Hours before the premiere of his new reality series Expedition Impossible on CTV Thursday night, reality TV king Mark Burnett told Playback that when it comes to high-adventure shoots, he looks to time-honoured Canadian crew members to keep things running safely and smoothly.

“I think anyone would be hard-pressed to find anyone more qualified,” Burnett said on the phone to during a conference call. “These are teams that have had my life in their hands many times. Canadians have a thoughtful nature with their approach to very serious situations.”

Sudbury, Ontario-born outdoorsman Dave Salmoni (pictured) is the host of the new series and is among several Canucks on the crew for the 10-ep Expedition Impossible, which follows 13 teams as they race against time and treacherous terrains in Morocco to compete for the US$150,000 grand prize.

“I have a real fondness for Canada,” Burnett said. “There’s such great work out there, and when I find fantastic people, I always keep them around me.”

Referring to his breakout reality series Eco Challenge, shot in Whistler, BC for Discovery Channel in 1996 and the many seasons of Survivor, the reality TV mogul said that he brought many of the crew from those shoots on for Expedition Impossible.

“I do tend to have a large Canadian contingent,” he quipped.

Other Canadians on the series include paragliding champion Jim Orava and rigger Colin Zacharias helped create and troubleshoot this latest series. Around 20 production pros included aerial shooter Mark Hyrma, race director Scott Flavelle and expedition specialist Christy Long were also part of Burnett’s crew.

In developing the series, Burnett was keen on creating a fish-out-of-water adventure that differs from a show like The Amazing Race, which doesn’t rely on taxis, hotels or airplanes. “I wanted people at home…to look at this show and say, ‘you know, I think I might be able to do that,” an angle he’s hoping will draw big audiences.

The show and format is handled internationally by Mark Burnett International Distribution.