The Event: get exclusive behind the scenes access to the summer's biggest music and cultural festivals with Bell TV

Eight original episodes in documentary-reality format reveal the extreme highs and dramatic lows that are part of staging some of Canada's biggest concerts and events

MONTREAL, June 19, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Beginning on July 2, Bell will launch The Event - a new television series that gives viewers exclusive behind the scenes access following production crews staging some of the biggest music and cultural events of this summer in an eight episode documentary-reality format. The Event will be available in French and English  exclusively to Bell TV subscribers via the Bell TV app.

From Louis-Jean Cormier to Lady Gaga to Éric Lapointe to Diana Krall, The Event will follow producers, production crews, designers, event managers, along with the performers and artists themselves 48 hours prior to some of Canada's major concert and cultural shows - including the FrancoFolies de Montréal, the Festival international de jazz de Montréal, the Festival d'été de Québec and the Osheaga Music and Arts Festival.

Your favourite performer takes the stage in front of an audience of screaming fans. It's something we see regularly live and on TV. Now try to imagine the days and hours leading up to that special moment when the performer finally steps into the spotlight. What production companies worked so hard to make that artist or festival shine? What challenges did they have to overcome? And just who are these unsung heroes working behind the curtain? You'll see all of this on The Event, an Attraction Images production.

Who backstage does Louis-Jean Cormier, Éric Lapointe, Karim Ouellet and Marie-Mai rely upon for an incredible and flawless show? Who ensures that every concert by Lady Gaga, Billy Joel, Bryan Adams and Snoop Dogg is a success? If you're part of the entourage for Michael Bublé or Diana Krall or Tony Bennett, what does a regular day look like? At an outdoor festival like Osheaga, how do you coordinate the arrival of 100 different rock groups and artists? The Event will reveal all this and more through the lens of directors Jean-François Poisson (District V) and Guillaume St-Arnaud (L'amour est dans le pré).

Several renowned artists are involved in producing The Event, including content producer Jeff Stinco from the group Simple Plan. Jeff will narrate each episode in both English and French, drawing on his own personal stage and performance experiences to give viewers unique insight and perspective as The Event's camera crews capture the complexity and pressure filled moments leading up to opening nights and successful multi-day festivals that are rarely seen by the public.

"As a partner for some of the biggest cultural events in the country, we are proud to extend and give special access to these exceptional concerts and festivals to more Bell TV customers in a very unique way with The Event and the Bell TV app," said Nicolas Poitras, Vice President, Marketing Communications for Bell. "Following the success of 24CH, Bell continues to support the creation of top-quality original content and the promotion of homegrown artists and artisans, further enhancing the creative and dynamic media industry with unique broadcasting ideas and initiatives."

The Bell TV app lets customers watch popular channels they receive in their programming package at home on tablets or smartphones at no extra charge and access to the industry-leading Bell Mobile TV service. The Bell TV app is available for Android devices at Google Play, BB10 devices in BlackBerry App World and iOS in the Apple and iTunes App Store. For more information, please visit Bell.ca/TVAnywhere.

"We are very proud of this new TV production, especially as we are launching a new partnership with Bell and doing so with an innovative form of broadcasting," notes Executive Producer and President of Attraction Images, Marleen Beaulieu.

The Event will begin airing weekly on July 2, with a series of eight episodes available only to Bell Fibe or Satellite TV customers via the Bell TV app. In September, all the episodes will be available on Bell Local video on demand.

About Attraction Images
Attraction Images is a subsidiary of Attraction. It is one of Quebec's largest and most successful creators and producers of high quality television and film content, counting an impressive and very high-quality catalogue of 12 feature films, a dozen digital projects and over 1,100 hours of TV programming ranging from prime time dramas and variety shows to game shows, documentaries, magazines and youth programming.

About Bell
Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing consumers and business customers with wireless, TV, Internet, home phone and business communications services. Bell Media is Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio and digital media. Bell is wholly owned by Montréal's BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE). For more information, please visit Bell.ca.

Bell Let's Talk promotes Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns, like Clara's Big Ride for Bell Let's Talk and Bell Let's Talk Day, and significant Bell funding of community care and access, research, and workplace initiatives. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.

SOURCE: Bell Canada