So what’s up at APTN for December? Just the rollout of a new winter schedule, featuring dynamic programming that will lead up to one of the network’s greatest television achievements: broadcast coverage of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
Yep. Olympics coverage on APTN. Live. Across Canada. Coast-to-coast-to-coast. Wicked.
As the first-ever Aboriginal official broadcaster of the Olympic Games, APTN will deliver multilingual daily coverage including the opening and closing ceremonies during the Games from Feb. 12 to 28. Viewers will see play-by-play coverage in eight Aboriginal languages, as well as English and French on APTN and APTN HD.
Tidbit #1:
Broadcasting Olympic coverage in Aboriginal languages poses some unique challenges. In some languages, there are no pre-existing words for events such as luge, hockey or curling, and definitely no catchphrases like, “He shoots, he scores!”
To get into the Olympic spirit, APTN will air special pre-Olympic programming throughout the months of December and January. Snowboarding enthusiasts have already discovered Over the Bolts, a reality show/documentary series that follows 28 Olympic hopefuls as they struggle to make the Canadian National Snowboarding Team. The series premiered on APTN Oct. 22 and airs Saturdays at 4 p.m. until Dec. 12.
Other Olympic-themed specials coming up in December include Fire & Ice: Ovechkin vs. Crosby, a revealing portrait of hockey’s two greatest superstars and their extraordinary accomplishments on and off the ice; Away From Home, a documentary profiling Olympic athletes from around the world who have left their homes in pursuit of Games glory; Vancouver 2010: A Games with a Purpose, documenting Vancouver’s transformation into an Olympic City and showcasing the legacy to be left behind; and Hockey Powers, a series that gives an inside look at some of the most exciting Olympic hockey games in history – the showdowns, rivalries, victories and heartbreaks!
Tidbit #2:
Under the totally random file … Did you know that APTN Friday Night Flicks host Kyle Nobess auditioned for one of the lead roles (Sam) in the Hollywood movie Twilight New Moon? He didn’t get it, but he did land a recurring role in the APTN series Cashing In and a small part in the feature film Make it Happen with Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Live Free or Die Hard).
Speaking of random, if you love Hank and Josie and their blended, extended Cree Ukrainian family, get set for a brand new season of Mixed Blessings beginning Dec. 12. “Perogies meet bannock” in this very un-Brady pairing.
And did you know that APTN marks the holiday season each year with special programming? Whether you celebrate winter solstice, Christmas or Hanukkah, APTN’s December offerings will be music to your ears.
Experience the important role that the Aboriginal community plays in the Canadian mosaic with artists Eagle & Hawk, Dominique Reynolds and Sherry St. Germain in Winterlude, Dec. 23, then join us Christmas Day for an encore presentation of the 2009 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards hosted by Lorne Cardinal and featuring performances from Buffy Sainte-Marie, Tracy Bone, Joey Stylez, Digging Roots, Inez, Sierra Noble, Charlie Major and George Canyon.
On Dec. 26, watch an encore presentation of Aboriginal Day Live 2009 featuring performances from more of the most famous names in Aboriginal entertainment.
If traditional Christmas fare is what you’re after, check out the APTN holiday classic, Christmas in the Clouds, a romantic comedy set high in the Rockies at a Utah ski resort run by an Aboriginal tribe, starring Graham Greene, Wes Studi and Sam Vlahos. It’s a tale of mistaken identities, lost mice and a blizzard that ends with a good dose of Christmas cheer.
Next month, watch for more Olympic special programming and don’t forget to mark Jan. 1 on your calendar for APTN’s annual New Year’s Day movie marathon.
Make sure to log on to www.aptn.ca to see our full Northern schedule and more information on current programming and initiatives, contests and memberships.
