Cameras have started rolling in the cities of Halifax, Calgary and Vancouver for new doc series X-Weighted. The 13-part, hour-long series follows the lives of 13 Canucks as they challenge themselves through weight loss. The show will shoot through to December and will air on the Life network in spring 2006. Target aud is females 25-45.

Simcha Jacobovici, two-time Emmy Award-winning producer and director, plans to expose Biblical history with The Naked Archaeologist, a new documentary series premiering on VisionTV in September. Shot on location in Egypt, Israel and Greece, the series takes a fresh new look at the Bible and archaeology. Jacobovici digs into extraordinary finds in the Middle East; talks with leading archaeologists, historians and scientists; and also probes controversial new theories in Biblical archaeology: that an African army rescued Jerusalem in the 8th century B.C.; that the invention of the alphabet contributed to the Biblical Exodus; and that recently discovered Bronze Age ceramic penises may explain why Delilah fell for Samson.

Fast, funny and irreverent, The Naked Archaeologist asks the questions we all want to know the answers to: Why is it so bad to be called a Philistine? Was Jezebel really that sexy? What do you do when you find a 2,000-year-old palace under your house? And where do you stop for a good falafel when you’re on your way to find the real Mount Sinai? The Naked Archaeologist airs on VisionTV Mondays, starting Sept. 5 at 9:30 p.m. and 1:30 a.m., and repeats on Tuesdays, starting Sept. 6, at 10:30 p.m.

Space has nabbed two new series for fall. Riding the crest of its mini-series’ success, The 4400 is a new dramatic series airing weekly beginning on Sunday, Sept. 18 at 8 p.m.

Supernatural, a series about a pair of ghost-bustin’ brothers, preems Sept. 16, and airs every Friday at 10. Both shows are one hour long.

We asked and they answered. Broadcast experts in the French-speaking market talk about the best bets on TV in Montreal. This is the first in a two-part series that examines which shows will net the most eyeballs at 8 and 9 p.m.

*N.B. Because of constant, up-to-the-minute changes to the nets’ fall lineup in Montreal, there’s much dissent among our broadcast pundits’ opinions as to which of their programming grids is the most up to date. The opinions below are based on each person’s version of the grid.

Line Contant, broadcast supervisor at Allard-Johnson Communications, believes that ‘Radio-Canada (R-C) has been revamping their schedule to appeal to the masses. They’re very cultural, very high art but now, they’re adding shows that are more for everybody. The quality is still there but it’s becoming more accessible for all.’

According to The U.S. Market for Tweens and Young Teens, a new report from New York-based publisher Packaged Facts, the 8-14 crowd is becoming increasingly disinterested in watching television. And they’re getting more and more distracted when they do watch it. Though nearly 80% of younger teens still claim to ‘love’ TV, the study finds that this drops to 60% by the time this group gets in the older teen years. Packaged Facts projects that the 29.3 million teen and tween Americans have a purchasing power of $40 billion.
http://www.marketresearch.com

Specialty net Bravo has picked up three new series for fall. Beginning Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 7:30 p.m. and airing weekly is a 13-part series entitled Roots ‘n Roll. The series features interviews, performances and videos from today’s most popular roots musicians such as Mary Chapin Carpenter and Shawn Colvin.

Beginning Wednesday, Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m., La Radio is slated to premiere. This four-parter in French with English subtitles examines the golden age of French radio (1922-1952) in Quebec and profiles the people who made it that way. The series airs weekly.

On Saturday, Sept. 3 at 7 p.m., What a Circus! hits TV screens. The 13-part, weekly series in French with English subtitles takes viewers to Switzerland, Germany, Norway, France and Belgium as it explores the lives of Quebecois artists performing in different circuses around the world.

History Television has unveiled its slate of new shows for fall. Full Throttle is an example of the ever-permutating genres of TV shows these days. It combines history, reality and renovation, transforming classic cars to be ready for the drag strip but looking into the history of the models as well. The program airs Mondays at 8 p.m., beginning Sept. 5.

Beginning Sept. 6, Over There is an ensemble drama from Steven Bochco about an army unit sent to Iraq and the effects of their tour of duty on their families back home. The show airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m.

On Sept. 7, Digging for the Truth begins tracking explorer and survival expert Josh Bernstein as he takes a fresh look at ancient mysteries and remote corners of the world. Truth is out there Wednesdays at 9 p.m.

Heading into October, Things That Move examines how innovation and history have combined to create different modes of movement, from the toboggan to the elevator. Things get moving weekdays at 6 p.m., beginning Oct. 3.

Also preeming in October is the network premiere of JAG – specific airdates TBA. Another network debut is Band of Brothers, which will begin Nov. 3 and run Thursdays at 9 p.m. The 10-part mini-series originally aired on HBO.

And finally history takes to the skies with Bomber Boys, a group of adventurous young men who volunteer to re-live their grandfathers’ wartime experiences. The series will air as part of History’s annual ‘Week of Remembrance’ Nov. 7-11 at 8 p.m.

History Television has 5.8 million subscriber households. Its audience skews male 65% and its largest demo is adults 35-64 at 55%, according to Nielsen Media Research.

This is the last in a five-part series (Part one: MIC June 30/05) that asks broadcast pundits’ opinions on who’s in, who’s out and who doesn’t stand a chance during the most coveted – and competitive – weeknight timeslots of 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Go to www.mediaincanada.com and click on ‘TV Programming Grids’ for visual aids. Next up: ‘The Word on Fall in Montreal,’ a two-part series coming next week.

Sheila Malanchuk, media strategy manager at OMD Vancouver, has lots of opinions about the 8 p.m. timeslot. ‘Ghost Whisperer [on CTV] has gotten some bad feedback. It’s not the best replacement for Joan of Arcadia. I don’t see the old Joan audience wanting to see Ghost Whisperer. It’s more like a Medium but not as well done. I just don’t see a lot of potential with that show,’ she says about the new Jennifer Love Hewitt entry.