TORONTO – Blue Ant Media announced Thursday a series of greenlights for its lifestyle and factual TV channels: Cottage Life, T+E, Love Nature and Smithsonian Channel Canada. The new original slate adds seven new docuseries and specials to Blue Ant Media’s channels in 2021 and 2022.
Overseen by Sam Linton, head of original content (Canada), the lineup includes four world broadcast premieres with several series available for licensing globally by Blue Ant International, says the press release.
“We’re committed to growing Blue Ant’s television platforms with new, original series from some of the best producers in Canada,” says Jamie Schouela, president, global channels and media. “As part of our new slate of greenlights, we’re proud to be partnering with APTN to share compelling stories from Indigenous Canadians with audiences across the country.”
The 2021-2022 programming slate underpins Blue Ant Media’s commitment to create compelling original content that appeals to viewers at home and on a global scale, adds the release.
On Cottage Life, three new series will premiere in spring 2022 during the channel’s nationwide free preview event, two of which are co-productions with APTN. The first co-production, Dr. Savannah: Wild Rose Vet (working title), profiles rural Alberta-based veterinarian and everyday hero Dr. Savannah Howse-Smith as she takes care of animals while also exploring her newly-discovered Métis heritage.
Blue Ant and APTN will also co-produce the third installment of Merchants of the Wild (season 3, pictured above), which follows six Indigenous adventurers pitted against the perils of an ancient waterway trade route used by the Syilx People. Blue Ant Media has also acquired from APTN seasons 1 and 2 of the series to air on Cottage Life.
Finally, Blue Ant Media has greenlit Mysteries from Above (working title) (Season 1; World Broadcast Premiere) for Cottage Life, which is a 10-part original documentary series investigating mysterious phenomena from the vantage point of drones. The series provides an in-depth analysis of never-before-seen drone footage, from lost civilizations to curious animal behaviour.
For the full release and entire slate of original programming, please click here.
