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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Home reno superstars Drew and Jonathan Scott to lead two new series and a fresh season of Celebrity IOU on HGTV Canada

From a media release:

HGTV (Warner Bros. Discovery), in partnership with Corus Entertainment, have greenlit Don’t Hate Your House with the Property Brothers (wt) with home renovation and real estate experts Drew and Jonathan Scott as they find a way to fix problematic homes for frustrated families who desperately want to love their house. The recent greenlight of Backed By The Bros (wt) will also air on HGTV Canada, which will see the Brothers offer their invaluable insight and resources to help inexperienced entrepreneurs find success with their high-stakes investment properties. The two new series and a fresh season of Celebrity IOU will be produced by Scott Brothers Entertainment with Drew and Jonathan serving as executive producers. Don’t Hate Your House with the Property Brothers is co-produced by Scott Brothers Entertainment and Corus Entertainment. All three series are slated to premiere in 2024 on HGTV Canada and STACKTV.

Multi-faceted entrepreneurs and New York Times best-selling authors Drew and Jonathan Scott are co-founders of lifestyle and entertainment company Scott Brothers Global, which includes Scott Brothers Entertainment as well as multi-category home furnishings brands Drew & Jonathan Home and Scott Living. Seasoned real estate experts and renovators, Drew and Jonathan have helped hundreds of families create happy and healthy homes.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Eagle Vision and APTN’s 7TH GEN returns for Season Two

From a media release:

Eagle Vision and APTN’s factual series 7TH GEN returns for season two with ten new episodes featuring some of the most inspiring young Indigenous leaders from across the country. The series returns for season two on APTN in English on Friday, October 13th at 8 pm (PST/ET) and on Monday, October 9th at 8:30 pm (PST/ET) and again on Tuesday, October 10th at 7:30 am (PST/ET) in Cree. 

The idea from which 7TH GEN was sparked was the vision that positive stories of young Indigenous leaders need to be told. There are countless stories of young Indigenous people committed to making a powerful mark on the world, who are not only making an impact in their communities, but are doing so by reclaiming their culture.. Every day, the successes that emerge from this generation are inspiring other young people to share their gifts, to overcome the obstacles they face, and to inspire others by living their best lives. There are so many young Indigenous people who want to share their inspiration with others and celebrate their culture. 7TH GEN celebrates their accomplishments and honours the Elders and Knowledge Keepers who have supported them in their journeys. 

The series is hosted by dynamic Cree hosts Ivana Yellowback, Darcy Waite and Lorraine George and follows subjects including performer, motivational speaker, educator and advocate Laura Grizzlypaws (a descendant of the Stʼatʼimc Nation, from the Bear Clan community of Xwísten, and from Lillooet, BC), hockey coaches and NHL athletes Brandon and Jordan Nolan (from Garden River First Nation), entrepreneur, chef and community leader Melissa Brown (an Anishinaabe Ojibway-Jamaican woman from Winnipeg who grew up in the inner city), athlete, coach/educator, live-stream gamer Jon-Ross Merasty-Moose (Cree from O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation, Brochet and Thompson, Manitoba), advocate and post-secondary student Makaela Blake  (Inuit-Punjabi, originally from Gander, Newfoundland), and music producer and recording artist Matthew Monias aka Mattmac (an Oji-Cree, blind recording artist from Garden Hill First Nation).

7TH GEN also features multidisciplinary artist Taalrumiq (an Inuvialuk and Gwich’in from Tuktoyaktuk, Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Northwest Territories), environmental and clean energy developer Mihskakwan James Harper (Cree from Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation), artist, poet, writer, musician and activist Natasha Kanapé Fontaine (Innu from Pessamit, now living in Montréal), and two spirit, drag performer and content creator Layten Byhette, otherwise known as Chelazon Leroux (Dene from Buffalo River Dene Nation and Fond Du Lac First Nation).

The series is accompanied by a strong element of language reclamation in both the series and online, with Cree-versioned episodes, and a Cree language-learning web series. 7TH GEN also provides a showcase for young Indigenous filmmakers, writers, directors, producers, editors and others who have been given the opportunity to share their gifts and gain more experience in the industry by creating content that focuses on Indigenous stories, culture, and spiritual lessons for an audience of all people around the world.

