Tag Archives: Rust Valley Restorers

Big Time Decent Productions in production on four new unscripted originals, launches new scripted division Bread & Better Films

From a media release:

Vancouver-based production company Big Time Decent Productions has announced that it is in production on four new docuseries and is expanding its unscripted slate to include a feature documentary, an IMAX nature documentary, and a new automotive vertical for YouTube including flagship channels Rust Bros and Wildman Garage. The company has also shared details on the launch of its new scripted division, Bread & Better Films, and a new partnership with Verve Talent and Literary Agency out of Los Angeles.

Big Time Decent Productions is currently in production on new docuseries with Corus Entertainment, as well as Bell Media. Underdog Inc., which has been greenlit by AMI, is a new docuseries following the life of Dale Kristensen, a little person raising a child while running a trucking business in small town BC. The company has also had a fourth docuseries recently greenlit by a Canadian broadcaster with a formal announcement coming soon.

“After a lot of hard work from our talented team, we are thrilled to be announcing some major company milestones. Since our launch in 2020, we have had the incredible opportunity to share fascinating stories of remarkable characters with global audiences through our unscripted content. Off the heels of this success, we look forward to continuing to expand our unscripted offering while ramping up our scripted development slate with Bread & Better Films,” said Matthew Shewchuk, Founder and Head of Production, Big Time Decent Productions. “Despite the overall state of the industry, we’ve experienced steady growth in our first four years and will continue to build on that foundation to position ourselves as a key Canadian content producer.”  

Bread & Better Films, Big Time Decent Production’s new scripted division will focus on developing and producing feature films and scripted series. The new arm launched in partnership with Big Time Decent’s René Brar and Jeff Kinnon. The company is also bringing in industry veteran Robert Vroom as Producer. Vroom has produced a wide range of feature films including Blood Quantum (2019), You Can Live Forever (2022), and several TV movies. Bread & Better Films also welcomes writer, producer, and actor Juliana Wimbles to serve as Development Producer for the new label. Bringing 20 years of industry experience, Wimbles appeared as a regular on ABC’s The Good Doctor (2019) and is a familiar talent with the Hallmark Channel, having written six feature films for the broadcaster.

“We’re incredibly excited to announce the launch of Bread & Better Films and to have Rob and Juliana joining us. Our team has deep roots in the scripted world, and we look forward to expanding that side of the business and building a robust scripted slate together,” said René Brar, Head of Development, Bread & Better Films.

After building a successful foundation in unscripted television, Big Time Decent Productions is diversifying their unscripted offering, producing a feature documentary that will take part in a festival run in the fall, as well as their first IMAX nature documentary targeting a 2025 distribution. Following the enormous success of their highly acclaimed show Rust Valley Restorers (above), the production company is finding innovative ways of bringing automotive programming to a loyal fanbase with a collection of talent-driven YouTube channels, including Rust Bros and Wildman Garage, among others. Together these channels have accumulated over 100 million views across platforms in the first half of 2024.

The company has also signed with Verve Talent and Literary Agency, one of the fastest-growing and most-reputable talent agencies in Los Angeles.

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Corus Entertainment announces 35 greenlights and renewals for its iconic portfolio of specialty networks

From a media release:

Today, Corus Entertainment announced its slate of premium original content for 2021/22 with 35 impressive greenlights and renewals across its powerful portfolio of specialty networks and streaming platforms.

With over 500 hours of content sold this year, Corus Studios, a leading hit-maker in lifestyle and unscripted series in Canada, broadens its worldwide reach and scale with eight new series and 13 returning shows that will debut across Food Network Canada, HGTV Canada, and HISTORY®.

Celebrating 50 years as a world-leading international producer and distributor of children’s animated and live-action content, Nelvana has greenlit four brand new animated series and one returning fan-favourite with more to be announced soon. Nelvana-produced content is distributed in over 180 countries around the world with fresh new series and seasons landing in Canada on Corus’ leading kids’ networks, YTV and Treehouse, later this year.

Beyond Corus Studios and Nelvana, Corus also proudly announces its first-ever original series for Adult Swim with Psi Cops (26×11), while kid-favourite cartoon Toopy and Binoo has been greenlit to return in 2022 as an animated feature film of the same name (1×80).

Stay tuned for more Corus content announcements in the coming weeks including updates across scripted and new pickups for the 2021/22 season. For the latest updates, visit www.corusent.com.

HGTV Canada

The nation’s destination for home renovation and design, real estate and DIY projects, HGTV Canada introduces four new eye-catching Corus Studios series and six returning favourites.

Vibrant, fresh and fun, Styled (Working Title) (8×60), follows the staging and renovation adventures of dynamic design super-duo and BFF’s Nicole Babb and Caffery VanHorne. Then in Trading Up (10×60), Mandy Rennehan, celebrated builder, motivational speaker, blue-collar hero and proud founder and CEO of the women-owned LGBTQ+ business Freshco.ca, focuses on the trades as she mentors deserving apprentices while renovating three extraordinary properties in her hometown of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

HGTV Canada’s trusted coach and contractor, Sebastian Clovis, returns to the network in Gut Job (8×60) with his biggest mission to date – guiding homeowners through the biggest renovations of their lives. In a new spin-off, Scott McGillivray turns the tables and puts his rules to the test on his waterfront cottage in Scott’s Own Vacation House Rules (4×60). The stunt-series will debut alongside with the renewal of his Top 5* HGTV Canada Original series, Scott’s Vacation House Rules, Season 3 (12×60) set to debut in 2022.

The show that keeps on breaking records, Island of Bryan is back for a fourth season. HGTV Canada’s most-watched series in a decade continues to drive audiences beating its own records season after season, and currently primed to be the #1 specialty program this spring as Season 3 continues its run. Season 4 will play out in two parts in F22 (8×60) and F23 (8×60) with the Baeumler family continuing their tumultuous journey in Bahamas as they build and run their resort, plus add-on a whole new property in Florida to renovate.

This fall, the network sees the return of gorgeous transformations in Making it Home with Kortney & Kenny (10×60). Kortney Wilson brings her extensive flipping and real estate expertise to help desperate homeowners renovate their spaces. With keys and budget in hand, she and contractor Kenny Brain (Big Brother Canada), will transform each unloved house into a show-stopper. The #1 new Canadian show on specialty this spring, Rock Solid Builds (10×60) returns for a second season with the charming Randy Spracklin and his dedicated fun-loving team, as they take on historic renos and jaw-dropping builds in the heart of Newfoundland. Breathing new life into spectacular vintage spaces, siblings Carolyn and Billy come back for another season of Farmhouse Facelift (8×60). Canadian original series with fan-favourite brothers Drew and Jonathan Scott return, transforming houses into lifetime treasures in Property Brothers: Forever Home, Season 2 (17×60).

Food Network Canada

Top 10 specialty network this spring, Food Network Canada welcomes seven new and returning mouth-watering Corus Studios Originals as part of its 2021-2022 schedule.

‘The Wall’ has spoken! The exhilarating competition series, Wall of Chefs (10×60), hosted by Noah Cappe, that sees home cooks face off in front of a group of 12 intimidating and well-respected Canadian chefs, returns for a second season. Continuing the competition fever, Corus Studios introduces a deliciously divine spin-off of the series with Wall of Bakers (10×60). A fresh batch of baking series continue with the renewal of Top 10 program on Food Network Canada last spring, Great Chocolate Showdown (8×60), new episodes of The Big Bake (11×60) continue with spectacular, over-sized Halloween and Holiday-themed cakes, and Project Bakeover (10×60), the series that keeps on giving, as renowned pastry chef and entrepreneur Steve Hodge, alongside designer Tiffany Pratt, transforms struggling bakeries across North America into successful businesses.

Host Dylan Benoit invites pit masters and chefs into the arena for a third season of the fiery competition series Fire Masters (Set A 10×60 – F22, Set B 10×60 – F23). The search for the best eats across North America continues with John Catucci’s Big Food Bucket List (14×30) and out-of-bounds amusement park treats return with Noah Cappe on Carnival Eats (13×30).

HISTORY

HISTORY, the #2 specialty entertainment network this spring, sees four invigorating new and returning Corus Studios Originals added to its schedule. Attracting a massive fan-base for its unique approach to restoration, Rust Valley Restorers (6×60), a Top 10 program amongst Men 25-54, comes back for a fourth season. Previously announced, the logging and sawmill team out of Vancouver Island dig in with more high-stake jobs in Big Timber (8×60). New to the schedule is Lost Cars (Working Title) (6×60), where an ambitious team of classic car hunters scour the remote North to recover rare classics fabled to be hiding in the wilderness, before the cars are lost forever to history. Then in Deadman’s Curse (Working Title) (8×60), former MMA fighter Kru Pitt, and young Indigenous explorer Taylor Starr seek out the help of seasoned treasure hunter and mountaineer, Adam Palmer, to finally solve the mystery of Slumach’s lost gold mine. Hidden somewhere in the rugged terrain of the Pacific Northwest, its mysterious location has eluded prospectors for generations — and many have lost their lives searching for it. The treasure hunting threesome may have ancestral connections to the legend and the gold, but extreme weather, unforgiving terrain and a curse all stand in their way.

The network brings Canadian Black History to the forefront with two Canadian originals. This November, Black Liberators WWII (1×90) will shed light on the heroic stories and amazing acts of bravery of Black Canadian soldiers during World War II, who risked their lives for their country while facing racism at home and on the battlefield. Then in a four part series, BLK: An Origin Story (4×60) explores untold stories of Black Canadians, from the early settlers of Ontario to the gold rush era of BC; from the Maroons of Nova Scotia to Montreal’s vibrant Little Burgundy neighbourhood. The series aims to show that Black History is Canadian History.

ADULT SWIM

Hot on the heels of Adult Swim’s second anniversary, Corus has commissioned and greenlit its first original for the popular network. The animated Psi Cops (26×11) sees “out of the box thinkers” Agent Kyd and Agent Felix investigate spiritual phenomena, extraterrestrial life, and paranormal activity.

YTV

YTV is the place to be for non-stop Fam Fun, delivering another year of The Zone, The Zone Weekend and Big Fun Movies with beloved hosts Spencer, Tyra, Alex and Duhin. Plus, Spencer and Tyra are back for Season 2 of Kid Food Nation: The Show (8×11), where they embark on culinary missions with Canadian kid food nation heroes and answer questions like, “should I eat crickets?” or “are dandelions edible?.”

Nelvana continues to foster its partnerships with the best in kids entertainment, with the recently announced Best & Bester (52×11), a co-production between Nelvana, Eye Present and Gigglebug Entertainment, about two siblings and best friends obsessed with comparing the best things of all time while enjoying the power to transform themselves into anything they want, once a day – if only they can figure out what the best thing to be actually is!

ZJ Sparkleton (Working Title) (26×22) is an original creator-driven 2D-animated series produced by Nelvana in partnership with Nickelodeon that follows quirky 10-year-old vlogger Ruby and her tail-zapping space alien best friend as they film their daily mishaps and adventures around town.

Audiences will discover the magic of birthdays through the fantastical adventures in Super Wish (52×11), produced by Nelvana and Discovery’s joint venture, redknot, and created by Nelvana’s own Vanessa Esteves and Daytime Emmy® Award winning art director, Adrian Thatcher.

Treehouse

A new addition to Treehouse, the #1 overall kids specialty network**, is The Hamster Show (Working Title) (26×22) produced by Nelvana in partnership with Nickelodeon, where a crew of furry friends keep an eye on their owner, “King” Harry, saving him from daily doom, granting his wishes and keeping his life running smoothly. The pet-ventures continue as everyone’s favourite P.U.R.S.T. agents get ready for action in the second season of Agent Binky: Pets of the Universe (52×11), produced by Nelvana and Discovery’s joint venture, redknot, and based on the best-selling books by Ashley Spires, published by Corus Entertainment’s Kids Can Press.

Coming 2022 is the animated feature film Toopy and Binoo (1×80), based on the series of the same name that aired on Treehouse in the early aughts. Following the theatrical release, the movie will have its broadcast premiere on Treehouse.

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New West Coast production company Tyson Media hires Head of Development and announces national call for submissions

From a media release:

Tyson Hepburn, well known for his work in producing and directing Canadian original, unscripted series, has launched a new production company in Vancouver. The company will focus on the development and production of factual, unscripted content and has announced that Holly Brace-Lavoie has joined as Head of Development.

Currently working on ramping up their development slate, Tyson is seeking unique, new unscripted series ideas through the company’s call for submissions that will close on January 15th. People coast-to-coast with an interesting new concept for an unscripted TV series can pitch the Tyson Media team online at tysonmedia.ca. The winning entry will receive $10,000 in resources and support from the Tyson Media team to develop their idea further.

“When I first started out in the entertainment industry, I was lucky enough to partner up with really great people who helped me develop ideas into successful TV series. Now is my chance to give that opportunity to someone else,” says Tyson Hepburn, Founder and Executive Producer, Tyson Media. “We are looking for fresh, exciting new ideas from across the country. We’ll provide years of industry experience and financial support in helping to further develop the winning entries.”

Tyson Media is currently in development on two new projects. They are developing an 8-part series about the Regional Animal Protection Society (RAPS) in Richmond, BC, and are in development on an occupational-series about the new gold rush in the Caribou Gold Fields and the scrappy characters staking a claim there.

“We’re focused on developing character-driven series in both the occupational and lifestyle spaces. We want to make shows that capture a viewership and keep growing with them,” says Holly Brace-Lavoie, Head of Development, Tyson Media. “Tyson is a bit of a legend in the Canadian factual landscape. I’m thrilled to be joining him on this new adventure.”

Tyson Hepburn is Co-Creator and Executive Producer of several successful docu-series including global phenomenon Rust Valley Restorers (Netflix International and HISTORY), as well as The Dog Dudes (Amazon Prime, Apple Plus). He began his career selling projects to established production companies, beginning with Pyros (Omnifilm Entertainment) and Jacked (Pixcom) before partnering with academy award winning producer David Paperny on the successful Discovery Channel hit series Cold Water Cowboys.

Holly Brace-Lavoie began a career in factual television at Montreal-based CMJ Productions, where she developed over 10 greenlit series. She then moved to Pixcom as Director of Development leading the company’s international creative team. She created and directed the comedic web-series The High Note and recently toured the festival circuit with her short film The Catch which premiered at the Berlinale.

For more information on the company and call for submissions, visit tysonmedia.ca.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

Corus Studios announces three new docu-series ahead of MIPTV

Today, Corus Studios, a division of Corus Entertainment, introduces three new docu-series for international sale at MIPTV in Cannes. The company continues to grow its slate of distinct original series developed for its portfolio of Lifestyle channels, which feature an array of genres including travel and escape, fashion, automotive, cultural and factual content. New original series available at the international market this year include, Big Rig Warriors (10×30), Rust Valley Restorers (8×60), World Without (9×60) as well as previously announced new original shows Island of Bryan (13×60) and STITCHED (12×60). Additional broadcast details will be announced at a later date.

Newly greenlit original series available at MIPTV are as follows:

Big Rig Warriors (10×30) – Automotive/Docu-series
During the week they earn a living travelling North America’s highways behind the wheels of their big rig trucks. But in their downtime, they meet on tracks where they drive on their own terms – and usually at dangerously fast speeds. Follow five dynamic truckers and the families and friends who support them during the exciting racing season, amid exhaust, roaring engines and burning tires, on their quest to cross the finish line and be crowned the “fastest.” Whether they’re drag racing on the streets of cities or country towns, competing on traditional racing tracks, or going head to head in oval races in Las Vegas, they all share a common obsession: They race big trucks. And they race them fast. Produced by Attraction Images in association with Corus Studios for HISTORY®.

Rust Valley Restorers (8×60) – Automotive/Docu-series
Nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains is one of the most unique car communities in the world, also known as “Rust Valley.” It can’t be missed: acres upon acres of old and abandoned cars; a junkyard as far as the eye can see. And at its heart is a remarkable restoration shop run by a team of colourful and charismatic characters who use their impressive skills and experience to restore, trade and sell classic cars – transforming piles of rust into collectible car treasures. Produced by Mayhem Entertainment in association with Corus Studios for HISTORY®.

World Without (9×60) – Pop History/Docu-series
This mind-bending and innovative series examines the butterfly effect of removing key individuals, ideas, inventions and influences from a given nation’s history in order to highlight what that country has contributed to global culture and human history. In each episode, the series imagines the world without a specific country – the United Kingdom, U.S.A., Italy, China, Germany, France –as their game-changing leaders, innovations and social-political achievements are erased from our shared timeline. What transpires? Global catastrophe, societal upheaval and chaos. Produced by Cream Productions in association with Corus Studios for HISTORY®.

Previously announced greenlit original series starting production this spring include:

Island of Bryan (13×60) – Travel/Renovation/Docu-series
Can two parents with four school-age kids drop out of their busy lives, move to a tropical island paradise for eight months and rebuild and restore a rundown beachfront resort? Contractor Bryan Baeumler and his wife Sarah are about to find out. It’s a huge personal and financial gamble, but they’re ready to take the renovation ride of their lives. After more than 10 years of building a construction empire, Bryan and Sarah are about to embark on an unforgettable family adventure thousands of miles from home. Will they turn a ramshackle resort in the Bahamas into a luxurious boutique retreat and make it a buoyant business venture? Is paradise really all it’s cracked up to be? Produced by Si Entertainment in association with Corus Studios for HGTV Canada.

STITCHED (12×60) – Fashion Competition Series
The deadlines are tight, the expectations are high and the judges are hard to please. STITCHED is a fierce original fashion competition series where a new wave of fashion designers match wits and stitches in an epic fashion throw-down in three rounds. In every high-style-meets-high-stakes episode, four competitors face off in dramatic themed challenges with one designer eliminated each round. Facing the oh-so-sharp resident judges and a new guest judge per episode, designers create ambitious outfits inspired by unique materials and concepts under tight timelines. In the end, one designer rises to the top with a couture-level creation that earns them the $10,000 prize. Fashion model Kim Cloutier hosts alongside style expert Joe Zee and ELLE Canada’s Editor-in-Chief Vanessa Craft. Produced by FORTÉ Entertainment in association with Corus Studios for SLICE™.

At MIPTV, Corus Studios will be represented by Rita Carbone Fleury, who will be overseeing the global sales of Corus’ original content slate.

 

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