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Polar Bear Town Docuseries | 1x9 hours | Language: English

A documentary about mutual respect, prudence, and survival on both the bear and the human sides.

– David Hinckley, TV Worth Watching

Every autumn, over 1,000 starving polar bears travel directly through the remote northern frontier town of Churchill, Manitoba to reach their hunting grounds on Hudson Bay. Polar Bear Town follows the migration of the world’s biggest land predator, the tourists who come to witness the spectacle, and the gritty, colourful, polar bear guides in charge of keeping everyone - people and animals – safe.

Season 1

The bears are on the move and headed for Hudson Bay! Tour operators and guides gear up for another busy season and the bears will not disappoint. Against a backdrop of some of the world’s most amazing landscape and weather, each show features a different phase of the polar bear migration. This is Polar Bear Town, a front row seat for some of the closest human – polar bear encounters ever seen on television.

Season 2

It's summer in Polar Bear Town! Thousands of beluga whales are in the bay and tourists are flocking to see them. Every fall, approximately 10,000 tourists from around the world descend on the tiny, isolated town of Churchill, Manitoba in Canada to see these animals, but this year is different - belugas aren't the only show in town. Polar bears are arriving earlier than usual. Guides have their hands full, with bears coming right into town, looking for food. If the bears reach their destination, it could be disastrous for tourists and locals alike.

OVERVIEW

  • Genre: Documentary
  • 1 x 9 hours
  • Narrator: Mike Goral
  • Director: Mike Bodnarchuk, Ed Hatton (Season 1) and Jeff Newman (Season 2)
  • Producer: Merit Jensen Carr, Phil Fairclough
  • Languages: English
  • Subtitles: None
This beautifully shot series follows the majestic beasts’ migration and the professional guides whose mission is to get their human clients close, but not too close.

– Kathryn Shattuck, New York Times

Cast

Dennis Compayre

"Polar bears have a high degree of intelligence that can only be found in the highest order of animals like the great apes, whales and dolphins. Unfortunately, from what I see around me, a fair chunk of humanity doesn’t make that cut."

A Churchill native with almost four decades experience examining polar bears, Dennis Compayre recognizes the importance of protecting his clients and the polar bears alike. Known as "The Polar Bear Whisperer," Compayre spent 25,000 hours studying polar bear behavior, and as a result, is sought out by visitors for the remarkable connection he has with species. He was one of the first drivers hired to give polar bear buggy tours in Churchill in the '80s when the town was becoming a more popular tourist destination.

Brian Ladoon

“My connection to polar bears thank god - is privileged. They know me and I know them – that’s privilege.”

Brian Ladoon is the owner and operator of the Mile 5 Dog Sanctuary in Churchill, Manitoba. His life's work revolves around restoring the disappearing Canadian Eskimo dog breed, which the Inuit once depended on. In conjunction with his dog sanctuary, he runs a polar bear roadside attraction that allows tourists to safely view bears that roam freely around Mile 5. Surprisingly, Ladoon's dogs and the polar bears have a mutual respect for each other and rarely quarrel. The fact that Ladoon keeps the sanctuary stocked with fresh meat doesn't hurt either.

Kelsey Eliasson

"Guiding is just an excuse to get next to bears – and clients are often a necessary evil."

It's been nearly two decades since independent polar bear guide Kelsey Eliasson started leading adventure-seekers visiting Churchill to witness the world's largest land predators. After five years driving the world famous tundra buggies, Kelsey started his own guiding business, Polar Bear Alley. He now leads professional photographers and film crews; reading and interpreting bear behavior during eye-level encounters, sometimes within 100' of these powerful creatures. Regardless of the risk, Eliasson would never trade this opportunity to be close to the majestic creatures he so admires.

The man with a million plans, Kelsey is the kind of guy who goes where the wind blows him, and sometimes it can blow him into some pretty interesting and dangerous spots.

Production Team

MERIT JENSEN CARR | Producer

For over 30 years, Merit Motion Pictures (MMP) has worked with Canada’s foremost writers and directors to produce award-winning documentary films and series. During this time, MMP has partnered with BBC, ARTE, ZDF, France TV, Vulcan, CBC, Smithsonian Channel, National Geographic Channel and many others. MMP is a frequent partner for international science and nature co-productions and is fortunate to have access to the highest and most flexible tax credits in Canada. Executive producer and founder, Merit Jensen Carr, is passionate about telling stories which reflect humanity’s relationship with the natural world and has received some of the industry’s top honours including the inaugural HOT DOCS Don Haig Award for Special Achievement in Producing. Recent highlights include the MMP & CAPA/Films A Cinq science and nature co-production, Reef Rescue (ARTE, CBC, NOVA, VULCAN) winner of Best Conservation Film Long Form at the Jackson Wild Media Awards 2020. Recent productions include the 2 x 1hr natural history series Kingdom of the Polar Bears (National Geographic Channels, France 3, CBC, Terra Mater, Canal D); Great Lakes Untamed (Smithsonian, TVO, Terra Mater); Everest Dark (CBC documentary Channel) and season 4 of Dr. Keri: Prairie Vet (Animal Planet). Other highlights include the Canadian Screen Award-winning films What Plants Talk About (CBC/PBS Nature), Call of the Forest: The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees nominated at Pariscience and the Canadian Screen Awards for Best Science and Nature Film, and Turtle Beach (BBC, ARTE, Blue Ant, CBC).

PHIL FAIRCLOUGH, Producer

An entrepreneurial creator, with a passion for TV and popular factual content… in particular wildlife, natural history, science and history. He is a prolific producer of factual TV, including hundred of hours of content about wildlife, nature and animals. He was the executive producer of the acclaimed theatrical documentary Grizzly Man and the Oscar nominated Encounters at The End Of The World. Phil also created high entertainment shows like Animal Face Off and The Shark Attack Experiment Live as well as blue chip series such as PBS’s Big Pacific. He’s worked at high levels for the BBC NHU, Discovery Channel, ITV and creates striking factual content for multiple networks. As an executive with Discovery Channel, the BBC and ITV, Phil is an award winning producer, with extensive programming, development and production and experience in the American and global markets.