Tag Archives: Corus Entertainment

Global and Entertainment One announce start of production for Season 4 of hit series Private Eyes

From a media release:

Global announced today the start of production for Season 4 of Canada’s beloved PI series, Private Eyes. From Canadian broadcaster and production partner Corus Entertainment, with Entertainment One (eOne), the smash-hit detective series returns to the exciting, sexy, and unpredictable world of The Everett and Shade agency. Featuring 12 new episodes, Shade (Jason Priestley) and Everett (Cindy Sampson) have their hands full of new twisty, thrilling, and dangerous cases to solve.

Along with starring in the series, Cindy Sampson takes on the role of director for one episode this season. With Toronto remaining a focal point of the series, Season 4 will showcase a range of different worlds from a Gatsby garden party, to a high-profile celebrity golf tournament, and the glitz and glamour of a film festival, to a bizarre alien cult. Shade and Everett will be personally and professionally challenged as they think about the paths not taken, and what kind of life they want to lead.

Returning cast for Season 4 include Jules Shade (Jordyn Negri), Don Shade (Barry Flatman), Zoe Chow (Samantha Wan), Officer Danica Powers (Ruth Goodwin), Nora Everett (Mimi Kuzyk), and Inspector Mathilda Carson (Linda Kash).

Season 4 also welcomes new faces to the cast including Canadian singer and ET Canada Correspondent Keshia Chanté who will play Mia, Angie’s friend, and Supinder Wraich (The Beaverton) as Kate, Officer Danica Powers’ girlfriend. A new crop of guest stars will also make an appearance including acclaimed Canadian actors Erica Durance (Saving Hope), Aaron Ashmore (Killjoys), Katie Boland (Reign), HGTV Canada’s Scott McGillivray, and more.

With production underway on the new season, viewers can catch Season 3 of Private Eyes Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Global until the finale on Wednesday, August 7. Currently averaging over 1 million viewers each week*, Private Eyes continues to capture audiences as the #1 drama this summer**.

Fans can also stream Private Eyes live on GlobalTV.com and Global TV App by signing in with their TV service provider credentials or watch the next day on GlobalTV.com and the Global TV App (now available on iOS, Apple TV, Android, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire, and Roku). Plus, viewers can catch up on Seasons 1 and 2 of the hit detective series also available on Global’s digital platforms.

Private Eyes is produced by eOne in association with Corus Entertainment, with the participation of the Canada Media Fund, the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit, the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit, and IPF’s Cogeco TV Production Program. The series is executive produced by Jocelyn Hamilton and Tecca Crosby for eOne, Shawn Piller and Lloyd Segan for Piller/Segan, Jason Priestley, Alexandra Zarowny and James Thorpe. Piller, Zarowny and Thorpe are also showrunners.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

Corus Entertainment 40 outstanding Canadian series for 2019-2020

From a media release:

Today, Corus Entertainment announced its 2019-2020 order of captivating new Canadian series and proven hits. This unrivaled slate features 40 newly-commissioned seasons and titles. With an increase in Canadian production year over year, Corus underscores its commitment to homegrown talent. The company’s diverse portfolio of networks is investing in premium original content across all genres in collaboration with award-winning creators across the country. In addition to the Canadian series being announced today, more scripted and lifestyle series will be unveiled in the coming months.

This year, Corus’ acclaimed scripted slate grew with character-driven drama Nurses and Canada/UK co-production Departure starring Emmy® winner Archie Panjabi and Oscar® winner Christopher Plummer. Complementing those series, Corus orders returning seasons of detective drama Private Eyes and award-winning historical drama Vikings. As a trailblazer in unscripted lifestyle content, a new crop of original competitive, palate-pleasing series are introduced including Wall of Chefs, The Big Bake and kid cooking series Junior Chef Showdown. Leading home and renovation series, Big Home Overhaul and Hot Market complement recurring favourites with heavy-hitting Canadian talent such as Property Brothers, Island of Bryan and Home to Win. The company also brings audiences homegrown versions of prized franchises such as Big Brother Canada and Top Chef Canada with returning seasons this year, along with new episodes ofIron Chef Canada. Dominating the industry in children’s content and world-class animation, endearing pre-school series The Remarkable Mr. King joins Corus’ successful slate of animated content.

