CBC-TV'S FLAGSHIP DOCUMENTARY SERIES, DOC ZONE, LAUNCHES THE SEASON WITH A SOBER TAKE ON MODERN ZOOS

Worldwide, zoos attract some 700 million visitors a year. In North America, annual attendance at zoos exceeds all the major sports franchises combined. There is no institution more adored or reviled than the modern zoo. Despite their popularity with the public, the debate over whether wild creatures belong in captivity continues. Critics argue zoos traffic in living creatures, exploiting them for profit and amusement. Zoos counter they educate the public and provide refuge for vanishing species. As habitat destruction and mass extinctions accelerate, zoos may be our Noah’s Ark. Zoo Revolution on DOC ZONE asks, are zoos part of the problem, or part of the solution?

Zoo Revolution airs on CBC-TV’s DOC ZONE, Thursday, Oct. 3 at 9 p.m. (9:30 NT).

For a preview of the documentary, click here.

Zoo Revolution takes the viewer deep inside the increasingly controversial debate about the value of zoos in the 21st century. Are zoos an old-fashioned and outmoded way of displaying animals for entertainment - an idea whose time has come and gone? Or are they more important than ever before, at the vanguard of species survival and public education? Zoo Revolution presents experts and animal lovers on both sides of the argument in Canada, the U.K., the U.S., Germany and Australia.

The film is written and directed by Geoff D’Eon and produced by Rick LeGuerrier and Timoth M. Hogan of Dream Street Pictures.

Deadly by Design tells the story of how and why Canada has become the world’s third largest producer of illegal synthetic drugs, of which ecstasy is the most popular. They are cheap, available, and make you feel like a kid again. They mimic the highs of organic drugs but they don’t come from Mexico or Colombia. They are made in clandestine labs in farms, industrial buildings, or the house next door. In its pure form ecstasy is neither dangerous nor addictive. But in 2011, this supposedly harmless drug was the cause of over 30 deaths in Western Canada. This was the largest cluster of drug related deaths ever seen in Canada. Something was terribly wrong. Why were these people dying?

In Deadly by Design we encounter the emergency room doctors, and the police on the beat who are trying to find the answers. The documentary goes underground to meet the alchemists who create these illegal synthetic drugs: the Cooks. We learn about their lives, why they do it and how they create them. And we soon discover that most purchasers of ecstasy really have no idea what they are buying. They don’t know for sure what those little pills contain and they really have to trust their dealer. However, many times the dealers don’t even know what’s in them.

CBC’s flagship documentary series explores and expands on the major issues of our time. Around the corner and around the world, our cameras bring viewers to the centre of the stories everyone is talking about. Informed, exciting and eventful, DOC ZONE presents a panoramic view of what matters most to Canadians.

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages.

For more information including series synopses, press releases, hi-res images, video clips and bios, please visit the CBC Media Centre at cbc.ca/mediacentre. Follow CBC’s publicity team on Twitter @CBC_Publicity.

Corey Black, News and Current Affairs publicist, CBC

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