Actor and comedian Shaun Majumder will host a new television competition series called Race Against the Tide which is being filmed at New River Beach near Saint John. (Photo: marblemedia)
A new television series will pit teams of sand sculptors against one another — and the Bay of Fundy tides.
Race Against the Tide is a 10-part competition series being filmed at New River Beach, west of Saint John.
Mark Bishop, co-CEO and executive producer with Toronto-based marblemedia, said the idea came from a brainstorming session with staff.
But it really came together when Bishop, who hails from Rothesay, made a trip back to New Brunswick last summer with his wife and daughter.
“We were sitting on New River Beach with my daughter, who was three at the time, and building sandcastles and watching as the tide was slowly coming in. That was the ‘aha’ moment we had of ‘wait a second, that could be the hook for the show,'” said Bishop.
“The tide is the natural wonder that adds a real ticking clock to our series.”
Ten teams of two will be competing to create extraordinary works of art with one team being eliminated from the competition each episode.
The creations — no matter how impressive — are all destined to be washed away by Mother Nature’s unstoppable ticking clock.
“We are really, really lucky to have amazing competitors really from all over North America who are really top of their game. When we started casting, we were blown away by the quality and calibre of the work these people were creating,” he said.
The province of New Brunswick and Saint John-based Hemmings House are also involved with the project.
Steve Foster, a co-producer with Hemmings House, said they were excited to get on board with the competition series.
“Someone asks you to be involved with a show where you get to shoot at the beach for a month in sunny New Brunswick at New River Beach, kind of a no-brainer,” he said.
The series will also include footage from other spots near the Bay of Fundy, including Hopewell Rocks. Both Foster and Bishop hope more people will be encouraged to come visit the Bay of Fundy and New Brunswick.
“What I’m most excited about the show is to have the opportunity to showcase New Brunswick on a national stage and then hopefully we’ll take the show and sell it internationally, as well, and people will get to see the wonder of the Bay of Fundy, the beauty of the area, and the excitement that is in New Brunswick,” said Bishop.
“It’s gonna be an unapologetically New Brunswick tourism ad because you just point the camera in any direction on the beach and it’s absolutely stunning,” added Foster.
Several measures have been put in place due to the pandemic, such as physical distancing and masks for crew members. Anyone arriving from outside the province was also required to quarantine, said Bishop.
Filming began at New River Beach last week and is expected to continue until the end of August.
Race Against the Tide, hosted by actor and comedian Shaun Majumder, is set to air on CBC and the CBC Gem streaming service next year.
We are filming on the beach these days for a new CBC competition series with our pals at @marblemedia ! https://t.co/JwC9eFXV9u via @BroadcastDialog
— Hemmings House Pictures (@HemmingsHouse) August 13, 2020
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