Corus Entertainment further cements its position as a leader in stellar Canadian programming on an international scale through its Corus Studios content and its industry-leading kids content company, Nelvana. Corus Studios develops, produces and distributes programs across an array of genres, distributed globally in over 150 territories. This year, Corus Studios delivers 11 new series and confirms seven returning hits. As a world-leading producer and distributor of children’s content, Nelvana’s content is broadcast across Corus’ collection of leading kids’ networks and is distributed in more than 160 countries worldwide. For the 2019-2020 broadcast season, Nelvana creates two new series and a short film, along with a number of returning series across a slate of more than a dozen productions.

Below is a breakdown of Corus Entertainment’s lineup of new and returning original series:

GLOBAL
Global renews seasons of summer smash-hit Private Eyes, juggernaut reality series Big Brother Canada for the 2019-2020 season. Also joining the schedule, are previously announced original dramas Departure and Nurses set to premiere midseason in 2020.

Entertainment Tonight Canada, Season 15 (260×30) – NEW SEASON (2019/2020)
Returning for its milestone 15th season, the nation’s entertainment powerhouse ET Canada delivers in-depth and breaking celebrity, film, television, and music news both on-air and online. Airing weeknights at 7:30 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, ET Canada is hosted by Cheryl Hickey along with Sr. Reporter Roz Weston, and Entertainment Reporters Sangita Patel and Carlos Bustamante. (Produced by Corus Entertainment for Global Television in association with Paramount Domestic Television).

Private Eyes, Season 4 (12×60) – NEW SEASON – (Summer 2020)
Private Eyes returns to the exciting, sexy and unpredictable world of The Everett and Shade agency with Season 4.  Shade (Jason Priestley) and Everett (Cindy Sampson) have their hands full of twisty, thrilling, and dangerous cases to solve. From a Gatsby garden party, to a high-profile celebrity golf tournament, and the glitz and glamour of TIFF to a bizarre alien cult. The beloved duo will be personally and professionally challenged as they think about the paths not taken, and what kind of life they want to lead. Season 3 of the summer hit currently airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Global. (Produced by eOne).

 Big Brother Canada, Season 8 (30×60) – NEW SEASON – (Winter 2020)
On the heels of a successful Season 7, which delivered the largest audience of any season on Global for total viewers*****, the hit reality series hosted by Arisa Cox is back for another season in 2020. As a Top 20 performer across key demos****, Season 8 will feature a group of hand-picked strangers, sequestered from the outside world, living in a house with cameras and microphones that capture their every move. (Produced by Insight Productions. Big Brother is an original format owned by Endemol Shine Group).

Previously announced series include:

Departure, Season 1 (6×60) – NEW SERIES – (Midseason, in early 2020)
Departure is a six-part event series that follows the shocking disappearance of Flight 716, a passenger plane that vanishes over the Atlantic Ocean. Kendra Malley (Panjabi), the recently widowed, brilliant aviation investigator, is called in by her former boss and mentor Howard Lawson (Plummer) to investigate the mysterious crash. With the whole world watching, Kendra and her team race to pinpoint the missing aircraft and locate possible survivors. They must battle through a host of suspects and motives – pilot suicide, terrorism, politically motivated murder, systems failure – to determine what really happened to Flight 716…and to stop it from happening again. (Produced by Shaftesbury and Greenpoint Productions Ltd.)

Nurses, Season 1 (10×60) – NEW SERIES – (Midseason, in early 2020)
Stationed in every tendril of a busy downtown trauma centre and thrust into frontline medical action, Nurses sees five recent graduates beginning their careers in a high-stakes hospital with pressure cooker training. Forming an inextricable bond, the nurses struggle to find a work-life balance that matches and counters the intensity of their new job. Their interaction with patients, relatives, and staff quickly leads them to the discovery that nursing isn’t just about biology, chemistry, and anatomy, it’s also about psychology, compassion, and romantic complications. (Produced by ICF Films, and eOne in association with Piazza Entertainment).

