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- "Wedding fairy" Scott Thompson and his team of five wedding gurus have only two short weeks to create a fabulous wedding for a lucky gay or lesbian couple.
- The murders and disappearances of an estimated 500 Aboriginal women in Canada over the past 30 years.
- A dark comedy about a cigarette smoker who wants to quit the habit as quickly and painlessly as possible. In his desperation, he tries a "foolproof" ancient method with sinister consequences.
- Swap is the story of two reluctant participants in a couple swap who spend an uncomfortable night together.
- Documents the legacy of Joe Average - his life, his art, his attitudes and his activism.
- Single, carefree, ladies man Gil Gamboa picks up the gauntlet and accepts our challenge to be our weekend "crash test mommy" to the three young energetic children of his longtime friends Cathy and Cliff Empey in suburban Langley, British Columbia. As Cathy, imminently expecting child #4, is limo'd away for a dream weekend of pedicures and foot massages, lessons in watercolor painting, and a photo sessions with a professional photographer, Gil embarks on his odyssey of parenting chores and challenges. As if it's not enough feeding three finicky little kids, doing the usual mountain of laundry and perpetually cleaning the tables, chairs, counters and toilets, our devilish Crash Test Mommy hosts Dagmar Midcap and Charlie David make Gil's mommy experience even more frantic, surreptitiously emptying the cupboards of all instant foods. Gil parries by feeding the kids a potpourri of tuna-cheese-ketchup tortillas and fresh salad smothered in corn syrup, all of which, to the amazement of mom watching on the web cams, they eat. When the BC Lions Cheerleading Squad shows up at the house, Gil almost forgets that his priorities should really focus on the care of the household and children but he ultimately survives the challenge and looks forward to having his own family one day, as long as that day doesn't come too soon.
- What happens when you take a downtown career girl who epitomizes urban chic and get her to act as "crash test mommy" for her suburban sister-in-law's two little girls? Chaos, that's what! Jennifer Gill, this episode's candidate, travels out of Vancouver's downtown core into the deepest, darkest minivan territory of Delta, to care for Deb and Jeff Hutton's daughters: Evan, 5, and Megan, 2. While Deb luxuriates in the gigantic bed of a four star hotel, sleeping in and experiencing mud facials, pedicures and, best of all, adult conversation, Jennifer confronts a barrage of parenting responsibilities, including swarms of small children arriving for a block party, stressful supermarket excursions, crying duets by the little girls, cooking dilemmas, tea parties and, most challenging, keeping the kids happy without letting them watch TV or videos. War may be hell but, as Jenn discovers, parenting is right up there.
- Laid back surfer dude Jimmy Jamieson is about to get a crash course in Mommydom when he's picked to be this episode's Crash Test Mommy. His mission: to look after, for 48 hours, his sister-in-law Sharon's four young sons, ranging in age from five years to 19 months old, at their Chilliwack home. Our host, Dagmar Midcap, whisks Sharon off for a blissful, two-day getaway, enjoying a luxurious hotel suite, gourmet meals, a private yoga session, shopping sprees, and romantic strolls with husband, Leif. Back at home, Uncle Jimmy's four energetic young charges begin to run him off his feet, as he juggles chaotic family expeditions to the supermarket, messy adventures in home pizza-making, the disastrous combination of kids and room painting, a health medley of upset stomachs and minor injuries, and a haphazard regimen of nap times and housecleaning chores.
- Leslea Vinet agrees to be Crash Test Mommy to her cousin Sharla and Henrik Kragh's five kids, aged 14, 12, 9, 5 and 3, for 48 hours at their suburban home in Langley, B.C. From the get-go, the single, thirty-something Leslea, although up for the challenge, clearly has little concept of the chaos that awaits her. Our host, Dagmar Midcap, sweeps real mom Sharla off for two full days of the Cinderella treatment, including a night at the casino tables with her best girlfriend, one-on-one coffee brewing instruction from a world champion brew master and, with husband Henrik, a romantic salsa dancing lesson. Back at home, Leslea's philosophy of winging it seems to work for awhile, but then is stretched to its limits with the demands of putting on a birthday party for 25 six-year-old. Turns out the main attraction of the party is a visit by members of the Vancouver Giants, who stage a ball hockey exhibition, featuring Leslea's debut as a goalie. Battling exhaustion, headache, and ignorance about how to cook hot dogs, Leslea bends and bends, but does not break, despite mischievous ganging up from the kids and our co-host Charlie David. By the end of the 48 hours Leslea has won a small victory, but her bigger prize is a newfound knowledge and appreciation of the exhausting challenges Sharla deals with every day as a real Mom of five young children.
- Barry Tildsley, concrete truck driver from Pitt Meadows, B.C. and friend of Ruth-Anne and Dennis Fanning, doesn't believe that being a parent is as hard as going to work. Barry thinks Ruth-Anne, who has four young children under the age of six, presents herself as a martyr; she thinks he's arrogant and doesn't respect what she does as a full-time mom. The next 48 hours, with Barry on board as our "crash test mommy", will prove one of them right.... but which one?
- Kathy Mitchell thinks the atmosphere in her Surrey, B.C. home is like a circus - five kids under the age of eight will do that to anyone. Her easygoing, garrulous husband, Greg, talks a good line about parenting but hasn't really had to do mom's daily grunt work. But that's not a problem for Greg: "It's easy," he declares, "and it's only for a couple of days." Famous last words. This weekend, as our Crash Test Mommy, Greg is put to the test. Kathy is whisked off by private plane for a relaxing weekend with her friend Carla to a stunning resort on Vancouver Island's west coast. By the time Kathy comes home after 48 hours, it's Greg who looks like he's been through the wringer. He claims to have learned a lot about being patient, about breaking old habits and about learning to be more organized. More than anything he's happy to have his wife and the mother of his children back at home and on the job.
- Twenty-nine year-old dental assistant Sandra Guay thinks her cousin Wendy Colville allows son Matt, 8 and daughter Taylor, 4, to get whatever they want. This weekend, with Crash Test Mommy Sandra in charge of Wendy's North Delta brood, things will be different and the kids will follow the rules!...says Sandra! Right from the bell, Drill Sergeant Sandra has a running battle trying to keep sugar fiend Matt away from the sweets in the kitchen, monitoring princess Taylor, and planning and executing a disco-themed backyard BBQ for the neighborhood kids - all while the world's worst dishwasher repairman simultaneously wreaks havoc in her kitchen. As Matt covertly gobbles candy from his secret bedroom cache, and Sandra continually sets off the smoke detector with her culinary prowess, Wendy enjoys a lifesaving hiatus from 24/7 motherhood. On mom's return home, Sandra admits to a newfound respect for how hard Wendy has to work as the real mom, but Wendy repays the compliment, congratulating her cousin for a doing a pretty decent job as this episode's Crash Test Mommy.
- Über-organized single woman Christine Ferreira likes things to be just so...all the "i"s in her life dotted and her "t"s crossed. But she's about to learn that no amount of planning can prevent the mayhem of parenting, after accepting the challenge to parent friend and colleague Willow Yamauchi's two young children, Sophie and Flynn.
- Between the long hours she puts in at her film industry job and caring for her three young boys, Alysse Leite-Rogers is desperate for a vacation...even a weekend away would be a life-saver for her. Into the breach steps old friend Helen Taraviras, who bravely agrees to be our *crash test mommy*. By day, Helen is a nurse in a cosmetic surgery clinic; by night, a carefree single woman who jokes that she's more accustomed to 'making reservations than making muffins.' After we ferry Alysse and husband Shawn off for a weekend of pampering at a luxury resort on Vancouver Island, Helen is immediately thrown into the belly of the beast called motherhood. Preparing separate meals for the baby, the kids and the family dog, packing the brood off on rounds of shopping and to soccer practice, learning to milk a cow and preparing for a party attended by a group of rambunctious seven year-old pirates, Helen gets a brutal lesson in multi-tasking. By halfway through Day One she's already eager to throw in the towel. But she gets her second wind - the second of about 5 Helen will need over the 48 hour period - and re-enters the fray with pluck and aplomb. By the time Alysse returns, Helen has learned a lot about setting limits on the kids and juggling priorities, although she confesses that parenting 'is harder than work!'
