cineflix productions

New Cineflix technology series The Ultimates premieres on Discovery, Thursday, September 4

August 19, 2003

Montreal, August 19, 2003 – A new Cineflix co-production, The Ultimates, premieres on Thursday September 4 at 10p.m. ET/7p.m. PT on Discovery Channel. The 6X1 hour technology series about extreme speed and power focuses on the science and technology of notorious war-time explosions, the worst collisions in sports car history, supersonic trains, thrill rides, and the world’s most advanced fighting machines – strike planes and combat helicopters.

Using dramatic re-enactment, rare footage, vivid CGI, expert testimony and compelling narrative, the series also looks at the designers and creators whose obsession with speed and power pushes them to join the dog-eat-dog race for military, mechanical and technological superiority.

The first episode, Ultimate Explosions offers compelling stories of explosions that have reverberated around the world. The episode reveals the powerful stories of the men, women and children impacted by the world’s most notorious wartime and accidental explosions, including the Halifax Explosion of 1917, when 2,000 people died after an ammunition ship blew up at the Port of Halifax. The episode also reveals the untold story of a massive underground bomb that could explode at any time, posing the ultimate challenge for explosives experts.

Ultimate Trains (Thursday, September 11 at 10p.m. ET/7p.m. PT) offers a fascinating look at the radical concepts and innovative ideas that are making trains faster, safer and ever more futuristic. Using interviews, heart-stopping footage and dramatic CGI, the one-hour episode investigates how the evolution of train technology has revolutionized high-speed transport, while also changing the world we live in.

Ultimate Racing Crashes (Thursday, September 18 at 10p.m. ET/7p.m. PT) explores the high tech, high-speed world of motor racing. By examining several renowned Formula 1, NASCAR and motorbike crashes, the episode offers a fascinating look at the history of the science and engineering used to sustain drivers in life-threatening impacts. The episode also chronicles vital measures taken by Formula 1 and NASCAR governing bodies to more effectively manage the safety of these highly dangerous, cutting-edge sports.

The Ultimates’ final three episodes, Ultimate Strike Planes, Ultimate Combat Helicopters and Ultimate Thrill Rides, are slated to broadcast in October.

The Ultimates is executive produced by Glen Salzman, André Barro, David Darlow, Alan Clements and Stuart Carter. Canadian Series Producer is Chantal Bowen. A Canada-UK co-production, The Ultimates is produced by Cineflix in association with One on One Productions, Wark Clements, and Pioneer Productions, with the financial participation of Discovery Channel Canada, Discovery Europe, Channel 5, Canal D, The Quebec Film and Television Tax Credit Administered by SODEC and the Canadian Film or Video Tax Credit.

Cineflix is a leading producer and distributor of non-fiction programming, with offices in Montreal, Toronto, London and Dublin. Building on a strong foundation in fiction filmmaking and acclaimed one-hour and feature-length documentaries, Cineflix produces over 50 hours a year of factual entertainment with strong international appeal.