LIFESTYLE

Food Network Canada delivers a delectable menu of standout new series beginning with holiday-themed baking competition, The Big Bake this fall. To satisfy cravings this winter, a sweet competition series, Chocolate Masters joins the network. This spring, a foodie-friendly competition show debuts featuring the brightest kid cooks in Junior Chef Showdown and home cooks will strive to satisfy the country’s toughest palates in epic new culinary competition series, Wall of Chefs.

The Big Bake (18×60) – NEW SERIES – (Corus Studios) (Fall 2019)
The Big Bake is a larger-than-life holiday baking competition series from Food Network Canada with themed Halloween, holiday and spring episodes. In each special self-contained episode, three professional baking teams have six hours to design, bake and decorate a grand-scale holiday-inspired cake based on a particular theme. These bakers need to go big or they’ll go home – blowing up their designs to gigantic proportions and thinking outside the (bakery) box for their holiday-inspired creations. The more ambitious and delicious the cake, the closer they are to victory…and each episode’s $10,000 prize. (Produced by Architect Films).

Chocolate Masters (8×60) – NEW SERIES – (Corus Studios) (Winter 2020) 
Chocolate Masters is a new ooey-gooey, decadent chocolate dessert competition series from Food Network Canada. In this sweet serialized competition, 10 home bakers go head-to-head in the indulgent world of chocolate, vying for the grand prize in a range of creative and exciting chocolate-based challenges. In order to survive the competition from week-to-week and avoid elimination, the chocaholic dessert-makers must dazzle our panel of world-renowned chocolatiers and food expert judges with their delicious, inventive creations. In the end, only one competitor makes it all the way to the end and is crowned the ultimate chocolate master. (Produced by Architect Films).

Junior Chef Showdown (wt) (8×60) – NEW SERIES – (Corus Studios) (Spring 2020) 
The most buzz-worthy kid cooks gather in one spot to compete in this serialized cooking competition. These amazing wunderkid chefs live and breathe food and are ready to amaze and astound with their culinary creations. In Junior Chef Showdown, the best and brightest young cooks go head-to-head in challenges that test their skills and ingenuity in the kitchen, but only one pint-sized chef will be named the country’s best. (Produced by Proper Television).

Wall of Chefs (20×60) – NEW SERIES – (Corus Studios) (Spring 2020, Spring 2021) 
In Wall of Chefs, amateur cooks face off in cutthroat culinary challenges that are judged by twelve of Canada’s most renowned chefs, also known as ‘The Wall’. Each episode features four home cooks who compete in themed rounds with the ultimate goal of satisfying the palates of these highly respected industry pros. At the end of each devastatingly difficult but delicious round, the chef judges critique the dishes and the competitor who makes the worst dish must leave the Wall of Chefs kitchen. At the end, only one cook will be left standing, claiming $10,000 and the respect of the Wall of Chefs. (Produced by Insight Productions).

Iron Chef Canada, Season 1B (10×60) – NEW EPISODES (Fall 2019)
Based upon the popular Japanese sensation, Iron Chef Canada pits world-class chefs in intense culinary battles against the legendary Canadian Iron Chefs: Hugh Acheson, Amanda Cohen, Lynn Crawford, Rob Feenie, and Susur Lee. In every episode, a talented challenger goes head-to-head against one of Canada’s most iconic and legendary Iron Chefs in a one-hour, five-dish competition for culinary supremacy. (Produced by Proper Television. Based on the original ‘Iron Chef’ Series Produced by Fuji Television Network, Inc.).

Carnival Eats, Season 7 (13×30) – NEW SEASON – (Fall 2019)
Host Noah Cappe is back on the hunt for the most mouth-watering and outrageous foods famously found at fairs and amusement parks in Carnival Eats, giving audiences an inside look at the wacky characters who create them and the culinary thrill-seekers who devour and delight in them. (Produced by Alibi Entertainment).

