Tag Archives: Discovery

Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Production underway on Season 2 of Discovery’s original Canadian series Heavy Rescue: 401

From a media release:

Discovery today announced production is underway on a second season of its new, smash hit original Canadian series, HEAVY RESCUE: 401. With the Season 1 finale scheduled to premiere tomorrow night (Feb. 28) at 10 p.m. ET on Discovery, the network has confirmed 10 brand new episodes are already in production for broadcast in early 2018.

Debuting last month to a premiere episode audience of more than 760,000 total viewers, HEAVY RESCUE: 401 became the most-watched premiere in the network’s 22-year history. In all, nearly 3.5 million unique viewers – or one in 10 Canadians – tuned in to the first episode. To date, the series has an average audience of 627,000 viewers in its premiere timeslot.

Produced by Thunderbird Entertainment’s factual arm and the creators of Discovery’s HIGHWAY THRU HELL, Great Pacific Media, HEAVY RESCUE: 401 follows multiple major tow operators, rescue, and maintenance crews day and night along North America’s most intense stretch of highway, Highway 401. With the support of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, York Regional Police, maintenance contractors, and several other organizations, the series features the men and women who keep Ontario’s 400-series highways operating at any cost.

More than 300 people work on the production of HEAVY RESCUE: 401. The series is made possible with the support of the Ontario government’s film tax credit program, and the Canada Media Fund.

HEAVY RESCUE: 401 is produced by Great Pacific Media (a Thunderbird Company) in association with Discovery. Executive Producer is Mark Miller and Blair Reekie. The series producer is Todd Serotiuk.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Discovery Teams Up Simcha Jacobovici and James Cameron in Original Documentary ATLANTIS RISING

From a media release:

Award-winning Israeli-Canadian director, producer, and investigative journalist Simcha Jacobovici along with Oscar®-winning Canadian filmmaker and deep sea explorer James Cameron join forces with Discovery to solve the mystery of the lost city of Atlantis in the new original Canadian documentary ATLANTIS RISING, premiering March 12 at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT on Discovery.

Searching for answers about one of the world’s most impactful literary mysteries that has captured imaginations for millennia, the one-hour special asks: where was the port city located that Greek philosopher Plato wrote about in 4th century BC? Was there really an advanced civilization there? Who were the true Atlanteans? And what disaster wiped them from the face of the earth?

In a follow-up to Discovery’s hit 2011 film FINDING ATLANTIS, the new special takes viewers on a journey of exploration to ancient sites across the Mediterranean. Scouring land and sea in search of clues, the investigation discovers new evidence suggesting the legend of Atlantis is much more than an ancient myth.

This epic search across the Mediterranean moves from the islands of Santorini, Malta, and Sardinia to the plains in Southern Spain and the Azores of Portugal, comparing theories based on literature.

ATLANTIS RISING is shot in stunning 4K UHD on land and in 6K resolution underwater, often using an advanced camera movement system for a steadicam effect. The combination of the camera movement system, underwater footage, and aerial drone photography results in a breathtaking and unique viewing experience.

ATLANTIS RISING is produced by Associated Producers, in association with Discovery and National Geographic Channel. Executive Producers are James Cameron and Yaron Niski. Producers are Simcha Jacobovici and Felix Golubev.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Mighty Cruise Ships sails into Season 2 with drama and extravagance

You have to admire Exploration Production Inc.’s, track record. Discovery’s in-house production company is responsible for some of the most engaging—and highly rated—series on specialty television. They’re not only the folks behind Daily Planet, Megaspeed, Forensic Factor and Factory City but the “Mighty” series, including Mighty Ships and Mighty Trains.

Pulling away from Discovery’s dock on Sunday is Season 2 of Mighty Cruise Ships, which aims to spotlight the most outrageous, expensive and exciting cruise ships sailing around the world. The first episode features a stunner: the Carnival Vista. The largest in the Carnival fleet, the ship cruises the Mediterranean with more than 4,600 passengers, and crew of 1,400 in almost 2,000 staterooms. There are 10 restaurants, a 140-metre long slide, IMAX theatre, brewery and—astoundingly—the first-ever suspended bike loop that allows guests to ride 46 metres above the sea. Carnival Vista truly is a small city on the sea, and that comes with positives and negatives.