7TH GEN is written, directed and showrun by Dinae Robinson (True Story), co-creator/executive producer and director is Lisa Meeches (The Sharing Circle), co-creator/executive producer, writer and director is Rebecca Gibson (Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On), co-creator/executive producer Kyle Irving (Capote), associate producer/writer/director Cynthia Murdock (DJ Burnt Bannock), producer Hannah Johnson (Diaspora), writer/director Jessica Landry (List of a Lifetime), director Ervin Chartrand (The Redemption Artist), writer and head of archival research Damian Panciera (True Story Part Two), writer Katarina Ziervogel (Finality of Dusk) and director of photography is Gabriel Levesque (El Toro). 

7TH Gen was made possible through the support of the Canada Media Fund, APTN, the Indigenous Screen Office, MIGIZI Distribution and Eagle Vision Canada.  

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

APTN’s Friday Night Thunder roars onto the track for Season 3

You never know where an errant conversation will lead. It could just steer you right back on track.

That’s certainly the case with writer, producer and director Laura J. Milliken. Unsure of whether or not she wanted to stay in the TV business anymore, the Anishinaabe entrepreneur, and founder of Big Soul Productions, was chatting with Glenn Styres in 2018. She and the winningest driver at, and owner of, Ohsweken Speedway discussed a possible show, which eventually evolved into Friday Night Thunder.

“I had been to that track a few times, but I was by no means an avid racer,” Milliken says over the phone. “[Co-creator/producer/composer and fellow driver] Derek Miller has shown me some documentaries on Ayrton Senna and Drive to Survive on Netflix, and I became really inspired and obsessed.” Her racing education continued through track visits to watch Indy, Formula 1, NASCAR and dirt tracks.

The result? A documentary series heading into its third season. Returning Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern on APTN, Friday Night Thunder spotlights 11 Indigenous sprint car drivers—including Styres, Miller, Brian Nanticoke, Aaron Turkey and Alex Hill—as they navigate the highly dangerous open-wheel sport in the Six Nations community just outside Brantford, Ont. And as cool as it is to watch the drivers and their cars jockey for position in heats and finals, Friday Night Thunder shines with its storytelling.

In Episode 1 of 13, it has been over 993 days since the COVID-19 pandemic closed Ohsweken Speedway. Now it’s open for business, but missing an integral part. Vera, Glenn’s mother, has passed away since the Season 2 finale. This gave Milliken and her team not only the opportunity to re-tell how, in 1994, Glenn built the 3/8 mile oval Ohsweken Speedway—the only of its kind in an Indigenous community in North America—on 80 acres of family-owned land but also those early days and the support Vera provided him right up until her death. It’s an emotional, deeply personal episode that cements the community around the track and the drivers, crew and audience on it.

“The show is really about the people,” Milliken says. “It’s exciting to see Indigenous people doing something that we don’t know they’re doing. This is the most fun I’ve ever had telling stories in my entire life.”

Friday Night Thunder airs Fridays at 8 p.m. Eastern on APTN.

Image courtesy of Big Soul Productions.

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Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Red River Gold, the new treasure hunting doc series, began their search on August 22, 2023

From a media release:

Saxon de Cocq, Hannah Hermanson and Ell McEachern of 3 Story Pictures are pleased to announce that principal photography has commenced on Season 1 of the 13x 30 min documentary series, Red River Gold. 
 
Production commenced August 22, 2023, and will continue through October 8, 2023. The series will air on APTN at a later date.     
 
In 1870, a trove of gold coins worth $1,000,000 disappeared without a trace. The coins were on their way to fund a British military force marching across Canada to stop Louis Riel and the Métis during the Red River Resistance. The gold has never been recovered and the Royal Mint of England still considers it lost or stolen. And now, a group of Métis treasure seekers want to find it!
 
