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EPISODE GUIDE |
INSIDE: SUMO'S ULTIMATE CLASH
Monday 2 June @ 9:00pm HK/SIN
 SMACK!
Flesh meets flesh as two colossal wrestlers smash into each other
- half a ton of muscle and fat collide. Sumo. More than a sport in
Japan, it's a religion. Its history goes back 2000 years, with time-honoured
Shinto rituals and ceremonies originating from the ancient martial
art called "Tegoi". Crashing into this tradition-bound world
is Mongolian "outsider" Asashoryu. He's a rule-breaker,
a rebel. And much to the chagrin of the sumo-crazy Japanese, he's
their reigning champion. To add insult to injury, the Americans are
even beefing up to join the sport.
And now, for the first time in nearly 15 years, Japanese Grand
Sumo is coming to ground-zero of the outsider invasion. Hawaii -
birthplace to Sumo's first foreign-born grand champion, Akebono.
Asashoryu. He's not just any Sumo wrestler. He's the "yokozuna"
or highest ranked…the Muhammad Ali of Sumo. With permission
from Asashoryu to film his inner sanctum, we'll penetrate the hidden
culture of this ancient sport. Where men built like mountains devote
their lives to just two things: muscling up and chowing down. We'll
decode the rigid hierarchy where newbies are hazed on a daily basis
- cleaning toilets and cooking the champion's food. We'll capture
the champ as he's put through paces in the Sumo "stable"
in preparation for the face off in Hawaii. With a line of lower-ranking
fighters waiting to defeat him and the Japanese fans waiting to
see him disgraced, will Asashoryu fall?
Interwoven with Asashoryu's fight build-up, we'll explore a growing
group of Americans that are packing on the pounds and balancing
the scales with the day job, in their quest to be the Rocky Balboa
of Sumo. We'll profile American wrestler Dan Kalbfleisch as he prepares
for the next Sumo event. Part of the United Sates Sumo Federation
- a U.S. amateur league - he's currently ranked fourth, and hell
bent on capturing first. Far from the ancient rings of Japan, US
Sumo is a land of spandex, 6-egg breakfasts, and 5:00 AM gym runs.
Different continent, different culture, but the goal is the same
- to win.
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INSIDE: SUPER TRUCK RALLY
Monday 9 June @ 9:00pm HK/SIN
 Established
42 years ago as a small town gas station just outside Walcott IOWA,
'IOWA 80' is now a giant of the US highways and the world's largest
truck stop. We dip inside the minds and lives of the people that live,
work and visit IOWA 80. And we visit the Annual Walcott Truckers Jamboree
- the largest outdoor trucking event in the USA. It offers everything
from Pet Singing Contests to the Best Lit Truck at Night Competition.
But at its centre is the Supertruck Beauty Contest. Hundreds of tonnes
of gleaming metal thunder into the arena to compete for this coveted
prize. It may look like a harmless bit of fun, but this title is taken
very seriously. The Supertruckers are in it to win, whatever the cost. |
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INSIDE: AIR SHOW
Monday 16 June @ 9:00pm HK/SIN
 It's
the oldest, the largest, and one of the most prestigious air shows
in the world which only happens every two years. The Paris Air Show
is the place to see the latest in top-winged technology -- from commercial
planes to military hardware from around the globe. Billions of dollars
change hands here as industry insiders wheel and deal. Inside will
show you what it takes to make it all happen -- from creating a spectacle
in the air to preparing for potential disaster on the ground. |
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INSIDE: INSIDE THE GREEN BERETS
Monday 23 June @ 9:00pm HK/SIN
 In
a remote outpost in south-central Afghanistan known as Firebase Cobra,
a group of Americans stand in the breach between the rule of law and
the rule of terror. They are Green Berets, part of an elite division
of the U.S. Army Special Forces, charged with protecting local civilians
from the wrath of the Taliban. These elite soldiers navigate an unforgiving
landscape, never certain from one minute to the next if they will
make it back to the base alive.
For this film, the Pentagon waived their 48-hour limitation on
embedded media and allowed the National Geographic Channel to chronicle
the lives of these war-hardened Americans for ten days. But their
window will be tragically cut short by the costliest IED (Improvised
Explosive Device) explosion so far in the war in Afghanistan - killing
two soldiers, wounding five others and injuring the NGC crew.
The programme provides a rare, up-close look at the sacrifices,
challenges and deadly risks that American soldiers face on the front
lines every day. The film is narrated by producer and director Steven
Hoggard, who offers an intimate firsthand account of life on the
base and under attack, including his own injuries from the deadly
blast. The film also documents daily life for these soldiers, including
the mundane passing of time inside the base; the danger-filled missions
to surrounding villages; and even a historic gathering of tribal
leaders seeking assistance against the Taliban who invaded their
homes.
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INSIDE: WORLD'S BIGGEST CRUISE SHIP
Monday 30 June @ 9:00pm HK/SIN
 The
Freedom of the Seas is an awesome Megastructure using the most sophisticated
technology in the world to create a ship like no other. It’s
all about action and adventure! This is the first ocean liner with
its own on-board wave machine, water sport zone, climbing wall, boxing
ring and full sized ice-rink. Join the Freedom of the Seas as she
makes her maiden voyage in June 2006 a once-in-a-lifetime Mega experience.
What are the designers' biggest fears? What would they do if something
went radically wrong? Could this be another Titanic? |
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