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On the first days of Christmas here’s what OLN and BIO have in store – four pythons slithering, three ghosts a hunting, two repos pending, and an in-depth look at jolly Santa Claus.

Offering a little break from the average Christmas fare, OLN gifts viewers with all-day marathons of all the favourites including: Operation Repo, Deals From the Dark Side, Ghost Hunters International, Survivorman, Man v. Food and starting with on Christmas Day with Python Hunters, premiering Sunday, Decemeber 25 at 11 am ET/PT. 

Then, if the Christmas Yule Log isn’t bringing enough holiday cheer, get into the spirit of the season with Inside Story: Santa Clause and the biography of Kris Kringle himself on The Bio Channel. The festive fun begins on Christimas Eve with the Santa Claus Biography premiering Saturday, December 24 at 4pm ET. 

Below is a chronological listing of detailed holiday programming. All programming is subject to change. 

OLN 

Python Hunters Marathon: Sunday, December 25 starting at 11am ET/PT 

**16-hour Marathon** 

Scour the Florida Everglades with an elite squad of hunters as they fight back against a deadly invasion of Burmese pythons. 

Operation Repo Marathon: Monday, December 26 starting at 10am ET/PT 

**17-hour Marathon** 

Take a look inside the fast-paced, high-pressure world of car repossession with 17 hours of intense drama, aggression and chaos. 

Deals From the Dark Side Marathon: Tuesday, December 27 starting at 10am ET/PT 

**13-hour Marathon** 

Join eccentric collector Steve Santini on his quest to buy and authenticate dark relics. From a Titanic deck chair to medieval torture devices, Steve has an eye for the historic and the disturbed. 

Ghost Hunters International Marathon: Wednesday, December 28 starting at 2pm ET/PT 

**13-hour Marathon** 

Follow Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson and their team around the world as they scour mysterious locations for lost spirits with 13 hours of hair-raising ghost hunting. 

King of Cars Marathon: Thursday, December 29 starting at 12pm ET/PT 

**13-hour Marathon** 

Tune in for a raucous, behind-the-scenes look at the fast-talking world of car sales with this 13-hour marathon. 

Survivorman Marathon: Friday, December 30 starting at 2pm ET/PT 

**11-hour Marathon** 

Travel along with filmmaker and naturalist Les Stroud as he journeys to remote –and often dangerous- locations in the wild, demonstrating primitive survival methods. 

Storage Hunters Marathon: Saturday, December 31 starting at 4pm ET/PT 

**11-hour Marathon** 

Former boxer Brandon Bernier and his wife, Lori, are fierce competitors in a high-stakes sales game. From finding hidden bundles of cash to dangerous and weird items, this 11-hour marathon will show the ups and downs of storage unit auctions. 

Man v. Food: Carnivore Chronicles Marathon: Sunday, January 1 starting at 11am ET/PT 

**16-hour Marathon** 

Sit down with Adam Richman for 16 hours of food competitions, as he scours the country in search of the biggest challenge. 

Storage Wars Marathon: Monday, January 2 starting at 11am ET/PT 

**16-hour Marathon** 

In this 16-hour hunt, teams of bidders look to score it big in the high-stakes world of storage auctions. 

The Biography Channel 

Inside Story: Santa Clause: Saturday, December 24 at 9pm ET (6pm PT) 

In 1994, Disney set out to breathe new life into one of history’s most beloved characters – santa Claus – with the blockbuster movie The Santa Clause. Through exclusive interviews with stars Tim Allen, Canadian, Wendy Crewson, Judge Reinhold and David Krumholtz, as well as director John Pasquin and, producer Jeffrey Silver, Inside Story takes viewers behind the scenes of a $190-million hit film. 

Santa Claus Biography: Saturday, December 24 at 4pm ET (1pm PT) 

Though rooted in various religions, Santa Claus also symbolizes the secular spirit of generosity. Adored by children worldwide, but often with a different name and emanating from disparate myths, he continues to create instantaneous mirth and joy. Join us on a jolly journey through time to reveal his roots, from the Roman Befana to the Germanic Berchta and Knecht Ruprecht, from Saint Nicholas to Santa Claus. 

OLN is supercharging its prime-time lineup with nightly, back-to-back episodes of the 13-part reality series King of Cars.

Premiering Monday, Dec. 12 at 8pm ET/PT, each 30-minute episode offers a raucous, behind-the-scenes look at the fast-talking world of car sales.

King of Cars follows Chop, the ‘King of Cars’ himself and the brains behind a Las Vegas automotive empire. The top of his shop, Chop is also a father, rap impresario, radio host, Vegas player and TV infomercial star.

Kicking off with the Canadian broadcast premiere on December 12, season one of King of Cars airs weeknights at 8pm ET/PT and 8:30pm ET/PT for six straight weeks on OLN.

In the premiere episode “We Dooz it Large,” Chop pushes his sales crew to sell 40 cars on a single Saturday. Throughout the challenge, he keeps his eye on two particular staffers: Ali, a relatively green salesman who wants to prove his worth to Chop; and Barry, the ‘class clown’ of the dealership who desperately needs a sale to get out of his slump.

King of Cars also gives viewers an all-access pass behind the scenes of the Chopper Show, which features one-of-a-kind infomercials with a local cult following that include hilarious skits with real salesmen and Chop delivering his unique brand of high-energy hosting. With 80 per cent of sales generated from these weekly improvised infomercials, Chop’s automotive dynasty is the No. 1 used car dealership in the United States.

The wait is over and the chase is on as thetrackerhimself, Terry Grant, sets his sights and scents on all-new prey – recently retired CFLer and Canadian Olympic bobsledder Jesse Lumsden and fellow Canadian Olympic bobsledder Justin Kripps.

Tune in to see if these athletes have what it takes to slide past the finish line in time when the OLN original series Mantracker returns Sunday, August 7 at 9 pm ET/PT. Want to relive the season? OLN re-airs the first six episodes of the new season on Sunday, August 7 from 10am to 8pm ET/PT.

Lumsden and Kripps like a challenge. After all, their sport requires them to slide down an ice track at 150+kms an hour. But for their next test, they’re swapping ice for woodlands as they attempt to evade Mantracker in the northern landscape of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. With hometown hero and veteran sidekick Phil Lemieux by his side, Mantracker is determined not to let these two give him the slip.

Follow Terry Grant in season six with 12 action-packed episodes. Then, get ready for season seven when a new Mantrackersteps up to the challenge!

Get ready for the ultimate cat and mouse chase through the wilderness with season 6 of the OLN original series, Mantracker, premiering Sunday, April 17 at 9pm ET/PT. 

Mantracker, Terry Grant has his hands full this season as he goes up against some hard-hitting competitors, with Canadian stars; Shane Doan, captain of the Phoenix Coyotes, Justin Lukach from the OLN original series The Departures and Canadian Olympic bobsledders, Jesse Lumsden and Justin Kripps. As well, for the first time, Terry faces newlyweds and identical twin sisters. This season will feature, some of the most tumultuous landscapes in Utah, Colorado and the Canadian Rockies, along with a sojourn to Saskatchewan and some new hunting grounds in Ontario. 

In the premiere episode, Team Canada hockey player and Phoenix Coyotes captain, Shane Doan along with his brother Brook take on Terry in Gold Bridge, BC. Shane is used to gold medals, but Gold Bridge is a whole new challenge. Nestled high in the Chilcotin Mountains, sidekick Russ Floyd saddles up to help Terry catch his first prey of the season. Will Shane take home a win this time, too or will Terry claim victory? 

Follow Terry Grant in season 6 with 13 brand new, thrilling episodes. Then, get ready for season 7 when a new Mantracker steps up to the challenge!

Tune in as host Josh Gates and his team travel the world in search of clues to the existence of strange creatures and paranormal activity on season 4 of Destination Truth, premiering Thursday, March 24 at 8pm ET/PT on OLN.

Hosted by intrepid world adventurer Josh Gates and his team, each episode takes viewers on a trek across the globe to investigate stories of the unexplained. In season 4 Josh travels everywhere, from Canada to Russia and Italy, and from Morocco to Kenya, Cambodia, Japan and the Philippines. The team investigates some of the world’s most dangerous creatures and paranormal activity including, a human eating feline, ghostly soldiers, a demon turtle, Siberian snowman, zombies and much more.

In the premiere episode, Josh and his team travel to Italy, where they investigate claims of ghosts in Pompeii, a Roman city which was engulfed by a volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the first century AD. Then, the team heads to Kenya, where a creature called the Nandi bear, known to have an appetite for human brains is said to make its home.

Will Josh and his team locate or find evidence of these mysterious creatures and ghostly apparitions or will they remain myths and folk tales, passed on from generation to generation? Find out on the thrilling new season on OLN.

Follow OLN on Twitter @OLNCanada

Join OLN for the first-ever LIVE episode of the hit series, Destination Truth as host, Josh Gates attempts to solve one of the oldest mysteries in the majestic country of Ireland. The thrilling, four-hour, LIVE episode airs Thursday, March 17 at 7pm ET/PT on OLN.   

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day Destination Truth style as Josh Gates takes viewers on a four-hour, LIVE adventure to the beautiful countryside of Ireland, renowned for its ancient myths and folklore. Josh will travel the amazing landscapes and brave the crumbling ruins of Duckett’s GroveCastle in CarlowCounty in search for the truth behind the famous legend of the banshee.

According to Irish myth, the banshee is a sign of impending death; a female spirit who wails around a house the night before someone inside is to meet their demise. Today, many locals claim to have witnessed hearing the banshee’s unmistakable wail and seeing glimpses of a ghostly woman stalking the grounds of the 200 year-old historic ruins of Duckett’s GroveCastle. Armed with equipment, expertise, humour, and a little luck of the Irish, Josh and his team will attempt to solve the mystery behind this age-old legend.

About Destination Truth

Led by intrepid world-adventurer Josh Gates, each episode of Destination Truth takes viewers on a trek across the globe as Josh investigates stories of the unexplained. Accompanied by his small crew, Josh dives into local cultures and searches for clues to the existence of strange creatures and paranormal phenomena.

In addition to this special broadcast event, Destination Truth airs Monday through Thursday at 8pm ET/PT on OLN.

With a whopping 49 of 70 folks caught to date, veteran Alberta cowboy and expert outdoorsman Terry Grant continues to stalk his prey – two individuals armed with only a map, a compass and a two kilometer head start – through 40 kilometers of remote wilderness over 36 hours in season five of the hit OLN series “Mantracker” (12 x 60 min.).

In the premiere episode, country music crooners The Road Hammers seek to reach a final destination known only by them before Mantracker Terry Grant uses his forensic tracking skills and a local guide to catch them.

Season five of the Gemini-award winning series – produced by Bonterra Productions – premieres Mon., Sept. 6 at 6 p.m. ET on OLN. In addition, on Fri., Sept. 3, at 7:30 p.m., fans can attend a sneak preview charity launch party at Toronto’s Revival Bar, 783 College St. to watch the first episode with Terry Grant.

Tickets available at www.mantracker.ca.

“Coming into Season five, the prey were starting to get a bit of an advantage having seen four season’s worth of my tracking techniques and past prey’s bags of tricks,” says Terry Grant, series’ tracker. “It forced me to up my game.”

In season five, the chase takes viewers back to some favorite locations where both prey and horsemen really suffered. Grande Cache, Alberta is particularly rugged and Mantracker’s guide there is a man who knows no fear – for himself or his horse. This season sees a return to Big Bear, California on the edge of the Mojave Desert and the treacherous bogs of Elliot Lake in Northern Ontario. Also this season, Mantracker and prey tackle the Cariboo Mountains of Central British Columbia, the wild Temagami forests, and the Big Island of Hawaii where Mantracker’s guide is a local ‘Paniolo’ or Hawaiian cowboy.

“Mantracker” celebrates season five with a charity launch party at Revival Bar, 783 College Street on Fri., Sept. 3. Attendees can watch the premiere episode, ‘Mantracker vs. The Road Hammers’ before it goes to air. ‘Mantracker’, aka Terry Grant will be in attendance as well as special guests The Road Hammers, some favourite sidekicks, former and present prey, and the production team. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by visiting www.mantracker.ca. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. with the screening at 9 p.m.. All proceeds go to Toronto West KEYS to Inclusion, a charity that helps Toronto adults with intellectual disabilities reach their full potential.

EPISODE 1: Mantracker vs. the Road Hammers

Airs Mon., Sept. 6 at 6:00 p.m.; Sat., Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. & 11 p.m.; Sun., Sept. 12 at 9 p.m. & 12 a.m. ET

Elliot Lake hosts the season premiere of Mantracker season five that features country music stars Clayton Bellamy and Jason McCoy as the prey. As part of the successful band ‘The Road Hammers’, these two have shown they can withstand the rigors of ‘life on the road’ – but can they suck it up in the bush? And will local guide Phil Lemieux be able to stop them long enough to get an autograph?

EPISODE 2: Blake & Layney

Mon., Sept. 13 at 6:00 p.m.; Sat., Sept. 18 at 8 p.m. & 11 p.m.; Sun., Sept. 19 at 9 p.m. & 12 a.m. ET

Blake Hudson is an attorney and weekend adventure racer from Los Angeles. His partner for this chase, whom he has never met, is Layney DeLange, a postal worker in Big Bear, California. Are they oil and water or will opposites attract a victory? Returning sidekick Mark Murphy guides Mantracker through the high desert in search of this odd couple.

The success of hit series UFO Hunters and MonsterQuest this Summer has moved  OLN up into the Top 10 most-watched, specialty channels for adults 18-49.  OLN today announced the exciting mix of new and returning primetime series to continue the momentum this Fall.

New series Man v. Food, Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura and the latest from Canadian survival expert Les Stroud, Beyond Survival, join the adrenaline rush of returning favourites UFO Hunters, MonsterQuest and Operation Repo, and new seasons of Destination Truth, Ghost Hunters and Canadian series Mantracker.

“Canadian audiences are clearly big fans of the programming on OLN, making it such a popular destination this Summer,” commented Alain Strati Vice President, Specialty TV and Development, Rogers Media Television. “We hope to build upon our success this Fall with an even stronger dose of action and adventure programming.”

New series premieres on OLN are as follows:

Man v. Food, Seasons 1 – 3: Monday to Friday at 9:30pm ET/PT starting Monday, August 16th

Passionate foodie Adam Richman is on a hunger quest to find the most mouthwatering pigout joints in the United States. After getting to know the people behind the dishes from the staff to the loyal patrons, Adam seeks to find out what makes these places so legendary. He’ll tackle their famous food challenges designed to test man’s gastronomic limits. Let Man v. Food be your guide to the best chow America has to offer.

Beyond Survival, Season 1: Sundays at 8pm ET/PT starting Sunday, September 5th

Audiences saw him survive the harshest terrains and the cruelest elements during the making of his hit TV series Survivorman. Les Stroud breaks the mold of documentary filmmaking again with his astonishing new series, Beyond Survival with Les Stroud. Challenged to explore the intense and fantastic ways, methods and beliefs of peoples who ruled the globe long before the advent of “technology” and the concept of “progress”, witness and learn the most unbelievable survival rites and rituals on the planet as Stroud journeys beyond the limits of physical survival. From the sands of Namibia to the islands of Malaysia, Stroud will discover the secrets of how these cultures have survived in the wild for thousands of years, before they vanish forever. Plus, catch the Survivorman  marathon leading up to the exciting premiere of Beyond Survival starting at 10am ET/PT Sunday, September 5th.

Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura, Seasons 1&2: Fridays at 10pm ET/PT starting Friday, September 10th

American superstar Jesse Ventura is on a mission to challenge the world’s most compelling conspiracy theories. He’s undertaken some of the most dangerous missions in the world as a Navy Seal, body slammed giants in the wrestling ring as a WWE superstar, and even conquered the political machine as the governor of Minnesota. Now, Jesse Ventura is about to face his greatest challenge yet; uncovering the truth behind the modern day conspiracy theories. In each episode he travels across the country investigating one case, hearing from both conspiracy believers and skeptics to make a final determination about the theory’s validity.

Returning OLN Programs are as follows:

Mantracker, Season 5: Mondays at 6pm ET/PT starting Monday, September 6th

Get ready for the ultimate cat and mouse chase through the wilderness with a new season of Mantracker. Two people take off into the bush with a map, a compass and a head start. Mantracker is on horseback, armed with a local guide and an arsenal of forensic skills. The prey have 36 hours to reach a finish line some 40 kilometers away without getting caught… how they escape is up to them! This season Mantracker ramps it up with wilder prey and tougher terrain for even more adventure.  Mantracker returns to Big Bear, California, and Grand Cache, Alberta, and travels to the slopes of the Mauna Loa Volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii.  He scales the Cariboo Mountains of British Columbia and tackles the fierce forests of Temagami, Ontario, as well as stopping in for a chase or two with his old friend Phil in Elliot Lake. This season see some interesting match-ups including band mates, brothers and sisters and even a mother-son team. The season premiere features country music stars Clayton Bellamy and Jason McCoy of The Road Hammers as the prey.  These guys are tough on tour – find out if they can suck it up in the bush. Plus, catch up on your favourite Mantracker episodes with a day long Mantracker marathon starting at 10am ET/PT leading up to the exciting Season 5 premiere.

Ghost Hunters, Season 6 Premieres Wednesday, November 1 (Premiere time to follow)

Ghost Hunters follows a group of real-life paranormal researchers as they investigate haunted houses throughout the US. From the successful co-executive producer of Survivor, Craig Poligian, Ghost Hunters tracks the lives of Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, plumbers by day and ghost hunters by night; the duo head up TAPS — The Atlantic Paranormal Society. They are ordinary, everyday people with day jobs, and an interest in getting to the bottom of your otherworldly disturbances. Celebrate Halloween with a Ghost Hunters Marathon from 10am to 2am ET/PT Tuesday, October 31.

Destination Truth, Season 4 (Premiere date to follow)

Join Josh Gates, a world adventurer and eager truth-seeker, and his small production crew as they visit a different destination around the world that is home to notorious supernatural and mysterious stories. Josh searches for evidence to either prove or debunk these stories by talking to witnesses and experts, and by immersing himself in the local culture. This season the crew’s itinerary will include investigations in Madagascar, Tanzania, Guam, Kenya and Cambodia. The team will also conduct the first underwater paranormal investigation when they travel to a remote Micronesian island to search for the spirits dwelling in a sunken fleet.

Be whisked away by some of your favourite OLN adventure and travel shows online at OLN.ca!

Log on and open your eyes to new lands with Scott, Justin and Andre in Departures, adventure off the beaten path with the Eagar brothers in Which Way To… and be inspired by Canada’s top travel writers in Word Travels. Then, take a walk on the wild side with Treks in a Wild World, battle the elements with George Kourounis in Angry Planet, learn survival tips from Survivorman Les Stroud and watch as the prey try to outsmart Terry Grant in Mantracker.

Catch up on Which Way To… Season 1, Treks in a Wild World Season 4, Word Travels Season 2 and Angry Planet Season 2 – the adventure never ends! Plus catch new episodes of Survivorman, Mantracker and Departures updated monthly.

Which Way To… Embrace the unknown with the Eagar brothers of Canada, Jeff, Chris and Stephen – as they take you to exotic travel locations around the world and provide a unique behind-the-scenes perspective you won’t be find in any tourist guide! These homegrown mariners give a national take on international adventures that takes you off the beaten path and into the unfamiliar.

Treks in a Wild World: In each episode of Treks in a Wild World our intrepid trekkers travel to far-flung regions where they embark on incredible journeys combining ecology, anthropology and history with action sports and outdoor pursuits.

Word Travels: Follow the lives of Robin Esrock and Julia Dimon, two of Canada’s hottest young travel writers in Word Travels. With stunning visuals filmed across six continents, each exciting half-hour episode gives viewers the real goods about professional travel journalism.

Angry Planet: While many Canadians wish to evade the barrage of bad weather pummeling the nation, daring storm chaser George Kourounis eagerly heads into the heart of these storms – and other natural phenomena in Angry Planet.

Survivorman: Each episode of the series follows Les Stroud as he struggles to stay alive in the harshest of conditions, alone for seven days. He has the advantage of his trusty multi-tool, but must lug around 23 kilograms of camera equipment at all times to document his adventure. With little water and sometimes no food to sustain himself, Stroud must use his wits and improvise if he wants to get out alive.

Mantracker: Throughout each episode, two “prey” attempt to outwit and outrun Mantracker, Terry Grant, a veteran cowboy and expert outdoorsman trained to track and retrieve missing persons in the bush.

Departures is the action-packed and personal journey of two travelers, Scott Wilson and Justin Lukach who leave their lives behind in search of unique experiences through some of the most beautiful and remote places on earth as seen through the expert lens of award-winning director and cinematographer Andre Dupuis.

Musician and resident adventurer Ed Robertson gears up for another high-flying season of Ed’s Up premiering Sunday, March 8 on OLN.

“We’re delighted to have a new season of Ed’s Up back on OLN,” says Alain Strati, Vice President of Specialty Television and Development, Rogers Media Television. “Ed Robertson is a multi-talented guy, and the show reflects the adventurous nature of our channel, and of our audience.”

This season Ed explores his own emotional and physical limits as he ventures to far off countries to experience some of the world’s most difficult jobs.  Each episode sees Ed landing in a different town meeting a new boss and facing a new challenge.  Watch as Ed connects with grade six students in a Jamaican school and tries his hand at coffee farming, takes to the streets of London as a push bike courier, navigates the Alberta tar sands as a Fort McMurray mechanic, learns how to dispose of human remains and more.  Ed takes it all in stride with his trademark Canadian charm and down-to-earth attitude.

Over the past two season’s Ed had logged some serious flight-time in his Cessna airplane, crossing North America and taking on a series of on-the-job challenges and performing some skillful water landings in his new floatplane.  From the army to the CFL, from a New York City Hospital to a NASCAR pit and an Alberta slaughter house, you might say Ed has done it all!

They may be tough jobs but somebody’s gotta do ‘em! Catch the third season of Ed’s Up Sunday March 8 at 8pm ET/PT.