Tag Archives: Makeful

Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

All-new season of Makeful TV’s Handmade Hotels debuts February 26

From a media release:

Step inside some of Canada’s most creative, inspiring and thoughtfully designed short-term rentals in the all-new season of Handmade Hotels (6×30’). Hosted by renovation specialist and design enthusiast, Katie Herbert, the Makeful original series follows ambitious homeowners who harness their creativity and DIY skills to revamp spaces for short term rentals. Handmade Hotels uncovers hidden gems, from a 1970s-themed chalet to a remote treehouse-inspired cottage and a former refrigerator factory turned high-tech loft, the spaces are as diverse as the holiday goers themselves. Season 2 of Handmade Hotels airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT, starting Feb. 26 on Makeful, during the channel’s eight-week nationwide free preview event, running until April 5.

In every episode, Katie Herbert explores three short-term rentals, each have something different to offer visitors, such as creative ways to accommodate large groups and children, eco-friendly homes, high-tech renovations, resort-style glamping and restored historic homes. The series is packed with unexpected ideas and inventive flourishes.

The first two episodes include:

Episode 1 – Take a Chance
Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 8 p.m. ET/PT
Katie discovers three short-term rentals that have made some big design decisions – with even bigger results. These extraordinary rentals include a bright cottage playhouse in the city filled with vibrant colours and textures, a hundred-year-old farmhouse transformed into a groovy 70’s-themed chalet and two deluxe glamping experiences on a rural farm.

Episode 2 – New Experiences
Wednesday, March 4 at 8 p.m. ET/PT
Katie explores three vacation rentals that let visitors step out of their comfort zone.  First up is a secret communal space in the city where guests can join pop-up concerts and secret dinner parties with local artists. Then, Katie visits a rustic loft above an active barn, where guests can get to know the resident horses. Finally, Katie travels to two off-grid experiments in Tiny Living, including a Scandinavian-themed Tiny Home and a converted silver retro trailer.

Handmade Hotels is produced by Architect-Films, in association with Makeful and distributed globally by Blue Ant Media. Jo Virgo is the Series Producer with Tanya Linton and Mike Sheerin serving as Executive Producers. Brian Quigley is the Director and Ryan West is the Story Editor.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Makeful TV launches Landscape Artist of the Year Canada, a new competition series hosted by Sook-Yin Lee

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From a media release:

Following Sky Arts UK’s best-performing, non-scripted series of all time, Landscape Artist of the Year, the highly-anticipated Canadian adaptation, brings together 18 of the country’s best professional and amateur artists alongside 50 wildcard hopefuls to compete for a chance to be crowned Landscape Artist of the Year Canada (4 x 60’). Hosted by Sook-Yin Lee, the all new original series sees the artists have just four hours to create a landscape masterpiece. The winning artist will not only be crowned Landscape Artist of the Year Canada, but will also walk away with a $10,000 cash prize and will have their artwork on display at the prestigious McMichael Canadian Art Collection – home to some of Canada’s most iconic landscape art. The world broadcast premiere of Landscape Artist of the Year Canada airs Sundays at 9 pm ET/PT, starting February 16, exclusively on Makeful during the channel’s eight-week free preview event running from Feb. 3 to April 5 across Canada.

Each episode of Landscape Artist of the Year Canada travels to breathtaking and truly Canadian backdrops, from Muskoka’s picturesque Lake Rousseau to a rural country farm in Barrie. Two winners from each location will go on to compete in the final. However, these artists aren’t the only ones trying to impress the judges. The competition also sees 50 more artists descend onto each location to try their luck as wildcards, and if any catch the judges’ eye, they too have a chance to compete in the final.

Alongside the host Sook-Yin Lee, the four-part series sees expert judges Marc Mayer, former Director of the National Gallery of Canada, and award-winning artist and educator, Joanne Tod, determine the winners of each location until only one artist remains.

Using their own material and style, the artists have just four hours to create their own rendition of the landscape before them.  From oil paint to acrylic, collage work to mixed media, the artwork is as diverse as the artists themselves.

Landscape Artist of the Year Canada is produced by marblemedia in association with Blue Ant Media and CBC.  Based on the UK format, it is distributed by Banijay Rights, and was originally produced by Storyvault Films. Following the world premiere on Makeful this February, CBC will also air the series later this year.

Meet the 18 chosen artists competing for the title of Canada’s Best Landscape Artist.

