U.S. Olympic Skater Peter Tchernyshev, Blues Hall of Famer
Sam Taylor and Honorable Grand Master Karate Sensai Shimabukuro Featured in Series
NEW ORLEANS, LA, MAY 2, 2004 – AMC’s upcoming original series, INTO CHARACTER, utilizes a collection of world class “masters,” including Grammy Award-winning artists and U.S. Olympic skaters who help train, transport and transform everyday movie fans into their favorite film fantasies. The AMC original series premieres on Wednesday, June 16 at 10:00 PM ET/PT.
In INTO CHARACTER: BLUES BROTHERS, “Chicago Blues Master” Buddy Guy and “New York Blues Master” Sam Taylor teach participants Matt and James how to be “soul men,” like Jake and Ellwood Blues from the 1980 film. Two-time Grammy Award-winning artist Buddy Guy has been playing the blues for nearly four decades, and established himself as the blues man of the 1990s. Blues songwriter/musician Sam Taylor was inducted in the Blues Hall of Fame for his historical contribution, impact and overall influence on the blues.
In INTO CHARACTER: ICE CASTLES, four time U.S. Gold Medalist Peter Tchernyshev coaches participant Andrea to ice skate like a champion. Tchernyshev, along with his partner Naomi Lange, held the title of U.S. Ice Dance Champions from 1999 – 2003.
The “Road Work Master” in INTO CHARACTER: ROCKY, who trains Nate Rubin just like Rocky Balboa, is Alicia Ashley. Ashley won the U.S. National Amateur 125 lbs. Kickboxing Championship in 1997 and 1998, and the USA International Championship in 1998. Also featured in this episode is “Boxing Master” Carlos Ortiz, four-time boxing champion in the World Lightweight Category from 1962 to 1965. Ortiz was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991.
In INTO CHARACTER: THE NATURAL, “Baseball Master” Wayne Krenchicki teaches subject Bob Hornsby to bat like THE NATURAL‘s Roy Hobbs. Krenchicki is the manager of the Camden River Sharks, a baseball team in the Independent Atlantic League. In addition, from 1976 to 1986, Krenchicki played professional baseball for the Baltimore Orioles, the Cincinnati Reds, the Detroit Tigers and the Montreal Expos.
INTO CHARACTER: KARATE KID, participant Brent Gloden travels all the way to Okinawa, Japan to study the art of Karate from Honorable Grand Master Karate Sensai Shimabukuro. Sensai Shimabukuro is one of the most renowned authorities in the world and was the forefront of developing Karate in Japan after World War II.
Each episode of INTO CHARACTER begins with a movie fan and their unique film fantasy, as well as the real situation in which they’ll have the opportunity to bring their dream to life, in just two weeks. Whether their dream is to hit the definitive home run like Robert Redford in THE NATURAL; to sing like Lou Diamond Phillips in LA BAMBA; or to engage in DIRTY DANCING like Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, INTO CHARACTER features real people, non-actors who are motivated to do the hard work necessary to bring about their own happy ending.
AMC, a division of Rainbow Media’s Entertainment Services, which also includes WE: Women’s Entertainment and IFC Companies, is a 24-hour, movie-based network, dedicated to the American movie fan. The network, which reaches over 85,000,000 homes, offers a comprehensive library of popular movies and a critically-acclaimed slate of original programming that is a diverse, movie- based mix of original series, documentaries and specials. Over the past three years, AMC has garnered many of the industry’s highest honors, including eight Emmy awards. AMC is “TV for movie people.”
A leader in sports, news and entertainment programming, Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE:CVC). Rainbow Media owns and manages national networks: AMC, Fuse, IFC (The Independent Film Channel) and WE: Women’s Entertainment; as well as the on-demand services: Mag Rack, Uncensored On Demand, World Picks On Demand and World Picks Networks. Rainbow Media’s other businesses include its regional programming services – MetroChannels, News 12 Networks and Rainbow Sports Networks – in addition to the Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation and Rainbow Network Communications. Rainbow Media is also a 50 percent partner in Fox Sports Net.
All Times Eastern/Pacific.