Canada's Worst Driver 5

Canada's Worst Driver 5
Country of origin Canada
No. of episodes 8
Broadcast
Original channel Discovery Channel Canada
Original run October 26, 2009 – December 14, 2009

Canada's Worst Driver 5 is the fifth season of Canada's Worst Driver, the Canadian automotive television series on Discovery Channel which seeks to improve the skills of eight of the worst motorists in Canada.

In this season, the eight contestants are taken to the Driver Rehabilitation Centre in CFB Borden, which had been previously used in Canada's Worst Driver 2. Unlike Canada's Worst Driver 2, however, it is only referred to on-air as an "undisclosed military location".

The series launch was set to coincide with the launch of a new law in Ontario prohibiting the use of handheld electronic devices while driving. Similar bans have been instituted in Atlantic Canada and Quebec, with Manitoba and Saskatchewan considering similar laws. This season will also be the second to be featured on the iTunes Store and the first to have new episodes one day after first airing.

Experts

The experts this season, like last season, consists of three returning judges and one new head driving instructor.

Contestants

The eight contestants this year are:

Synopsis

Contestant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Angelina Marcantognini IN IN IN IN IN IN IN CWD
Mike Butt IN IN IN IN IN IN IN RUNNER-UP
Arun Suryanarayanan IN IN IN IN IN IN IN OUT
Jakob Poirier IN IN IN IN IN IN OUT
Father Giles Joly IN IN IN IN IN OUT
Crystal Hubley Farao IN IN IN IN WD
Melissa Cook IN IN OUT
JoJo Kopty IN OUT
     The contestant became Canada's Worst Driver.
     The contestant was runner-up for Canada's Worst Driver.
     The contestant was on the panel's shortlist.
     The contestant graduated, and is out of the running for Canada's Worst Driver.
     The contestant withdrew from the show for compassionate/personal reasons, and is out of the running for Canada's Worst Driver.
^1 Non-Elimination Week, due to all contestants wanting to remain at the Driver Rehabilitation Centre.

Episode 1: Basic Training

Original Airdate: October 26, 2009

The program begins on a rainy afternoon, as the contestants depart for the Driver Rehabilitation Centre, following a list of simple instructions. The contestants depart in the following order: Melissa, Father Giles, Jojo, Mike, Arun, Crystal, Angelina, and Jakob. Everyone makes a large number of moving violations on the way to rehab, and the contestants arrive in the following order: Melissa, Father Giles (never at the limit the whole trip), Mike (despite stopping for directions), Jojo (speeding the whole way), Crystal, Jakob, Arun, and Angelina (wildly off-course after making the wrong first turn).

In the evaluations, Mike and Jakob admit to not as being skilled as they had originally thought, while everyone else is taught harsh lessons by the drivers. The first graduation is not until the next episode, as this was merely a skills evaluation. But what is known is that while one may graduate soon, another is Canada's Worst Driver.

Discovery Channel's web extras for this episode:

Episode 2: Standard Manoeuvres

Original Airdate: November 2, 2009

In the end, three drivers received consideration for graduation: Jakob, Jojo, and Father Giles. Phillippe believes that Jakob's "punk attitude" still needs to be addressed, and thus he was eliminated from consideration. Between Jojo and Father Giles, one fared better overall and the other was "more safe". Because Jojo did better, she is the first graduate. As a reward for being first out, she does not drive home in the car she arrived to rehab; instead, she is allowed to drive away in a Mercedes-Benz.

Episode 3: Head to Head Combat

Original Airdate: November 9, 2009

In deliberation, Melissa reveals to the experts that Wil had told her of his private drive with Andrew, and how he had cried for 15 minutes afterwards. Melissa and Jakob make the experts' shortlist, but Wil's attitude change is the difference maker, as Melissa is named the season's second graduate.

Discovery Channel's web extras for this episode:

Episode 4: Tanked

Original Airdate: November 16, 2009

In deliberation, it is recognized that everyone did poorly in the donuts and water tank challenge. After the two challenges, none of the six contestants believe they deserve to graduate, a first for the series. Nevertheless, Father Giles receives consideration for graduation (by Cam). The experts, in the end, agree to honour everyone's request to stay, so no one graduates.

Discovery Channel's web extras for this episode:

Episode 5: Close to Home

Original Airdate: November 23, 2009

Because of Crystal's personal tragedy, neither Arun nor Father Giles take the challenge, and Crystal is allowed to leave rehab to mourn her personal loss. In the confessionals and in front of the experts, everyone mourns over Crystal's personal tragedy and reflect on their own skills in the process. It is also revealed via footage that all of the drivers of this season fail to yield in their daily driving routines. While speaking to the panel, Father Giles says that hearing of the tragedy has only made him more determined to improve his skills, while Jakob and Angelina admit to causing minor accidents via their own failures to yield, and Mike is confronted by Cam over his excessive speed during the night driving challenge. Out of respect for Tom, no one graduates this episode. The end credits for this episode were silent and featured a dedication to Tom.

Discovery Channel's web extras for this episode:

Episode 6: Riding the Rails

Original airdate: November 30, 2009

In deliberation, only Father Giles and Jakob express the desire to graduate. The experts also feel similarly, but note that Father Giles' only issue, being underspeed, is fully addressed, while Jakob's issue, road rage, still needs work. Because of this, Father Giles graduates, but not before everyone salutes him with his signature two thumbs up pose.

Discovery Channel's web extras for this episode:

Episode 7: Uphill Battle

Original airdate: December 7, 2009

In deliberation, Jakob and Mike express interest in leaving. Arun does not feel ready to graduate yet, but is confident that he is not the worst of the remaining drivers, while Angelina starts to believe she is Canada's Worst Driver. The experts, however, are unanimous in their decision without a second thought. Jakob, shortlisted three times before, is the next to graduate and leave.

Discovery Channel's web extras for this episode:

Episode 8: Judgement

Original airdate: December 14, 2009

In the end, Arun is given a round of applause by the experts and Andrew, his status as the last graduate all but confirmed due to the road test. Far harsher words are given to Mike, who is still visibly shaken by his experience in the final drive. After Cam rails at him, Mike admits that he probably shouldn't continue to drive, and Andrew challenges him to decide once and for all, by handing him back both his licence and a pair of scissors. Reluctantly, Mike destroys his licence, admitting that he couldn't live with himself if he killed someone through his bad driving, especially after seeing how Crystal was affected by her brother-in-law's death earlier in the season. Angelina on the other hand, angrily refuses the notion of destroying her licence, claiming that she was awarded it legitimately. Despite all four panel members strongly recommending that she give up driving, at least until she is able to better control her nerves, Angelina remains defiant to the end.

While Cam is unconvinced that Mike will actually stop driving, and Dr. Gembora questions whether Angelina and Mike could be named the joint-worst, Andrew pushes for the panel to make a unanimous, and ultimately, inevitable decision: Angelina is named not just the worst driver of this season, but the worst to have appeared on any of the show's five seasons until this point, as she passed just one challenge during her time on the show (the only other driver have to passed so few challenges was Donna Hicks from the previous season; however, Donna passed 1 test out of 8 prior to being removed from the show on safety grounds, while Angelina's pass rate was a considerably worse 1 out of 23). Normally, the runner-up would be allowed to drive home – but since Mike had destroyed his license, a limousine was hired to take him back home. During the journey, Mike reflected on his overall attitude, vowing to reform himself and earn a new license. Angelina's car is towed away, and she is given a cab ride to a nearby airport, with the Canada's Worst Driver trophy.

Reception

Canada's Worst Driver 5 continues the series trend of being the most-watched show on Discovery Channel, with the first episode garnering the highest ratings in the history of Discovery Channel, and was the highest-rated non-sports specialty channel show for the night.[3] Discovery Channel also boasted that the show's ratings routinely beat out those for conventional channels in the same timeslot, specifically naming Heroes (on Global Television) and The National (on CBC).[4]

See also

References

External links