Tag Archives: APTN

Acting Good, Featured

CTV original series Acting Good returns for fifth and final season, October 19 on CTV Comedy Channel and October 20 on APTN

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From a media release:

Five seasons. One unforgettable community. And one last chance for Paul to start acting good. CTV and APTN Original comedy ACTING GOOD returns for its fifth and final season on Monday, Oct. 19 with a special two-episode premiere kicking off at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV Comedy Channel and streaming next day on Crave. Subsequent new episodes air Mondays at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on CTV Comedy and stream next day on Crave. Season 5 of ACTING GOOD will also air on Oct. 20 on APTN at 10 p.m. ET and stream next day on APTN+. Filmed on location in Winnipeg and Baaskkandibewiziibing Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, Season 5 consists of 10 half-hour episodes, bringing the beloved series to a milestone 50 episodes.

Inspired by co-creator and stand-up comedian Paul Rabliaskas’ life in his fly-in first nation, in its final season, Paul’s (Paul Rabliauskas) constant immaturity and antics finally catch up with him when Rose (Cheyenna Sapp), alongside his friends and family, stages a surprise intervention at Yeah Man. When Paul refuses to see the error of his ways, Rose reaches her breaking point, forcing him to confront a hard truth: if he wants to keep the people he loves together, he’s going to have to change. What follows is a very Paul-like journey of self-improvement, complete with divorced dads, an unlikely counsellor, and a stint competing on the reality survival series The Deadliest Native. But when Paul’s transformation goes a little too far, his newfound self-righteous attitude creates problems of its own. To repair his relationships and help his community, Paul must find the balance between the person he was and the person he wants to become.

“ACTING GOOD was a show created from the heart, and we’ve been honoured to bring the first ever Indigenous sitcom to a major Canadian Network,” said Executive Producer, Showrunner and star Paul Rabliauskas. “The show may be over but we’re hopeful that the characters and the fictional community of Grouse Lake will live on forever.”

“Bringing Indigenous comedic perspectives to the screen was an extraordinary experience,” said producer Tina Keeper, who also stars as Agnes. ”Working with Paul and the dedicated creative team along with Bell Media and APTN was groundbreaking.”

“ACTING GOOD has been a landmark and incredibly special part of CTV Comedy Channel’s original programming lineup,” said Justin Stockman, Vice President, Global Content, Bell Media. “Paul and the entire creative team have created something truly unique, delivering five seasons of big laughs, heartfelt storytelling, and unforgettable characters. We couldn’t be prouder of the series and are excited to celebrate this final season with viewers, culminating in a fitting send-off for Paul and the residents of Grouse Lake.”

Guest stars for Season 5 include Leenah Robinson (40 ACRES, DON’T EVEN), Herbie Barnes (GUILT FREE ZONE, DANCE ME OUTSIDE), Victoria Sawal (THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY, STAR TREK: DISCOVERY), Glen Michael Grant (CHAOS WALKING), Crystle Lightning (TRICKSTER, THREE PINES), Chris Locke (RUN THE BURBS, WHO’S YER FATHER), Vance Banzo (TALLBOYZ), Glen Gould (TULSA KING, CASHING IN), along with returning guest stars Miss Universe 2015 and Miss Universe Canada 2024 Ashley Callingbull (BLACKSTONE, THE PRICE IS RIGHT TONIGHT). As well as Joel D. Montgrand (TRUE DETECTIVE) and a return from ACTING GOOD’s very own, Roseanne Supernault.

On the Season 5 premiere, titled “KooKoo for Kookum” (Monday, Oct. 19 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV Comedy and streaming next day on Crave and Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 10 p.m. ET and next day streaming on APTN+), Agnes (Tina Keeper) finally meets her online granddaughter, Irma (Leenah Robinson), but when Paul (Paul Rabliauskas) grows suspicious things turn deadly…and not deadly in a good way. Rose (Cheyenna Sapp) is tasked with Chief duties with Deedee (Rosanna Deerchild) on a slack year and is quickly saddled with the task of kicking some uninvited guests out of Grouse Lake.

