Hot Picks: A Cut Above

Chainsaw carving is the latest nail-biting competition format being brought to TV screens, with contestants wielding heavy machinery under intense conditions.

In the show, commissioned by Discovery Canada, 12 professional chainsaw carvers from across the world are tested on their creativity, strength and skills as they carve ordinary logs into works of art.

Set in the wilderness of British Columbia, it offers a “juxtaposition of rugged setting and dangerous tools, with the finesse and artistry that the carvers achieve giving it broad appeal for co-viewing”, says Diane Rankin senior vice-president of rights at Distribution 360 (D360) .

In each episode, the carvers compete in a series of challenges against the clock, in the hopes of avoiding elimination and getting one step closer to winning a Can$50,000 (£34,000) cash prize.

Fronted by Adam Beach, Canadian chainsaw carver Ryan Cook and British sculptor Katharine Dowson, the series is produced by in-house label Marblemedia.

Rankin, who has distributed fellow craft-based competition shows including Netflix’s Blown Away and CBC’s Race Against The Tide, says there is a demand from buyers for formats in more rural settings.

“The series is pretty universal in the structure but still has a Canadian feel,” he adds.

The acquisition marks a move from the distributor – known for female-skewed content such as Best In Miniature for CBC and Discovery+ – into growing its male-skewing programming, but A Cut Above has elements that will “appeal to a multi-interested audience”, says Rankin.

Pre-sales for the series have been secured with Discovery US and A+E Networks UK for their channels in the UK, Republic of Ireland, Sub-Saharan Africa, Benelux, Sweden, Romania, Malta, Gibraltar, Spain and Portugal.

Scandinavia and western Europe are key markets for format sales. “It’s very appealing because they have the landscapes and locations. The show would be spectacular,” says Rankin. “Asia has the potential for some interesting casting and challenges, and also there’s an appeal to Australia and New Zealand.”