Get Rich or Die Buyin'! OLN Greenlights New Original Series Storage Wars Canada

- Start of production on 36, half-hour episodes slated for May; filming to take place in locations across Ontario -

- Homegrown series produced by Proper Television -

-Storage Wars format is licensed globally by FremantleMedia -

TORONTO, April 2, 2013 /CNW/ - It's time for Canada to go bid or go home as the popular Storage Wars franchise arrives north of the border. OLN, Proper Television, and FremantleMedia today announced that Storage Wars Canada (36 x 30 minutes) has been greenlit with production slated to begin May 2013, and filming to take place in locations across Ontario. Additional production and broadcast details to be announced at a later date.

Commissioned by OLN's original content team and produced by Proper Television, Storage Wars Canada is a modern-day treasure hunt, as four professional buyers use their knowledge, expertise, and wit to bid on the contents of abandoned, repossessed, and forgotten storage containers. With only a matter of minutes to scan the contents of the locker using only the beam of a flashlight, the high stakes fun begins when the buyers have to out-bid each other for the locker, which could be full of trash…or treasure.

Storage Wars Canada is the latest original series commissioned by Rogers Media, following the successful launch of Seed earlier this year, and including the upcoming premieres of previously announced series Package Deal, The Project, and Mother Up!. Storage Wars Canada is part of the Storage Wars franchise from FremantleMedia's Original Productions. Storage Wars currently airs weeknights at 8 p.m. ET on OLN (check local listings).

"The hit Storage Wars franchise is perfectly in tune with the outrageous characters and real-life stories that OLN's viewers look forward to every night," said Claire Freeland, Director of Original Programming, Rogers Media, and Executive Producer of Storage Wars Canada. "Canada is filled with dynamic treasure hunters and passionate collectors that will bring this homegrown series to life, and we are excited to give Canadians this opportunity."

Storage Wars Canada is currently casting in Ontario for treasure hunters, auctioneers, and appraisers for the original Canadian series. Interested applicants can send a resume, photo, and brief description of themselves to: [email protected].

"Storage Wars Canada will allow Canadians to take part in one of television's most successful franchises and we are very happy to be working with OLN on this amazing project," said Guy O'Sullivan, President, Proper Television.

"With OLN and Proper Television on-board to produce Storage Wars Canada, we are confident that the new series will combine all of the entertainment and characters to appeal to the Canadian audiences," said Lisa Honig, SVP, Program Distribution, North America, FremantleMedia International.

Storage Wars Canada is an OLN original series produced by Proper Television and based on a format created by Original Productions, a FremantleMedia Company. Guy O'Sullivan (Come Dine with Me Canada) and Allison Grace (Holmes Inspection) serve as executive producers, with Geoff Siskind (Canada's Worst Driver) as a series producer. From Rogers Media, Claire Freeland is director of original programming and executive producer of the series, Malcolm Dunlop is executive vice-president, programming and operations, and Scott Moore is president of broadcast.

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About Proper Television
Proper Television is a leading provider of factual entertainment, reality, documentary and docu-dramas for Canadian, US and International markets.   Headed by former BBC director Guy O'Sullivan, Proper Television has earned a distinguished reputation for creating original series and adapting international formats including Canada's Worst Driver, Come Dine with Me Canada, and Four Weddings Canada. Proper Television's shows and formats are sold internationally by newly formed Proper Distribution.

About FremantleMedia and FremantleMedia Enterprises
FremantleMedia is one of the leading creators and producers of entertainment brands in the world. FremantleMedia is part of the RTL Group, Europe's largest television and radio broadcast company, which is in turn 90 percent owned by Bertelsmann AG, one of the world's major media and entertainment companies. FremantleMedia's worldwide production arm is responsible for many of the world's highest rated prime time entertainment, drama, serial drama and factual entertainment programmes. FremantleMedia Enterprises is the brand extension arm of FremantleMedia, offering a one-stop-shop for all Licensing, Distribution and Home Entertainment around the world. The FremantleMedia Group (which includes FremantleMedia North America, UFA, talkbackTHAMES, FremantleMedia Australia and Original Productions amongst others) has operations in 22 countries, one of the most comprehensive global networks, creating nearly 10,000 hours of programming a year, rolling out more than 60 formats and managing over 300 individual titles. FremantleMedia has some of the world's most sought after and long running formats in its catalogue, and globally, produces such programmes as: Idols (co-produced with 19 Productions in the US), Hole In The Wall, Got Talent (co-produced with Syco in the UK and the US), The X Factor (co-produced with Syco in the UK), Take Me Out, Family Feud, The Price is Right, Farmer Wants A Wife, Gute Zeiten Schlechte Zeiten, and Neighbours.

About OLN
OLN is a specialty television station in Canada offering viewers a one-stop destination for adrenaline pumping action and adventure entertainment. Larger than life personalities take viewers on intense and rugged journeys across Canada and the world in pursuit of knowledge, competition and prey. Original Canadian reality, adventure, and travel series along with US acquired programming provides viewers with different perspectives on the world around them unearthing new and exhilarating adventures at every turn. OLN is a part of Rogers Broadcasting Limited, a division of Rogers Communications Inc. (TSX: RCI andNYSE: RCI) which is a diversified Canadian communications and media company. For more information visit www.OLN.ca.

SOURCE: Rogers Media