In Part 2 of the two-episode premiere, titled “Love Eyes” (Monday, Oct. 19 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on CTV Comedy and streaming next day on Crave and Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 10:30 p.m. ET and next day streaming on APTN+), Paul tries to save his relationship from the infamously seductive, Johnny Love’eyes (Herbie Barnes). Meanwhile, Cousin Leon (Michael Greyeyes) is reunited with his estranged daughter Leona (Victoria Sawal), and Roger (Billy Merasty) has a meet cute with a hydro worker. Glen Michael Grant also guest stars as Andre.

ACTING GOOD is the #1 Canadian Scripted Series on CTV Comedy among A25-54 since the series debuted in 2022. The series has also garnered industry recognition throughout its run, including a 2024 Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Ensemble Performance in a Comedy Series, nominations from the Writers Guild of Canada and ACTRA Awards, and two Canadian Sync Award nominations. Beyond the screen, ACTING GOOD has created meaningful opportunities for dozens of Indigenous crew members to build their skills and gain valuable experience in television production, while supporting training and development across the production.

Previous seasons of ACTING GOOD are available for streaming on Crave and APTN+.

ACTING GOOD is produced by CTV Comedy Channel, in association with Kistikan Pictures Inc. and Buffalo Gal Pictures Inc., with the participation of Canada Media Fund, APTN, and Manitoba Film & Music.

ACTING GOOD is co-created by Paul Rabliauskas, Amber-Sekowan Daniels, Eric Toth, and Pat Thornton. Producers are Tina Keeper (Kistikan Pictures) and Vanessa Loewen (Kistikan Pictures), with Phyllis Laing (Buffalo Gal Pictures), Paul Rabliauskas (who also serves as Showrunner), Jennifer Beasley, and Amber-Sekowan Daniels as Executive Producers. Jeff Peeler is Supervising Producer. Eric Toth also serves as Executive Producer, Writer, Director (Episode 510) and Showrunner. Sage Daniels is Executive Producer, Jr. Showrunner and Writer.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

He who has the gold makes the rules. Red River Gold Season 2 launches September 24 on APTN

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From a media release:

3 Story Pictures producers Saxon de Cocq, Hannah Hermanson and Ell McEachern are pleased to announce the return of Red River Gold, with Season 2 of the 13 x 30-minute documentary series premiering this fall on APTN and APTN+. Season 2 hosts are Ross Pambrun, Laurie Gagne, Eric Danis, and Mimi Lamontagne 

Red River Gold premieres September 24 on APTN in English, with same-day streaming on APTN+ and the first episode available on the APTN YouTube channel. A Michif-language version will be available on APTN Languages 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!

Season One left off with the team digging though the frozen bog, thinking that they might have found a trove of gold coins or even the long-lost British canon. Although they did find a fur trade era ax, it clearly wasn’t the treasure they were after. Now, Mimi has discovered new information on the soldiers who might have stolen the gold coins, and it’s leading the team right back to the Northwest Angle. 

Red River Gold is directed by Saxon de Cocq (Treaty Road Season 1 & 2, Red River Gold Season 1, The Other Side), Berkley Brady (Dark Nature, The Secret History of: The Wild West), Sam Karney (Going Native, Nation Untamed) and Lisa Unrau (Staying Wild Seasons 1,2,3, Landing: Stories from the Cultural Divide), written by Saxon de Cocq, and is produced by Hannah Hermanson (Treaty Road Season 1 & 2, Red River Gold Season 1, Staying Wild Season 1,2 & 3, Zarqa Season 2), Ell McEachern (Treaty Road Season 1 & 2, Red River Gold Season 1, Staying Wild Season 1,2 & 3, Zarqa Season 2), Saxon de Cocq and Sam Karney. The series will be executive produced by Doug Cuthand (Guardians: Evolution, Van Life, Searchers, Big Bear).

“I have to admit by the end of our Season 1 search we were all feeling pretty discouraged. But this new twist is proof that not only does the gold exist, there were a number of people trying to cover it up. This is looking more and more like a conspiracy; and I can’t wait to get back out there,” says producer/director Saxon de Cocq.

Red River Gold is filmed in rural Manitoba for the searching (Ste Anne, Richer, Falcon Lake, Northwest Angle, Lake of the Woods), as well as the Mint in Whales and at the Tower of London. Cinematography by Sam Karney and editing by Kolby Kostyniuk (Staying Wild, Treaty Road, Dirt Farmers). 

Red River Gold is produced by 3 Story Pictures in association with APTN, with additional financial support from Canada Media Fund and Creative Saskatchewan.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

This fall on APTN, new and returning shows delve into the fascinating realm of the paranormal

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From a media release:

APTN has been keeping its audience captivated with edge-of-the-seat paranormal series that explore different ways people investigate and connect with the spirit world and unexplainable phenomena.

This season’s line-up features two new shows, Squamish Medium and Unsettled Spirits, as well as one returning favourite, Ghost Hunters of the Grand River. All of them delve into this fascinating realm with the best combination of mystery, spiritual gifts, and awesome locations.

See below the premiere schedule and follow the links to know more about each show.

New Additions
Squamish Medium — Docuseries/Mystery

Danielle Searancke (image above) is the Squamish Medium. Her warmth and humour radiate as she uses her connection to the spirit world to help people live big and meaningful lives. As a mother, business owner and medium, Danielle’s life can get hectic, especially since she began her quest to rediscover her Indigenous identity. Squamish Medium is a journey of reconnection: to self, to family, to culture, and to the land itself.

APTN Languages premiere: September 2 (Cree)
APTN premiere: September 14 (English)

Unsettled Spirits — Docuseries/Mystery

Unsettled Spirits follows two teams led by paranormal investigators Amanda Quill and Jesi Whitton. Using ancestral knowledge and modern tech, they uncover truths where past and present meet, revealing why some spirits remain unsettled.

APTN premiere: September 2 (English)
APTN Languages premiere: September 2 (Cree)

Returning Show
Ghost Hunters of the Grand River (Season 5) — Docuseries/Mystery

This show follows a team of Six Nations investigators as they search for evidence behind ghost stories and mysterious facts. In its fifth season, they keep exploring haunted homes, hotels, museums, old vessels, and more!

APTN premiere: September 2 (English)

Same-day streaming on APTN+. Check out the APTN and APTN Languages TV schedules for broadcast details.

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North of North, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

APTN celebrates real northern life with new fall programming

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From a media release:

Explore the REAL North this fall on APTN! Our cool lineup celebrates true Northern living in all its complexities, where the strength to persevere comes from a commitment to land, to community, and to loved ones. In the North, where life can be precarious, your best assets are adaptability, connection to tradition, and a gritty attitude. APTN’s Northern series will show audiences there are unforgettable stories waiting to be discovered and people to make you laugh just when it feels like all is lost. Come along with us this fall and see the Real North!

First up in this celebration of the North is the award-winning comedy and audience favourite North of North. Just as impressive are APTN’S cultural documentaries like Go North! and Chuck and the First Peoples Kitchen, about Arctic travel and good food, or the true stories of neighbours sharing resources and assistance like Life Below Zero and Northern Air Rescue. Audiences will be swept away by the charm, ingenuity and resilience of these unique free spirits, be touched by the beauty of this seemingly infinite land and the warmth that runs through the lives of the Peoples who call the North their home.

“Nine Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Comedy Series, says a lot about how good Season 1 of North of North was, and Season 2 picks up right where we left off”, said Adam Garnet Jones, Director of TV Content and Special Events at APTN. “This fall’s new and returning documentaries bring that same energy – real people, real stories, told by the people living them. This isn’t content made about the North – this is the North telling its own stories.”

See the premiere dates below – and follow the links for more information.

North of North (Season 2) – Comedy
APTN, CBC and Netflix original series is back for Season 2! As winter closes in on Ice Cove, young Inuk mother Siaja (Anna Lambe) is still making bold decisions and even bolder mistakes in her effort to level up her life. The hardest part? Proving to her tight-knit Arctic community, and herself, that she’s ready to take charge.

●     Exclusive world premiere on APTN+: September 1 (English)

●     APTN premiere: September 8 (English)

Go North!  – NEW Docu-series
A celebration of Arctic Indigenous travel, resilience, and life across the changing North. Narrated by Shina Nova, it follows remarkable people, using countless traditional and modern methods, to keep cultures, knowledge, and connections alive.

