Tag Archives: Discovery

Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Andrew Younghusband returns with Discovery’s Canada’s Worst Driver and Tougher Than It Looks?

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From a media release:

Notable host, creative producer, and writer, Andrew Younghusband is taking over primetime television Monday nights! Discovery, Canada’s most-watched entertainment specialty network, continues rolling out its biggest-ever fall lineup with the season premiere of CANADA’S WORST DRIVER, airing Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/PT followed by the network’s newest original Canadian series, TOUGHER THAN IT LOOKS? at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT, beginning Oct. 24.

Discovery introduces TOUGHER THAN IT LOOKS? starring Younghusband as he delves into the toughest jobs, attempts to tackle terrifying heights, extreme sports, small spaces, and strange hobbies. Shot in ultra-vivid 4K UHD, each 30-minute episode finds Younghusband on a mission to tackle wildly different experiences with minimal training, including working as a window cleaner on a dauntingly high skyscraper, wing walking on a bi-plane in mid-air, barefoot water skiing, setting world records, and even racing lawnmowers. Nothing is too scary – or obscure – for Younghusband to try … at least once.

But first, Younghusband is back at the Driver Rehabilitation Centre in Dunnville, Ont., for CANADA’S WORST DRIVER as eight disastrous Canadian drivers take on various challenges behind the wheel in Season 12. CANADA’S WORST DRIVER was Discovery’s most-watched series last season and ranked as the #1 Canadian series on entertainment specialty television among the key adult demos (A25-54 and A18-49). The series also saw a double-digit audience growth among the A25-54 (+15%) and A18-49 (+18%) demos, when compared to its previous season.

This year’s reckless and irresponsible drivers hail from Winnipeg, Edmonton, Hamilton, Ont., Kitchener, Ont., and beyond. Each nominated by a friend or family member, these truly terrible drivers are put through driving challenges in a controlled environment and evaluated by a panel of driving experts: CP24’s Cam Woolley, traffic expert and former OPP sergeant; Philippe Létourneau, a professional high-performance driving instructor; expert driving instructor Tim Danter; and registered psychotherapist Shyamala Kiru.

A first for CANADA’S WORST DRIVER this season, Younghusband examines and compares Canadian driving laws with the customs and driving cultures of other countries, all while administering the series’ trademark tried-and-tested challenges designed to push this year’s driver participants to their limits. Week by week, one driver graduates from the training centre, and merges back on to the open road with their head held high.

The season finale sees the remaining three drivers face the last challenge before one finalist is ultimately named this year’s “Worst Driver”. Viewers can catch up on all previous season finales of CANADA’S WORST DRIVER online now at Discovery.ca. Previous seasons of CANADA’S WORST DRIVER are streaming now on Discovery GO and CraveTV™.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Highway Thru Hell returns for Season 5

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Just like the kids going back to school, September has become the month Highway Thru Hell returns for a new season on Discovery. Still one of the highest-rated series on the specialty channel, Jamie Davis and his crew—and some competitors—hit the icy roads for Season 5.

Returning on Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET, you know what you’re going to get with 13 episodes of Highway Thru Hell: cars and tractor trailers sliding around asphalt and colourful tow truck drivers pulling them out and cleaning up the mess. It takes all of two seconds after the opening credits for Highway Thru Hell to get down to business as truckers are stranded on the Smasher on The Coquihalla highway and request help.

It’s the first storm of the season, and as Al Quiring and Gord Boyd of Quiring Towing explain, it takes that initial dumping to remind everyone how treacherous the highway is in the winter. It doesn’t take long for Al and Gord to turn grumpy, the former over “snow socks” and the latter because of a rookie driver who can’t seem steer straight.

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Images courtesy of Bell Media.

For Jamie Davis, this season is all about changes. In a bid to downsize because of the changing economy, Davis sold the most prized truck in the fleet and aims to spend more time on the road rather than managing people. But will business suffer even more with him away from the office? His first call in Episode 1 is to a truck fire that’s still burning when he arrives and Jamie makes a bold decision to clean up the mess … with help from a familiar face.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Hope, B.C., Jordie Duperon of Mission Towing is called to the scene of a van half-submerged in a river. Along with his brother, Nik, the fourth-generation tow truck drivers want to prove they’ve got the stuff to make their grandfather proud.

Visually, Great Pacific TV’s Highway Thru Hell remains stunning, especially in HD. Davis’ trucks pop against the swirling, snowy backdrop and cameras mounted on drones offer a whole new dimension to filming as they swoop over collision scenes.

Also this season? Viewers get a sneak peek at the Highway Thru Hell spinoff, Heavy Rescue: 401, which focuses on the challenges faced by those tasked with keeping Ontario’s 400 series highways safe.

Highway Thru Hell airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery.

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Frontier

Discovery breaks new ground for fall with new series, specials and first-ever scripted series

From a media release:

– Jason Momoa stars in world debut of hotly aniticipated original Canadian series and Discovery’s first foray into scripted series, FRONTIER –
– Discovery star Andrew Younghusband introduces new series TOUGHER THAN IT LOOKS? –
– Discovery’s fall lineup features five new series including scripted project HARLEY AND THE DAVIDSONS, a three-part miniseries based on a true story about the history of the iconic motorcycle brand –
– New seasons of Top 10 returning series, headlined by Canadian hits HIGHWAY THRU HELL and CANADA’S WORST DRIVER –
– Schedule features debuts of brand-new EPI special DEATH ON A COMET and series MIGHTY TRAINS, plus premiere of original Canadian special BUILDING STAR TREK –

Discovery, Canada’s most-watched entertainment specialty channel, sets course on another #1 season, announcing today its 2016 Fall  lineup*. Discovery breaks new ground this year with its most robust lineup ever, featuring five new series, including the world debut of the network’s first original Canadian scripted drama series FRONTIER (Sunday, Nov. 6 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).

But first, the fall schedule kicks off with the all-new “Boldly Go” theme week on DAILY PLANET (begins Monday, Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT), going behind the scenes to uncover new scientific revelations and technologies in celebration of the Season 22 premiere of the flagship daily science program.

Subscribers can access live streaming of the fall schedule through the Discovery GOapp, and catch up on full seasons of Discovery’s returning series on demand on the Discovery GO app and at Discovery.ca. Discovery GO features the largest Canadian specialty on demand library in Canada.

Starring Jason Momoa, FRONTIER debuts Nov. 6. Beginning Monday, Oct. 24 at 11 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. PT is new series TOUGHER THAN IT LOOKS? starring Andrew Younghusband, following the Season 12 of Discovery’s most-watched series last season among A25-54 and A18-49, CANADA’S WORST DRIVER at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Canada’s most-watched series on entertainment specialty television last season among total viewers (P2+), GOLD RUSH premieres later this fall (date to be announced).

Final data for the 2015/16 broadcast year to-date confirms that Discovery is the most-watched entertainment specialty channel among adult viewers in the key A25-54 and A18-49 demos. Winning three of seven nights per week in primetime among A25-54 viewers, and with more than any other entertainment specialty network, Discovery also claims half of the Top 10 series on entertainment specialty television with CANADA’S WORST DRIVER, GOLD RUSH, HIGHWAY THRU HELL, DEADLIEST CATCH, and ALASKAN BUSH PEOPLE.

Among the highlights from Discovery’s Fall 2016 lineup:

Bold New Series (in chronological order)

MIGHTY TRAINS (Discovery Original Canadian Series)
Sundays at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, beginning Oct. 16
Hosted by intrepid traveller and Space’s INNERSPACE co-host Teddy Wilson, MIGHTY TRAINS joins the lineup of Discovery’s MIGHTY series, riding the rails around the world to follow engineers and conductors as they navigate their way through busy rail yards, vie for priority departures, and deal with the unexpected. Train managers, load-masters, head chefs, track inspectors, rail traffic control officers, and passengers move the audience through an in-depth journey through the fascinating world of rail travel.

TOUGHER THAN IT LOOKS? (Discovery Original Canadian Series)
Mondays at 11 p.m. PT/8 p.m. PT, beginning Oct. 24
From the makers of CANADA’S WORST DRIVER, host Andrew Younghusband delves into the world of terrifying heights, extreme sports, tough trades, small spaces, and strange hobbies. Younghusband’s wild quest takes him into the dangerous, weird, and just plain tough, as he meets people driven by passion, doing jobs and partaking in past-times that often look impossible. In each episode, Younghusband struggles to keep up with the pros and experts as they show him the ropes. With minimal training, Younghusband attempts working as a window cleaner on a dauntingly high skyscraper, wing walking on a bi-plane in mid-air, barefoot water skiing, and racing lawnmowers. Nothing is too scary or obscure for Younghusband to try…at least once.