Red River Gold is directed by Saxon de Cocq (Treaty Road Season 1, The Other Side), Berkley Brady (Dark Nature, The Secret History of: The Wild West), and Sam Karney (Going Native, Nation Untamed), written by Saxon de Cocq, and is produced by Hannah Hermanson (Treaty Road Season 1, Staying Wild Season 1 &2, Zarqa Season 2), Ell McEachern (Treaty Road Season 1, Staying Wild Season 1&2, Zarqa Season 2), Saxon de Cocq and Sam Karney. The series will be executive produced by Doug Cuthand (Guardians: Evolution, Miywayawin, Big Bear).
  
Red River Gold will be filmed in Richer, Ste Anne, La Coulee, Winnipeg, and all along the old Dawson Trail in Manitoba. Cinematography by Sam Karney and editing by Kolby Kostyniuk (Staying Wild, Dirt Farmers). 
 
Red River Gold was commissioned by APTN and produced with additional financial support from Canada Media Fund and Creative Saskatchewan.   
 
ABOUT HANNAH HERMANSON
Hannah has over a decade of experience in the television and film industry. After earning her honors degree from Middlesex University in London, Hannah hit the ground running, making herself an indispensable part of any team she joined. From production manager to line producer, Hannah has taken on a wide range of roles and responsibilities, consistently executing projects with efficiency and grace. What sets Hannah apart is her unique combination of skills. She is a skilled negotiator, a savvy budgeter, and an excellent communicator. She has a talent for bringing people together, encouraging collaboration and teamwork for the greater creative good. Her resourcefulness is unmatched, and she can turn even the most challenging of situations into a success. Her ability to lead with confidence and finesse has earned her a reputation as a problem-solver, and her contributions to the projects she works on have a lasting impact.
 
ABOUT ELL MCEACHERN
Ell has over twenty years’ experience in film and television, and credits on 90+ hours of content. She has a love of collaboration and the ability to foster it across diverse teams. Ell’s first industry steps were taken on the accounting and finance side. As a CFA Charterholder, Ell showcases her keen analytical skills. As a producer, Ell combines an exceptional eye for detail with big picture thinking. Her secret weapon is helping the team levitate over complex roadblocks to get the stories told. 
 
ABOUT SAXON DE COCQ
Saxon de Cocq is a Métis writer, director and creative producer from Southern Alberta, Region 3 and is a registered citizen of The Métis Nation of Alberta. He has been the creative force behind a number of documentary series and is very excited to be in post, with APTN, on a series about one of his Métis Ancestors which has been greenlit for a second season. Saxon is also in development on his first 3 scripted television series. Saxon has written, directed, and produced eight films (seven narrative and one documentary) that have screened and been broadcasted across the country, including the CBC. Saxon has also written and directed 18 episodes, over four seasons, of the nationally broadcasted APTN TV series, The Other Side, and was the creative producer for the series. Saxon is currently working with the Metis Nation of Alberta, on a documentary about Metis residential school survivors.
 
ABOUT SAM KARNEY
Sam Karney is a Métis-Ukrainian filmmaker and co-founder of award-winning Winnipeg production company, Ice River Films. He started his career working as a television photojournalist in newsrooms across Manitoba and Saskatchewan. He began producing documentaries for Global News’ magazine program Everything Manitoba in 2012 and has since gone on to produce documentaries and factual series for APTN and CBC. Sam has currently produced 25 hours of factual television for the Canadian market, including three seasons of the award-winning series, Going Native and the outdoor adventure series Nation Untamed. In addition to producing, Sam has worked as a director of photography on programs for the likes of Smithsonian, Amazon Prime & the NHL Network. Having worked in small teams and with smaller budgets, Sam has learned almost every job that is needed to make good documentary television. He has produced, directed, shot, edited, done sound, coloured and appeared on camera all in the last 10 years. 

Images courtesy of Trevor Johnsen.

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Bones of Crows, Featured, Industry News, Little Bird, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Changing leaves, inspiring stories: APTN unveils fall programming with Indigenous resilience at its core

From a media release:

Coming soon to APTN is another incredible lineup of Indigenous stories. From groundbreaking dramas that highlight Indigenous resilience and the connection between past, present and future, to a full weekend of special programming in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR), to new episodes of APTN’s hit docuseries, the network’s upcoming season is full of soul-stirring content, both new and old.

APTN’s fall slate will roll out from the beginning of September to the end of October and will include the programs below, plus many more.

NEW TO APTN

Bones of Crows
Expanding on the feature film of the same name, this five-part series is a story of resilience and strength told through the eyes of Cree matriarch Aline Spears. When Aline and her siblings are removed from their family home and forced into Canada’s residential school system, they are plunged into a struggle for survival. Over the next hundred years, Aline and her descendants fight for a more just future.

APTN TV premiere dates: Sept. 20 (English) and Sept. 25 (Cree)
APTN lumi premiere dates: Sept. 21 (English) and Sept. 26 (Cree)

Little Bird
Little Bird, launched initially on APTN lumi in May of this year, is a six-part series that explores the theme of resilience in the face of trauma and loss. Removed from her home on the Long Pine Reserve in Saskatchewan, Bezhig Little Bird is adopted into a Montreal Jewish family at the age of five, becoming Esther Rosenblum. Now in her 20s, Bezhig longs for the family she lost and is willing to sacrifice everything to find them.

APTN TV premiere date: Oct. 12 (English)

Remembering the Children: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 2023
Produced by APTN and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, this 90-minute multilingual commemorative gathering seeks to honour residential school Survivors and pay tribute to all the Indigenous children who never made it home. This year’s gathering will encompass powerful reflections from esteemed Elders and Survivors as well as moving performances by First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists.

APTN TV premiere date: Sept. 30 (Multilingual)
APTN lumi premiere date: Oct. 2 (Multilingual)

Sur le terrain*
Sur le terrain is a French-language documentary series that explores the daily lives of frontline Indigenous health and social services workers. Whether they work in a remote region or in an urban setting, their commitment to community members is unwavering. These workers, who are mostly women, offer us an inside look at the immense challenges they face every day.

APTN lumi premiere date: Oct. 16 (French)
APTN TV premiere date: Oct. 23 (French)

Corner Gas – Seasons 1-3
One of Canada’s most popular sitcoms, Corner Gas takes place in the fictional town of Dog River, Sask., and follows the daily lives of the community’s oddball residents, including gas station owner Brent Leroy and coffee shop proprietor Lacey Burrows. APTN will air episodes daily this fall from Tuesday through to Friday.

APTN TV premiere date: Sept. 5 (English)

NEW SEASONS OF APTN FAN FAVOURITES

Gespe’gewa’gi: The Last Land – Season 2*
APTN lumi: Aug. 28 (Mi’kmaq) and Aug. 29 (English)
APTN TV: Sept. 4 (Mi’kmaq) and Sept. 5 (English)

Michif Country – Season 3*
APTN lumi: Aug. 28 (Michif) and Aug. 29 (English)
APTN TV: Sept. 4 (Michif) and Sept. 5 (English)

Merchants of the Wild – Season 4*
APTN lumi: Aug. 28 (Mi’kmaq) and Sept. 26 (English)
APTN TV: Sept. 4 (Mi’kmaq) and Oct. 3 (English)

Friday Night Thunder – Season 3
APTN TV: Sept. 8 (English)
APTN lumi: Sept. 9 (English)

Amplify – Season 2*
APTN lumi: Aug. 31 (Michif) and Oct. 6 (English)
APTN TV: Sept. 7 (Michif) and Oct. 13 (English)

7th Gen – Season 2*
APTN lumi: Oct. 2 (Cree) and Oct. 6 (English)
APTN TV: Oct. 9 (Cree) and Oct. 13 (English)

Spirit Talker – Season 4*
APTN lumi: Oct. 18 (English)
APTN TV: Oct. 25 (English)

The Other Side – Season 9
APTN TV: Oct. 25 (English)
APTN lumi: Oct. 26 (English)

Ghost Hunters of the Grand River – Season 2
APTN TV: Oct. 25 (English)
APTN lumi: Oct. 26 (English)

*Indicates programs launching first on APTN lumi. APTN lumi has put together a collection of these returning favourites and more for viewers to catch up on prior to their television broadcast.

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