As the world gets ready for the Summer Games — set to begin on the auspicious date of 8-8-08, at exactly 8:08 p.m. — Beijing, Are You Ready? Olympic Special captures the city’s make-over in preparation for the 2008 Olympics, the first-ever held in China. The program airs Tuesday, July 22 at 8/7 p.m. CT on KET2 and Wednesday, July 23 at 9/8 p.m. CT on KET1.
The special features the magnitude and drive behind Beijing’s transformation, and heralds the run-up to the 2008 Summer Olympics. Featuring exclusive video of highly restricted Olympic venues under construction, the program documents the city’s efforts to present a modern face to the world, as well as a world-class Olympic site. No other previous Olympic host city has transformed on such a scale; Beijing has mobilized its entire citizenry behind the games.
In addition to the city-wide preparations, Beijing, Are You Ready? features interviews with gold medal winners and gold medal hopefuls to reveal the immense pressure, pain and pride Chinese Olympic athletes are experiencing. Program host Mary Windishar visits the homes of these athletes to meet the parents and hear stories of their children’s journey to Olympic stardom.
The program also includes interviews with partners in the creative team for the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies, including Yves Pepin, creator of the Eiffel Tower Millennium Celebration; Chen Weiya, director of China’s National Song and Dance Ensemble; and chief architects of Olympic projects, including Li Xinggang — Chinese architect of the National Stadium, a.k.a. Bird’s Nest.
Along with illuminating the many ways the city is preparing for its role as host, Beijing, Are You Ready? shows how the city is using the preparations as a catalyst to modernize the city, adding improvements to infrastructure and the environment, including pouring billions of dollars into educational campaigns about the Olympics and into language and culture classes for its citizens.
Beijing, Are You Ready? Olympic Special is produced by D3 Productions Inc./Oakland.
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