APTN on Tuesday announced its spring lineup will feature several new Indigenous-language series alongside its English and French offerings, as well as some returning fan favourites.
Strengthening its commitment to news and current affairs, APTN is introducing a 30-minute midday edition of its English-language APTN National News program, which “aims to give viewers a quick snippet of key stories during their lunch breaks,” an APTN press release says. Premiering May 6, the midday program will offer “a more lighthearted newscast”, while still covering the events that impact First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, the release adds.
As part of the network’s commitment to language revitalization, APTN’s new Indigenous-language series will “showcase the power of culture, help people engage with their language in a fun way and spark dialogue that connects generations,” the release says.
The new documentary series On the Front Line follows the daily lives of frontline Indigenous health and social service workers. An Innu-language version will premiere on APTN’s lumi streaming service on April 29 and on APTN’s linear channel on May 6. The English version premieres April 30 on APTN lumi and May 7 on APTN TV. The series originally aired in French as Sur le terrain last fall.
Season one of Pow Wow Chow will premiere in Ojibwe and English on APTN lumi on April 30 and on APTN TV on May 7. This docuseries “follows two Indigenous chefs and their crews as they navigate the highs and lows of being travelling food vendors, putting an Indigenous spin on the dishes they sell on the powwow trail,” reads a synopsis.
The new animated kids show Chums follows a young girl and her group of furry friends as they “embark on adventures that teach them about their relationships with each other, with other animals and with their environment.” An Ojibwe version of the series will premiere May 4 on APTN lumi and May 11 on APTN TV. Cree and English versions will both debut May 5 on APTN lumi and May 12 on APTN TV.
Other Indigenous-language series premiering this spring include: the docuseries Mi’kma’ki, airing in Mi’kmaq (debuting April 29 on APTN lumi; May 6 on APTN TV) and in English later this year (July 30 on APTN lumi; Aug. 6 on APTN TV); and the docuseries Lands Enchanted, airing in Cree (premiering May 7 on APTN TV and May 8 on APTN lumi).
Finally, season one of the new French-language animated kids show La brigade will debut May 11 on APTN TV and May 12 on APTN lumi. “Inspired by their Franco-Métis heritage, Sara and her friends at the Centre Scolaire Louis-Riel are challenging authority and questioning the rules imposed on them with mixed results! By forming a student committee called ‘The Brigade’, these young people are seeking to make themselves heard, just like their ancestors,” says a synopsis translated into English.
Shows returning to APTN this spring include the culinary series Moosemeat & Marmalade and the competition series Bears’ Lair. Both programs are available in English and French.
The English premiere dates for season seven of Moosemeat & Marmalade are May 7 on APTN TV and May 8 on APTN lumi, while the French version will debut May 6 on APTN TV and May 7 on APTN lumi.
Season two of Bears’ Lair will premiere in English on June 4 on APTN TV and on June 5 on APTN lumi and in French on June 10 on APTN TV and on June 11 on APTN lumi.
Photos of (clockwise from left) Pow Wow Chow, Chums and On the Front Line courtesy of APTN.
