VisionTV Unveils 2008-2009 Programming Highlights Fall Highlights / Vision TV Posted by RAD on Jun 24, 2008 - 06:52 PM VisionTV kicks off its 20th anniversary season in September with a pair of programming events that demonstrate the scope of the channel’s multi-faith mission: a week-long series of specials on Islam – including the Canadian premiere of The Koran (see below) – to mark the beginning of Ramadan, and another week of specials devoted to Judaism, timed to coincide with the start of the Jewish High Holidays. Other programming events in 2008-2009 will include a week of programming on the power and persistence of religious cults, and a lineup of outstanding Christmas specials for the entire family. Program Highlights Documentary Hidden World of the Harem This two-part docudrama from the producers of the Gemini Award-winning Secret Files of the Inquisition is a tale of politics, power and passion, set in the most secret place in the Ottoman Empire: the Sultan’s Harem. The women of the harem were no mere sex slaves. The concubine chosen by the Sultan to marry had the power and influence of royalty. Blending rigorous historical research with cinematic re-creations filmed on location in Turkey, this international production lifts a veil of secrecy to reveal a hidden society within the walls of the harem. Documentary – Airing November 2008 Join Us There are more than 5,000 religious cults in North America today. Why are so many of us drawn into their embrace? This acclaimed documentary by filmmaker Ondi Timoner recounts the experiences of four families attempting to rebuild their lives after leaving a South Carolina cult, the Mountain Rock Church, led by Pastor Raimund Melz and his wife Deborah. The film takes viewers inside the only accredited residential treatment facility in the U.S. for cult victims, and follows the families as they return to South Carolina to exact justice against their former pastor. Part of a VisionTV special event on religious cults. Documentary – Airing September 2008 The Koran Islam is rooted in the Koran, one of the most ideologically influential texts in the world. There are more than a billion Muslims on earth – and within this community of belief are profound differences on matters ranging from the status of women to punishment and forgiveness. In this feature-length documentary, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Antony Thomas enters the heart of the Muslim world and explores the lives of men and women who live according to their understanding of the Koran – from those who speak of its message of peace and tolerance to those who find in it the justification for suicide bombing. Part of a VisionTV special event on the past, present and future of Islam. Drama Series McLeod’s Daughters: Season Eight Saddle up one last time, as the internationally acclaimed Australian drama series returns to VisionTV for its eighth and final season. Filmed on location in Aussie cattle country, this award-winning series chronicles the lives and loves of the strong-willed women who operate a sprawling ranch called Drovers Run. This season will find Stevie (Simmone Jade Mackinnon), Grace (Abi Tucker) and friends facing their greatest challenges yet, putting their skills and passion to the test as they fight for the future of Drovers Run. Expect to see triumph and tragedy, love and loss, new faces and old friends, and much, much more, as McLeod’s Daughters builds to a shocking and emotional series finale. Drama Series Rabbit Fall: Season Two Beneath its placid surface, the small town of Rabbit Fall harbours dark secrets. In the second season of the acclaimed supernatural drama series Rabbit Fall, produced for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) and VisionTV, Constable Tara Wheaton (Andrea Menard) plunges ever deeper into the mysteries that haunt this remote northern community. But with every step, she puts her life – and her very soul – at greater peril. Documentary The Science of the Soul In 2007, Emmy Award-winning Canadian filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici (The Naked Archaeologist) teamed up with Titanic’s James Cameron to uncover what may have been the tomb of Jesus. In this feature-length documentary special, Jacobovici sets out in search of an even more elusive prize: the human soul itself. Every known culture on earth has cultivated the idea that human beings have some form of spiritual consciousness: a “soul.” Can advanced science now help us to understand whether and in what form the soul exists. Is the belief in God hard-wired into the human brain? Can research into the connection between mind and body shed light upon the nature of the soul? In his quest for answers, Jacobovici seeks out insight from experts in robotics, neuroscience, psychology and other disciplines. Stay tuned to Fall TV Preview [1] for upcoming 24 hours schedule of Vision TV coming later this summer. This article is from CHANNEL CANADA   http://www.channelcanada.com/ The URL for this story is:   http://www.channelcanada.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2284 Links in this article   [1] http://www.falltvpreview.com/