●     APTN premiere: September 3 (English)

Northern Air rescue (Season 2) – Docu-series
Be transported inside the world of Manitoba’s fastest growing and only Indigenous owned airline, “Missinippi Airways”. Fly with their pilots, nurses and grounds crew as they embark on lifesaving air ambulance missions into remote northern communities.

●     APTN premiere: September 13 (English)

Life Below Zero (Season 7) – Docu-series
In the remotest regions of Alaska, where bears and wolves outnumber people, survival is a daily battle. Our Alaskan neighbours share truths about how they live through the long and brutal Arctic winters, enduring isolation and scarce resources, to re-emerge, at end, into warmth and light.

●     APTN premiere: September 13 (English)

Chuck and the First Peoples Kitchen (Season 6) – Lifestyle/ Culture
Eager to learn about the culinary traditions on Turtle Island, Chef Chuck Hughes visits Indigenous communities, where he discovers their time-honoured or contemporary harvesting techniques and savours their unique recipes. He always ends his visits by preparing a great meal for his hosts. This season Chuck travels further north, to Nunavik and the Northwest Territories, to experience new flavours and the richness of these Northern cultures.

●     APTN premiere: August 31st (English) and September 4 (French)

●     APTN Languages premiere: September 6 (Innu)

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Docuseries Racing Waters goes to camera for Season 2 ahead of series launch on APTN this fall

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From a media release:

Racing Waters Productions Inc and APTN announced today that the brand new documentary series Racing Waters, directed by Asia Youngman (I’m Just Here for The Riot), has been renewed for a second season ahead of the series’ debut. The nine episode 22 minute series begins airing weekly on APTN (in English) and streaming on APTN+ starting on September 13, 2026. The series is presented in English and will also be released in Hul’q’umi’num on APTN Languages at a later date. 

Racing Waters takes viewers into the exhilarating world of Indigenous war canoe and outrigger racing through the eyes of the paddlers of the Island Brave Canoe Club from the Snuneymuxw First Nation, while also following the many Indigenous canoe clubs that make up the Pacific Northwest racing circuit. More than a sports series, it is an intimate portrait of a community where every stroke carries generations of history, responsibility, and pride. Led by respected Chief Mike Wyse Sr., the series follows the paddlers as they compete in the fiercely competitive Pacific Northwest war canoe circuit while pursuing opportunities in outrigger racing on the international stage. From first-time racers to seasoned champions, athletes battle for seats, overcome personal setbacks, and support one another through triumph and loss, discovering that success is measured by more than crossing the finish line.

“That Season 2 of Racing Waters is already in production speaks volumes about the appeal of this new adrenaline-fueled series,” says Adam Garnet Jones, Director of TV Content and Special Events at APTN. “An intimate look inside the fiercely competitive world of Indigenous war canoe racing, this docuseries runs the gamut of human emotion, from the thrill of victory, to the sting of defeat and the deep pride of representing one’s Nation. It delivers at every turn, suspense, resilience and heart.”

Season Two expands the story by following even more clubs across the Pacific Northwest, including Vikki Lynn Canoe Club and Rikkole Cree Canoe Club, as the series explores new communities, rivalries, and journeys both on and off the water.

Season one was shot across British Columbia, with locations including Agassiz, Cultus Lake, Comox, Musqueam, Saanich, North Vancouver, Cowichan Bay, Nanaimo and Cumberland featured. Other shooting locations include Rio De Janeiro & Niteroi, Brazil, Calgary, Alberta and Lummi, Washington. For Season Two, which has gone to camera, additional shooting locations include Victoria, Oregon, Washington, Oahu & Molokai, Hawaii, Singapore and Fort Langley.

Racing Waters is directed by Asia Youngman, produced by Mike Wavrecan (Moosemeat & Marmalade) and contemporary Coast Salish master carver Luke Marston, with Carey Newman (Aitamaako’tamisskapi Natosi: Before the Sun) and Patti Poskitt (Kokum & Dot) as executive producers. The director of photography for the series is Luke Connor (Aitamaako’tamisskapi Natosi: Before the Sun), editors are John Roney (Ocean Warriors) and Jovan Harmuth (Highway Thru Hell), and the composer is Jason Burnstick (Red River Gold).

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