FRONTIER
Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, beginning Nov. 6 (Discovery Original Canadian Series)
Commissioned by Discovery Canada as its first-ever scripted series, the action-packed and authentic fiction series follows the chaotic and violent struggle to control wealth and power in the North American fur trade of the late 18th century. Rooted in Canadian history and told from multiple perspectives, FRONTIER takes place in a world where business negotiations might be resolved with close-quarter hatchet fights, and where delicate relations between Aboriginal tribes and Europeans can spark bloody conflicts. Starring Jason Momoa (GAME OF THRONES, Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice) along with Alun Armstrong (NEW TRICKS, Braveheart), Landon Liboiron (HEMLOCK GROVE, DEGRASSI), Zoe Boyle (DOWNTON ABBEY, SONS OF ANARCHY), and Allan Hawco (REPUBLIC OF DOYLE) who round out the international cast. The series also introduces Canadian newcomer, Jessica Matten.

Adventurous New Specials (in chronological order)

BUILDING STAR TREK (Discovery Original Canadian Series)
Sunday, Sept. 4 at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT
Marking the 50th anniversary of the iconic series, and following the announcement of Bell Media’s licensing agreement for rights to STAR TREK: EXPLORER and the STAR TREK library in Canada, BUILDING STAR TREK tracks the restoration of the original Starship Enterprise and the unprecedented search for every remaining original part of the original 1966 TV show. The goal of the special: to reassemble the original series bridge around authentic artifacts. Meanwhile, every precious and slightly battered relic discovered in the film becomes a jump off point to tell the incredible stories behind a series that sent popular culture into warp drive. The hour-long BUILDING STAR TREK made its public debut last week during a panel presentation at San Diego Comic-Con.

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HIGHWAY THRU HELL Recap Special (Discovery Original Canadian Series)
Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 8 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT
Jamie Davis reflects on the rocky road that brought him to the fourth season’s dramatic crossroads as viewers get a sneak peek at the twists and turns ahead. In Season 5, the risks for Jamie have never been greater and the wrecks never more extreme. Jamie Davis Towing and his competitor Quiring Towing face epic challenges of their own. Plus, viewers get an update on their favourite drivers and a look behind the cameras at how HIGHWAY THRU HELL is made.

DEATH ON A COMET (Discovery Original Canadian Series)
Friday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT
On the heels of Discovery’s most-watched special to date, JUPITER: CLOSE ENCOUNTER, and following the November 2014 special LANDING ON A COMET: ROSETTA MISSION, Discovery brings viewers its latest real-time space odyssey, anchored by DAILY PLANET’s Dan Riskin. Rosetta, the European Space Agency (ESA)-built spacecraft that took years to conceive and another decade to journey through space, has been travelling alongside its assigned comet for the last two years. Now the mission is coming to an end and the team that poured years into this project must say goodbye. DEATH ON A COMET takes viewers inside the control room as Rosetta ends its six billion-kilometre journey, transmitting one final postcard.

RETURN TO ATLANTIS (Discovery Original Canadian Series)
(Date to be announced)
From Executive Producer James Cameron comes a unique documentary featuring an exploration team assembled to investigate several new theories about the real Atlantis, from its location to its people, and the terrible disaster that wiped it from the planet more than three millennia ago.

DAILY PLANET YEAR IN SCI TECH (Discovery Original Canadian Series)
Friday, Dec. 23 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT
DAILY PLANET closes out 2016 with DAILY PLANET YEAR IN SCI TECH as co-hosts Ziya Tong and Dan Riskin recap the greatest technological feats and scientific breakthroughs of the year. Viewers are invited inside the control room as NASA heads to Jupiter and as ESA’s Rosetta ends a decade-long mission to a comet. From the Hyperloop test track in California to the artificial intelligence labs of Asia and beyond, viewers get an in-depth look at the people, places, and things shaping the future.

Bell Media

Returning Hit Series (in chronological order)

DAILY PLANET (Discovery Original Canadian Series)
Weekdays at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, beginning Monday, Aug. 29
DAILY PLANET’s 22nd season kicks off with its all-new theme week, “Boldly Go”.  Viewers get a front-row seat at the world’s first concert inside a volcano, go deep in Silfra, Iceland – the only place in the world where divers can swim between two continental plates, and watch a rocket launch from a sailing platform in the Baltic Sea. DAILY PLANET also celebrates STAR TREK’s 50th anniversary during “Boldly Go Week” with interviews of the team who dreamed big 50 years ago and brought the series to life.

