Family Channel set to blast off with Canadian premiere of Disney sci-fi
adventure Skyrunners, Friday, November 27 at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT

SKYRUNNERS ARRIVES HOT ON THE HEELS OF RECENT DISNEY SUCCESSES THAT CONFIRM FAMILY AS THE TOP NETWORK FOR KIDS

TORONTO , Nov. 19 /CNW/ - Astral Media's Family Channel presents the Canadian premiere of the sci-fi adventure Skyrunners, day and date with Disney XD in the United States . Kelly Blatz (from hit series Aaron Stone ) and newcomer Joey Pollari star in this Disney original movie about two brothers who discover a fallen UFO. Skyrunners will premiere on Family Channel on Friday, November 27 at 7:30 p.m. ET /PT and will be available on Family OnDemand beginning Tuesday, December 1 .

Skyrunners follows teenage brothers Tyler and Nick Burns who commandeer a small UFO that crashes near their town. Soon Tyler develops superhuman abilities and the brothers are pursued by the enigmatic Agent Armstrong of the National Space Security Command. When Tyler and Nick uncover an ominous alien plot it's up to them to save Earth from destruction. Linda Kash ( Cinderella Man , Full-Court Miracle), Conrad Coates (Kyle XY), Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (The Bold and the Beautiful) and Canadian Nathan Stephenson (Degrassi: The Next Generation) also star.

Skyrunners is directed by Ralph Hemecker (Witchblade) and written by Richard C. Okie (Quantum Leap, Earth: Final Conflict) who also executive produced. The alien creatures featured in Skyrunners are designed by the Academy Award(R)-winning Weta Workshop (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Chronicles of Narnia).

Skyrunners is the kind of high-quality, exclusive title from Disney that Canadian families have come to expect from Family. Family Channel's broadcasts of the best of Disney consistently draw record numbers of viewers, contributing to Family's number-one status with 8-14 year olds for five years running(1). Recent ratings successes include the Canadian premiere of the Disney original movie Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie, which was the second-highest non-sports broadcast on Canadian specialty television(2) when it aired in August 2009 , and the Fall 2009 premiere of Zeke and Luther, which became the highest-rated series premiere ever on Family Channel(3).

Family Channel is a premium, commercial-free network offering the best in family television entertainment in 6 million homes across Canada . Dedicated to celebrating family life and providing a fun experience for all, Family airs a unique mix of series, movies and specials, with a large portion of programming supplied by Disney. Family Channel also offers Family OnDemand in select areas, a Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) service that features hit Disney movies and series, top-rated Canadian series and Playhouse Disney programming. Visit us at Family.ca.

Family Channel is an Astral Television Network. Astral Media is a leading Canadian media company, active in specialty and pay television, radio, outdoor advertising and interactive media. Astral Media's solid and dynamic presence in the country's major markets rests on its commitment to offer a unique combination of high-quality, targeted media for all its audiences. For more information about Astral Media, please visit www.astralmedia.com.

    
    NOTE: Skyrunners star Kelly Blatz will be in Toronto on
          Tuesday, November 24 for media interviews, subject to availability.

    For access to Family Channel's media room, please visit
    http://tv.astral.com

    (1)  Source: BBM Mark II Sept 2004-August 2009, PPM Wks 1-10 0910
    (2)  Source: BBM/NMR (Infosys Mark II): P2+ AMA Total Canada 928,300 -
         August 28 - 8:00 p.m. ET/PT - Family Channel. Confirmed data.
    (3)  Source: BBM/NMR (Infosys Mark II): P2+ AMA Total Canada 587,400 -
         August 28 - 9:30 p.m. ET/PT - Family Channel. Confirmed data.
    

For further information: Geneviève Parent at [phone] or [email protected]