- Single gal Maureen Mackinnon knows she's self-centered but is nevertheless insulted when her girlfriends joke she'd make a lousy parent. Maureen is determined to prove them wrong and therefore agrees, for 48 hours, to be *crash test mommy* of Jenn Goodman's two, extremely active, little boys, Josh and Jacob. The confident Maureen knows how to multi-task - isn't that what parenting is all about? "Piece of cake... bring it on!", she says. Maureen takes hold of the parenting reins, while Jenn is transported from her North Vancouver home to Whistler Ski Resort for a weekend of pampering.
- What happens when a 25 year-old "walking Barbie", who loves shopping, margaritas and boys, has to drop all that and get down and dirty as a 24/7 mom? In this new episode of CRASH TEST MOMMY, Michelle Albas gets a rude awakening after agreeing to sub for 48 hours as mom for the three little kids of Michelle and Paul Gent of North Delta, B.C. The fact that real mom Michelle is the other Michelle's real-life boss makes our *crash test mommy* a little nervous, even though our young candidate figures this 'parenting' thing will be pretty easy. Arriving in a lovely and immaculate pink and white ensemble and with perfect hair and makeup, Michelle, who never met a takeout menu she didn't love, is horrified to learn that over the next two days she'll be expected to cook, from scratch, six complete meals for Lucas, 8; Natasha, 7; and Tyus, 3. Real life mom, Michelle, is already licking her lips in anticipation at what will transpire....and in fact, our real mom hasn't be gone two minutes when Michelle already uses her first SOS card to call a friend for help and advice.
- Newlywed couple Susan Rae and Janine Davies are planning on having their own family, so they eagerly volunteer to be our *crash test mommies* and get a 48 hour test drive of motherhood with the two young daughters of Susan's longtime friend, Leah Bach of New Westminster, B.C. CRASH TEST MOMMY hosts Charlie and Dagmar throw in an unexpected bonus - 'Brutus', a life-like simulated baby that Susan must care for in addition to little Ashley and Danielle. Brutus has two speeds: asleep and, way more often, crying. While Leah is whisked away for a weekend of luxurious all-day makeovers, gourmet Asian fusion cooking lessons and shopping for cashmere sweaters, Susan is having a very bumpy ride on the home front. If managing a sleepover for half a dozen of the little girls' friends, tackling the never-ending housework, embarking on the constant expeditions to hip-hop classes and cliff-climbing sessions, weren't enough, Susan is irked by Leah's email jibes and reminders, is brutalized by an incompetent carpenter with a deafening power saw, and sleep-deprived by a fake baby who keeps her up all night with its crying jags. Finally, Susan has a total and complete meltdown....and walks! Only a cheesy bribe from Charlie gets her back into the house and caring for the kids. With Susan holding on for dear life, Leah comes home in the nick of time. Susan has gained a wealth of knowledge about motherhood and mountain of respect for Leah and the job she does as a mother 24/7 every day of her life.
- Suzette Laqua, thinking about starting her own family with boyfriend Miles, is eager to play *crash test mommy* for the two young sons of childhood friend Kim Giles. But Suzette starts with two strikes against her: she can't cook and she's got a mouth like a Prairie trucker. Kim is limo'd away for a Cinderella weekend of pampering at a luxury resort, culminating in her joining members of the Canadian National Women's softball team in a spirited ball game against her former teammates from an earlier, more carefree era of her life. On the home front, a whole different ballgame is being played out, as Suzette has trouble getting food on the table and keeping certain bad words from spilling out of her mouth. Suzette also has a tendency to procrastinate on tasks and bribe the kids with chocolate. Just for fun, we send in a family friend who asks Suzette to pet-sit Fluffy, his big, furry tarantula, and then an avant garde interior designer, who gets Suzette working on some peculiar kitchen renovations. Whether donning full Hazmat gear of latex gloves, mask and goggles so she can change Ryan's diapers, following our designer's instructions to paint the kitchen window panes black, and even dealing with the trauma of Fluffy the killer spider escaping and going AWOL, Suzette never loses her cool. Nothing seems to faze this woman! Despite, or maybe because of, her 'play it as it lays' M.O., the unflappable Suzette survives the weekend with aplomb. Kim, refreshed and reinvigorated from her weekend away from home, thinks Suzette has done a pretty decent job, considering everything. As for Suzette, she begrudgingly admits to having gained insights into the complexities of parenting that give her a new and profound respect for Kim's daily routine. And Miles, Suzette's boyfriend, also thinks Suzette has done a great job - and appears ready to get their family started right away!