HOW IT’S MADE (Discovery Original Canadian Series)
Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, beginning Sept. 12
Season 28 explores the manufacturing from handcrafted to factory-made products including everything from cereal, gas tanks, and work boots.

HIGHWAY THRU HELL (Discovery Original Canadian Series)
Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, beginning Sept. 13
Returning for a milestone fifth season on Discovery, HIGHWAY THRU HELL is back and better than ever as it follows the men of Jamie Davis Heavy Rescue as they fight to keep open some of the most economically important, most-travelled – and most-inhospitable – trucking routes in North America. Big changes have blown into Hope, B.C., altering the course of legendary Heavy Rescue Operator Jamie Davis. After expanding his tow business into Alberta’s frozen north two seasons ago, a new reality has set in as Jamie has been forced to simplify his operation and shift his attention back to his mountain base in B.C. where it all began.

CANADA’S WORST DRIVER (Discovery Original Canadian Series)
Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/PT, beginning Oct. 24
Season 12 of perennial favourite CANADA’S WORST DRIVER follows a new group of eight drivers. Each nominated by a friend or family member, these truly terrible drivers are put through their paces in a controlled environment and evaluated by a panel of driving experts. Hosted by Andrew Younghusband, each episode features tried-and-tested challenges designed to push the drivers to their limits. They must master basic training and more advanced techniques before graduating or they will be named Canada’s Worst Driver.

 

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Made by Destruction recycles trash into usable treasures

I’m a big fan of shows like How It’s Made and Food Factory, two programs that go behind-the-scenes to show how all manner of things are created, from everyday items we use to the food we put on our plate.

But while those programs spotlight the creation of things from base materials, Made by Destruction comes at it from a different angle. Created by Toronto’s Yap Films, the folks behind Close Up Kings, Dig WW2 and Battle Factory, Made by Destruction—airing back-to-back episodes beginning Monday on Discovery—takes cast-off items and turns them into something else via recycling.

Mondays debut begins with the lowly photocopier. As technology surges forth in that industry, old models are being broken down to create the most unlikely of objects: trumpets. Sims Recycling Solutions in California goes through the painstaking process of breaking down office-size copies into its component parts.

Using cool CGI and engaging narration, Destruction outlines how defunct machines are shredded to extract the copper hidden in the power supply and motor casings, netting about five pounds of the metal. It’s fascinating to watch how a heavy-duty conveyor belt, series of shredders, magnets and vibrating meshes extracts the minute coils of copper collected, loaded into shipping containers and transported to Olin Brass in Illinois, where the instruments are created. Once there, 70 percent recycled copper is mixed with zinc to make brass cast bars. The bars are transformed into thin sheets, wrapped and sent to S.E. Shires in Massachusetts, where the final product is made.

Other stories featured in the first half-hour show how companies in Denmark and the Netherlands team to transform potatoes into biodegradable egg cartons, and a U.S. company turns empty plastic milk jugs into park benches.

All three stories—and the series overall—show the truly interesting journey old items go through to create new things. I’ll be tuning in.

Made by Destruction airs back-to-back episodes on Mondays at 7 p.m. ET on Discovery.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

New original Canadian series Made by Destruction debuts Monday, July 4 on Discovery

From a media release:

As the saying goes: “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” This old adage rings true for Discovery’s newest original Canadian series MADE BY DESTRUCTION, airing back-to-back episodes on Mondays at 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET beginning July 4. Produced for Discovery Canada by yap films, and in association with Science U.S., the unique series gives viewers the inside scoop on how everyday objects are pulled from the trash, destroyed, transformed by technology, and reborn into new and useable items, exclusively on Discovery.

MADE BY DESTRCUTION reveals the step-by-step process of how commonplace and often dismissed objects are used to create new, useable products in factories all around the world by using innovative technology and inventive design. The series showcases how everyday objects are destroyed and re-manufactured, proving a product’s origin can be just as exciting and interesting as the item itself.

In the first episode, discarded photocopiers are shredded, their copper combined with a dash of zinc, before they are sent to a nearby foundry to be melted into brass. The brass is then heated, melted, and shaped into one of the most iconic musical instruments in the world: the trumpet.

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