SPACE Crushes February with Two New Radical Reality Series: ROBOT COMBAT LEAGUE and STRANDED, Beginning Feb. 26

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TORONTO (February 13, 2013) – Two rock ’em sock ’em reality series join SPACE’s schedule this month with the premieres of ROBOT COMBAT LEAGUE on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 10 p.m. ET, and STRANDED on Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 10 p.m. ET. Hosted by the ferociously popular WWE Wrestler Chris Jericho (DANCING WITH THE STARS), ROBOT COMBAT LEAGUE is a metal-on-metal battle as eight-feet-tall, state-of-the-art humanoid robots hold nothing back during intense tournament-style battles. Through ground-breaking engineering, the fusion of a human’s fighting spirit with a powerful robotic machine built for destruction has finally become a reality.

Then, in the all-new reality series STRANDED, a diverse group of everyday paranormal enthusiasts are left for a week in some of the most haunted locations in the United States, as well as one spot in Canada. Created by Josh Gates (DESTINATION TRUTH), STRANDED sees its participants contend with increasingly persistent feelings of fear and desolation, resulting in an experiment that’s a unique combination of psychology and the paranormal.

**Media Note** – Photography for ROBOT COMBAT LEAGUE and STRANDED is available online at BellMediaPR.ca/SPACE

In ROBOT COMBAT LEAGUE, 12 teams, each consisting of a fighter or “robo-jockey,” and a robotics engineer or “robo-tech”, fight it out in a first-of-its kind competition. The competitors are from a variety of backgrounds including a race car driver, an Olympic athlete, a National Guard helicopter pilot, and a mix of professional fighters and software engineers. Each team is paired with its own robot, and with the help of a high-tech exo-suit, their movements are translated to their robot. A pioneer in cutting-edge creature effects, animatronics, and control technology, robotics expert Mark Setrakian is responsible for designing and creating the robots, and has contributed to films including Men In Black and Hellboy.

Providing viewers with play-by-play commentary of all the robotic action is series host Jericho. The Winnipeg native began wrestling at age 19, was crowned the first ever WWE Undisputed Champion in 2001, and has been named one of the Top 5 most charismatic performers of all-time. Jericho was also a popular contestant on Season 11 of CTV’s DANCING WITH THE STARS, and is the lead singer of the hard rock band Fozzy.

In the experimental reality series STRANDED, each episode features the self-recorded footage of a diverse group of people in teams of three, as they’re left for a week at a haunted location. The participants facing the spine-chilling experiences include newlyweds and a brother-in-law, as well as a trio of roommates. Using hand-held cameras combined with footage from security cameras, STRANDED provides viewers with an unscripted firsthand account of each group’s stay as they cope with increasingly pervasive feelings of fear and desolation. Some of the locations visited during the six-episode series include Revelstoke, B.C.’s Three Valley Chateau, Star Island in New Hampshire, and the West Virginia Penitentiary.

ROBOT COMBAT LEAGUE is produced by Smart Dog Media, with Craig Plestis (THE BIGGEST LOSER) serving as executive producer.

Stranded is executive-produced by Brad Kuhlman (FACT OR FAKED: PARANORMAL FILES), Casey Brumels (THE OTHERSIDERS), and Josh Gates (DESTINATION TRUTH) for Ping Pong Productions, and Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity 4) for Blumhouse. Gerard Bocaccio (MOONLIGHT), who heads up Blumhouse TV, is a consultant on the project.

Viewers can catch both series online at SPACEcast.com following theepisode premieres.

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About SPACE

SPACE is Canada’s national science fiction, horror and fantasy channel. SPACE is truly the station for all those who dare to challenge their imagination. SPACE is a division of Bell Media, which is owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada’s largest communications company. For more information about SPACE, visit spacecast.com.

– SPACE –

For more information, please contact:

Natalie Cole, SPACE, 416.384.2140 or natalie.cole@bellmedia.ca