Friends north of the border, listen up! It’s now your chance to become a Big Brother Houseguest! Shaw and Slice announced today that the inaugural season of Big Brother Canada will be coming to Shaw’s digital channel Slice in 2012/2013.
The show will see regular Canuck contestants battle it out for a cash prize. No details on casting or production details yet, but we’ll let you know as soon as we hear.
Check out the full press release below:
The Big Brother Phenomenon is Coming to Canada
First Ever Canadian Edition of Endemol’s Worldwide Hit Franchise Comes Exclusively to Slice™
Attention Editors: For Complete Program Information and Photos Please Visit: www.shawmediatv.ca
To Tweet This Release: http://bit.ly/JLP13Q
First Ever Canadian Edition of Endemol’s Worldwide Hit Franchise Comes Exclusively to Slice™
TORONTO, May 30, 2012 – Shaw Media has sealed a deal with Endemol to produce the first ever Canadian instalment of the wildly popular international sensation Big Brother and has teamed up with Canadian production heavyweight Insight Productions on the production of the series. The inaugural season of Big Brother Canada will air during the 2012/13 broadcast season exclusively on Slice™.
The hugely successful Big Brother franchise aired 25 formats in 87 countries in 2011 and continues to roll out in new territories. Big Brother U.S. has consistently been a top ranked staple on Global’s schedule for 13 seasons.
“Big Brother has become a worldwide phenomenon and we’re proud to team up withEndemol and Insight Productions to launch the fan favourite format in Canada,” said Barbara Williams, Senior Vice President of Content, Shaw Media. “The production of this format is hugely exciting as it takes us into unchartered territory, filming live around-the-clock and enabling fans to interact with the series in ways we’ve never explored before.”
“After more than a decade, Big Brother is still a ratings winner in the major territories across the globe,” said David Goldberg, Chairman, Endemol North America. “Global has been a great partner from the beginning, when they brought the U.S. version of Big Brother to Canada 13 seasons ago. We look forward to seeing this proven format continue its home-grown success with the first-ever Canadian edition of the series,” he continued.
“All of us at Insight are so excited about Big Brother Canada,” said John Brunton, Chairman & CEO of Insight Productions and Executive Producer of Big Brother Canada. “Like Captain Kirk said – Boldly go where no man has gone before – we’ve never produced a show that shoots 24/7. Casting this program is going to be a blast.”
True to the U.S. format, Big Brother Canada will hand pick a diverse group of competitive contestants in the Big Brother house outfitted wall to wall with cameras and microphones to capture the house guests’ every move. Week to week the house guests compete in a series of challenges and vote each other out until one claims victory and takes home the grand prize. Fans of Big Brother can connect with the series outside of the 3-day-a-week broadcast through a myriad of digital extensions including live streaming and social engagement opportunities that allow online users to impact decisions in the house.
Details on casting and production will be revealed at a later date.
Upon recently renewing its simulcast deal for Big Brother U.S. Shaw Media will bring the highly anticipated 14th season of Big Brother to on Global July 12.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
Twitter: @ShawMediaTV_PR Official Hashtag: #Shawmedia
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SliceTM is a Shaw Media network.
About Shaw Communications Inc. Shaw Communications Inc. is a diversified communications and media company, providing consumers with broadband cable television, High-Speed Internet, Home Phone, telecommunications services (through Shaw Business), satellite direct-to-home services (through Shaw Direct) and engaging programming content (through Shaw Media). Shaw serves 3.4 million customers, through a reliable and extensive fibre network. Shaw Media operates one of the largest conventional television networks in Canada, Global Television, and 19 specialty networks including HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, History Television and Showcase. Shaw is traded on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges and is included in the S&P/TSX 60 Index (Symbol: TSX – SJR.B, NYSE – SJR). For more information about Shaw, please visit www.shaw.ca.
About Endemol Endemol is the largest independent television and digital production company in the world. It comprises a global network of over 80 companies in 31 countries and is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Endemol works with approximately 300 broadcasters, digital platforms and licensees worldwide and covers all elements of the entertainment spectrum including development, production, marketing, distribution and franchise management. The company annually produces approximately 20,000 hours of content across genres, including entertainment, reality TV, game shows, comedy, drama, sport, docu-dramas, animation, features and feature films. Its credits include international hits such as Big Brother, Deal or No Deal, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Wipeout and The Money Drop. Its growing drama portfolio includes Hell on Wheels, Hot in Cleveland, Leverage, Home and Away, Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Rush and Dutch series Penoza, which is now being remade as Red Widow for ABC in the USA. Endemol is also one of the world’s largest independent distributors of formats and finished programming, with a growing library of over 3,000 formats and more than 24,000 hours of content. The company’s creative teams around the world are continuously developing new ideas that are shared across the Endemol network.
About Insight Productions Insight Production Company Ltd, headed by John Brunton & Barbara Bowlby has become an industry leader in the creative development, financing and production of highly rated television programs and cutting edge multiplatform content for the global market in every genre. Since 1979, it has been recognized for its reputation for quality as the recipient of numerous international awards, including multiple Gemini’s. The company has created thousands of hours of groundbreaking television that continues to be broadcast over major networks worldwide. Broadcast Magazine International claims that “when it comes to adapting formats for Canadian audiences there is one producer who appears to have the Midas touch.” Recent hits include Top Chef Canada challenging the culinary skills of Canadian chefs to see who can cut it as Canada’s Top Chef, hosted by Lisa Ray; Canada’s Got Talent; The JUNO Awards, which plays a key role in the Canadian music industry; Insight’s original formats Canada Sings & Battle of the Blades; and Intervention Canada which is currently in production on its second season. For more information visit www.insighttv.com.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Jaclyn Atwood-Powell Publicity Manager, Lifestyle Channels Shaw Media 416.966.7293 jaclyn.atwood@shawmedia.ca
Julia Wilkinson Publicist, Slice and Twist TV Shaw Media 416.966.7700 julia.wilkinson@shawmedia.ca
