Canwest Announces 2010-2011 Specialty Programming Lineup
Big Event Programs Include "Top Chef Canada" and "Wipeout Canada," Plus Highly-Anticipated Co-Production, "The Kennedys"
Showcase Scores Sexy, Action-Packed Spy Series, "Burn Notice"
Smash-Hit Series, "American Pickers" Launches On History Television
16 Brand New Programs Premiere Across Food Network Canada, HGTV, DIY Network Canada and Slice(TM)
Attention Editors: For Complete Program Information, Photos and Primetime Grids, Please Visit: www.canwesttvmedia.com
TORONTO, June 1 /CNW/ - Canwest announced today details of the 2010-2011 programming lineup across its Specialty channels. Joining an already robust selection of series, specials and blockbuster movies, the fall schedules include hit series AMERICAN PICKERS on History Television, action-packed spy series BURN NOTICE on Showcase and 16 brand new lifestyle programs featuring fan-favourite hosts. Looking ahead to 2011, viewers can expect Canadian adaptations of international smash hits, Top Chef and Wipeout, as well as the compelling co-production of THE KENNEDYS, chronicling the legendary family and featuring an all-star cast.
"Our Specialty channels have seen unprecedented growth and Canadians can anticipate another year of exceptional programming," said Barbara Williams, Executive Vice-President, Content, Canwest Broadcasting. "In addition to returning favourites, we will continue to strengthen our position as the leader in Specialty television by offering the most thrilling new series, specials and movies."
New and Returning Programming Highlights Include:
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FOOD NETWORK
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THE OPENER (World Premiere) FALL 2010
Everybody thinks they have what it takes to open a restaurant. Celebrity chef and restaurant consultant, David Adjey knows better. Answering desperate calls from aspiring entrepreneurs, Adjey brings his unique know-how, his tough love and his unorthodox methods to the task - stopping at nothing to get the job done. Will he succeed in turning these dreamers into successful restaurateurs or will he be thrown out before the doors even open?
DINNER PARTY WARS (World Premiere) FALL 2010
Three couples go head-to-head in a no holds barred dinner party competition. Each couple will be ruthlessly judged on food and ambiance by experts, chef Corbin Tomaszeski and event planner Anthea Turner from a secret location. Spying on all of the action, the experts will rate the triumphs and disasters while sharing a wealth of dinner party tips. Watch as kitchen squabbles explode, elaborate plans fall to pieces, testy guests come to blows and taste buds are either tickled or tortured.
TOP CHEF: WASHINGTON (Canadian Premiere) FALL 2010
Top Chef: Washington captures the varied tastes of the city and features appearances by some of the town's top names including Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin, White House chef Sam Kass and CIA director Leon Panetta. The challenges will be some of the most creative and inventive when the chefs take over the concession stands at the Nationals stadium, go inside the CIA's closely guarded headquarters and literally receive out of this world direction from a NASA astronaut orbiting earth.
JAMIE'S AMERICAN ROAD TRIP (North American Premiere) FALL 2010
Jamie Oliver is heading off the beaten track to find real underground food and meet up with the unsung heroes who make American food far more interesting and varied than its reputation allows. Rather than fancy restaurants and top chefs, he'll be meeting - and learning from - real cooks making honest food for working people at street stalls, off-road diners and down-to-earth local restaurants.
TOP CHEF CANADA (World Premiere) SPRING 2011
Based on the international smash hit Top Chef, Top Chef Canada challenges Canada's best culinary talents in a gruelling competition that will put their skills and creativity to the test as they vie for their shot at stardom and $100,000 prize. Canadian culinary icon, Mark McEwan, presides over the judges table to narrow down the competition and ultimately crown Canada's Top Chef.
Other highly-anticipated new series include: PRIVATE CHEFS OF BEVERLY HILLS.
Brand new seasons of returning series on Food Network include: Chuck's Day Off, Everyday Exotic, Ace of Cakes, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and The Best Thing I Ever Ate.
Viewers can catch up with select programming online at www.foodnetwork.ca.
HGTV
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MY FIRST SALE (Canadian Premiere) FALL 2010
Think buying your first place is tough? Try selling it! Selling your first place means the stakes are even higher than when you purchased it. More pressure, more jeopardy, more to gain - and potentially thousands to lose. My First Sale has more drama and, more importantly, more valuable takeaways to help viewers make top dollar on their own sale.
BATTLE ON THE BLOCK (Canadian Premiere) FALL 2010
Battle on the Block is a fun, character-driven home makeover show where three neighbouring families compete against one another in an effort to design and build one new room from scratch, all in the span of a single weekend! The winner not only gets $10,000 but also bragging rights in the neighbourhood.
SELLING NEW YORK (Canadian Premiere) FALL 2010
Selling New York shadows agents from Manhattan brokerages CORE and Gumley Haft Kleier. Catch a rare glimpse into a world where a solid reputation at the top of the real estate food chain involves swimming with the sharks, going head-to-head with the best and rubbing shoulders with the wealthiest and trendiest of New York's social, political and artistic elite.
TOUGH AS NAILS (Canadian Premiere) FALL 2010
Cindy Stumpo keeps multiple contractors, employees and even her ex-husband in line as she manages her multi-million dollar construction and development company. And in the middle of this whirlwind, she's a single mother of two. How does she juggle it all and still remain true to who she is in a man's world? She's Tough as Nails.
HOME TO KEEP (World Premiere) FALL 2010
Peter Fallico is back in the Canadian original series Home To Keep. He's helping homeowners who love their homes make the most of the space they have by transforming their wasted spaces into purposeful and functional rooms they so desperately need.
Brand new seasons on HGTV include: Disaster DIY, Income Property and Property Virgins.
Viewers can catch up with select programming online at www.hgtv.ca.
HISTORY TELEVISION
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AMERICAN PICKERS (HD) (Canadian Premiere) FALL 2010
"Pickers" Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz are on a mission to recycle America, even if it means diving into countless piles of grimy junk or getting chased off a gun-wielding homeowner's land. Hitting back roads from coast to coast, the two men earn a living by restoring forgotten relics to their former glory, transforming one person's trash into another's treasure. Join Mike and Frank as they scour the country for hidden gems in junkyards, basements and barns, and meet eccentric and funny people with incredible stories along the way.
WILLIAM SHATNER'S WEIRD OR WHAT (HD) (World Premiere) FALL 2010
Join screen legend William Shatner as he investigates all that's weird in the world and attempts to find logical, scientific answers to mystifying real-life events. From paranormal phenomena and strange creatures, to puzzling natural disasters and medical oddities, William Shatner's Weird or What attempts to explain the seemingly unexplainable.
THE KENNEDYS (HD) (Canadian Premiere) WINTER 2011
Heavy on star power, this compelling eight-part drama spotlights one of America's most legendary families, The Kennedys, as they have never been seen before. The ambitious series features Oscar(R)-nominated and Emmy(R) Award-winning actor Greg Kinnear as President John F. Kennedy; Katie Holmes as First Lady; Emmy Award-winning actor Tom Wilkinson as Ambassador Joe Kennedy Sr.; and Canadian Barry Pepper as Attorney General Robert Kennedy.
New seasons of highly-anticipated History Television series include: Pawn Stars, Ice Road Truckers, Outlaw Bikers and Life After People.
Viewers can catch up with select programming online at www.history.ca.
SHOWCASE
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BURN NOTICE (HD) (Network Premiere) FALL 2010
Spies don't get fired; they get burned. Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan, "Crossing Jordan") receives a "burn notice" while on assignment in Nigeria. Dumped in Miami with no money or resources to his name, and abandoned by all his normal intelligence contacts, his only ally is his trustworthy ex-girlfriend, Fiona Glenanne (Gabrielle Anwar, "The Tudors"). Michael works as a freelance private investigator to fund his own investigation into who burned him and why.
LOST GIRL (HD) (World Premiere) FALL 2010
Lost Girl follows supernatural seductress, Bo (Canadian Anna Silk, "Being Erica"). Growing up with human parents, Bo had no reason to believe she was anything other than the girl next door - until she drained her boyfriend to death in their first sexual encounter. Now she has hit the road alone and afraid. She discovers she is one of the Fae, creatures of millennia-old folklore that pass as humans while feeding off them in secret. Relieved yet horrified, Bo decides to take the middle path between the humans and the Fae as she embarks on a personal mission to unlock the secrets of her origin.
Cable premieres of hit movies on Showcase include: FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL (HD), HANCOCK (HD), PINEAPPLE EXPRESS (HD), THE LOVE GURU (HD), WANTED (HD), TROPIC THUNDER (HD) and 007 QUANTUM OF SOLACE (HD).
Brand new seasons premiering on Showcase include: Weeds, Rescue Me, Drop Dead Diva, NCIS and House.
Viewers can catch up with select programming online at www.showcase.ca.
SLICE(TM)
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PRINCESS (World Premiere) FALL 2010
Princess focuses on young women living way beyond their means, racking up huge credit card bills and living the high life while family and friends pay the price for their reckless spending. Over a six-week period, host Gail Vaz-Oxlade of Slice(TM)'s hit series Til Debt Do Us Part, uses her no-nonsense tough love approach to guide participants through a series of challenges that will transform them from spoiled princesses into self-sufficient young women.
Returning seasons of popular Slice(TM) favourites include: Real Housewives of New Jersey, Real Housewives of New York and Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood.
New seasons of Canadian series include: Re-Vamped, X-Weighted: Families, Newlywed, Nearly Dead? and Plastic Makes Perfect.
Viewers can catch up with select programming online at www.slice.ca.
TVTROPOLIS
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THE MARRIAGE REF (Network Premiere) FALL 2010
In The Marriage Ref, created by Jerry Seinfeld, married life takes centre stage as disputes between real-life couples are revealed and examined by celebrity guest judges and host Tom Papa. For the first time, audiences will be able to look at these fights, analyze them and declare a winner.
AMERICA'S WORST DRIVER (Network Premiere) FALL 2010
America's Worst Driver is a competition show with a twist. In this series, contestants actually want to be eliminated because the longer they stick around the closer they get to being named the worst driver in America!
WIPEOUT CANADA (World Premiere) SPRING 2011
The highly-anticipated Canadian format of the painfully funny U.S. series will find daring Canadian contestants competing on the world's largest extreme obstacle course. Crashes, smashes and hilarious mud splashes are in the cards as players take on one of television's largest and most extreme obstacle courses. Participants journey across the globe to the purpose-built Wipeout course and put their strength, balance and bravery to the test in hopes of winning cash prizes.
New episodes of returning TVtropolis favourites include: Family Guy, King of Queens and Golden Girls.
Viewers can catch up with select programming online at www.tvtropolis.com.
ACTION
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ALL WORKED UP (Network Premiere) FALL 2010
This series goes on the job with people whose work entails delivering bad news or dealing with difficult situations where the recipient may explode in a rage. Whether it is serving subpoenas, parking violations or towing cars, there is never a dull moment in this half-hour of non-stop action.
SWAT USA (Network Premiere) FALL 2010
SWAT USA is an up-close, inside look at the high-stakes world of special weapons and tactics teams across the country. From strategy and planning to heart-pounding deployment - it's a truly unique and exciting look at the best in law enforcement. Witness never-before-seen specialized tactics, tricks and training, as well as the camaraderie that bonds every man and woman on the force.
Cable premieres of hit movies on Action include: HELLBOY 2, YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN, FORBIDDEN KINGDOM, MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR and DEATH RACE (Winter 2011).
BBC CANADA
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TOP GEAR, SEASON 15 (Canadian Premiere) FALL 2010
Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are back for the 15th season of Top Gear on BBC CANADA. Join the guys as they score themselves access to some of the sleekest, fastest, most impressive - and most unlikely - drives in the world.
DEJAVIEW
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HAWAII FIVE-O, SEASONS 1-4 (Network Premiere) FALL 2010
The classic series Hawaii Five-O (1968-1980) follows a special police unit consisting of no more than four men at a time, although it can freely call upon the Honolulu Police Department for more men if needed. Answerable only to the governor, Hawaii Five-O investigates the most important and sensational crimes, ranging from murder and kidnapping to terrorism and international espionage.
DESIGNING WOMEN, SEASONS 1-3 (Network Premiere) FALL 2010
Outspoken feminist Julia Sugarbaker (Dixie Carter) runs a design firm out of her Atlanta home, along with her shallow, ex-beauty queen sister, Suzanne (Delta Burke), divorced mother Mary Jo (Annie Potts) and naive country girl Charlene (Jean Smart). Ex-con Anthony (Meshach Taylor) helps deliver furniture for the business and voices his unique opinion on whatever the four women are discussing, from their work to personal and love lives.
BARNEY MILLER, SEASONS 1-4 (Network Premiere) FALL 2010
Captain Barney Miller is the patient and wise catalyst who must interact not only with his staff, but with the volatile mixture of weirdos who stream through 12th Precinct headquarters. Barney's staff of detectives bring their own personalities to the mix: naive Wojehowicz, sophisticated and ambitious Harris and intellectual Dietrich, given to arcane Freudian explanations. Barney and his crew face unpredictable adventures and frequently bizarre assignments with professional dedication and an essential sense of the absurd.
Episodes of returning DejaView favourites include: Who's The Boss?, Roseanne, Three's Company and All in the Family.
DIY NETWORK CANADA
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BATH CRASHERS (Canadian Premiere) FALL 2010
DIY Network Canada is on a mission to crash and trash bathrooms, transforming them into stunning, functional and modern living spaces in the new series, Bath Crashers. Host Matt Muenster ambushes home improvement shoppers when he identifies the ultimate bathroom challenge. He then follows the lucky homeowners back to their house and totally overhauls the bathroom in need of repair.
HOUSE CRASHERS (Canadian Premiere) FALL 2010
House Crashers is ambush renovation at its best. Host and contractor, Josh Temple stalks a big-box home improvement store looking for unsuspecting weekend warriors then follows them home with a large crew of experts in tow. Watch as stunned homeowners who journeyed into the store to fix a simple leaky faucet end up winning the remodelling lottery with dramatic, eye-popping room transformations.
IFC
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Network premieres of hit films on IFC include: DOUBT, ROCK N' ROLLA, THE BANK JOB and SAW 5 (Spring 2011).
MOVIETIME
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Network premieres of blockbuster movies on MovieTime include: SPEEDRACER, EAGLE EYE, ROLE MODELS, YES MAN, STEP BROTHERS and WATCHMEN (Spring 2011).
MYSTERY TV
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New episodes of returning favourites include: Bones, House, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL
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GREAT MIGRATIONS (HD) (Canadian Premiere) FALL 2010
Great Migrations chronicles the amazing journeys taken by multitudes of species each year and provides fresh insight into the science of migration. Beautiful, awe-inspiring and oftentimes heartbreaking, Great Migrations will pique curiosity and inspire viewers across the world.
New seasons of popular National Geographic Channel series include: Rescue Ink and Dog Whisperer.
Viewers can catch up with select programming online at www.natgeotv.com.
SHOWCASE DIVA
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HAVEN (Network Premiere) FALL 2010
Based on a novella by Stephen King, Haven centres on the small town of Haven, Maine, where FBI agent Audrey (Emily Rose, "ER") discovers the curious enclave is a longtime refuge for people with supernatural afflictions. As the townspeople's dormant abilities begin to express themselves, Audrey helps keep these forces at bay while discovering the many secrets of Haven - including one surrounding her own surprising past in this extraordinary place.
Cable premieres of blockbuster movies on Showcase Diva include: MADE OF HONOR, MY SISTER'S KEEPER, NIGHTS IN RODANTHE, NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST, LEATHERHEADS and SEVEN POUNDS (Spring 2011).
New episodes of returning favourites include: NCIS, ER, Numbers and CSI.
About Canwest Broadcasting
Canwest Broadcasting operates Global Television and 18 of the country's most popular specialty channels, including HGTV, Mystery TV, National Geographic Channel, Showcase, History Television, Food Network and TVtropolis. Canwest Broadcasting is a division of Canwest Media Inc.
About Canwest Originals
Canwest is the proud home of the most diverse slate of Canadian Original programs across the Dramatic, Lifestyle and Entertainment genres. As a steadfast supporter of the Canadian production community, Canwest is dedicated to bringing the best of the country to audiences nationwide - including shows such as: Rookie Blue, Family Restaurant, Holmes Inspection, Ice Pilots: NWT, 16:9, Re-Vamped and Canada's most trusted entertainment news show, Entertainment Tonight Canada.
About Canwest Media Inc.
Canwest Media Inc. is a subsidiary of Canwest Global Communications Corp. (www.canwest.com), Canada's largest media company. In addition to owning the Global Television Network, operating 18 industry-leading specialty channels and having ownership in 5 specialty channels, Canwest is Canada's largest publisher of English language paid daily newspapers and owns and operates more than 80 online properties.
/NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited members of the media/
For further information: For media inquiries, please contact: Jaclyn Atwood-Powell, Publicity Manager, Lifestyle Channels, (416) 966-7293, [email protected]; Jane Collins, Publicist, Factual Channels, (416) 967-2471, [email protected]; Nikki Lamb Tudico, Publicist, Dramatic Channels, (416) 934-7829, [email protected]
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