School gets back in session soon at Hard Rock Medical, with the drama based on the Northern Ontario School of Medicine returning to TVO for a third season starting at 8 p.m. Jan. 8.
“Really, this is our best season yet, and I'm looking forward to the feedback we're going to get back from our audience,” said the series' director, producer and co-creator, Derek Diorio.
“The fact that we've had three seasons and there appears to be more in the offing is fantastic.”
Filmed in the North Bay area in February and March 2016, the series' nine-episode third season features the frigid beauty of Northern Ontario winter.
It shows students travelling by snowmobile to rescue a lumberjack with severed fingers, tending to patients with hypothermia, and caring for seniors with addiction issues.
“The whole season was constructed to be shot in the winter, and we were very nervous because there was no ice last year until January, which was unusual,” Diorio said.
“It all came together just in time to shoot our winter scenes … We have a lot of aerials of the North in the snow across Callandar Bay, and we have some stuff in Mattawa on the Ottawa River, Temagami and Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park.
“There's a lot of beautiful footage, and everybody goes 'Wow, it looks fantastic,' and it really does.”
Sudburians will be pleased to note that local actor Stef Paquette returns as unlucky medical student Charlie Riviere, who perennially struggles to juggle his family responsibilities with his studies.
“There's a lot of pressure on him, but most of the scenarios are humorous,” Diorio said.
In case you happen to be in the North Bay area, a launch event for season three of "Hard Rock Medical," which includes a “sneak peek” at some episodes, takes place starting at 6 p.m. Jan. 5 at the Capitol Centre.
All nine 30-minute episodes will be available on demand on TVO's website directly following the broadcast premiere on Jan. 8, where viewers can also catch up on past seasons.
The series will also be broadcast on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network.
