May is make-or-break month in the television industry, and three long-time Vancouver-generated reality series have fallen to the axe.
Yukon Gold, Timber Kings and Chopped Canada, all shows created by Vancouver-based Paperny Entertainment, will not be renewed by Corus Entertainment.
Yukon Gold, currently in its fifth season, followed the fortunes of gold mining crews in the Yukon. It airs on History in Canada and National Geographic in the U.S.
Timber Kings, in its fourth season on HGTV, chronicled the work done by Williams Lake company Pioneer Log Homes, which builds handcrafted log houses in Canada, the U.S. and Europe.
Each episode of foodie favourite Chopped Canada, now in its fourth season on Food Network Canada, pitted four chefs against each other as they competed for a $10,000 prize.
Responding to a Business in Vancouver inquiry, Lisa Godfrey, vice-president of original content for Corus Entertainment, confirmed by email that the three shows will not be renewed.
“We are extremely proud of the volumes of strong Canadian original content we have delivered to audiences over the years,” said Godfrey. “After resonating with legions of fans, Chopped Canada, Timber Kings and Yukon Gold have reached their natural end and won’t be renewed for another season. The success that these series had is a true testament to our exceptionally talented production partners at Paperny Entertainment and eOne and Corus applauds the cast, creators, producers, and writers for their dedication to these Canadian originals.
“We remain firmly committed to developing standout original Canadian content and look forward to sharing more information about upcoming renewals and new series soon.”
Vancouver’s Paperny Entertainment, which began operation in 1994, has been one of the country’s most active production houses, remaining an independent company until July 2014, when it was bought by Entertainiment One (eOne) for $29.2 million.
