On the 50th Anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, W5 Reveals How Close We Came to Nuclear War, Saturday on CTV

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Toronto, ON (October 17, 2012) – Premiering this Saturday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. ET on CTV, W5 host and Chief Correspondent Lloyd Robertson takes viewers inside a riveting double-header of stories. On the 50^th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, W5 takes a revealing new look at a time when the world came within mere minutes of an all-out nuclear war in “ARMAGEDDON”. Then, Robertson’s hometown Stratford Festival is abuzz as it welcomes Sudbury native Antoni Cimolino as the next Artistic Director of North America’s largest theatre company in “THE PASSION OF CIMOLINO”.  

In “ARMAGEDDON”,W5’s Robertson examines not only the details that lead the world to the brink of devastation in 1962, but lessons that still apply today. Robertson travels to Havana to meet with a close confidant of Fidel Castro and member of the Cuban Central Committee. In Washington, he interviews the U.S. analyst who first spotted the Soviet Union’s nuclear missiles on Cuban soil. He also interviews Sergei Khrushchev, son of the Chairman of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev, who watched the crisis unfold at his father’s side. Included in the documentary are letters between American president John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev as they seek a way of resolving the crisis to avoid a global nuclear war.

“Since the end of the Cold War, entire generations seem to have forgotten that nuclear weapons are still in their silos, ready for launch,” said Anton Koschany, Executive Producer, W5. “Revisiting those 13 days in October, 1962 makes us understand just how easy it could be to find ourselves on the brink once again.”

Robertson also heads the second story of the evening, guiding viewers back to his hometown of Stratford, ON, with an up-close look at Antoni Cimolino, the newly minted Artistic Director of the world-renowned Stratford Festival. W5’s “THE PASSION OF CIMOLINO” introduces viewers to the youthful, 51-year-old Italian-Canadian and former actor hailing from Sudbury, ON, where hockey stars far outrank Shakespearean actors as main exports. Over the course of 25 years since landing his first role at Stratford, Cimolino has had a hand in almost every part of the Festival – on stage and behind the scenes. Now, at the summit of his career, Cimolino has a chance to exercise his passion, reaching across the footlights and touching people in a way that can make a difference in their lives.

W5 can also be seen on Investigation Discovery on Tuesdays at 11 p.m. ET, and Wednesdays at 3 a.m. ET, 6 a.m. ET and 12 noon ET; and on demand at CTVNews.ca/W5, the CTV Mobile channel on Bell Mobile TV, and through video on demand partners, such as Bell Fibe TV (visit CTV.ca for local listings).

About W5
With an ongoing commitment to covering tough, relevant stories with fair and responsible reporting, W5 is in its 47^th season of investigative journalism. Hosted by Lloyd Robertson, the award-winning series is the most-watched documentary program in Canada. Anton Koschany is Executive Producer of W5. Brett Mitchell is Senior Producer. Wendy Freeman is President of CTV News and Current Affairs.

-CTV-

For more information, contact:

Patricia Garcia, CTV Inc., 416.384.2645 or patricia.garcia@bellmedia.ca

Renee Dupuis, CTV Inc., 416.384.3154 or renee.dupuis@bellmedia.ca