- You see them plying their trade every day as they provide the weary and red-eyed masses with their drug of choice - caffeine. Their job doesn't appear to be remarkably difficult, and it seems surprising that there could possibly be a coffee subculture complete with its own latte art competitions and barista championships. Bob will enter into this world when he enters into the Canadian National Barista Championships. He'll compete by making four espressos, four cappuccinos, and four signature beverages in fifteen minutes, in front of technical and sensory judges and a large audience. Bob will train with Canadian Champion Barista Sammy Piccolo, who warns that it is not as easy as it looks. However, with hard training, Bob might be able to compete after four weeks. Bob's challenge is to pack the training into just five short days. His reward? Entry into a unique and close circle of people who are passionate about the bean and live for the art of caffeine.
- Bob Blumer loves spicy foods. The hotter the better (at least that's what he thinks.) Like a vigilante gunslinger in a western movie he'll journey to the hot, dusty heart of the hot chile empire: Hatch, New Mexico. Located in the plains of the Rio Grande Valley, Hatch is a chile-head's Mecca. Bob will work in the fertile fields of the surrounding Hatch Valley picking chile peppers in a 40°C heat discovering enough new varieties and various tastes to satisfy a steady throng of new converts. And then he'll go further. Bob's challenge is to prove that he really can take the heat by entering the hot chile-eating contest. He'll be going head-to-head with some extremely big guys who see their ability to eat insanely hot chiles as proof of manhood. His reward? Survival, and everything he needs to know to make his very own hot sauce.
- Making it to the finish line of a 26-mile marathon is a grueling test of stamina that few people are capable of completing. But what about a full-fledged marathon that includes runners in costume, 22 wine tasting stations and an oyster bar along the route? The Médoc Marathon, a raucous, wine-soaked run that takes place every fall in the heart of France's legendary Bordeaux region, is just such an event. Bob will need to get himself in top shape not just for an intense physical test - but for a psychological one too. How will he keep himself focused on the finish line when there are so many mouthwatering and potentially impairing temptations threatening his progress? His challenge is to remember that even though it may seem like a party (that's what the other 8000 runners seem to think), it's still a race - and a long one at that. His reward? A whirlwind tour through some of the finest wineries in the world - and the chance to win his weight in first-growth Bordeaux.
- Bob Blumer attempts the ultimate "Guinnes Diet". A challenge of having nothing but Guinness Beer during a period of 5 consecutive days.
- Twenty-something Jenn Rees lives in her parents' basement, while slinging drinks three evenings a week at a local bar. The lifestyle of this late-rising, vacation-taking Party Girl, is about to change, however, when she becomes the 48 hour 'crash test mommy' to her older sister Kim's two assertive little children: Bobby, five, and Ainsleigh, four. Both women have something to prove over the weekend. Kim says that Jenn insists on giving her parenting advice, especially about disciplining the kids better. Kim wants Jenn to appreciate the 24/7 work that goes into being a mother, and that the "Yes, Mam, No, Mam" approach, while it sounds good in theory, doesn't always work in practice. In addition to running a tight ship, Jenn also wants to prove to Kim (and to the rest of her dubious family) that she is capable of being responsible when called upon.
- Parents Erinn and Mark Kredba enforce strict rules for their children, but the children's grandmother does not believe in rules for kids.
- North Vancouver's Penny Merletti is a part-time ER nurse, a job that probably helps her keep her cool while almost single-handedly gripping the parenting reins over her two active young children: Ally, age 7, and Andy, age 4. Her amiable husband, Alex, who runs the family construction business, was raised in a traditional home and thinks that cooking, cleaning, grocery and clothes shopping, and taking the kids to soccer are all 'women's work'. Besides, Alex thinks parenting is easy - all it takes, as in his business, is better organization, delegation of tasks and better time management. As for Penny, she wants her husband to stop taking her for granted, to realize that occasional babysitting isn't the same as 24/7 parenting, and to start pitching in!