Getting Women 'Unstuck' the Priority for TV Series Stuck on W Network March 4(February, 2009 - Toronto) – STUCK – a TV series embracing change and hope – springs into life for its second season on the W Network on March 4 – in time to also celebrate Women’s International Day on March 8. Over 13 weeks, the half-hour docu-soap will follow the journey of seven women from varying backgrounds, aged 23 to 52, who are all in their own way, “stuck”. Fitness goals are the immediate symbol of their desire to reclaim their lives. All have tried to go it alone, but none have seen them through. The barriers have been as diverse as the women themselves. One young woman is struggling to break free of the demands of her cultural background and achieve a confident, independent life. Another participant has long held emotional issues that have adversely affected her health and diet. And the eldest woman in the group, in a familiar theme, has a life-long pattern of always putting herself – and her health – last. “I call them The Magnificent Seven,” says 52 Media producer/writer/director Marianne Kushmaniuk (Urban Wild, The Sexual Century). “Not only are they willing to commit to months of hard work, they are also taking on their health and lifestyle challenges publicly on national television. It is a big job to earn and maintain their trust, support them through their journey and make sure everyone is having a healthy and positive experience.” In the first episode, premiering Wednesday March 4 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, the bar is set high as the women face the grim realities of their initial fitness assessments. Teri describes herself as a slug; Farrah faces the shocking report that her body fat is at 40% and Laurie confesses to being a sugar addict. Yo-yo diets, struggles with self confidence, negative body images and repeated disappointment are a constant in their lives. The series features: Michelle, 31, a former aspiring fitness model and mother of two who can only dream of what she looked like five years ago; Teri, 52, who confesses to feeling old, fat and invisible and wants to reclaim her inner strength; Melanie, 32, a talented kayaker and artist – and a loner who doesn’t know how to interact with people; Veronica, 23, lives at home in a traditional Chinese environment and feels she has been told she is fat all her life; Farrah, 31, is a former cheerleader who feels that when the “fat came in, the sexy went out”; Laurie, 43, who has battled such grim eating disorders as anorexia and bulimia all her life; and Chantal, 32, a social worker and mother of three, who has lost her sense of direction because she is always looking after other people. Award-winning documentary filmmaker, Liz Marshall (Girls of Latitude) is lead director for the second series. “We are taking themes and storylines familiar to reality and lifestyle programming – but we dig far more deeply into the lives of our characters and their individual circumstances,” says executive producer David York (Air India 182). “We shoot over 4 -5 months to allow for the possibility of real life change.” STUCK is produced by 52 Media in association with the W Network. Web site with background info and high res photos - www.52media.ca For information and interviews Download the press release, episode synopses and cast and production biographies here:
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