Tag Archives: History

History hit drama series Vikings marks its final season with a powerful two-hour premiere on Dec. 4

From a media release:

HISTORY’s hit drama series Vikings returns for its sixth and final season with a highly anticipated and powerful two-hour premiere kicking off Wednesday, December 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. For the past five seasons the Vikings have explored and conquered the known world, from early raids in England and the fierce battles of the Great Heathen Army to the heart-stopping death of Ragnar (Travis Fimmel), now the epic saga sails to monumental lengths throughout 20 compelling, definitive episodes.

The 20-episode sixth season will air in two parts, beginning with a two-hour premiere on Wednesday, December 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, followed by eight episodes airing every Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HISTORY. The remaining ten episodes of Season 6 are slated to air in 2020. Additionally, series regular Katheryn Winnick is set to helm one episode in Season 6, marking her directorial debut.

Accompanying the series return is an all-new special, Vikings: Worlds at War – with ET Canada, premiering Sunday, December 1 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on HISTORY, with a repeat airing on Global on Wednesday, December 4 at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT. ET Canada’s Carlos Bustamante takes viewers behind-the-scenes of Vikings for a sneak peek at the sixth and final season, including exclusive interviews with the cast and a first-look at the shows new set.

Revenge, drama and chaos closed out the mid-season five finale. Ivar the Boneless (Alex Høgh Andersen), a self-proclaimed God ruling over Kattegat with alarming terror, charged his army into battle against his enemy and brother Bjorn Ironside (Alexander Ludwig). Unleashing a fiery guerilla warfare, the two brothers refused to surrender – blood, pride and the crown weighed too heavily on both of their shoulders. In the final moments, Ivar was forced to flee an imminent fate, disappearing into the darkness and securing Bjorn’s victory. Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick), reborn after experiencing severe delusions from the major love she’s lost, emerged to crown Bjorn as the new rightful king.

Season 6 returns following the battle between brothers which has left Bjorn victorious and a hero to the people who have been under the tyrannical rule of Ivar for so long. As the new leader of Kattegat, Bjorn struggles to fill his late father’s shoes as king, while facing several dilemmas and wrestling with the idea that power overshadows morals. Meanwhile, Ivar, searching for a new path to separate him from his past, is seen traveling along The Silk Road eventually leading him to Russia. He meets his match in Prince Oleg (Danila Kozlovsky), a ruthless and unpredictable Russian ruler, who shocks even Ivar with his merciless actions. While Lagertha has her own agenda – to live a quieter and less public life on her own farm, but new dangers lurk close to home. This season, the Vikings continue to take over Scandinavia as Ubbe (Jordan Patrick Smith) and Torvi (Georgia Hirst) travel to Iceland to uncover the mystery circling around Floki’s (Gustaf Skarsgård) disappearance and Hvitserk (Marco Ilsø) pursues his personal vendetta against Ivar.

Vikings is the critically acclaimed series from creator and sole writer Michael Hirst (Academy Award® winning film Elizabeth and the Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominated series The Tudors) and is a family saga that tells the remarkable tales of the lives and epic adventures of the raiders and explorers of the Dark Ages.

Hirst serves as executive producer along with Morgan O’Sullivan of TM Productions (The Count of Monte Cristo, The Tudors), Sheila Hockin (The Tudors, The Borgias), John Weber of Take 5 Productions (The Tudors, The Borgias), Sherry Marsh, Alan Gasmer, and James Flynn (The Tudors, The Borgias).

Vikings is an international Irish/Canadian co-production by TM Productions and Take 5 Productions. MGM Television serves as the worldwide distributor outside of Ireland and Canada. Vikings is produced in association with Corus Entertainment.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

Salvage Kings reveals the treasures among trash found by Priestly Demolition Inc.

Residents of Toronto will recognize the name Priestly Demolition Inc. The company, which has been around since 1971, specializes in—among many other things—demolition and salvage services to the commercial, industrial, and institutional sectors of the construction industry in Ontario.

I’ve always wondered what goes on the sites marked by Priestly signs. Now, thanks to Salvage Kings, I know.

