March 4, 2009

CTV Original Documentary LOST ADVENTURES OF CHILDHOOD Premieres March 14 on CTV

-- Under Pressure Author Carl Honore, Psychology Today Editor Hara Estroff Marano and Evolutionary Psychologist Don Fulgosi weigh in on the importance of free play --

Toronto, ON (March 4, 2009) – Remember the wild, unfettered play time of childhood past? Those days are all but lost. Premiering Saturday, March 14 at 7 p.m. ET on CTV (visit CTV.ca to confirm local broadcast times), LOST ADVENTURES OF CHILDHOOD is a new one-hour original CTV documentary from filmmaker Scott Harper that explores how childhood on lockdown is stunting the way children learn and grow.

**Media Note** - Download photos from LOST ADVENTURES OF CHILDHOOD at www.ctvmedia.ca

For generations, kids played freely in the streets of their neighbourhoods, creating their own games and socializing without supervision. Today, unstructured play has all but vanished thanks to a steady stream of terrifying news reports on abductions, school shootings, law suits and sliding academic performance. The simple pleasures of being a child at play – free from minivan chauffeuring, GPS tracking, and most importantly, parents - has disappeared from modern society. Free play has been replaced by activity that is structured and supervised. LOST ADVENTURES OF CHILDHOOD looks at the impact of all this on the kids themselves.

Harper, along with a host of experts on play, presents scientific findings that suggest the 21st century cloistering of children cripples everything from literacy and creativity to social acumen and mental health. LOST ADVENTURES OF CHILDHOOD makes a powerful case that free play is not a glorious time waster but possibly the key to the healthy development of a child’s mind, and the path to a productive adulthood.

“When it comes to children, a lot of parents today are absolutely marinated in fear,” says producer and director Scott Harper. “Childhood has entered an era of stealth management, and the science on the subject is warning us that a hyper-managed childhood may well spell catastrophe in the long run.”

LOST ADVENTURES OF CHILDHOOD is produced and directed by Scott Harper of Sunday Night Entertainment in association with CTV Television Inc. Robert Hurst is President of CTV News and Current Affairs. Susanne Boyce is President, Content, Creative and Channels, CTV Inc.

About Sunday Night Entertainment:
Sunday Night Entertainment is a Toronto based production company specializing in character driven documentary programming for television. It was established in 2001 by writer, director and producer Scott Harper who has created programming for CBC, CTV, Discovery Channel (U.S., Int’l and Canada), The History Channel, Channel 5, FX, A&E, TVO, TLC, National Geographic and Granada Television.

About CTV
CTV, Canada's largest private broadcaster, offers a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming. It has the number-one national newscast, CTV NATIONAL NEWS WITH LLOYD ROBERTSON, and is the number-one choice for prime-time viewing. CTVglobemedia Inc. is Canada's premier multi-media company which owns CTV Inc. and The Globe and Mail. CTV Inc. also owns radio stations across the country, and leading national specialty channels. Other CTVglobemedia investments include an interest in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, and in Dome Productions, a North American leader in the provision of mobile high definition production facilities. More information about CTV may be found on the company website at www.ctv.ca.

- CTV-

For more information:
Ashley Applebaum, CTV Inc., 416.384.4228 or ashley.applebaum@ctv.ca
Amanda Rinaldo, CTV Inc., 416.384.5325 or amanda.rinaldo@ctv.ca

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