Episode 1 – Airing Sunday, Feb. 16 at 9pm ET/PT
Denise Antaya, Kingsville, ON
Laura Zerebeski, Vancouver, BC
Marissa Sweet, Oshawa, ON
Megan Hazen, Toronto, ON
Phil Irish, Elora, ON
Tosh Jeffrey, Toronto, ON

Episode 2 – Airing Sunday, Feb. 23 at 9pm ET/PT
Andrew Cheddie Sookrah, Toronto, ON
Anna Kutishcheva, Oakville, ON
Beckett Pura, York, ON
Colin Davis, North Bay, ON
Deborah Danelley, Winnipeg, MB
Ian McLean, Bright’s Grove, ON

Episode 3 – Airing Sunday, March 1 at 9pm ET/PT
Elzbieta Krawecka, Toronto, ON
Jeff Wilson, Vancouver, BC
Kylee Turunen, Port Alberni, BC
Mackenzie Brown, Edmonton, AB
Nadine Prada, Toronto, ON
Ron Kuwahara, Halifax, NS

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Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Blue Ant Media unveils its 2019/2020 programming slate of new and returning original series

From a media release:

Blue Ant Media unveils its 2019/2020 schedule of new and returning Canadian original productions for some of its most popular channels, T+E, Cottage Life, Smithsonian Channel, and Makeful. Haunting paranormal programming, cottage and outdoor lifestyle series, intriguing documentaries, and creative competition series dominate the schedule, with several programmes available for licensing globally by Blue Ant International. Overseen by Sam Linton, Head of Original Content, Blue Ant Media, the new and returning series start hitting airwaves in fall 2019, with the majority of programs being world broadcast premieres.

Popular paranormal programming dominates T+E’s new slate. New series include Hotel Paranormal (world broadcast premiere), a series that brings encounters with hotel-lurking paranormal entities to life. The previously announced series, The Witches of Salem (Canadian premiere), also joins the schedule as a four-part series about the mass hysteria surrounding America’s 17th-century witch trials. Returning favourites include Haunted Hospitals (season two, Canadian premiere), and Paranormal 911 (season two, Canadian premiere).

The love of all things cottaging and the outdoors feature heavily on Cottage Life’s new programming grid. New series include the previously announced series, Life Below Zero: Canada (world broadcast premiere), the Canadian version of the hit BBC Studios format. Additionally, a new short-form digital web series Cottage Coach (world premiere), sees DIY expert Adam Holman give useful how-to tips with a cottage lifestyle vibe. Returning series include viewer favourite Hope For Wildlife (world broadcast premiere) who is back for an impressive tenth season of rehabilitating animals. Meanwhile, even freakier weather gets the spotlight on season two of The Weather Files (world broadcast premiere).

The honourable way of the samurai leads Smithsonian Channel’s new schedule with the premiere of Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan (Canadian premiere), a new docudrama series that highlights Japan’s Golden Age of the Samurai. Also new is High Maintenance (Canadian premiere), a series that takes a look at the death-defying work of the crews who keep our roads, bridges, and highways safe.

The competition series Landscape Artist of the Year Canada (world broadcast premiere), showcasing the unique work of talented artists who vie for the coveted title, heats up Makeful’s schedule. Handmade Hotels (world broadcast premiere) also returns for a second season of even more creative short-term rentals.

For a full list of programming highlights, please see below.

T+E

New Original Series 

Hotel Paranormal (8×60’; HD) (spring 2020) (world broadcast premiere)
Real-life accounts, dramatic recreations, and expert insight, bring encounters with ghosts to life in this new thrilling series. Every year, millions of people book hotel rooms. But most are unaware that some hotels hold dark secrets connected to a tragic past. Get shivers as guests and staff alike recall their spooky occurrences on camera. Produced by Saloon Media, part of Blue Ant Studios. Distributed by Blue Ant International.

The Witches of Salem (4×60’; HD) (October 2019) (Canadian broadcast premiere)
The Salem Witch Trials is one of the most gripping real-life dramas in history. It began in February 1692. A group of young girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts, claimed to be possessed by the devil. Then, they started accusing local women of witchcraft. In just 220 days, 200 were accused and 20 were executed. It was a period of mass hysteria that opens a window into the darkest side of human nature. This four-part documentary series draws on historical documents and court records to bring this gripping drama to life. Sociologists, psychologists, and cultural historians also illustrate how communities are susceptible to the same hysteria today. Produced by Saloon Media, part of Blue Ant Studios, in association with Talos Films, Travel Channel, and T+E. Distributed by Blue Ant International. (previously announced)

Returning Series 

Haunted Hospitals (season two; 13×60’; HD) (winter 2020) (Canadian broadcast premiere)
Hear the chilling stories of paranormal activity inside hospitals, nursing homes, and morgues. In each episode, doctors, nurses, and patients give first-hand accounts of the supernatural, such as deceased patients who come back from the grave. Dead doctors who insist on tending to their patients. Spirits who stalk corridors to warn of impending danger. As the personal stories unfold, the mysteries behind the troubled souls and hauntings become more alive than ever. Produced by Bristow Global Media.

Paranormal 911 (season two; 13×60’; HD) (spring 2020) (Canadian broadcast premiere)
Each year, first responders rush to over 250 million 911 calls in North America. But what happens when these emergencies lead to paranormal encounters? Find out in season two of Paranormal 911. Hear the first-person accounts of first responders who came face-to-face with the supernatural. Produced by Bristow Global Media.

COTTAGE LIFE

New Original Series

Life Below Zero: Canada (8×60’; HD) (spring 2020) (world broadcast premiere)
Long, dark, frozen winters. Sweltering, bug infested summers. Canadians who live ‘off the grid’ grapple each day with limited means to find food, water, and shelter. Life Below Zero: Canada captures the rugged day-to-day trials of Canadians who live in the remote Canadian north. Find out how they survive in the most unforgiving environments using various means, from makeshift problem solving to traditional survival skills. This is the Canadian version of the hit BBC Studios format Life Below Zero. Life Below Zero: Canada is produced by Saloon Media, part of Blue Ant Studios. (previously announced.)

Cottage Coach (digital series; 6×7’) (fall 2019) (world premiere)
Cottagelife.com DIY expert Adam Holman coaches viewers on how to tackle cottage issues in this exclusive new short-form series. From fixing a broken pipe to replacing a rotten deck board, each episode offers essential tips. And in true cottage lifestyle form, Adam mixes in some fun in the process. Fishing anyone?

Returning Series

Hope For Wildlife (season 10; 10×60’; HD) (summer 2020) (world broadcast premiere)
Fan-favourite wildlife advocate Hope Swinimer and her team are back. This season, the team continues to rescue animals in need. They use her Halifax-based wildlife refuge to rehabilitate them. Once they are strong enough, the team releases the animals back into the wild. Produced by Arcadia Content. Distributed by Blue Ant International.

The Weather Files (season two; 8×60’; HD) (spring 2020) (world broadcast premiere)
This season of The Weather Files puts the most unusual and freakish weather on the planet in the spotlight. First-person testimony and actual footage combined with scientific insight give viewers an in-depth and up-close and personal look at the dangers of extreme and unusual weather. Produced by Saloon Media, part of Blue Ant Studios. Distributed by Blue Ant International.

SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL 

New Original Series

Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan (6×60’; HD) (winter 2020) (Canadian broadcast premiere) This series follows the life of legendary samurai, Date Masamune, an iconic figure, known as the One-Eyed Dragon, who fought alongside the three founding fathers of Japan. Together, these warlords led fierce armies of samurai against each other to unite the nation. This series brings this extraordinary era to life. It shows how powerful warriors, master swordsman, and lethal ninjas came together in deadly battles to create Japan’s golden age of the Samurai, a period that still resonates today. Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan is produced by Cream Productions.

High Maintenance (8×60’; HD) (winter 2020) (Canadian broadcast premiere)
From subways to bridges to power dams, High Maintenance is about the hard-working crews who do the death-defying work to keep these structures safe. The series features engineering feats including the Sir Adam Beck Hydroelectric Generating Stations in Niagara Falls, the Montreal Metro, and the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway in California. Each episode profiles two such structures or systems – and the brave, behind-the-scenes workers who run them. Co-produced by Frantic Films and Kew Media Distribution.

MAKEFUL 

New Original Series

Landscape Artist of the Year Canada (4×60’; HD) (winter 2020) (world broadcast premiere)
Professional and amateur Canadian artists vie to win the title of Landscape Artist of the Year in this new Makeful competition series. Each episode features a different landscape painting challenge. Expert judges determine the winner of each competition until the best landscape artist remains. Time-lapse segments ensure viewers don’t miss any of each artist’s progression from blank canvas to finished work. Based on the UK format distributed by Banijay Rights and originally produced by Storyvault Films. Landscape Artist of the Year Canada is produced by marblemedia. (Previously announced.)