What has always impressed me about the Mighty series of programs is the unrestricted access they get not only to staff but the nooks and crannies of the things they’re exploring. With just a few hours to do it, the crew successfully completes a turnaround in Greece, offloading previous passengers and their luggage, cleaning, refreshing and loading new passengers, luggage and supplies for the next 10-day voyage. That means cleaning tons of laundry, overseeing 350 pallets of food … and getting out of port on time.

Not everything goes well. Mere moments after beginning the voyage there is an emergency that shows just how nimble a massive ship and its crew can be when called upon.

Upcoming weeks of Mighty Cruise Ships focus on Royal Clipper, Viking Sea, Europa 2, Ocean Endeavour and MSC Divina.

Mighty Cruise Ships airs Sundays at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on Discovery.

Image courtesy of Bell Media.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

The Pressure is On to Find the Elusive, Million-Dollar Boulder as JADE FEVER Digs into Season 3, March 7 on Discovery

From a media release:

It’s a new year with a new business partnership and challenging mining site that puts Claudia and Robin Bunce’s jade mining expertise to the test in an all-new season of JADE FEVER. Over a six-week period, viewers across Canada can catch a double dose of the Bunce’s exciting, high-stake search with weekly back-to-back episodes of JADE FEVER airing Tuesdays at 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. ET/7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. PT beginning March 7 on Discovery. Season 3 of the original Canadian series follows the intense adventures of the Bunce family as they gamble in search of million-dollar boulders of jade in Northern B.C.’s Cassiar Mountains.

With the same dreams and passionate ambitions driving the past two seasons, Season 3 of JADE FEVER gets off to a promising start when the Bunce family builds a new partnership with Peter Niu, eager to mine fresh jade claims near Wolverine camp. But with boulder after boulder ending in failure, the partnership quickly starts to crumble. The adversity continues when Claudia and Robin learn that part of their campsite is sitting on someone else’s claim, scrambling the Bunce family to activate other claims. Hardship after hardship, the mining season appears to be over, until son Justin and his friend, Mike Mee, come up with a strategy to finish the season off strong. With shifts doubled up and work continuing under lights during the dead of night, it’s a desperate race against time to save the jade mining season.

In its Season 2 debut, JADE FEVER reached a total of six million viewers and achieved a 45% increase in total viewers year over year. During its 10 p.m. ET and 10:30 p.m. ET premiere airings, Discovery was the #2 entertainment specialty channel among all key adult demographics.

Episode highlights from Season 3 of JADE FEVER:

“Hard Climb”
Tuesday, March 7 at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT
It’s a new year and Claudia Bunce has a new partner for the season, Peter Niu. The partners are finally able to finalize a deal which will allow them to mine a new site near their camp at Wolverine. The new jade camp is located up a long trail to the mountain, making for a bone-jarring climb. Claudia’s patience is tested as, for the first time, she’s in the driver’s seat of a 60-ton rock truck heading up the treacherous trek. And if the journey wasn’t stressful enough, one of the excavators catches fire.

“Breakdowns and Meltdowns”
Tuesday, March 7 at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT
The Bunces struggle to lead their crew and equipment across rivers and over boulder-strewn paths to reach their jade camp at Wolverine. On the trip, Claudia has a meltdown while driving the rock truck. Meanwhile, crew member Gary runs out of gas and finds himself stranded in the middle of nowhere.

“Digging In”
Tuesday, March 14 at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT
The Bunces set up a new mining camp in hopes of impressing their urbanite business partners. At the same time, tempers soar when Claudia and Robin clash with their son Josh while unloading some platforms. Later, the first few days of mining don’t offer much hope for the rest of the season until crew member Guy Marital makes a stunning discovery. Then, Marital struggles to make it into the Wolverine camp with the excavator.

“Cutting Crew”
Tuesday, March 14 at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT
The first boulder of the season proves challenging to get back to camp. Once the Bunces and their crew finally get it there, Claudia and her new partners disagree on the best way to cut it. Later, Robin and his newly first aid-trained son Josh clash over camp safety procedures. But when Claudia injures herself, Josh springs into action.

Subscribers can access live streaming of JADE FEVER and catch up Seasons 1 and 2 through the Discovery GO app.

JADE FEVER is produced by Omnifilm Entertainment in association with Discovery Canada. David Gullason is Executive Producer and Series Producer; Executive Producer is Gabriela Schonbach. Bruce Glawson is Executive Producer for Discovery Networks.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Discovery’s Mighty Cruise Ships sets sail with a new season on February 12

From a media release:

Discovery’s original Canadian series MIGHTY CRUISE SHIPS embarks on its second season voyage, Sundays at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT beginning Feb. 12 on Discovery and the Discovery GO app. Produced by Discovery’s in-house production unit, Exploration Production Inc. (EPI), the visually stunning, six-episode series features unprecedented access to billion-dollar, cutting-edge, opulent vessels that sail passengers away to high seas luxury.

From the newest and largest cruise ship in its fleet able to accommodate more than 4,600 guests, to a vessel that is referred to as “a boutique hotel at sea”, and a ship able to navigate down the tightest of passages to remarkable places, MIGHTY CRUISE SHIPS takes viewers to some of the world’s most extraordinary hotspots. The series also goes behind the scenes of these seafaring marvels to reveal the high-stakes, behind-the-scenes navigational and technological challenges aboard the floating state-of-the-art vessels.

A true Canadian success story, MIGHTY CRUISE SHIPS is distributed to 160 countries worldwide by EPI’s distribution arm, Exploration Distribution Inc. – the international distributor for all of EPI and Bell Media programs.

Sailing to the world’s most blissful nautical hotspots, MIGHTY CRUISE SHIPS journeys to exotic ports in old world Mediterranean cities including Rome, Athens, Venice, and Barcelona; the challenging but breathtaking high Arctic; the rugged coastlines of Norway and Scotland; and for the first time, to the Caribbean.

Episode highlights from Season 2 of MIGHTY CRUISE SHIPS:

“Carnival Vista”
Sunday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Carnival Vista is the new flagship for one of the world’s largest cruise lines. It can carry more than 4,600 passengers and boasts 10 restaurants, nearly 2,000 staterooms, and a crew of 1,400 ready to tend to their guests’ every need. The top deck features Carnival’s largest waterpark at sea with a 140 metre-long slide, and a first-ever suspended bike loop that allows guests to pedal 46 metres above the sea.

“Royal Clipper”
Sunday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Royal Clipper is the largest sailing cruise ship in the world, with five masts that soar 58 metres high, supporting 42 sails carrying the ship to a speed of 17 knots. With a ratio of one crew member for every two guests, the Royal Clipper offers the epitome of pampered service. On this ship, adventure is written on the wind.

“Viking Sea”
Sunday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Viking Sea is the second ocean-going vessel launched by the owners of Viking River Cruises. Reviews for the first cruise ship were stellar, but each ship – and each voyage – is a new test. No casinos, bumper cars, or discos on this ship – just fine food, dramatic destinations, and sublime Scandinavian décor making Viking Sea one of the most beautiful cruise ships in the world.

“Europa 2”
Sunday, March 5 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Life aboard Europa 2 is all about luxury. That means having plenty of room to relax. The ship offers more space per passenger than any other. There is always a free chaise by the pool or a table available in the restaurant. And the crew caters to every request or whim. A special aerial tour in an exotic port? Done. A surprise beach barbeque to celebrate a family birthday? No problem. The credo on this vessel is simple: “Small ships make big things happen.”

“Ocean Endeavour”
Sunday, March 12 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

With an ice-strengthened hull and a fleet of zodiacs, Ocean Endeavour is the perfect vessel for adventure. A voyage on this ship is not just a cruise…it’s an expedition. In the hands of an experienced staff who are experts in arctic ice, wildlife, and natural history, each trip ashore promises a rugged but enriching experience.

“MSC Divina”
Sunday, March 19 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

MSC Divina is divine – all marble and mirrors, with dramatic lighting and Swarovski crystal staircases. Featuring the best of Mediterranean design and North American convenience, the ship cruises the Caribbean in a style more often associated with ships one-quarter its size. Carrying 4,200 passengers, a cruise on this ship offers the best of Europe on board, with stops at the top ports in the Caribbean.

MIGHTY CRUISE SHIPS is produced by Exploration Production Inc. (EPI), a production house wholly owned by Discovery Canada. Karen McCairley is the Executive Producer. The Series Producer is Richard Martyn. Kelly McKeown is Director of Production.

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