date published: Jun 03, 2025 content type: Television Series
television series
Race Against the Tide
MarbleMedia and Hemmings Films Co-Production
We co-produced three seasons of a hit reality competition series with marblemedia that became CBC's top-rated TV show and a globally formatted franchise, leveraging the world's highest tides to put New Brunswick's film industry and natural wonders on the global map.
We flooded the production with local Atlantic Canadian crew members—giving regional camera operators, sound engineers, production coordinators, and technicians world-class, network-level credits right at home.
The Challenge
Executing a large-scale, unscripted reality competition series for a national broadcaster requires a flawless logistical engine under perfect conditions. Doing it on a protected provincial beach, where the highest tides in the world completely submerge the set in millions of gallons of water twice a day, is an entirely different level of complexity. When Toronto-based marblemedia sought to bring Race Against the Tide to CBC, they needed an elite, boots-on-the-ground East Coast co-production partner. The challenge was to manage intense environmental logistics, coordinate massive crews and elite international sand artists on an active ecological site, and deliver a fast-paced, visually spectacular production that could capture the raw tension of nature’s ultimate clock.
Our Approach
We signed on as the essential local co-production partner, embedding our production expertise directly into the sand of New River Beach, New Brunswick, for three highly successful seasons.
Mastering High-Stakes Logistics: We worked in lockstep with Parks NB and regional tourism authorities to establish rigorous, zero-footprint on-site protocols. Our teams managed the complex daily choreography of moving massive television gear, heavy equipment, and international competitors safely off the beach before the Bay of Fundy’s tide wiped the set completely clean.
Cinematic Wilderness Cinematography: We deployed high-end camera packages, specialized time-lapse rigs, and expert drone piloting to turn the rising water into a central character of the show. The breathtaking, high-end visuals artfully contrasted the extreme panic of the ticking clock with the raw, majestic beauty of the New Brunswick coastline.
Scaling Regional Economic Development: Just like our work on Revival, we utilized this multi-season network run as a massive workforce development engine. We flooded the production with local Atlantic Canadian crew members—giving regional camera operators, sound engineers, production coordinators, and technicians world-class, network-level credits right at home.
The Impact
Our collaboration with marblemedia transformed a daring creative gamble into a global television phenomenon. For a time, Race Against the Tide reigned proudly as CBC’s top-rated television series, drawing millions of viewers nationwide across its three-season run. The show’s massive success caught the attention of international networks, leading the show to be formatted and adapted in different television markets around the world. Beyond the broadcasting accolades, the impact on the province was monumental: it injected millions into the regional economy, upskilled the local film sector, and served as a spectacular, multi-season tourism campaign that put New Brunswick’s natural wonders onto the global stage.
