Tag Archives: Boat Rocker Studios

Boat Rocker Studios announces seventh season of global smash The Next Step

From a media release:

Boat Rocker Studios’ phenomenally successful tween drama, The Next Step, is set to dance back onto the screen for its seventh season in 2020. The 26 x 30’ season will include its first holiday special which runs over two episodes.  The series is due to have its global premiere on CBBC, the show’s leading broadcast partner, with the holiday special airing in 2019, followed by the new series in 2020. Further international broadcast partners will be announced soon.

A huge international hit The Next Step has been sold to more than 120 marketsworldwide. The new season brings the series total to 206 episodes, a milestone achievement and first of its kind for a Boat Rocker Studios’ homegrown production.

The Next Step follows the lives of a group of dancers at The Next Step Dance Studio as they compete to be the best in their field. It’s not just about winning, though. During the course of the series, each of our characters will discover that the true victory is learning to put their individual differences aside to find a way to work together as a team. This season finds A-Troupe preparing for Nationals with an uncertain future as the Studio is bought by someone new. Will this new owner continue the legacy of The Next Step? Or will their plans take A-Troupe on a new path? Could there be something more than Nationals?

Cast from The Next Step are touring this autumn with the brand-new 90-minute live show The Next Step Live – Absolute Dance, with 24 dates in major cities around the UK, Ireland and Australia.

The Next Step was created by Frank van Keeken (Lost and Found Music Studios, Wingin’ It) and is executive produced by Ivan Schneeberg and David Fortier (Being Erica,Lost and Found Music Studios); Bob Higgins (My Babysitter’s A Vampire,); and Shaleen Sangha (The Next Step, Chuck’s Choice, Make it Pop). Rachael Schaefer (The Next Step, Wingin’ It) and Karen McClellan (The Other Kingdom, Being Erica) serve as showrunners and executive producers of the show. The Next Step is produced by Boat Rocker Studios, with the participation of the Shaw Rocket Fund and the Canada Media Fund (CMF), and distributed globally by Boat Rocker Studios and BBC Studios.

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Discovery’s newest original Canadian series Vintage Tech Hunters premiering Nov. 5

From a media release:

This fall, Discovery takes viewers on a nostalgic journey through the history of technology in the all-new original Canadian series VINTAGE TECH HUNTERS, with back-to-back episodes airing Mondays at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT beginning Nov. 5 on Discovery and the Discovery app.

Viewers are invited to join technophile co-hosts Bohus Blahut and Shaun Hatton as they sift through dusty barns, liquidation sales, and back country antique auctions to reveal rare treasures from decades past. Produced by Crooked Horse Productions (a division of Boat Rocker Studios) each 30-minute episode follows Hatton and Blahut on their quest to uncover “rare, weird, and nostalgic” tech, pursuing the most valuable items, and working to connect with the right collector to drive sales. Taking a cross-continental road trip from an e-waste recycling facility in Los Angeles all the way to a flea market in rural Nova Scotia, the 14-part series showcases the unique combination of tireless dedication and offbeat sense of humour required to unearth these ultra-rare pop culture collectibles.

Seeking out classic consumer technology and pop culture items, spanning forgotten fads to technology still in use today, this effervescent duo turn up a slew of throwback collectibles, including the world’s first talking pinball machine, a Robert the Robot, a Minox B Spy Camera, a Speak ‘n Spell toy, and an Apple I computer.

Episode highlights from the debut season of VINTAGE TECH HUNTERS include:

“Bohus and Shaun… Go on an Odyssey”
Monday, Nov. 5 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
During a road trip along the coast of Southern California, Shaun Hatton and Bohus Blahut stumble upon a vintage jukebox in dire need of repair. They take it to an expert in L.A. where they desperately hope to have it restored to mint condition. While in the City of Angels, the hosts hunt for vintage tech items at a local flea market and browse around an e-waste recycling facility, uncovering several former technology marvels including a Lasonic TRC 931 boombox from the 1980s and a Corona 3 typewriter originally built in 1913.

“Bohus and Shaun…Talk to Gorgar”
Monday, Nov. 5 at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT
Passing through Illinois and Wisconsin, Hatton and Blahut discover a Magnavox Odyssey, officially known as the world’s first commercial video game. To dramatically increase the game’s monetary value, they need to sell it as a complete package. While rummaging for missing parts, they also uncover antique exercise equipment, including the Vitamaster Model 35 Vibrator Belt Exercise Machine from the 1950s, complete with a Vitamaster Roller Massager from the same era.

“Bohus and Shaun… Buy a Jukebox”
Monday, Nov. 12 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
Hatton and Blahut take their newest acquisition, the world’s first talking pinball machine (nicknamed Gorgar), to Dallas, where they arrange for a much-needed restoration. While in Texas, they unearth rare musical instruments at a swap meet, including a 1951 Shure 55S Microphone and a 1960s electronic Zeetar. Before trekking on to their next destination, the hosts find themselves hunting through a massive and crowded liquidation sale, meeting numerous compelling characters in the process.

VINTAGE TECH HUNTERS is produced by Crooked Horse Productions in association with Discovery Canada and Boat Rocker Studios. The series is co-financed by Boat Rocker Studios with Boat Rocker Rights distributing the series internationally and managing the global brand and licensing. Executive Producers for Boat Rocker Studios are Ivan Schneeberg and David Fortier, along with David Lerech and Bree Tiffin from Crooked Horse. From Boat Rocker Rights, Jon Rutherford is President and Series Producer is Robert Scott.

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Link: ‘Orphan Black’ maker buys majority stake in ‘SCTV’ reunion co-producer Insight

From Etan Vlessing of The Hollywood Reporter:

Link: ‘Orphan Black’ maker buys majority stake in ‘SCTV’ reunion co-producer Insight
Orphan Black producer Boat Rocker Media has nabbed a majority stake in rival Canadian producer Insight Productions.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Insight’s founder and CEO John Brunton will continue to lead the company under the Boat Rocker banner. Continue reading.

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Production underway for Discovery’s newest original Canadian series, Vintage Tech Hunters

From a media release:

Discovery announced today that production is currently underway for its latest original Canadian series, VINTAGE TECH HUNTERS. Co-commissioned by Discovery and Boat Rocker Studios, and distributed internationally by Boat Rocker Rights, VINTAGE TECH HUNTERS is produced by Crooked Horse Productions. The 14 x 30-minute series is filming in cities across North America, including Toronto, Ottawa, Niagara, Ont., Los Angeles, Dallas, and Chicago.

VINTAGE TECH HUNTERS features charismatic collectors Shaun Hatton and Bohus Blahut, who have turned an obsession with retro pop culture finds into their dream jobs. The vibrant duo scours Canada and the U.S., rooting through rickety attics, dusty garages, flea markets, and auctions for rare and nostalgic treasures. From original Nintendo Game Boys and priceless first-edition computers to animatronic toys, the pair aims to uncover rare and nostalgic treasures – because to the right collector, they’re worth a fortune.

VINTAGE TECH HUNTERS is produced by Crooked Horse Productions in association with Discovery Canada and Boat Rocker Studios, and distributed internationally by Boat Rocker Rights. Executive Producers for Boat Rocker Studios are Ivan Schneeberg and David Fortier, along with David Lerech and Bree Tiffin from Crooked Horse.

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