TORONTO – TVO is readying a new original series that brings politicians with different points-of-view together on a "date".
Political Blind Date is a fresh format that will see rival politicians meeting face-to-face, and speaking candidly as friends and colleagues about the issues that matter to Ontarians, said the provincial broadcaster. Each half-hour episode explores a different political issue by first inviting two politicians to plan a date for one another. Each person takes the other to locations that bring to life an opposing side of an important debate in an effort to find common ground.
In the first episode, federal Alberta Conservative MP Garnett Genuis and Ontario Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith debate the imminent legalization of marijuana as they visit a cannabis dispensary, tour a production facility, and interview someone recovering from marijuana addiction. In the second episode, Toronto mayoral hopeful Doug Ford and federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh (pictured) tackle the hotly contested topic of transit, riding bicycles on busy streets and visiting a much-debated streetcar line.
The six-part weekly series premieres on November 7 at 9:00 PM EST on TVO and on tvo.org
"TVO Originals like Political Blind Date share thought-provoking, in-depth debates that explore social, economic and political topics," said TVO CEO Lisa de Wilde, in the news release. “The politicians featured in this program get outside of their comfort zones to explore a range of perspectives on the big issues of the day."
