Sledge hockey anyone? How about synchronized skating? Or ringette?
Paul Papadopoulos, producer of POV Sports (Thursdays, 4:30 p.m. ET, Saturdays, noon ET, CBC), says that introducing kids to unusual sports is just part of his team's mandate.
"We're
"We're looking to give a show to kids that they
own," he says, "with the idea of them seeing
themselves pumping up amateur sports at the kid
level."
The half-hour magazine program profiles some of Canada's top junior athletes and Papadopoulos says kids play a big role in determining content through the show's Web site.
"The POV Choice Three" highlights segment is based completely on audience suggestions. When pro superstars like Steve Yzerman or Michael Sweeney of the Kansas City Royals appear, it's to give youngsters tips to help their own play or to relate to viewers in a way you wouldn't see on Hockey Night In Canada. When Steve Nash, the Canadian NBA star with the Dallas Mavericks, appeared on POV, it was to give kids a tour of the Victoria, B.C. house he grew up in.
Because the show is a joint project of CBC's children's department and CBC Sports, Papadopoulos says POV has had some huge advantages including use of veteran CBC Sports crews, access to stars like Yzerman and to CBC's huge archive of sports footage. What does CBC Sports get out of the deal? You might be able to sum it up in two words: Joe Motiki.
Motiki is POV's high-energy host, who succeeded in cracking up venerable CBC Sports host Brian Williams with his pre-game antics during last fall's Grey Cup coverage. Each episode is built around Motiki as he learns new sports like tae kwon do, rock climbing or gymnastics. He says his dare-to-look-dumb attitude dovetails neatly with the show's mission to encourage kids to try new things.
"Go and do it," he says. "What's the worst that could happen? Nothing." With a resume that includes four years as co-host on TVOntario's after-school block, "The Crawlspace", hosting duties on the provincial broadcaster's edition of Reach For The Top and Kidzone for Leafs TV, Motiki has made kids television a speciality.
"They're a great audience," he says, "because they don't cut you any slack. When you're good they'll say so, and if you stink they'll definitely let you know too. So if I've been able to stick around in kids television this long I'm probably doing something right."
TV GUIDE Family Andrew Borkowski May 17-23, 2003
