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For Immediate Release
May 1, 2008
GRANNIES ON SAFARI, WTTW'S AWARD-WINNING TRAVEL SERIES RETURNS FOR A SECOND SEASON ON PUBLIC TELEVISION STATIONS NATIONWIDE
WTTW11 Airdate: Sundays at 1:30 p.m. beginning May 4
Best friends and co-hosts Pat Johnson and Regina Fraser share their passion for
travel as they continue their exploration to diverse locales that dazzle the senses
and intrigue the mind.
Chicago, IL - May 1, 2008 - In the season premiere of GRANNIES ON SAFARI, Pat and Regina motor from Chicago to Ottawa, Canada where they visit Parliament Hill to witness the changing of the guards, experience the Cordon Bleu Cooking School and perform a ceremonial dance with some original Aboriginal (Native) Americans.
Produced in high definition, the second season of GRANNIES ON SAFARI features seven new 30-minute episodes that highlight the dynamic duo's love for travel as they visit a 19th century pioneer community in Canada; wander through palaces in Poland; cruise the Caribbean; admire new architectural landscapes in Buenos Aires; visit Montevideo in Uruguay, the City of the Drums; venture through colorful ethnic neighborhoods in Toronto and explore San Juan, Puerto Rico. Each episode features Pat and Regina in lively conversations with locals as they visit unique sites and unveil cultural treasures.
Destinations include:
Ottawa - Canada's Best Kept Secret
In the season premiere, the Grannies visit historic Parliament Hill and marvel at the splendor of the changing of the guard, taste prize-winning barbeque, visit a one-of-its-kind Aboriginal display, tour the sprawling grounds of Rideau Hall, home of the Governor General, and take an evening boat ride along the pristine Ottawa River.
Poland - Warsaw and Krakow: Sophisticated Sister Cities
Join the Grannies as they travel to Poland and seek hidden treasures and historical makers in the heart of Warsaw and Krakow. Significant and beautiful churches, old castles, interesting shops, and of course good food are all there. They also include a darker part of Poland's history as they pay a special visit to two concentration camps: Auschwitz and Birkenau.
Cruising the Caribbean
In this episode, the Grannies decide to so something different -- take a cruise -- and cruise in a big way, on a "really" big ship to the Caribbean. With stops at glamorous islands including Barbados, Antigua, St Lucia, and Antigua, they visit local artists and craftsmen, visit a sugar plantation, see the monkeys on Barbados, and walk the same paths as pirates.
Buenos Aires: European Charm with a Latin Beat
On this trip to Buenos Aires, the Grannies visit with a noted silversmith who makes authentic Gaucho artifacts, take a stroll in the famous rose gardens in one of the most beautiful parks in the city, and foray into local markets. Journey with the Grannies on a Busquebus (a fast boat/ferry) to Colonia, Uruguay and walk along the "Street of Sighs" where former African slaves were quarantined before being sent to Brazil and other parts of South America.
Montevideo - Uruguay's City of the Drums
Traveling to Montevideo, Uruguay's capital city, the Grannies visit one of the oldest opera houses in Latin America, enjoy the lively and pulsating rhythms of drums and meet with the active Afro-Uruguayan community to learn about the art of drum making. The Grannies also meet with an art curator and writer, visit the Carnival Museum, and a premier winery.
Toronto - A Cultural and Ethnic Mix
In Toronto the Grannies visit Chinatown, Cabbage Town and Caribbean Town -- to name just a few. At the Gardiner Museum they try their hand at "throwing pots" and visit the one-of-a-kind Bata Shoe Museum where more than 12,000 shoes are housed. Learn the art of making Chinese dumplings, dragon lanterns, and the watch the Grannies share their skills on "Caribana" costume-making.
San Juan - Bienvenidos, Paradise
The Grannies venture into San Juan, Puerto Rico, where they visit small hamlets, villages, and winding roads that crisscross the island. Visit El Morro, a large Spanish fort, walk through Old Town with flower draped balconies and experience the integration of the many cultures found on this island through its music -- "salsa!"
GRANNIES ON SAFARI is produced by The Art Explorers, Inc. in association with Brave New Pictures, Inc., comprised of director, DP, and videographer Dave Monk and producer, writer and editor Kathy Monk. Since 1988, the Monks have produced narrative, documentary, educational, fundraising, and promotional videotapes for a wide range of clients. Their work has appeared on The Discovery Channel, NBC Nightly News, MTV, A&E Network, ESPN, PBS, CBS and at EPCOT Center in Walt Disney World. Original incidental music for the series is by Allen Phillips, with the theme song composed by trumpeter Orbert Davis. For more information on this series, visit www granniesonsafari.com.
About American Public Television (APT)
With more than 10,000 hours of programming in its library, American Public Television (APT) has been a prime source of programming for the nation's public television stations for 47 years, distributing more than 300 new program titles per year. APT milestones include distribution of the first HD series on public television and the 2006 launch of Create™ -- the TV channel featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming. Known for its leadership in identifying innovative, worthwhile and viewer-friendly programming, APT has established a tradition of providing public television stations with program choices that strengthen and customize their schedules, such as Carreras Domingo Pavarotti in Concert, Winged Migration, Battlefield Britain, Globe Trekker, Rick Steves' Europe, Great Museums, Jacques Pépin: Fast Food My Way, America's Test Kitchen From Cook's Illustrated, Grannies on Safari, Broadway: The Golden Age, Lidia's Family Table, California Dreamin' -- The Songs of The Mamas & the Papas, Rosemary and Thyme, P. Allen Smith's Garden Home, The Big Comfy Couch, Monarchy With David Starkey, and other prominent documentaries, dramatic series, how-to programs, children's series and classic movies. For more information about APT's programs and services, visit APTonline.org. |
