Tag Archives: Mike Holmes

Blue Ant Media ‘Makes it Right’ with its latest original slate for 2024, featuring Holmes on Homes: Building a Legacy

From a media release:

Announced today at Banff World Media Festival, international producer, distributor and channel operator, Blue Ant Media, announced its 2024 original slate for its Canadian specialty TV and global FAST offerings. The slate includes the brand new commission Holmes on Homes: Building a Legacy, featuring the original home renovation pioneer and TV personality, Mike Holmes, in a reboot of his original franchise, this time joined by his son Michael and daughter Sherry. The series will premiere on Cottage Life in Canada and also air on free streaming channel Homeful globally. Also starring on the slate is the new greenlight A Secret to Die For, commissioned for T+E and Total Crime, and Intervention Canada (Season 6), in partnership with A+E Networks, for Makeful. Rounding out the lineup are the two hit returning series, Haunted Hospitals and Mysteries from Above.

Blue Ant Media’s slate is overseen by Sam Linton, VP, Production and Development, Global Media. Blue Ant International will handle pre-sales and licensing opportunities worldwide for several of the original series in the slate.

“Our latest slate delivers on Blue Ant Media’s commitment to commission universally relevant and compelling original series for our Canadian speciality TV and global free streaming channels. Our new original series with Mike Holmes is a great example of home reno programming that will resonate with the extensive fanbase Mike has grown over the last 20 years,” says Carlyn Staudt, Head of Commissioning, Global Media, Blue Ant Media. “Banff is the perfect backdrop to announce these new projects, as we take great pride in working with our production partners to bring premium content to global audiences.”

Cottage Life/Homeful
Holmes on Homes: Building a Legacy (6×60’; HD)
Producer: The Holmes Group
World broadcast premiere scheduled for Cottage Life in spring 2024 during free preview. Series will also become available on Homeful in the US in 2024

After a lifetime of helping homeowners in need, Mike Holmes still has some unfinished business. Blue Ant’s new highly-anticipated original series will see Mike go back to his roots, alongside his son and daughter Michael and Sherry, to secure his legacy of ‘making it right’ in Holmes on Homes: Building a Legacy (6×60’; HD). From renovations gone wrong by crooked or incompetent contractors to worthy homeowners in need of a life changing renovation, each hour-long episode sees the Holmes trio roll up their sleeves and continue the work that cemented Mike as a household name across North America. Blue Ant International handles pre-sales and licensing opportunities worldwide.

Cottage Life
Mysteries from Above, Season 3 (8×60’; HD)
Producer: Saloon Media, a Blue Ant Media company

World broadcast premiere is scheduled for spring 2024 on Cottage Life in Canada during the channel’s nationwide free preview.

Renewed for a third installment is Cottage Life’s popular original series, Mysteries from Above. The series takes to the skies to unlock Earth’s greatest mysteries and dramatically change how we see the world. From the vantage points of drones, satellites, and aerial photography, the series explores unique buildings and structures — both natural and man-made, curious creatures and lost ancient civilizations, revealing fascinating insights and never-before-seen footage to the viewers. Mysteries from Above, Season 1 was one of spring 2022’s top 10 primetime series with total viewers, as well as Cottage Life’s core demographic of adults 25-54 and women 25-54. Season 2 is currently airing on Cottage Life. Blue Ant International handles pre-sales and licensing opportunities worldwide.

T+E/HauntTV
Haunted Hospitals, Season 5 (8×60’; HD)
Producer: Sphere Media

World broadcast premiere scheduled for spring 2024 on T+E in Canada during the channel’s nationwide free preview

Scheduled to air on HauntTV in the US, UK and Australia in 2024

Fan-favourite paranormal series Haunted Hospitals is back for a fifth season, recounting the chilling stories of paranormal activity inside hospitals and medical facilities. In each episode, nurses, health care workers and hospital support staff give first-hand accounts of the supernatural encounters. As these personal testimonies unfold, the mysteries behind the troubled souls and hauntings reveal a terrifying reckoning. Season 5 of Haunted Hospitals follows the success from Season 4, which ranked as one of fall 2022’s top 10 primetime series on T+E and outpaced the primetime average with total viewers. Blue Ant International handles pre-sales and licensing opportunities (for Season 5) worldwide.

T+E/Total Crime
A Secret to Die For (10×60’; HD)
Producer: Blue Ant Studios

World broadcast premiere scheduled for fall 2024 on T+E in Canada

Scheduled to rollout on Total Crime in the US at a later date

The series investigates how a person’s secret life can end up costing them their own. A Secret to Die For peels back the layers of the victim’s seemingly happy life to reveal new, dark secrets that family and friends would never have believed. As the missing pieces of the victim’s life come together, new interviewees offer an entirely fresh perspective, concluding with the dramatic revelation of a secret explaining why the victim was killed and identifying the murderer. Blue Ant International handles pre-sales and licensing opportunities worldwide.

Makeful
Intervention Canada, Season 6
Producers: Open Door Co./Insight Productions

Canadian broadcast premiere scheduled for winter 2024 on Makeful in Canada

Blue Ant Media has partnered with A+E Networks to greenlight the sixth season of Intervention Canada, a one-hour documentary series from Open Door Co. and Insight Productions. Based on the critically acclaimed A&E Network series, Intervention, the Canadian format provides an unflinching glimpse at addiction from all sides – including the addict as well as the dreadful toll the addiction takes on their families and friends. Each episode culminates in a dramatic intervention led by a prominent interventionist in which the addicts featured must decide whether or not to accept an offer for a clear path to recovery in one of Canada’s top addiction treatment facilities.

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TV, Eh? Podcast Episode 252: CBC’s fall debuts and returns and Lisa LaFlamme’s new gig

[Editor’s note: After we recorded this, we were reminded that Hudson & Rex returns on Sunday, September 25 on Citytv and Highway Thru Hell returns on Monday, September 26 on Discovery.]

It’s a jam-packed couple of weeks in Canadian TV! As always, Greg and Amy go through debuts and returns on the Canadian TV calendar.

Then, we cover the latest Canadian TV news, including Lisa LaFlamme’s new correspondent role at CityNews; Adrienne Arsenault’s new gigs at CBC News; and Blue ant Media purchasing Mike Holmes’ content library, which will include new TV projects.

This podcast brought to you by San Pellegrino Momenti and The Famous Grouse Scotch Whiskey.

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Blue Ant Media announces purchase of over 200 hours of programming from Mike Holmes’ iconic library of original series and specials

From a media release:

Blue Ant Media – international producer, distributor and channel operator – and The Holmes Group, have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the extensive library of unscripted original series and specials of Mike Holmes, a pioneer in home renovation and one of the highest-rated stars of lifestyle television. The deal gives Blue Ant Media ownership of over 200 hours of programming from the past two decades, including all seasons of Holmes on Homes, Holmes Makes it Right, Holmes Inspection, alongside specials such as Holmes for the Holidays, Holmes in New Orleans and Mike’s Ultimate Garage, among others.

As current licenses expire, the beloved library of programming will launch in FAST exclusively on Blue Ant Media’s new free streaming channel, Homeful, which showcases real estate, design and decor projects that help make a house a home. Over the coming months, audiences in the US and Canada will see Homeful introduce the Holmes content on platforms such as Roku, LG and Xumo. Blue Ant International now holds the distribution rights to Holmes’ catalog, which will debut at Mipcom 2022 this fall.

As part of the new partnership, Blue Ant Media will also commission new original programming with Mike and his kids Michael Holmes Jr and Sherry Holmes, for its Canadian TV platforms and Homeful. More details on this commissioning will be announced in the coming months.

Having earned his place as one of North America’s most trusted contractors, Mike Holmes holds a loyal fanbase amongst audiences and is widely considered the face of the home renovation space. In every Holmes series, the beloved contractor fixes poor construction work while lending his incredible eye for detail and expert advice to guide homebuyers, homeowners, friends, and family into doing it right.

Newly-launched in spring 2022, Homeful features notable real estate, renovation and transformation series with some of the most well-known faces in TV home design. The new deal builds on Blue Ant Media’s already comprehensive library of original and acquired design and decor-inspired programs. The full list of Mike Holmes IP that Blue Ant now owns, includes: Holmes on Homes™ (Seasons 1-7), Holmes Makes it Right (Seasons 1-2), Holmes Inspection (Seasons 1-3), Holmes + Holmes (Seasons 1-2) Holmes for the Holidays, Lien on Me, Best of Holmes on Homes, Holmes In New Orleans, Holmes Family Effect, Holmes 10th Anniversary and Mike’s Ultimate Garage.