Returning Series 

Handmade Hotels (season two; 6×30’; HD) (spring 2020) (world broadcast premiere)
Viewers get to peek inside even more unique and charming short-term rentals in season two of this series with host and professional house flipper, Katie Herbert. In each episode, Katie explores three unique spaces that showcase the creativity of homeowners and give viewers inspiration on how they can add artistic touches to their own homes. Produced by Architect Films. Distributed by Blue Ant International.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: Makeful’s Handmade Hotels explores luxury rentals

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Unless I’m travelling for work, I refuse to stay in a hotel. I much prefer Airbnb for the convenience, homeyness and prices to what hotel chains offer. And, after watching Handmade Hotels, Katie Herbert has opened my eyes when it comes to booking a hotel for a group.

Debuting Tuesday with back-to-back episodes at 10 and 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on Makeful, Herbert takes viewers on a journey to see a trio of short-term rentals designed for larger groups. A renovation specialist who isn’t afraid to think outside the box in her day-to-day gig, Herbert knows a unique design when she sees it. And Handmade Hotels has plenty to offer when it comes both whimsy and wow factor.

After a bit of a history lesson—short-term rentals date back to boarding houses of the 19th century when workers and their families came to the city and needed somewhere to stay when they weren’t on the job—Herbert visits the first location, a home dating from 1880. After renovating it for her family, homeowner Abigale now offers it as a short-term property for up to nine guests. One of the unique and eye-catching items in the property is a clawfoot tub in the kitchen with a very cute story behind it. As Herbert says, that tub is just the type of item to garner attention when folks search online for somewhere to stay and makes for a great conversation piece.

Herbert’s next stop is a 6,000-foot place, The Darling Mansion, that can easily host 10. Among the highlights in Tanya’s former doctor’s home turned art spaces are antiques and visual curiosities, a room called “The Opium Den” with open shower, and “The Magic Carpet Ride,” boasting a bed suspended from the ceiling.

Upcoming instalments spotlight hidden rooms, eco-friendly homes, tiny homes and historic properties, all part of the short-term rental market.

Handmade Hotels is the latest original production from Blue Ant Media and it’s the perfect fit to a brand offering great homegrown shows like Blown Away, Great Canadian Cottages and Brojects. I’m looking forward to seeing more.

Handmade Hotels airs Tuesdays at 10 and 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on Makeful.

Images courtesy of Blue Ant Media.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: Makeful’s Blown Away celebrates gorgeous glass creations

There are a plethora of competition shows on television. Some involve folks racing around Canada, while others feature people cooking intricate recipes. Even more spotlight everyday Canadians making clothing or living together in the same abode for weeks on end. I thought I had seen everything the competition genre had to offer.

And then came Blown Away.

Debuting Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Makeful—during the specialty network’s free preview—Blown Away pits 10 professional glass blowers against one another. The grand prize? A residency at the world-renowned Corning Museum of Glass in upstate New York. It’s one heck of an interesting twist on the reality genre and, from the get-go, a lot of fun to watch.

According to Blown Away‘s host, YouTube star Nick Uhas, glass blowing dates back to Roman times. Not a lot has changed since then: a furnace is heated to thousands of degrees and a gob of molten glass is attached to a tube. Once affixed, air is blown into the blob, which expands. But Blown Away isn’t about who makes the roundest sphere of glass. It’s about intricacy and creativity. The set—called “The Hot Shop”—is expansive and there are obvious safety issues here. High temperatures and working with glass means there is always a chance someone could get hurt. I imagine the producers, marblemedia, had cartons and Band-Aids and pump bottles of Polysporin at the ready.

The 10 competitors vying for the title, and $60,000 US, are a mixture of glass artists, visual artists, sculptural artists and people who worked in the medium in their pasts. Aside from the competition itself, Blown Away is an education into the glass blowing industry for a newbie like me. The job of different tools, punties, annealers and—ahem—personal glory holes are all explained along the way, as is the science and timing involved in adding colour to glass and the myriad ways to shape it. Gravity, heat and cold all play important parts too.

In Wednesdays debut, the competitors are tasked with using six hours to create something that is a snapshot of who they are. For 22-year-old Edgar, that means showing how small we really are in this world. For Kevin, it’s recreating a surfing experience and the calm he feels doing that. For Momo, it’s thanking those who have helped her on her life journey with a classic glass piece. With renowned glass blower Katherine Gray as the show’s resident judge, alongside guest judge Chris Taylor, executive director at Pilchuck Glass School, the 10 present their creations.

The direction, camera work and cinematography is top-notch on Blown Away. Glowing furnaces and dancing sparks are contrasted by the inner glow of molten glass, and the gleam of a sweaty arm or a finished piece of art. It’s a truly visual, educational and inspiring series I can’t wait to see more of.

Blown Away airs Wednesdays t 9 p.m. ET/PT on Makeful.

Images courtesy of Blue Ant Media.

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