A muddy and sometimes explosive reality show is coming to Canadian TV this week as 10 contestants vie to become the country鈥檚top amateur potter.
Their creations are delicate, but the potters are tough,saysJennifer Robertson, host of 鈥淭he Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down鈥� premiering Thursday on CBC and streaming on CBC Gem.
鈥淭here aren鈥檛 a lot of art forms that if you have one slight misstep, your entire piece can just explode,鈥� says the actorwho is best known for her role as Jocelyn Schitt in the broadcaster鈥檚 award-winning comedyshow 鈥淪chitt鈥檚 Creek.鈥�
The potters are accustomed to navigating the emotional ups and downs of making ceramics, she says, but they still pray to the 鈥渒iln gods鈥� to spare their work.
鈥淭here鈥檚 tears,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey put a lot of themselves into a lot of these pieces.鈥�
The eight-episode series, shot on Vancouver鈥檚 Granville Island, follows potters from across the country as they transform mounds of clay into sculptural artworks and functional wares, making everything from table lamps to fountains to dinnerware for a nine-course tasting menu.
Viewers who aren鈥檛 familiar with ceramics will be drawn to watching the 鈥渞aw creativity鈥� of the potters in action, says Brendan Tang, one of two expert judges and an instructor at the Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver.
Toronto-based ceramic artist and educator Natalie Waddell also joins as an expert judge, while another potter with roots in Vancouver makes an appearance.
Seth Rogen is a guest judge and executive producer for the show, which emulates the 鈥淕reat Pottery Throw Down鈥� that originated in the United Kingdom in 2015.
In the opening episode, Rogen shows the potters how to recreate the first piece he ever threw on the wheel 鈥� an ashtray 鈥� and asks them to put their own spin on the shape in a 30-minute challenge related to the actor鈥檚 other pot-related pastime.
While Tang was initially 鈥渟tar struck鈥� meeting Rogen, he says they quickly became 鈥渢wo clay nerds鈥� talking about the many facets of ceramics explored in the show.
That includes raku firing, a technique in which pieces are removed from the kiln glowing red hot, then placed in a fiery container of combustible materials to create a variety of colours and effects.
鈥淚 saw how dedicated he is,鈥� Tang says of Rogen. 鈥淚 really enjoyed that.鈥�
Robertson jokes that any qualms about a 鈥淗ollywood guy鈥� stealing the show were quickly dispelled as it became clear that Rogen takes pottery 鈥渧ery seriously.鈥�
The Canadian Press asked CBC for an interview with Rogen, but he wasn鈥檛 available.
Robertson isn鈥檛 herself a potter, although she has built a collection over the years. It now proudly includes a wonky little pot that one of the judges helped her make while they were filming last summer, she says.
The 鈥淕inny & Georgia鈥� star says watching the potters and seeing the results of their skill and dedication has given her a new appreciation for the art form.
鈥淣ow, I can look at a piece and I know what鈥檚 gone into it, the energy and effort.鈥�
Tang says his jaw 鈥渉it the ground鈥� when he saw the quality of the 鈥淭hrow Down鈥� potters鈥� work and 鈥渉ow high they were shooting鈥� with their creations.
鈥淚 thought I knew who was going to win from the get-go, and there are so many twists and turns in this show, it鈥檚 great,鈥� Tang says.
The contestants complete two challenges each week, sometimes exploring shapes, materials and techniques they have never tried before. The judges select one person to be named potter of the week, while another is sent home 鈥� and not without tears from some of their fellow contestants as they say goodbye.
It鈥檚 a reality competition show, but Robertson says there are no 鈥渧illains.鈥�
鈥淲e have the kiln, that鈥檚 bad enough sometimes,鈥� she adds.
Tang says he鈥檚 noticed a surge of people, like Rogen, catching the pottery bug in recent years. The pandemic further spurred the trend as many people sought new ways to reconnect with themselves, he says, and ceramics is the perfect fit.
鈥淚t almost becomes like a meditation in motion or a flow-state practice, and I think people really enjoy that, where the world just disappears,鈥� Tang says.
鈥淲e鈥檙e talking about a medium that has a 32,000-year history with our species, so we鈥檝e been playing with clay since, like, the beginning, almost,鈥� he adds.
The show is a 鈥渢hrow down,鈥� but Tang says it captures a studio filled with 鈥渃amaraderie鈥� as the potters cheer each other on to create deeply personal work.
鈥淚 think we see the tough parts of the human spirit every day on the news, and this is like the positive part of being human.鈥�
READ ALSO:
