History to deliver its biggest fall sked to date

While crowing about its summer ratings spikes, the channel unveiled a diverse line-up of proven and original series, new documentaries and hit movies from around the world.
By Terry Poulton
August 29, 2008

While announcing its most ambitious fall line-up to date, Canwest’s History Television also pointed to boffo recent ratings.

According to BBM-NMR meter data (May 26-Aug. 17), the channel has achieved the status of Canada’s #4 specialty network for adults 25-54, #5 for males 25-54, #6 for adults 18-49 and #9 for women 25-54.

History’s upcoming fare will include a diverse mix of proven and original series, new documentaries and hit movies from around the world. ‘This fall’s schedule continues History Television’s strategy of offering great contemporary and entertaining programming that highlights history past and present,’ explains Daniel Eves, VP strategic programming, specialty.

The highly anticipated series Ax Men, the second-highest-rated series ever for History Channel US, will premiere in Canada on Oct. 14. It follows four Oregon logging crews through a perilous season of working in one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.

Debuting the same day, Outlaw Bikers delves into the secret world of biker gangs in Canada. Fans of aerial dogfights will love the new series Battle 360. Premiering Sept 8, it will take viewers into the heart of battle on the USS Enterprise.

Tony Robinson (Worst Jobs in History) goes on a bizarre journey in search of the origins of British law in Tony’s Law, beginning Sept. 2. And a team of experts will demolish buildings by reverse engineering them in Blowdown, which begins Sept. 5.

Raw amateur footage of catastrophic events will be deconstructed in Shockwave, also debuting Sept. 5. New series Battlefield Mysteries (date TBD) will explore some of history’s most significant battles. And Hawkeye, Klinger and the whole M*A*S*H crew will return to the airwaves when the cult classic series rolls out once more on Sept. 2.

Returning favourites on History include the fourth season of the irreverent genealogy series Ancestors in the Attic (Sept. 6), and the second season of Tank Overhaul (Oct. 6), in which an eccentric millionaire and a gaggle of military geeks rebuild rare military machines from the past. The second season of Lost Worlds (Sept. 4) will take viewers on an exploration of lost civilizations, while the second season of Ancient Megastructures (date TBD) will investigate the dramatic stories behind some of the most impressive engineering feats in history.

On a lighter note, History will present a special titled Hanksgiving Day, which invites viewers to spend ‘Turkey Day’ with Tom Hanks on Canadian Thanksgiving, Monday, Oct. 13, beginning at 11 am.

There will also be a bevy of popular movies from the past and present, including Seabiscuit (Sept. 13), The Siege (Sept. 27), The Manchurian Candidate (Oct. 4), The Sentinel (Oct. 25), Sahara (Nov. 1), The Patriot (Nov. 8) and All the King’s Men (Nov. 29).