Blue Ant Media’s suite of FAST (free, ad-supported streaming TV) channels offer audiences curated, exclusive programming that is free to access on growing platforms like VIZIO WatchFree+, The Roku Channel, Xumo, Samsung TV Plus and PrendeTV. The company’s growing global portfolio of FAST channels include Love Nature, HauntTV, Total Crime, Homeful and HistoryTime.

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CTV original series Holmes Family Effect to premiere following Super Bowl LV, Feb. 7

From a media release:

The Holmes family is set to help local heroes continue to make a difference in their communities in the new CTV Original series HOLMES FAMILY EFFECT, premiering directly following SUPER BOWL LV on Sunday, Feb. 7 at approximately 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on CTV, and the all-new CTV.ca and CTV app. Following the premiere, HOLMES FAMILY EFFECT moves to its regular Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT timeslot beginning Feb. 14 on CTV, and begins streaming Friday, March 12 on Crave.

Starring TV personality and professional contractor Mike Holmes, along with his daughter Sherry and son Michael, the new inspirational series shows the heart, grit, and determination of the Holmes family as they tackle their most important projects to date. Working with people who are making positive impacts in their communities, each episode follows the Holmes family as they surprise these deserving individuals. From a neglected school building to a rundown youth centre, Mike, Sherry, and Michael transform the spaces and help these community heroes so they can continue to make a difference.

As previously announced, Bell Media expanded its partnership with FOX Entertainment completing a deal with the network for their acquisition of HOLMES FAMILY EFFECT, with the series airing on FOX as part of the network’s 2020/21 midseason schedule.

The organizations featured on HOLMES FAMILY EFFECT include Judith Nyman Secondary School (Feb. 7), Solid State (Feb. 14), Working Gear (Feb. 21), and The FORT (March 7).

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It’s a family affair on CTV Life Channel’s Holmes 911

Mike Holmes has made a career out of helping others sort through their construction debacles. Now he’s bringing his son and daughter into the mix.

To be fair, Mike Jr. and Sherry have been part of their father’s renovation empire in many of his past series. But this is the first time they’ve joined their father for a program that feels like the one that put him on the map. And on a new network too. Debuting Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV Life Channel (the rebranded Gusto, if you’re wondering), Holmes 911 recalls Holmes on Homes, the show that started it all (and scored me one of my first cover stories when I worked at TV Guide Canada).

“We’re going back to our roots and I think everyone loved Holmes on Homes,” Sherry says over the phone while cradling her active and vocal baby daughter. “I loved watching Holmes on Homes, and it’s nice to go back and give help to people who really need it.”

Sherry, like her brother Mike (listen to my podcast with him), never intended to join in her father’s quest to “Make It Right,” but once she accompanied him on the job site during television production, she changed her mind.

Two men and a woman look at a hole in a wall.“I did not want to do construction at all,” Sherry admits. “But I think, looking back, I was intimidated. I would do it for fun. On weekends, we would do odd jobs and do work with him. For me, it was just a fun, bonding time with my dad.” It wasn’t until 2009 on Holmes in New Orleans—the two-part Gemini-winner where Holmes and Brad Pitt team to rebuild homes in the city’s Ninth Ward—that Sherry decided to join her father full-time.

But back to Holmes 911. In the first of 12 episodes that focus on five houses, we’re introduced to two families. A weathered roof and odd electrical is just the beginning for a firefighter and his family, which includes his 13-year-old son, Jake, who has had brain surgery. The second home, owned by Bob and Barb, is the watery tale of an insurance claim gone hilariously wrong. In both, Mike, his son (Sherry stayed off-site for the first few episodes because of her pregnancy) and his crew uncover work that is head-scratchingly bad, all-out infuriating and, as always, informative.

“The whole reason my dad wanted to do television was to educate homeowners,” Sherry says. “You can’t stop what other people are going to do and if you run across a shoddy contractor, you want to know what to look for.”

Holmes 911 airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV Life Channel.

Images courtesy of Bell Media.Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail