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Featured, Underdog Inc.

Little Person Dale Kristensen tackles new jobs, adventures and makes new friends as AMI’s Underdog Inc. returns June 26 on AMI-tv and AMI+

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From a media release:

After a first season that saw docuseries Underdog Inc. become the No. 1 most-watched program ever on AMI-tv and AMI+, AMI—in partnership with Big Time Decent Productions (Rust Valley Restorers)—is thrilled to announce the Season 2 return on Friday, June 26, at 9 p.m. Eastern on AMI-tv and AMI+.

Navigating the brutal terrain and unforgiving weather of the Western Canadian mountains, star Dale Kristensen—who is a Little Person—battles blizzards, breakdowns and backbreaking labour to prove skill and determination matter more than size. From wrangling livestock on his dad’s farm, to high-risk deliveries and near impossible backroad recoveries, Dale proves that no job is too big or too small. 

In Season 2, Dale is undergoing major back surgery to alleviate the increased pain he faces every step, every breath, every day. With physical limitations forcing Dale to step back from the front lines, the season shifts its focus to the emotional and logistical realities of recovery: relearning how to lead, how to ask for help from his family and friends and how to show strength without doing it all alone.

Season 2 is about more than business; it’s about rebuilding lives. Gritty, honest and full of heart, Underdog Inc. champions the people Canada too often overlooks: those who fall, get up and figure it out together.

“Season 2 of Underdog Inc. raises the stakes in every way, with Dale Kristensen returning from major back surgery and proving once again that resilience is at the heart of this series,” says Executive Producer Matthew Shewchuk. “With AMI’s trust and support—and after driving record viewership with over 200,000 in Live +7—Underdog Inc. is being built into a long-running series in the spirit of Rust Valley Restorers, grounded in real stakes, real people and stories that stick.”

“When Underdog Inc. became one of AMI’s most-watched original series in our history, it confirmed what we already knew; that our audience is hungry for stories that are gritty, real and unfiltered,” says Cara Nye, Director, Content Development and Production at AMI. “Dale, Gripp, Mike and the whole crew don’t just represent disability, they’re telling a story that hasn’t been told before. Season 2 goes deeper and the stakes are higher. AMI is proud to be the home of Underdog Inc.”

Dale Kristensen

Dale Kristensen is a trucker, heavy equipment operator, mechanic and salvage hand based in Barrière, B.C. Three months after major back surgery linked to complications from achondroplasia, Dale is determined to get off pain medication, get a clear head and start working again. Driven, stubborn and resourceful, Dale is trying to rebuild his business and confidence while showing his son, Cooper, what resilience looks like.

Cooper

Cooper is Dale’s nine-year-old son and constant sidekick. He rides along on jobs, helps in the yard, learns strap tricks from Mike Hall and pitches in when Dale starts fixing trucks at home. Whether he is bringing Dale a morning coffee, reacting to a new machine or heading to his first hockey game with the family, Cooper is woven into Dale’s work and life.

Caden

Caden is a friend of Dale’s from Vancouver Island who re-enters his orbit just as business starts to pick up. A fellow Little Person, he previously teamed up with Dale on a backroads recovery and underwent the same spinal fusion surgery a few years earlier, giving them an instant connection and mutual respect. Dale takes Caden under his wing during a month-long stay in Barrière during his semester off from university, showing him the ropes of backroad recoveries.

Mike Hall

Mike Hall is Dale’s longtime friend and a seasoned restoration expert with a yard full of vintage vehicles. Blunt, funny, and practical, he’s as quick to help Dale land a deal as he is to call out mistakes during a tough tow. Mike plays a key role in getting Dale back on track, helping him reclaim his F550 hotshot truck, driving him to Pemberton, B.C., to check out a new tow rig and fabricating a custom bumper when needed.

Gripp

Gripp is one of Dale’s key guys on the road. Born missing seven fingers, he’s undergone more than 80 corrective surgeries and spent much of his early life in hospitals, an experience that’s given him a deep understanding of pain, recovery and adaptation. He brings that resilience to every job, from hauling a stranded tent trailer out of the mountains to helping restoration expert Mike Hall transport vintage vehicles over punishing logging roads.

Want to learn even more about Dale and the stars of Underdog Inc.? Check out exclusive content on AMI’s YouTube channel.

Underdog Inc. airs Fridays at 9 p.m. Eastern on AMI-tv. Stream Season 1 anytime, for free, on AMI+.

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Adapting, Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Big Time Decent Productions announces greenlights, partners with AMI on new and returning slate of originals

From a media release:

Vancouver-based production company Big Time Decent Productions has announced greenlights on a slate of scripted and unscripted content for AMI. Marking the production company’s first scripted series, Adapting (6×30) is a bold new dramedy about navigating high school love while living with cerebral palsy. Underdog Inc. (8×60), a docuseries that follows Dale Kristensen (Backroad Truckers, pictured above), a little person navigating life in a small mountain town in the interior of British Columbia, has been renewed for a second season.

“Building on our successful foundation in unscripted television, we are excited to announce our first scripted series, Adapting,” said Matthew Shewchuk, Founder and Head of Production, Big Time Decent Productions. “We’re especially thrilled to be working with our partners at AMI on this bold new series and to start production on Season 2 of Underdog Inc.”

Between small town scandals, messy love triangles, and a whole lot of bad decisions, Adapting takes a heartwarming and raw look at disability, adolescence, and the minefield of family dynamics—dysfunction and all. Based on the concept by father-daughter writing duo Rachael Ransom and Garner Ransom, the series is inspired by Rachael’s real-life experiences with cerebral palsy, offering a long-overdue, unfiltered look at disability. Executive producers include Matthew Shewchuk, René Brar, Juliana Wimbles, Eve Zhou, and Jeff Kinnon. Bread & Better Films, Big Time Decent’s scripted division, will begin production in the Winter of 2025 throughout the Lower Mainland.

“Adapting brings a perspective we rarely see on screen—it’s sharp, funny, and rooted in lived experience. We’re proud to be producing homegrown content with global ambitions. Canadian stories can travel—and this one’s built to,” said René Brar, Head of Development, Big Time Decent Productions.

Following little person Dale Kristensen as he juggles fatherhood and runs a trucking business on the treacherous backroads of Western Canada, Season 2 of Underdog Inc. will be in production throughout the interior of BC this summer. Season 1 will premiere Friday, July 11th at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on AMI-tv and AMI+.

“Season 1 of Underdog Inc. will strike a real chord with audiences—Dale’s story is equal parts raw, inspiring, and wildly entertaining. We’re excited to dive back into his world for Season 2, where the stakes are higher, the roads are rougher, and Dale’s just getting started,” said Jeff Kinnon, VP of Factual, Big Time Decent Productions.

“AMI is thrilled to partner with Big Time Decent again on Season 2 of Underdog Inc., as well as our groundbreaking new upcoming series, Adapting. Not only are these shows entertaining but they are unlike anything else on Canadian screens thanks to the exceptional talent and creativity of these producers. These are two series you won’t want to miss!” said Cara Nye, Director, Content Development and Production, AMI.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

A story of perseverance in life and adaptive sport, We Were Broncos debuts May 26 on AMI-tv and AMI+

From a media release:

It was the story that rocked a community, a country and the world. The tragic bus crash on April 6, 2018, in Saskatchewan that killed 16 and injured 13 members of the Humboldt Broncos junior ice hockey team forever changed the lives of those involved.

Ryan Straschnitzki, who was paralyzed from the chest down in the crash, stars in the upcoming AMI docuseries We Were Broncos, debuting Monday, May 26, at 9 p.m. Eastern on AMI-tv and AMI+.

As an athlete, Ryan Straschnitzki wanted to be a professional hockey player. But after the crash, he had to adapt to a new athletic goal of becoming a wheelchair basketball player while completely changing his lifestyle.

“We Were Broncos is about perseverance in life and adaptive sport,” says Cara Nye, Director, Content Development and Production at AMI. “We sincerely thank Ryan, his family, and Prairie Cat Productions for allowing us to tell this story.”

Watch the teaser trailer. 

In the debut episode, “Moving Beyond Tragedy,” Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor Ryan Straschnitzki tries to narrow down which parasport will give him his best chance at making Team Canada for the Paralympics. He ultimately chooses wheelchair basketball after he is cut by the national sledge hockey team.

Future instalments of the six-part series follow Ryan as he experiences the frustrations of learning a new sport, attends a Calgary Flames tribute game for the late NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and revisits Humboldt, Saskatchewan, for the first time since the crash.

Season 1 of We Were Broncos debuts Monday, May 26, at 9 p.m. Eastern on AMI-tv and can be streamed on demand for free on AMI+.

About Prairie Cat Productions
Prairie Cat Productions is a Canadian Screen Award-nominated production company based in Regina, Saskatchewan. Our projects vary greatly in genre and scope, ranging from scripted films to documentaries and promotional videos. We love to focus on telling stories that celebrate life on the Canadian prairies and have worked with Telefilm Canada, CBC, the Accessibility Network, SK Arts, Canada Council for the Arts, SGI, the Regina Police Service, and more.

About Accessible Media Inc.
AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

He’s back! AMI’s Dave Brown returns with a brand-new series, Game Changers, debuting May 15 on AMI-tv and AMI+

From a media release:

Dave Brown is back! Accessible Media Inc. (AMI), in partnership with FRANK Digital, is thrilled to announce the debut of the 16-episode Game Changers, Thursday, May 15, at 9 p.m. Eastern on AMI-tv and AMI+.

Each episode of Game Changers finds Dave in his element, visiting stunning locales while spending the day chatting with notable Canadians.

Guests joining Dave in Season 1 include wheelchair basketball star Tara Llanes, sportswear designer Lucy Wild, The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, award-winning music producer/recording artist Mattmac, PGA golfer Kyle Miller, playwright Ashley King, actor Bruce Horak and punk rock icon Bif Naked.

“Dave has a genuine curiosity about how others view the world,” says John Melville, Vice-President of Content Development and Operations, AMI-tv and AMI-audio. “His engagement with his interview subjects is second-to-none. We invite Canadians to join Dave and his guests as the third chair in their engaging conversation.”

“It’s important to have meaningful conversations with people who want to make a difference,” host Dave Brown says. “These are people putting words into action. It’s a privilege to learn about them and give them a platform to share their perspective. It’s an added bonus that I’ve been able to make my way across the country to have these conversations.”

The first five episodes of Game Changers include:

Tara Llanes – Thursday, May 15, at 9 p.m. Eastern
Dave Brown shoots hoops with Tara Llanes, former pro mountain biker turned wheelchair basketball star. Along the way, Tara shares her journey of resilience, reinvention and athletic excellence.

Maggie Manning – Thursday, May 22, at 9 p.m. Eastern
Dave Brown sits down with para hockey goaltender Maggie Manning to hear her story of sport, advocacy and resilience. Then it’s game on as Dave hits the ice to see if he can score on Maggie!

Lucy Wild – Thursday, May 29, at 9 p.m. Eastern
Dave Brown hits the slopes with technical sportswear designer Lucy Wild to talk innovation, inclusion and high-performance gear. From Paralympic design to skiing in Whistler, this episode is all about pushing limits in style.

Jaimie Borisoff – Thursday, June 5, at 9 p.m. Eastern
Dave Brown chats with Paralympic champion and rehab engineer Jaimie Borisoff about innovation, mobility and life after elite sport. Then the pair explore the future of accessibility tech, including a playful encounter with the British Columbia Institute of Technology’s robotic dog, MACO!

Carla Qualtrough – Thursday, June 12, at 9 p.m. Eastern
Dave Brown meets Member of Parliament Carla Qualtrough—Paralympian and trailblazing politician—to talk sports, leadership and disability advocacy. Then Dave takes on a new challenge: learning to walk with a guide dog!

Game Changers airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. Eastern on AMI-tv. Stream episodes anytime, for free, on AMI+.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

AMI hits the road for new, immersive, accessible Canadian adventures on Season 6 of Postcards From

From a media release:

Accessible Media Inc. (AMI), in partnership with award-winning filmmakers Ryan Mah and Danny Berish of Black Rhino Creative, invites audiences to reimagine travel through the five senses—smell, touch, sight, taste and sound—with a brand-new season of the Golden Sheaf Award-nominated Postcards From.

Returning on Wednesday, May 14, at 8 p.m. Eastern on AMI-tv and AMI+, join host Christa Couture as she journeys across the country to meet up with “in-the-know” local guides as they explore eight unique Canadian locations: Frelighsburg, Calgary, Gros Morne, Victoria, Ottawa, Prince Edward County, Osoyoos and Saskatoon.

“Postcards From is the kind of show that makes you want to pack your bags and rethink how we all travel,” say filmmakers Ryan Mah and Danny Berish. “With our host Christa leading the way, this is an invitation to see, taste and feel the world in new ways.”

“Season 6 is even more adventurous than last season,” Christa Couture says. “I try more things for the first time, share more of my past and experience more transformation in the present. I have so many unforgettable encounters exploring Canada with Postcards From. The people! The food! The being strapped into race cars! I can’t wait for audiences to feel as transformed and inspired as I do.”

The eight Season 6 episodes of Postcards From include:

Postcards from Frelighsburg – Wednesday, May 14 at 8 p.m. ET
What do you get when you mix two best friends, an alpaca, molten glass and an ATV? A perfect day in Frelighsburg, obviously. Host Christa Couture kicks off her travel adventures in Quebec’s Eastern townships by hitting the road with her ride-or-die Susan, her best friend of 40 years. From cuddling fuzzy alpacas to crashing a pop-up concert, the duo dives headfirst into the region’s small-town charm as they reflect on their lifetime of friendship.