Debuting Sunday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on History, Salvage Kings—from Media Headquarters, the folks behind Canada’s Smartest Person and Tessa & Scott—gives the award-winning company and its staff a starring role. Priestly Demolition Inc. offers a one-two punch, going in and tearing down anything from a bridge, hospital, mall or industrial complex to an airport or even the CN Tower. But before the demolition can begin, salvaging anything of value happens first. That responsibility falls on Ted Finch, head of salvage, and his four-person team, who are tasked with collecting, sorting and then auctioning and selling items for a profit.

“From the time I was five or six years old, I’ve been interested in old stuff,” Finch says. “I would drag stuff home and refinish it. I’ve been going it my whole life. I’ve been an antique dealer and I’ve known Vic Priestly for 25 years. He just kept telling me to come and work for him.”

In Sunday’s first instalment, Ted and his team, including right-hand man Justin Fortin, descend on Market Village Mall in Markham, Ontario, where they are tasked with unlocking mysterious vault doors, while the demolition team begins its tear down. But while the vault and its mystery may be the big prize, there a lot of little ones collected along the way. Store signs can be sold by the letter, cooling and heating systems cut from ceilings for a profit, or medical equipment rolled away to be snapped up for cash by a feature film set decorator. As with anything in the collectable genre, I’m constantly surprised by what can be given a value … and the folks who are willing to pay for them.

“I like it when people get an appreciation for recycling and history and moving things forward and not just throwing it in the garbage,” Finch says. “There is a lot of waste in this society and it boggles my mind the stuff that people just throw out. It has a lot of life left in it.”

Salvage Kings airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on History.

Image courtesy of Corus Entertainment.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

Corus Studios signs global streaming deal with Netflix for Canadian-original series Rust Valley Restorers

From a media release:

Committed to developing unique content for a global audience, Corus Studios, a division of Corus Entertainment, announced today that Rust Valley Restorers (8×60), will be available worldwide on Netflix on August 23. The series is among the slate of original programming developed by Corus Studios for HISTORY®, representing a strategic move by Corus Studios to complement its robust slate of Lifestyle series by investing further in factual programming. Rust Valley Restorers garnered attention in Canada this past winter ranking among the Top 5 programs on HISTORY*.

Based in the foothills of the Canada’s Rocky Mountains, Rust Valley Restorers profiles the unique car restoration community in the “Rust Valley” and a restoration shop that stands apart from the rest. Led by the shops easily identifiable dreadlocked owner, Mike Hall and his colourful crew transform rusted wrecks into collectible cars. Together they passionately work to return cars to their former glory – sometimes for trade, sometimes for sale, and not always at a profit.

Rust Valley Restorers is produced by Mayhem Entertainment in association with Corus Studios for HISTORY. Corus Studios is represented by Rita Carbone Fleury, who oversees the global sales of Corus’ original content slate and brokered this deal.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

History starts production on Canadian original docu-series Breaking Wild

From a media release:

Corus Entertainment’s HISTORY® in association with Breakthrough Entertainment and Bonterra Productions announce the start of production on the new Canadian-original series Breaking Wild (10×60). The doc-series follows the efforts of fearless indigenous cowboys in B.C.’s pristine Nemiah Valley as they fight together for the survival of wild Qayus horses who roam in their midst. Breaking Wild is currently slated to premiere in Winter 2020 on HISTORY.

Set in the sprawling and secluded paradise of the B.C. interior, the Nemiah Valley is part of the Xeni Gwet’in’s 1700 square kilometers of title lands and home to a growing herd of as many as 1,000 Qayus. These wild horses are among the smartest, strongest, and rarest on the planet. Under the direction of current Chief Jimmy Lulua, the Xeni Gwet’in cowboys continue to draw upon centuries of experience managing the Qayus. Elite competitive rodeo riders including Howard Lulua, Amanda Lulua and Emery Phillips work alongside trusted outsiders and legendary horse trainers Roy Mulvahill and Mike Hawkridge, as well as transplanted American Naval Officer Michael Lares. Together they work to protect the herd from over population, scarcity of resources, and natural predators. Through a multi-camera approach, production of the series provides access to the rarely seen, high-octane lives of modern cowboys. Capturing stories about the unbreakable bond between human and horse as they streak across sweeping plains and over snowcapped mountain peaks.

Breaking Wild is produced in accordance with the Xeni Gwet’in First Nations Government Filming Protocol. The Xeni Gwet’in have appointed community advisers who ensure the cultures, practices, and beliefs of the Xeni Gwet’in are accurately portrayed.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail