Zero, the long-awaited Canadian adaptation, Life Below Zero: Canada (8×60’) follows a diverse group of individuals from different cultural backgrounds, including Canadians, First Nations and Swiss trappers, giving viewers an unfiltered glimpse into how they survive in the coldest and most remote regions of Northern Canada. Filmed across the Northwest Territories, Yukon and Northern Ontario, with a crew of six people, 120 days travelling and over 500 hundred hours of footage shot, the eight-part docu-series captures the compelling stories of five ‘off the grid’ Canadians who must navigate through deadly weather, with limited resources, to seek out food, water and shelter. Life Below Zero: Canada airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT, starting March 17, exclusively on Cottage Life during the channel’s eight-week free preview event running from March 2 to May 3 across 10 million Canadian households.

From long, dark, frozen winters to sweltering, bug-infested summers, Life Below Zero: Canada captures the day-to-day trials of people living in unforgiving environments. The stars of the series include Becky Broderick, who left Sudbury, Ontario to start a family in the wilderness; Bentley Kakekayash, who was born in a remote North Caribou Lake First Nations community only knowing life in the bush; “Pike” Mike Harrison, a self-professed “lone-wolf”, who has spent the last two decades living in isolation in a cabin he built himself; and best friends Kim Pasche and Pierre-Yves Duc who moved from Switzerland 10 years ago to live off the land in the Yukon.

Life Below Zero: Canada is based on the original format, Life Below Zero, licensed and distributed by BBC Studios. The series is produced by Saloon Media, a Blue Ant Studios company. Paul Kilback and Tara Elwood are the Series Producers. Paul Kilback, Victor Kushmaniuk and Mark Stevenson serve as Directors. Michael Kot, Betty Orr and Paul Kilback serve as Executive Producers. Overseeing the series for Cottage Life TV is Sam Linton, Head of Original Content for Blue Ant Media.

Meet the Canadian Stars of Life Below Zero: Canada:

Becky Broderick 
Location: Mendenhall River, Yukon Territory Łutsël K’e, Northwest Territories
At 30 years-old, Becky left her suburban life in Sudbury, Ontario to move to the remote north and settle down roots. Becky lives with her husband, newborn daughter and her beloved team of sled dogs. They live off grid and Becky aims to ‘up’ their game to be completely self-reliant. Becky wants to raise her daughter to be “a self-sufficient badass.”

Bentley Kakekayash
Location: Weagamow Lake, Northern Ontario (a remote North Caribou Lake First Nations community)
At only 25 years-old, Bentley Kakekayash is an experienced outdoorsman who has been working and living in the bush since the day he was born. Living in a remote First Nations community, Bentley works the same trap line that his ancestors did before him.

“Pike” Mike Harrison
Location: Lindberg Landing, NWT (670km west of Yellowknife)
Mike has been living alone in the woods for over 20 years and it’s left him extremely industrious… and a little loopy.  Mike is a professional handyman, constantly upgrading his cabin and gear with items he sources from the wilderness. Mike is a regular “MacGyver” when it comes to builds and general wilderness survival.

Kim Pasche and Pierre-Yves Duc
Location: Silent Lake, Yukon
Best friends Kim and Pierre are Swiss born hunters, trappers and bushmen who have lived in the Yukon for 10 years. They have been working one of the remote trap-lines in the Yukon Territories for the last six years.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

All-new season of Makeful TV’s Handmade Hotels debuts February 26

From a media release:

Step inside some of Canada’s most creative, inspiring and thoughtfully designed short-term rentals in the all-new season of Handmade Hotels (6×30’). Hosted by renovation specialist and design enthusiast, Katie Herbert, the Makeful original series follows ambitious homeowners who harness their creativity and DIY skills to revamp spaces for short term rentals. Handmade Hotels uncovers hidden gems, from a 1970s-themed chalet to a remote treehouse-inspired cottage and a former refrigerator factory turned high-tech loft, the spaces are as diverse as the holiday goers themselves. Season 2 of Handmade Hotels airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT, starting Feb. 26 on Makeful, during the channel’s eight-week nationwide free preview event, running until April 5.

In every episode, Katie Herbert explores three short-term rentals, each have something different to offer visitors, such as creative ways to accommodate large groups and children, eco-friendly homes, high-tech renovations, resort-style glamping and restored historic homes. The series is packed with unexpected ideas and inventive flourishes.

The first two episodes include:

Episode 1 – Take a Chance
Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 8 p.m. ET/PT
Katie discovers three short-term rentals that have made some big design decisions – with even bigger results. These extraordinary rentals include a bright cottage playhouse in the city filled with vibrant colours and textures, a hundred-year-old farmhouse transformed into a groovy 70’s-themed chalet and two deluxe glamping experiences on a rural farm.

Episode 2 – New Experiences
Wednesday, March 4 at 8 p.m. ET/PT
Katie explores three vacation rentals that let visitors step out of their comfort zone.  First up is a secret communal space in the city where guests can join pop-up concerts and secret dinner parties with local artists. Then, Katie visits a rustic loft above an active barn, where guests can get to know the resident horses. Finally, Katie travels to two off-grid experiments in Tiny Living, including a Scandinavian-themed Tiny Home and a converted silver retro trailer.

Handmade Hotels is produced by Architect-Films, in association with Makeful and distributed globally by Blue Ant Media. Jo Virgo is the Series Producer with Tanya Linton and Mike Sheerin serving as Executive Producers. Brian Quigley is the Director and Ryan West is the Story Editor.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Makeful TV launches Landscape Artist of the Year Canada, a new competition series hosted by Sook-Yin Lee

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From a media release:

Following Sky Arts UK’s best-performing, non-scripted series of all time, Landscape Artist of the Year, the highly-anticipated Canadian adaptation, brings together 18 of the country’s best professional and amateur artists alongside 50 wildcard hopefuls to compete for a chance to be crowned Landscape Artist of the Year Canada (4 x 60’). Hosted by Sook-Yin Lee, the all new original series sees the artists have just four hours to create a landscape masterpiece. The winning artist will not only be crowned Landscape Artist of the Year Canada, but will also walk away with a $10,000 cash prize and will have their artwork on display at the prestigious McMichael Canadian Art Collection – home to some of Canada’s most iconic landscape art. The world broadcast premiere of Landscape Artist of the Year Canada airs Sundays at 9 pm ET/PT, starting February 16, exclusively on Makeful during the channel’s eight-week free preview event running from Feb. 3 to April 5 across Canada.

Each episode of Landscape Artist of the Year Canada travels to breathtaking and truly Canadian backdrops, from Muskoka’s picturesque Lake Rousseau to a rural country farm in Barrie. Two winners from each location will go on to compete in the final. However, these artists aren’t the only ones trying to impress the judges. The competition also sees 50 more artists descend onto each location to try their luck as wildcards, and if any catch the judges’ eye, they too have a chance to compete in the final.

Alongside the host Sook-Yin Lee, the four-part series sees expert judges Marc Mayer, former Director of the National Gallery of Canada, and award-winning artist and educator, Joanne Tod, determine the winners of each location until only one artist remains.

Using their own material and style, the artists have just four hours to create their own rendition of the landscape before them.  From oil paint to acrylic, collage work to mixed media, the artwork is as diverse as the artists themselves.

Landscape Artist of the Year Canada is produced by marblemedia in association with Blue Ant Media and CBC.  Based on the UK format, it is distributed by Banijay Rights, and was originally produced by Storyvault Films. Following the world premiere on Makeful this February, CBC will also air the series later this year.

Meet the 18 chosen artists competing for the title of Canada’s Best Landscape Artist.

Episode 1 – Airing Sunday, Feb. 16 at 9pm ET/PT
Denise Antaya, Kingsville, ON
Laura Zerebeski, Vancouver, BC
Marissa Sweet, Oshawa, ON
Megan Hazen, Toronto, ON
Phil Irish, Elora, ON
Tosh Jeffrey, Toronto, ON

Episode 2 – Airing Sunday, Feb. 23 at 9pm ET/PT
Andrew Cheddie Sookrah, Toronto, ON
Anna Kutishcheva, Oakville, ON
Beckett Pura, York, ON
Colin Davis, North Bay, ON
Deborah Danelley, Winnipeg, MB
Ian McLean, Bright’s Grove, ON

Episode 3 – Airing Sunday, March 1 at 9pm ET/PT
Elzbieta Krawecka, Toronto, ON
Jeff Wilson, Vancouver, BC
Kylee Turunen, Port Alberni, BC
Mackenzie Brown, Edmonton, AB
Nadine Prada, Toronto, ON
Ron Kuwahara, Halifax, NS

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

marblemedia announces launch of Restaurants on the Edge

From a media release:

Leading global entertainment producer marblemedia, in association with OutEast Entertainment, is thrilled to announce the launch of its new premium unscripted series, Restaurants on the Edge, which will premiere on Blue Ant Media’s Cottage Life channel in Canada on January 2, 2020 with two back-to-back episodes at 8:00 pm ET/PT and 9:00 pm ET/PT.

Each hour-long episode invites viewers into a new restaurant located in a stunning location—on the edge of an ocean, a mountain, or desert. But despite their outstanding views, these eateries are struggling to create an experience that lives up to their incredible surroundings.

A team of experts lead the way in restaurant transformations that span 10 countries across the 13 episodes: chef Dennis Prescott, designer Karin Bohn and restaurateur Nick Liberato. By tapping into the soul of the restaurant’s surroundings and its community, and by incorporating local tastes, flavours and textures, each expert embarks on a journey to transform not just the restaurant, but the owners’ outlook as well.

Featuring breathtaking locations and diverse ways of life, Restaurants on the Edge focuses on creating outstanding restaurant experiences by making connections with local communities and cultures. Co-produced by marblemedia, with executive producers Matt Hornburg and Mark J.W. Bishop, and OutEast Entertainment, with executive producers Courtney Hazlett and Steven Marrs. Produced in association with Blue Ant Media, series producers and directors Rob Brunner and Justin Harding and supervising producer Donna Luke.

Image courtesy of marblemedia.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

The Brigade: Race to the Hudson paddles into the past on Cottage Life

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I’ve made no bones about my love of Canadian history on this website. From slightly fictionalized stories in Frontier to documentary series like Future History, 1491: The Untold History of the Americas and even The Other Side, I love it all. But would a program retracing the route of The York Factory Express, the 19th-century fur trade route, pique my interest?

Heck yeah.

Airing Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Cottage Life, the eight-part The Brigade: Race to the Hudson, follows 750 miles of the 2,600-mile fur trade route linking waterways from the coast of Oregon, through two states, four Canadian provinces, two mountain ranges and five river systems before ending on the icy shores of Hudson Bay in Manitoba. As an added bonus, the series cast 10 participants and placed $500,000 to split at the finish line. The catch? Working together as a team, just like the traders of the past, is key. And, with 750 miles of the route to cover in 28 days—from Castlegar, B.C., to York Factory—the task proved to be tough.

In last week’s debut, we were introduced to the participants, told no modern-day things like GPS or cell phones were allowed, and headed out. Food and other key supplies were planted along the way and the only way out was to quit or be medically evacuated. And, with military veterans, noodlers and folks used to the outdoors, spirits were high. But, as the miles passed by, bugs descended and dehydration became a concern, reality set in. This was going to be immensely difficult.

In Tuesday’s newest instalment, concerns surrounding Vincent are swirling. Will he be the first to go? Meanwhile, reaching the first cache successfully bolsters everyone’s spirits and gives them some much-need energy via vittles. But some bright yellow helmets hint at the white water coming up and navigational mistakes threaten to derail the team.

And while there is a cache of cash at the end of this journey, this isn’t Survivor or The Bachelor. People aren’t voted off. You have to work together to survive, success and cash in.

The Brigade: Race to the Hudson airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Cottage Life.

Image courtesy of Blue Ant Media.

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