Postcards from Calgary – Wednesday, May 21 at 8 p.m. ET
Edmonton-born Christa Couture heads into the “enemy” territory of Calgary to explore the rivalry between Alberta’s two biggest cities. From a DIY Caesar showdown in a cowboy bar (complete with mechanical bull) to roping lessons with comedy legend Bud Edgar, Christa gets into Calgary’s western spirit. She tours the city on an adaptive bike, tries her hand at goalball and remixes city sounds into a surprising tribute song at Studio Bell. Even an Edmontonian can admit it: Calgary’s kind of cool.

Postcards from Gros Morne – Wednesday, May 28 at 8 p.m. ET
Cod tongues, underwater robots, and screech—it’s a wild welcome to Newfoundland. Host Christa Couture explores what it really means to “own it” in Gros Morne, a small town on the edge of the Atlantic brimming with big pride and bigger personality. Christa connects with a local 10-year-old amputee and her family who are finding their own way in a landscape that isn’t built for access. From shed jams to Mi’kmaq flutes, Gros Morne sings its own song.

Postcards from Victoria – Wednesday, June 4, at 8 p.m. ET
What do bugs, queens, and aunties have in common? They all rule in Victoria, B.C., where our host Christa Couture travels to answer the question: what makes a matriarch? From queen impersonators to spider wranglers, Indigenous artists to Chinese historians, Christa gathers her strength in this coastal city shaped by feminine power.

Postcards from Ottawa – Wednesday, June 11, at 8 p.m. ET
Is Ottawa more than a government town? Host Christa Couture heads to the capital for a wintery reset in the snow-covered heart of Canada. From ice skating for the first time in 30 years to a crash course with sledge hockey champs, Christa finds a warm welcome in the world of accessible winter sports. The journey heats up with rabbit stew over an open fire, a lesson in maple syrup traditions and a joyful dance party led by a local Somali rapper Hawa Haji.

Postcards from Prince Edward County – Wednesday, June 18, at 8 p.m. ET
Who needs the city when there’s a drag show in a barn and local wine in your glass? Host Christa Couture finds a sweet escape in Prince Edward County, just a few scenic hours from Toronto. After smashing away stress in a rage room, Christa cruises to wineries in a vintage car and sets sail in the sunshine with the wind in her hair. Rustic charm never looked so fabulous.

Postcards from Osoyoos – Wednesday, June 25, at 8 p.m. ET
Host Christa Couture finally stops to explore Osoyoos, B.C., a desert town she used to drive past as a touring musician. She joins local rodeo kids for barrel racing, takes her first swing at golf, cools off with Indigenous soapberry “ice cream” and pushes her limits on an off-road truck course. With a sunset paddle on Canada’s warmest lake and laughs along the way, Christa discovers Osoyoos is more than a pit stop.

Postcards from Saskatoon – Wednesday, July 2, at 8 p.m. ET
Summer in Saskatoon doesn’t last long, but host Christa Couture is making it count. Join her to bask in the heat with stock car racing, wheelchair basketball, outdoor pottery burns, and perogies on the go. Christa soars above the prairie in a Second World War open cockpit plane at sunset. It’s the season finale, and Saskatoon says go big or wait ‘til next summer.

Postcards From airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern on AMI-tv. Stream episodes and past seasons of the show anytime, for free, on AMI+.

About Christa Couture
Christa Couture is an award-winning multi-hyphenate who talks with her hands a lot. A writer, filmmaker, singer-songwriter and broadcaster, she is also proudly Indigenous (mixed Cree and Scandinavian), queer, disabled, and a mom.

As a songwriter, Couture has released seven albums and toured across Canada and Europe; as a non-fiction writer, she’s appeared in multiple magazines and anthologies, in 2018, her CBC article and photos on disability and pregnancy went viral, and her debut memoir, How to Lose Everything, was published by Douglas & McIntyre in 2020. Inspired by her book, Christa produced an award-winning series of five short, animated films by Indigenous artists, also called “How to Lose Everything” for CBC Arts.

Raised in Alberta, formed as a young adult in B.C., she currently lives in Toronto with her daughter and cat.

About Black Rhino Creative
Black Rhino Creative (BRC) is a Canadian-based documentary film production collective that focuses on creating meaningful and engaging films. We tell stories about passionate people. Stories that connect us through our shared experiences. Interdisciplinary nomads searching for meaning, directors without ego and compelled to inspire. With a passion for finding the human spirit in every piece, we have created and screened award-winning content for broadcasters such as CBC, Telus Optik, Knowledge Network, AMI, SBS Australia, and Air Canada.

About AMI
AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services—AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French—and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

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