 Fire Masters, Season 1B (15×60) Season 2 (15×60) – NEW SEASON – (Corus Studios) (Spring 2020, Spring 2021)
In each episode of Fire Masters, three chefs push their grilling talents to the limit as they do battle in fiery culinary challenges, cooking up creative, mouthwatering, flame-kissed dishes. One chef is eliminated in each of the first two rounds. The last chef standing then goes head-to-head with a Fire Masters judge in an epic third and final round, vying for $10,000 cash and the coveted title of Fire Masters Champion. (Produced by Architect Films).

Big Food Bucket List, Season 2 (26×30) – NEW SEASON – (Corus Studios) (Spring 2020)
Fan-favourite host and comedian John Catucci (You Gotta Eat Here!) returns for a second season, taking viewers on one-of-a-kind food adventures across North America, checking the most drool-worthy dishes and must-see culinary stops off his Big Food Bucket List. (Produced by Lone Eagle Entertainment).

Top Chef Canada, Season 8 (8×60) – NEW SEASON – (Spring 2020)
Canada’s most prestigious culinary competition is back with the best and brightest professional chefs competing for the title of Canada’s Top Chef. A Top 3 ranked series on Food Network Canada this spring*, Top Chef Canada returns for its eighth season with its expert panel of judges comprised of chef, restaurant co-owner and host, Eden Grinshpan, owner of The McEwan Group, head judge chef Mark McEwan along with resident judges: restaurateur Janet Zuccarini, food personality Mijune Pak and renowned food critic Chris Nuttall-Smith. (Produced by Insight Productions. Top Chef Canada is the homegrown version of the hit Emmy Award-winning NBCUniversal Series Top Chef).

HGTV Canada
 brings home 12 new and returning series, welcoming new Canadian talent and featuring familiar fan-favourite personalities including a new season of Property Brothers this fall. New real estate series Hot Market reveals high stakes in the country’s largest city, while Big Home Overhaul transforms households for deserving families, set for spring 2020.

Property Brothers: Forever Home (7×60) – NEW SERIES – (Summer 2019)
Drew and Jonathan Scott are on a mission to help couples transform their houses into forever homes – a place where they can put down roots and spend their lives. Our homeowners aren’t looking to flip properties or make a quick buck, they know their house is “the one” and have plans to grow old together. They need Drew and Jonathan to unlock the full potential of their houses and renovate them into the homes of their dreams. (Produced by Scott Brothers Entertainment).

Hot Market (8×60) – NEW SERIES – (2019/2020) 
Hot Market chronicles the behind-the-scenes stories of five top-selling real estate agents in Canada’s biggest city. This fresh new series follows the hustle to buy, sell and renovate homes for discerning clients in the high-stakes, high-end and highly competitive Toronto marketplace. Each episode opens the doors to an exclusive world of multi-million dollar properties, showcasing everything from trendy urban lofts and modern penthouses to jaw-dropping mansions and luxurious lakefront estates. These top agents stop at nothing to chase listings, prep homes for sale and find clients their ultimate dream home. (Produced by Architect Films).

Big Home Overhaul (wt) (8×60) – NEW SERIES – (Corus Studios) (Spring 2020)
Big Home Overhaul (wt) is HGTV Canada’s new feel-good renovation series that follows the network’s most talented contractors and designers as they come together to deliver whole-home renovations to incredibly deserving homeowners. In each episode, our dynamic host brings together a different HGTV Canada celebrity contractor-designer duo to plan and execute the worthy homeowner’s makeover, with the help of family, friends and the community. After the cathartic first swing of the sledgehammer that starts the demolition, the family leaves the home renovation in the hands of HGTV Canada’s best who work around the clock to give the family a complete home overhaul. (Produced by Proper TV).

Home to Win: For the Holidays, Season 4 (8×60) – NEW SEASON – (Corus Studios) (Fall 2019)
The fourth season of the top-rated Canadian original series, which ranked in the Top 10 specialty entertainment programs during its original run**, offers viewers the opportunity to win their very own dream home, returns this fall. HGTV Canada’s celebrity builders, designers and real estate experts bring their extraordinary skill, creativity and reno know-how to completely restore this season’s home, a Victorian beauty in dire need of a modern makeover. New this year are holiday-themed design touches and DIY challenges with the home rewarded just in time for the warm-and-fuzzy holiday season. (Produced by Architect Films).

Property Brothers: Buying and Selling, Season 6 (8×60) – NEW SEASON – (Fall 2019)
In Property Brothers: Buying and Selling, Jonathan and Drew Scott help homeowners take their next step up the real estate ladder. Jonathan renovates the family’s home for a successful sale, while Drew hunts down the best options for their next property and oversees the selling and buying. (Produced by Cineflix).

Property Brothers, Season 7 (18×60) – NEW SEASON – (Fall 2019 and Winter 2020)
Drew and Jonathan support couples across the Greater Toronto Area, Nashville as well as Calgary and Las Vegas to find, buy, and transform extreme fixer-uppers into incredible dream homes. First, real estate specialist Drew tracks down hidden gems with untapped potential, and then it’s up to identical twin brother and contractor Jonathan to expertly overhaul these ramshackle properties. (Produced by Cineflix).

Island of Bryan, Season 2 (8×60) – NEW SEASON – (Corus Studios) (Winter 2020)
The most watched program on HGTV Canada in over 10 years*** and ranking #3 across all of Canadian specialty entertainment this spring*, Island of Bryan returns for a second season this winter. In Season 2, Bryan and Sarah have committed to six more months until the grand opening. With the budget maxed out and more at stake than ever, they need to keep their eyes on the prize: finishing their dream project. This season will bring an end to the epic family adventure; leaving viewers inspired, amazed, and relieved that they didn’t have to take on this build themselves. (Produced by Si Entertainment).

$ave My Reno, Season 3 (14×30) – NEW SEASON – (Corus Studios) (Winter 2020) 
In $ave My Reno Season 3, cash-conscious homeowners’ domestic dreams become a reality when Sebastian Clovis, the savvy builder with contagious energy, and Samantha Pynn, the celebrated ‘luxe-on-a-budget’ designer, grab hold of each project. Seb and Sam save through smart spends, upcycling, and spectacular DIY designs, encouraging homeowners to strap on a toolbelt and help with their renovation along the way. Together they transform these houses into showpiece homes – all on a budget that fits the bill. (Produced by Great Pacific Media).

Backyard Builds – Season 3 (11×30) – NEW SEASON – (Corus Studios) (Spring 2020)
Contractor Brian McCourt and design expert Sarah Keenleyside maximize a backyard’s potential by creating tailored, one-of-a-kind structures in Backyard Builds. Whether it’s a converted shipping container, cake studio, treehouse village or outdoor theatre – when indoor space isn’t enough, Brian and Sarah take it outside. (Produced by Frantic Films).

 Previously announced series include:

Farmhouse Facelift (10×60) – NEW SERIES – (Corus Studios) (Winter 2020)
Old farmhouses are spacious, historic treasures with loads of potential, but restoring them to their former glory with modern amenities can be a massive undertaking. No one knows more about farmhouse living than renovation experts and siblings Billy Pearson and Carolyn Wilbrink. Billy (a contractor) and Carolyn (a designer) grew up on their family farm in rural Ontario. Now, they’re using their construction and design expertise to restore rustic and rundown farmhouses for their clients. (Produced by Sonar Entertainment).

Make Your Move (wt) (10×60) – NEW SERIES – (Corus Studios) (Winter/Spring 2020)
In Make Your Move, Kortney and Dave Wilson help homeowners make strategic moves with their money by using their flipping expertise to turn a newly purchased fixer-upper into the home of their dreams – all while making smart investments into the biggest asset these families own. (Produced by Scott Brothers Entertainment).

Vacation House Rules (10×60) – NEW SERIES – (Corus Studios) (Spring 2020)
You don’t need a million bucks to buy the vacation house of your dreams. Real estate expert and contractor Scott McGillivray, with his years of smart real estate and renovating experience, can show you how. Scott shows homeowners how to take their vacation property purchase and unlock its full rental potential. Through Scott’s Vacation House Rules even the most neglected and unlivable of spaces can be transformed into unique and buzz-worthy pieces of paradise. (Produced by McGillivray Entertainment).

HISTORY® debuts three new series, Big Timber, following a family of loggers in B.C., joining previously announced series Salvage Kings slated for fall and Breaking Wild for winter. The network also debuts a new season of historical drama and Top 5 entertainment specialty program*, Vikings, later this year.

Big Timber (8×60) – NEW SERIES – (Corus Studios) (2020) 
In the forests of Vancouver Island, B.C. a family of loggers have bet it all on a valuable and isolated timber claim. But with treacherous weather and impossible terrain they must build their own roads and MacGyver their own machinery to get this timber out in the best condition possible – and they have a limited amount of time to get it done. (Produced by Big Timber Media).

Holocaust – The Last Survivors (wt) (1×90) – REMEMBRANCE DAY SPECIAL – (Fall 2019)
The personal experiences of children during the Holocaust told through first-hand accounts of the last survivors. Seventy-five years ago, they were witness to unspeakable horrors, but their stories of survival are often filled with moving examples of bravery, kindness and redemption. The survivors travel back to Europe – to hometowns and concentration camps where painful memories flood back, and where dramatic and emotional reunions unfold. As the last living links to the worst crime of the 20th century, they wonder, “when we are gone, will people remember? Will they believe it happened?” (Produced by Saloon Media).

 History Erased, Season 2 (4×60) – NEW SEASON – (Corus Studios) (Fall 2019)
This innovative event series examines the butterfly effect of removing key individuals, ideas and inventions from a given nation’s history to highlight that country’s contributions to global culture and human history. In each episode, we imagine the world without a specific country as their game-changing leaders, innovators and social-political achievements are erased. What unfolds? Global catastrophe, societal upheaval and chaos! (Produced by Cream Productions).

Vikings – Season 6A (10×60) – NEW SEASON – (Fall 2019)
Award-winning historical drama and ranking as the #4 program across specialty entertainment last fall*, Vikings returns with the hotly anticipated first part of Season 6, the final season, coming this fall (Canada/Ireland co-production by Take 5 and TM Productions Limited).

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

Corus Entertainment announces retirement of EVP and Chief Operating officer, Barb Williams

From a media release:

Corus Entertainment Inc. (TSX: CJR.B) (“Corus Entertainment” or the “Company”) today announced that Barb Williams, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, will be retiring from Corus Entertainment effective October 31, 2018, following the launch of another set of powerful fall schedules across Global and the Company’s many specialty television channels.

Since joining Corus Entertainment as part of the Company’s acquisition of Shaw Media on April 1, 2016, Ms. Williams has played a key role in the successful integration of the two companies and creating a compelling vision for the future. During her time with Corus Entertainment, Ms. Williams has also led and developed a strong and highly experienced leadership team, all of whom are now well positioned to lead the business into the future. As a result, Corus Entertainment will not be replacing the role of Chief Operating Officer.

Ms. Williams, a widely recognized and long-time leader in Canada’s broadcast industry, will be celebrated on November 8, 2018, with a Hall of Fame award for lifetime achievement from the Ontario Association of Broadcasters.

About Corus Entertainment Inc.
Corus Entertainment Inc. (TSX: CJR.B) is a leading media and content company that creates and delivers high quality brands and content across platforms for audiences around the world. The company’s portfolio of multimedia offerings encompasses 44 specialty television services, 39 radio stations, 15 conventional television stations, a global content business, digital assets, live events, children’s book publishing, animation software, technology and media services. Corus’ roster of premium brands includes Global Television, W Network, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network Canada, HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, HISTORY®, Showcase, National Geographic, Q107, CKNW, Fresh Radio, Disney Channel Canada, YTV and Nickelodeon Canada.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

Global announces coast-to-coast casting tour details for Big Brother Canada

From a media release:

The search continues Canada! Pack a bag and set an alarm as Global announces details for the Big Brother Canada Season 7 national casting tour beginning with a two-city stop in Vancouver and Halifax on Saturday, October 13. Hopeful Canadians 19 years of age and older can head to one of the below locations or can continue to apply online at BigBrotherCanada.ca until October 28.

BIG BROTHER CANADA CASTING TOUR:

Saturday, October 13:
· Vancouver – The Bourbon, 50 W Cordova St., from Noon to 3 p.m.
· Halifax – HFX Sports Bar, 1721 Brunswick St., from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Thursday, October 18:
· Winnipeg – Polo Park Shopping Centre, upper level between Spencer’s Gifts and Lucky Brand Jeans, 1485 Portage Ave., from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
· St. John’s – Sundance Kitchen + Deck + Bar, 30 George St., from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
· Kelowna – Dakodas Sports Bar, Pub & Grill, 1574 Harvery Ave., from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Saturday, October 20:
· Saskatoon – Cathedral Social Hall, 608 Spadina Cres. E, from Noon to 3 p.m.
· Calgary – Cowboy’s Night Club, 421 12 Ave SE, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
· Montreal – BLVD44, 2108 Blvd. St-Laurent, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Saturday, November 17
· Toronto – Corus Entertainment, 25 Dockside Dr., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

NOTE: Casting tour dates are subject to change – please visit BigBrotherCanada.ca for updates.

For additional casting information, including a complete list of rules and eligibility, visit BigBrotherCanada.ca.

Airing exclusively on Global in the 2019 broadcast season, Big Brother Canada plucks a group of hand-picked strangers from their homes, sequesters them from the outside world, and places them inside a house outfitted wall-to-wall with cameras and microphones that capture their every move. Competing for a grand cash prize, the houseguests battle in a series of challenges each week that empower or punish them, voting each other out until the fate of the final two is decided by a jury of fellow houseguests.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

Iron Chef Canada reigns supreme on October 17

From a media release:

Allez Cuisine! Today, Food Network Canada unveiled its exceptional culinary cast and premiere date for the great white north’s Iron Chef Canada (10×60), set to debut on October 17 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. At the helm is Canadian television personality, accomplished food writer and trained culinary expert Gail Simmons as host, critically acclaimed food critic Chris Nuttall-Smith as floor reporter and Vancouver-native Jai West as the dynamic chairman. The final two Iron Chefs slated to command the competition include Ottawa-born vegetarian chef and owner of award-winning New York City restaurant Dirt Candy, Amanda Cohen, and prominent Vancouver-based chef and Culinary Director of Cactus Club, Rob Feenie – both former Iron Chef America competitors. Chefs Cohen and Feenie join previously announced Canadian Iron Chefs, Hugh Acheson, Lynn Crawford and Susur Lee.

In every episode, Monogram appliances elevate the head-to-head battles between the Iron Chefs and notable chef competitors in the finely crafted Monogram kitchen stadium. Each has 60 minutes to prepare five dishes using a featured “secret ingredient” and the chef with the highest score from the rotating judging panel wins the epic battle and supreme bragging rights. Stay tuned for more information on which Canadian chef competitors are lined up to compete this fall.

Learn more about the cast of Iron Chef Canada:

Gail Simmons, Host, @gailsimmonseats
Gail Simmons is a trained culinary expert, food writer, and dynamic television personality. Born and raised in Toronto, Ont., Gail moved to New York City in 1999 to attend culinary school at the Institute of Culinary Education. Gail has lent her expertise as a permanent judge on Bravo’s Emmy-winning series Top Chef and was named the #1 Reality TV Judge in America by the New York Post. Gail’s first book, a memoir titled Talking With My Mouth Full, was published in 2012. Her first cookbook, Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating, was released in 2017 and was nominated for an IACP award for “Best General Cookbook.” Gail writes a monthly column for Food & Wine magazine and works closely with the country’s top culinary talent on events and initiatives. In 2016, she received the Award of Excellence by Spoons Across America, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating children about the benefits of healthy eating. She is an active board member and supporter of City Harvest, Hot Bread Kitchen, Common Threads, and the Institute of Culinary Education.

