BANFF 2023: Blue Ant Media unveiled its 2024 original slate

Blue Ant Media, announced its 2024 original slate for its Canadian specialty TV and global FAST offerings. Announced today at Banff World Media Festival, the 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,” Carlyn Staudt, Head of Commissioning, Global Media, Blue Ant Media said. “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.”

The slate includes the brand new commission "Holmes on Homes: Building a Legacy," featuring 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."

"Holmes on Homes: Building a Legacy," produced by The Holmes Group for Cottage Life/Homeful (6x60’; HD) 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 (6x60’; 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.

Blue Ant also unveiled details about Season 3 of "Mysteries from Above" produced by Blue Ant Media Company, Saloon Media for Cottage Life. 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. The world broadcast premiere is scheduled for spring 2024 on Cottage Life in Canada during the channel’s nationwide free preview.  Season one of the title 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. 

Season 5 of Sphere Media's "Haunted Hospitals," for  T+E/HauntTV (8x60’; HD) 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. The paranormal series returns with 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. The title 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. 

"A Secret to Die For," produced by Blue Ant Studios for T+E/Total Crime (10x60’; HD). 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.

The slate also includes Season 6 of "Intervention Canada," produced by Open Door Co./Insight Productions for Makeful, scheduled to premier in Winter 2024. 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 leadingaddiction treatment facilities.