APTN announces adventurous winter programming lineup

From a media release:

Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) announced today a winter lineup featuring its most compelling collection of programming to date. Its winter programming season kick-starts the New Year on January 5 and will expand its lineup to entice viewers well into 2015.

The network adds a new evening of programming featuring the best of Aboriginal humour with its Tuesday Night Comedy starting January 6. It introduces original series premieres focusing on facets of Aboriginal artistry and antes up the adventure in new seasons of returning fan favourites. Also the introduction of APTN Homegrown Cinema is slated for January 8, when APTN Movies broadens into new territories with Aboriginal and American Indian movies that cover an entire continent of themes.

With the new lineup, APTN will continue to stay on track with its popular original dramas and language programming to keep you warm as Old Man Winter blows his chill around.

NEW ORIGINAL SERIES THIS WINTER ON APTN:
THE GUILT FREE ZONE – SEASON 1 / WORLD PREMIERE / PRIME TIME MUSIC AND VARIETY Host Derek Miller masters the stage: enticing guests and viewers with his comedic antics and musical styling. He’ll shake off the Monday Blues with a marvelous medley of Aboriginal musicians, dancers and comedians from across Canada.

NAGAMOWIN – SEASON 1 / WORLD PREMIERE / PRIME TIME DOCUMENTARY Aboriginal melody makers travel to communities and explore their musical worlds. From writing to the world premiere of their work in the form of a live concert, amazing artists – solo or groups – face their challenge head on to create their ultimate tribute song for their host community.

MOOSEMEAT & MARMALADE – SEASON 1 / WORLD PREMIERE / PRIME TIME DOCUMENTARY Bush Cook Art Napoleon and Chef Dan Hayes are from opposite sides of the pond and spectrums of the culinary arts. Watch what boils down when they explore their contrasting worlds. It’s a highly entertaining exploration of culture, culinary traditions, worldview and lip-smacking fare.

NEW ORIGINAL FRENCH LANGUAGE SERIES THIS WINTER ON APTN:
LA ROUTE DES CHEFS (FRENCH) – SEASON 1 / WORLD PREMIERE / REALITY Three Winnipeg chefs exit the comforts of their realm and don’t look back. A home grown reality series featuring chefs Chad, Lyndon and Clayton, who let loose through the detours and back routes of Asia – all in the name of cuisine.

BRIGADE DES NATIONS (FRENCH) – SEASON 1 / WORLD PREMIERE / YOUTH Four teenagers from four different First Nations must unite forces to complete comical challenges set by their fellow community members. Every challenge completed lands them a donation of $1,000 toward the charity of their choice. How much coin their will and wits earn them?

PRIME TIME – NEW SERIES THIS WINTER ON APTN:
HARD ROCK MEDICAL – SEASON 3 / NETWORK PREMIERE / PRIME TIME DRAMA The unorthodox continues in season three of this series featuring an assorted group of medical students as they navigate through four years at the most unconventional school. Join their challenges set against a harsh landscape and climate populated with quirky, off-the-wall characters.

NEW SEASONS OF APTN FAN FAVORITES THIS WINTER ON APTN:
THE CANDY SHOW – SEASON 5 / WORLD PREMIERE / PRIME TIME MUSIC AND VARIETY The fifth season of The Candy Show will bring a new lineup of stars from across Canada – musicians, performers, poets, even circus performers – and it’s going to be a rip- roaring time. Get right cozy in your seat, for she’ll bring out the secrets from her guests when they join her from her pink palace and pink bed.

HIT THE ICE – SEASON 3 / WORLD PREMIERE / YOUTH DOCUMENTARY This reality series returns for a third season about a high-level hockey camp, but this time the stakes are higher. And a few cuts will determine the final roster for the showcase games. Players’ dreams are the ultimate goal to make it to the next round. Whose goal is beyond reach?

underEXPOSED – SEASON 2 / WORLD PREMIERE / YOUTH DOCUMENTARY Adrenaline abounds in the second season of this documentary series with rising Aboriginal adventure sports media personality, Mason Mashon and photographer, writer, and deluxe co-host Gracey Dove. Join them on their off the wall journeys throughout the eye-popping landscapes of North America.

CHAOS & COURAGE – SEASON 2 / WORLD PREMIERE / PRIME TIME DOCUMENTARY Season two of this documentary series features Aboriginal women that go beyond the roles of first responders. This season focuses on the frontlines with youth workers, soldiers, midwives and more. Women in these critical roles are proven to benefit the advancement of all nations.