Chris Nuttall-Smith, Floor Reporter, @cnutsmith
Chris Nuttall-Smith is editor-in-chief and founder of thetaster.ca, a subscription site for trustworthy restaurant, food and wine reviews. He’s worked as food editor, chief critic and dining columnist at Toronto Life, restaurant critic for enRoute (he wrote the magazine’s celebrated Canada’s Best New Restaurant list in 2009), and more recently, national food reporter and Toronto restaurants columnist for The Globe and Mail. Nuttall-Smith’s writing on food, drink and other subjects has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Esquire, New York magazine, Toro and Lucky Peach, as well as on the podcast The Fridgelight, which he created and hosted. He’s also a resident judge on Food Network Canada’s Top Chef Canada.

Jai West, Chairman, @monsieurwest
Born in Vancouver, B.C., Jai West began his acting career in his teens as a series regular on the popular teen show Kidzone. He also had many roles on TV and film in the U.S. and Canada including guest appearances in Highlander, The Odyssey and 21 Jump Street and more. In Japan he has starred in high-grossing films such as Worst Contact, Bus Panic and Private Detective Mike. In 2004, Jai took on a key role in the Japanese box office hit Survive Style 5+ the directorial debut of creative duo Tada Taku and Sekiguchi Gen. Jai has also received praise for the poetry he creates under the pseudonym ‘Lotus Chamelion’. In 2016, Jai was cast as the lead opposite Dree Hemingway and Pamela Anderson in the psychological thriller The People Garden directed by Canadian filmmaker Nadia Litz.

Amanda Cohen, Canadian Iron Chef, @dirtcandynyc
Amanda Cohen is the chef and owner of Dirt Candy, an award-winning vegetable-only restaurant on New York City’s Lower East Side. Born in Ottawa and raised in Toronto, Ont. Cohen moved to New York to attend university and never left. Dirt Candy was the first vegetable-focused restaurant in New York when it opened in 2008. The restaurant’s original 18-seat location was open for six years and during that time became the first vegetarian restaurant in 17 years to receive two stars from the New York Times, was recognized by the Michelin Guide five years in a row, and won awards from Gourmet Magazine, the Village Voice, and others. Cohen was the first vegetarian chef to compete on Iron Chef America and her comic book cookbook, Dirt Candy: A Cookbook, is the first graphic novel cookbook to be published in North America.

Rob Feenie, Canadian Iron Chef, @cactusclubcafe
Rob Feenie is currently the Culinary Director of Cactus Club based in Vancouver, B.C. Feenie grew up in Burnaby and graduated from the Dubrulle Culinary Institute. Feenie began his career as a sous chef in notable restaurants such as Le Crocodile and Cherry Stone Cove in Vancouver, and The Rim Rock Café in Whistler. He trained with Chef Emile Jung at Au Crocodile and Chef Antoine Westermann at Le Buerehiesel, both Michelin three-star rated restaurants in Alsace, France. Feenie went on to open his own restaurant, the internationally celebrated Lumière, in Vancouver, followed by Lumière Tasting Bar and Feenie’s. On Food Network Canada, Feenie hosted the series New Classics with Chef Rob Feenie and in 2005, he became the first Canadian to win Iron Chef America by defeating Chef Masaharu Morimoto. Feenie has written four cookbooks and is a two-time Vancouver Gold Medal Plates winner. He has received the coveted Relais Gourmand and Traditions et Qualité designations, the Mobil Travel Guide four-stars designation and the AAA Five Diamond Award.

To learn more about the series, Canadian Iron Chefs, catch behind the scenes content and watch episodes online after they premiere, visit www.foodnetwork.ca.

Food Network Canada is available on a National Free Preview for the month of October. Please check local listings for additional details.

Iron Chef Canada is produced by Proper Television in association with Corus Entertainment’s Food Network Canada and based on the original ‘Iron Chef’ Series Produced by Fuji Television Network, Inc.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail