Ed's Up!

SEASON 1

See what happens when Barenaked Ladies' Ed Robertson slogs away in some very un-rock star occupations.

This season, Robertson - an avid recreational pilot - must once again land his Cessna plane near the location of each of his new tasks. The catch this time around is that he has to land on the closest body of water to his mystery location. With floats now added to his plane, Robertson takes to the skies and jets to various cities across North America to tackle some of the grossest and most exhilarating jobs imaginable - from scrubbing feces off a bathroom wall to demonstrating his flying chops with the Canadian Air Force.

Robertson not only tries to prove he's up for any task but also that he is able to do "real life" jobs - good and bad. Find out what Robertson really thinks about each task when he vents his true feelings in candid "confessionals" throughout the series. Not only does he shed light on the task at hand, but also shares his newfound respect for the committed individuals who are dedicated to their work no matter how dangerous…or dirty.

Episode One - "Brooklyn Hospital Cleaning"
In the season opener, Robertson is spirited away to a Brooklyn hospital where he is given his first job of the series - cleaning a busy emergency room. A day's work here is a world tour of cleaning, disinfecting and more cleaning. His first task? Cleaning a restroom - walls and ceilings covered in human effluent of all varieties. Will Robertson be able to overcome his squeamish tendencies, especially when he mops up blood in a delivery room and views dead bodies in the hospital morgue?

Episode Two - "Lake Charles Alligator Biologist"
In this episode Robertson heads off to Lake Charles, Louisiana, to work with alligator biologists. His day begins with cleaning a tank housing baby alligators. Their size is no match for their smell as he quickly reacts to the powerful aroma. After gaining a little confidence, Robertson helps the researchers extract blood samples from the adults to test the serum against deadly flesh-eating viruses. Then, for a little fun, the group heads to the dark swamps in the middle of the night to gather wild gators and rob them of their blood for testing.

Episode Three - "Galveston Oil Rig Repair"
Galveston, on the Gulf Coast of Texas, is a remote wasteland of giant equipment and migrant workers. Robertson joins the mechanic crew fixing and retrofitting massive oil rigs, but quickly learns his sense of humour isn't appreciated right away. In fact, his new boss has little time for jokes from the pampered rock star. The heat and scale of the operation has Robertson quickly sweating buckets…and it's not even lunch yet!

Episode Four - "Red Lake Gold Mining"
Things go from dark and dirty to downright dangerous when Robertson finds himself more than a kilometre underground, drilling and blasting with a western Ontario mining crew. In the 30 C heat, miners must reinforce the tunnel, drill strategic holes throughout the area and fill them with explosive powder. Robertson develops a true understanding of claustrophobia and can't help but ask himself why miners work this way… until he gets to hold a pure sample of Canadian gold.

Episode Five - "Chicago Abattoir"
Robertson eats meat and is proud of it, but can he hack it in a slaughterhouse? Processing more than 2,500 pigs a day, Robertson's new employer has very little time to explain all the technical elements of the job. What happens when Robertson get his hands dirty and figures it all out for himself?

Episode Six - "NYC Animal Control"
In his next task, Robertson joins the New York City Animal Control team to patrol all five boroughs of the city. Can this dog lover charm rabid strays into the patrol van or will he have to use his intellect to catch them? Dealing with everything the dispatch throws his way from a pet store eviction to a vicious Springer spaniel, after two days Robertson learns a lot more about the pet owners than he does about the animals he is called out to deal with.

Episode Seven - "Carolinas Pit Crew"
Robertson trades in his guitar and mic for a floor jack and spare tire, ready to spring into action as an integral part of an elite pit crew. Rotating through the positions, Robertson finds himself best as the front tire carrier - the one who runs out in front of the breaking cars as they pull in for the stop. Hundredths of seconds are counted every time the drivers rocket into the pit lane and wait for the crew to work on the car. One small mistake and the race is a guaranteed loss. If he screws up, the car loses - and Robertson hates to lose.

Episode Eight - "New Orleans Reconstruction"
After being ravaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, New Orleans is well on its way to rebuilding itself. On his next task, Robertson joins the team at Rebuild Green, an organization dedicated to rebuilding the city in a more "green" way. While there, Robertson is part of a clean up and rebuild crew that spends time working in the 9th Ward. After a few days, this Canadian musician learns firsthand the ways in which a community can come together to bring their city back to life.

Episode Nine - "London Carny"
In this episode, Robertson flies to London, Ontario, to test his talents as a carnival worker. The crews here know everything there is to know about setting up a travelling carnival. Robertson knows everything there is to know about candied apples and hot dogs. During his day in London, he has to learn how to beat the games before he can run them. Will he be able to keep those gaming secrets to himself? Then, Robertson calls out to everyone on the most daring ride of the carnival - The Himalaya - with his signature rock star style.

Episode Ten - "Pittsburgh Garbage Collector"
For his next task, Robertson finds himself on the hills of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, riding a garbage collection truck. On the way to the landfill, Robertson gets an eye-opening glimpse of a side of the city very few would appreciate.

Episode Eleven - "Chicago Youth Worker"
The residents of a developing Chicago suburb are undergoing a rapid gentrification. As the neighbourhood changes, the new focus is to educate the local youth to stay in school and become upstanding members of society. Robertson hopes to be a great role model and positively influence the kids he encounters. Watch as he sets out to clean up the streets and help the kids take them back.

Episode Twelve - "Firefighter"
Watch as Robertson gets intense fire fighter training, including CPR and hose control, when he joins a team of busy firefighters. Robertson helps keep order in the house and the equipment ready for any circumstance - including the trucks. These vehicles have to look clean when they're called out to everything from car accidents to house fires. Will Robertson get to do more than clean the fire hall and actually help out in a real emergency?

Episode Thirteen - "Bagotville Air Force"
Robertson is a hot-shot pilot… or so he thinks. After meeting with the Canadian Air Force, he is put through the "assessment" test to see if he has what it takes to get behind the yoke of a CF-18 super hornet. Exercises include being hurled around a centrifuge at intense speed; pushed to confusion by altitude hypoxia and stretching the limits of physical and mental exhaustion. Will he get the golden carrot - a flight in an F-18? This will be a nail biter for Robertson who considers himself an expert at just about everything.