ADRÉNALINE – SEASON 2 (FRENCH) / WORLD PREMIERE / PRIME TIME DOCUMENTARY Adrénaline follows a variety of extreme sports and adventure fanatics as they rise to the top and become the role models of their community. Get energized and pushed beyond unexplored limits with the best rush of all.

LES SIOUI-BACON – SEASON 3 (FRENCH) / WORLD PREMIERE / PRIME TIME DOCUMENTARY In the first two seasons, the Sioui-Bacon family faced a series of comical adventures and adapted to life under one roof… and in the big city! The third season will test this blended family’s strength once again as they deal with job loss and the rollercoaster ride of relationships.

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14 thoughts on “APTN announces adventurous winter programming lineup”

  1. I hadn’t even heard of Hard Rock Medical before. I’m definitely going to have to search out episodes from the first two seasons.

    1. Wow, just watched the first two episodes on the aptn website and I really like the show. It`s definitely my kind of show with emphasis on character growth and it`s adult yet wholesome, meaning it`s a feel-good show but it still remains realistic and non-cliched. If I didn`t have to get up for work at 4:30am I would binge-watch the entire first 13 episodes tonight.

      1. It’s one of those shows I made a mental note to watch and then never did. Guess it’s time I made the commitment. Love that you can watch all past seasons on APTN site. Hard Rock Medical also aired on TVO.

    2. I was assigned to interview the Hard Rock Medical creators for WGC’s magazine and hadn’t heard of it before that, so I binge watched and loved it. I think some of the best and most risk-taking TV in this country is on networks few people get or know of, sadly (it was on TVO at the time).

      1. The various comments posted here are a good illustration of the problems in Canadian PR (and the importance of sites like TV, Eh?)

        I enjoyed the first season of “Hard Rock Medical” (when it aired on TVO) and even I assumed it had only gone one season because I hadn’t heard anything after the first season publicity (I think some of the actors had blog posts on Huffington Post). I saw it listed on the APTN site but assumed they were only re-running the one season! I realize it’s hard for producers to find “new” things to promote for an on-going series, or for journalists to latch onto a fresh story angle, but unfortunately part of the game is keeping the programs on people’s radars even in their second, third, fourth season. (That’s one of the reasons I sometimes wait a few weeks before writing about a show — I’m waiting for some of the initial press to die down, so that I’m drawing attention to it anew). Obviously, some series keep feeding the press by promoting “special” guest stars, or “important” story twists.

        This isn’t unique to Canada, of course. In the “200 channel universe” there are plenty of U.S. shows that I’ve never heard of, even though in some circles they are critically acclaimed and regarded as “must see TV.”

        Anyway, I just thought it was funny that seeing this piece my reaction was I didn’t realize HRM was still going — and clearly I wasn’t alone! So, as I say — proof (if any was needed) of the value of sites like TV, Eh? (I say “like” though I’m not sure there are any others lol)

  2. I just finished episode 6 and I`m really impressed by both the writing and acting. TVO intended this as an education-focused drama series as that`s their mandate, and it is educational but it doesn`t get preachy or over-explanatory. It`s stories are realistic in the sense that they are believable and grounded in the real world but the characters are individualistic enough and written with enough depth that I want to see how their stories evolve. I watch a lot of Canadian tv and much of the shows I watch tend to stay on my DVR for a while because there`s other American or Brit dramas I`m intent on seeing first. The only Canadian shows that I devour ASAP are Orphan Black, Vikings and Degrassi, and that`s because those shows get into real depth with their characters and the stories are serial not procedural. Hard Rock Medical hits all the right notes for me and it reminds me of another show I love, Call the Midwife, a BBC drama that is definitely is in my top 5 current shows list. I think the only thing that makes Call the Midwife better is probably due to what they are able to do in hour-long episodes verses only the half-hours that Hard Rock Medical gets. In other words, it`s the money that makes the difference. However, I`m very impressed by what Hard Rock Medical has been able to do with what it has to work with.

    1. Ok, just watched episode 7 titled “Down Under”. Really great episode, the best thus far and some great acting by Ron Lea and Angela Asher. There were some serious moments in the episode along with a little bit of humour with the music that bridged into the credits really capping things off well.

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