Atlantic Crossing, a new 8-part miniseries, will premiere on PBS MASTERPIECE this weekend. The series will run on Sunday evenings from April 4th to May 23, 2021.
Inspired by actual events, this period piece transports armchair travelers, history buffs, and romantics back and forth across the Atlantic—to Norway, Great Britain, and the United States.
Beautifully filmed, the fictionalized drama tells the evocative story of Norwegian Crown Princess Martha and Norwegian Crown Prince Olav, who went into exile when the Nazis invaded Norway in 1940. It’s a personal tale set against the gripping backdrop of World War II and the occupation of Norway.
The war forced the royal couple to separate: The princess and her daughters fled to relatives in Sweden for safety. Her husband, the much-admired crown prince, reluctantly left his country to set up a government-in-exile in the UK.
Sofia Helin as Crown Princess Martha and Tobias Santelmann as Crown Prince Olav visit the U.S. in … [+] 1939.
The first episode begins in 1939 when the prince and princess make a goodwill visit to the U.S., where the couple develops a warm relationship with President Franklin D. Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Taking advantage of that bond, Martha later uses her beauty and charm to enlist the president’s support to help Norway fight against Germany at a time when public sentiment in America tended toward isolationism.
The scandalous relationship between a president and a princess
Norwegian Crown Princess Martha and her husband Prince Olav visit U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt … [+] in 1939.
After Martha and her three children are taken into the White House by the president, the prince grows suspicious of her close ties to their mutual friend, wondering if the relationship is amorous rather than transactional or platonic. It also taxes the patience of the First Lady, who handles it with bitter sarcasm.
In an interview airing on Viking TV, Alexander Eik, who created, directed, and co-wrote the series (with Linda May Kallestein), explains that he learned about this “nugget of history,” one that remained largely unreported even in his native Norway.
Real or rumored?
No one knows what happened behind closed doors, says Eik. Rumors of the eyebrow-raising relationship between the princess and the president had surfaced in the press although only tidbits about Martha’s life appear in history books. Eik and his team spent 6-7 years researching this intriguing love story.
The series is superbly acted by an international cast, starring Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks and Desperate Housewives) as President Roosevelt and Swedish star Sofia Helin (The Bridge) as Crown Princess Martha. Harriet Sansom Harris (Frasier and Desperate Housewives) portrays Eleanor Roosevelt, and Tobias Santelmann (Kon Tiki) portrays Crown Prince Olav.
The multilingual series was filmed in the Czech Republic and Norway (even the White House scenes) before the pandemic.
How to Watch Atlantic Crossing
New episodes will air on PBS Sundays at 9ET /6CT from April 4 through May 23. Consult local stations for more detailed information.
PBS Passport members can binge-watch all eight episodes of Atlantic Crossing, beginning on the day of the premiere, Sunday, April 4.
Viewers can also stream full episodes on the PBS Video App, PBS.org and the MASTERPIECE website for 14 days after the episode premieres.
Watch the series preview
Behind the scenes with Viking
Cruise industry leader Viking, who has become a household name through its ten-year partnership with PBS MASTERPIECE, is a major sponsor of Atlantic Crossing.
This week also marks the first anniversary of Viking TV. Its daily livestreams and archived content aim to help people build community, stay connected and share positive experiences during the pandemic; they have been viewed by more than two million people.
As part of its Guest Speaker Thursday series, Viking TV created a special program hosted by British broadcaster and journalist Anne Diamond. Diamond interviewed Atlantic Crossing’s lead actors, Kyle MacLachlan and Sofia Helin, as well as the creator and director, Alexander. It’s a great introduction to the series.
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the NDP is caving to political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when it comes to their stance on the consumer carbon price.
Trudeau says he believes Jagmeet Singh and the NDP care about the environment, but it’s “increasingly obvious” that they have “no idea” what to do about climate change.
On Thursday, Singh said the NDP is working on a plan that wouldn’t put the burden of fighting climate change on the backs of workers, but wouldn’t say if that plan would include a consumer carbon price.
Singh’s noncommittal position comes as the NDP tries to frame itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election.
Poilievre responded to that by releasing a video, pointing out that the NDP has voted time and again in favour of the Liberals’ carbon price.
British Columbia Premier David Eby also changed his tune on Thursday, promising that a re-elected NDP government would scrap the long-standing carbon tax and shift the burden to “big polluters,” if the federal government dropped its requirements.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for consumer protection, has tabled a bill to force merchants to calculate tips based on the price before tax.
That means on a restaurant bill of $100, suggested tips would be calculated based on $100, not on $114.98 after provincial and federal sales taxes are added.
The bill would also increase the rebate offered to consumers when the price of an item at the cash register is higher than the shelf price, to $15 from $10.
And it would force grocery stores offering a discounted price for several items to clearly list the unit price as well.
Businesses would also have to indicate whether taxes will be added to the price of food products.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
